He nodded, no censure in his expression, and lowered himself to his haunches so he could be eye to eye. “I know this is asking a lot, doc. I know it’s a weird job, but it is my job. It’s important to me, and I’ve worked hard to get it. I don’t plan on it being a forever thing but it’s a right-now thing. And I like knowing I’m helping people.” He took her hand and sandwiched it between his. “But what I can promise you is that I am absolutely one-hundred percent professional with my clients. I am always safe. I have never had or wanted to have a relationship with a client. I don’t derive sexual pleasure from them. It’s about their issues and how I can help. I imagine it’s similar to if some hot A-list actor has to strip down in your office for an exam. You know how to be a professional. And so do I.”
She took a deep breath and tried to blow out some of the tension. He was right in that she knew how to separate professional and personal modes. Good-looking men got naked for her on the regular at work, but it was clinical. Not sexy at all. However, she was only seeing them naked and examining them, not actually having sex with them like Lane sometimes had to. “I know there’s a difference between work and pleasure for you. But you realize this takes confidence of steel, right?”
He smiled. “I do. I honestly never thought I’d meet any woman who’d be able to accept the job I had, but if any woman can, it’d be you. I don’t think you realize how much every other woman pales in comparison.” He pressed his lips to her knuckles. “You’ve got me on lockdown, doc.”
The words soothed some of the jagged edges inside of her, but her stomach was still knotted. “I’m going to work on getting used to it.”
He leaned over and kissed her cheek. “And I’m always willing to talk it through. Just promise me you won’t let stuff build up and not tell me. We’re figuring this out as we go along…together. All right?”
She nodded and sighed. “Yes. Together.”
“Good.” He rose to his feet and grabbed his bag. “I’ll see you tonight, doc. Go convince people drugs are bad.”
She sniffed. “Go convince people sex is good.”
He came over and gave her another quick peck. “Thank you.”
Lane headed out and Elle finished getting ready. She wasn’t going to let herself dwell on the conversation or obsess about what he might be doing with his client tonight. Like Lane said, they were figuring this out as they went along. She would see how this felt, how she’d deal with knowing he’d spent time with someone else tonight. Hopefully, she’d be okay with it. If not…well, if not, she had no idea where they would go from here.
She didn’t want to think about it.
Elle walked onto her unit ten minutes late, which raised a number of eyebrows as she passed some of the staff on her way in. She was a notorious stickler for being on time and had been known to give quite a lecture to anyone who was late. But her staff was smart enough to not tease her about her own lack of punctuality this morning. She was definitely not in the mood.
Oriana fell into step beside her as Elle made her way to the office. “Good morning, Dr. McCray.”
“Morning,” she said, keeping her gaze forward as she scanned the unit, taking quick inventory of who was awake already this morning and who wa
sn’t. The early birds tended to be the ones doing better with treatment. “How are things?”
“A little unsettled,” Ori said, handing her a stack of manila folders. “According to the night staff, Belinda threatened Jeremy at late-night group and he spit in her face. Some other residents got involved in the altercation, so everyone had to be sent to their rooms for the rest of the evening.”
“Anyone injured?”
“Nothing but a few scratches,” she reported. “I’ve talked to a few from the group this morning. Jeremy seems to have been the main instigator. He’s blaming his meds for his outburst. Says we’re ‘fucking with his head.’ His words.”
Elle opened the file and scanned down Jeremy’s list of medications, noting that none of them were known to cause violent outbursts. “So he’s blaming that and not the withdrawals from the amphetamines he’s been subsisting on for two years or the fact that his wife just left him?”
“Basically.”
She took a pen from her pocket and scribbled a note in the file. “I’ll put him on my schedule for this afternoon. I doubt it’s the meds but I’ll talk to him, check for any other side effects. If he wants to try a different combo, there are some options.”
“Thanks.” Oriana paused outside of Elle’s office and faced her. “Also, Dr. Rush stopped by to talk with you about Jun. I had referred her to the X-wing.”
“Right. I saw that in the notes.”
“Dr. Rush had two sessions with her and wants to run some potential treatment options by you, make sure they don’t interfere with Jun’s plan over here.”
Elle tried not to blanch. She and Dr. Rush had learned to work together, but their shared history with Donovan always carried a layer of awkwardness neither of them could escape. “She’s waiting now?”
Ori jerked her thumb toward the door. “She’s inside. She said it wouldn’t take long.”
Elle sighed. “Okay. I’ll speak with her. Any other fires right now?”
Ori smiled. “None that I can’t handle.”
“Good.” She had full confidence in Oriana. The woman was a brilliant social worker and didn’t let any of the patients manipulate her, which was saying something. Addicts were often skilled at the con to begin with, but add award-winning performance skills to the mix with their clientele and even the most seasoned professional could fall into a trap. “Let me know if anything else comes up.”
“Will do. And Dr. McCray?” she asked, concern flickering across her features.