“I don’t know. Hmmm... Somehow showing him some kind of selfless love. You know...” He rubbed the back of his neck. “Like staying up late to make cookies for him. Or taking care of him when he’s sick. Or if he saw you doing that for someone else, he’d know you were that kind of person. To be honest, Kara, a lot of people think money and power are your only motivations. You need to show him that’s not the real you.”
Her mind churned as she turned over possible actions. She might only have a day to make herself look selfless for Brad.
At her silence Josh added, “I hope I haven’t offended you by saying what people perceive about you. That doesn’t mean I share their opinions.”
Kara waved him off. “No, that’s okay. I’m used to it, having grown up in my family. It’s never bothered me before now.” In fact, she was surprised he felt the observation might be an insult. She’d always been taught money and power were the ultimate goals in life, and she’d met very few people in her life who weren’t similarly motivated. And she’d certainly never dated such a man.
Now she realized why she’d been so attracted to both of these men. They were genuinely unselfish—a rare commodity. She wanted to kick the door, realizing she was probably too late. But if she couldn’t snag Brad or Josh, she’d at least be more prepared before the next good one came along. She was convinced this type of man would spoil her like no other. And she enjoyed being spoiled. Although not well versed at attracting altruistic men, she wouldn’t be satisfied with less, now she realized they existed. She always got what she wanted, and she enjoyed a good challenge.
*****
Brad was on route to Grace’s school when he received her text. Thrilled she’d finally communicated with him, he immediately called her back. But the busy signal in his ear indicated she still had him blocked in her cell phone. He almost screamed in frustration. What could she mean by her message? Why was she sorry? Was it something she’d done or something she was going to do? He hurried down into the subway station only to find he’d just missed the train and would have six minutes to wait for the next one.
By the time he arrived at Harbinger Elementary, having run from the station to the school, he was drenched in sweat. He’d have to shower before he went to work.
“Excuse me.” He caught the attention of a young woman behind the front desk, gasping for air as he spoke. “I need to see Grace Marshall.”
She looked him over. “Are you Brian Taylor?”
“No, I’m Brad Gates. Doctor Brad Gates—Grace’s boyfriend. Who’s Brian Taylor?”
“I didn’t think you were him. He’s supposed to be coming in this morning, and evidently he’s pretty scary-looking. He’s like huge and strong, six-feet-six inches or something like that.”
“Is he the guy that’s been bothering her?”
“Uhmm... I don’t know.”
“Never mind. Can you let me in?”
“Oh, I’m sorry. Grace just left.”
“She left? Did she know this Brian guy was coming here?”
“Of course she knew he was coming. That’s why she left. Well, Ms. Garcia told her she could leave early. She’s covering her class for her.”
“Where did she go?”
“She’s gone to her surgery appointment.”
The heartbeat, which had just begun to slow, picked up its pace again. “Surgery appointment?”
The girl’s face paled. “You didn’t know? Oh, please don’t tell anyone I told you. I could be fired. Ms. Garcia just told me not to share anyone’s health information, but you got me so rattled with all your questions.”
“You can tell me—I’m a doctor.”
She studied him with furrowed brows. “You don’t look like a doctor.”
“Look, here’s my ID card.”
She examined the card, comparing him to the picture. “I guess that could be you.”
“Of course it’s me! It’s my picture. Now tell me where Grace has gone.” With great difficulty, Brad kept his voice even.
“I’m not stupid, you know. People can fake ID cards. How do I really know you’re a doctor?”
“Please.” He paused, reading her nametag. “Please, Danna. I need to know where Grace is. It’s a matter of life and death.”
“How do I even know you’re her boyfriend? If you were her boyfriend, you’d think she would have told you she was having plastic surgery.”