When we took a recess for lunch, I was both relieved and frustrated because I was unsure if the allegations against me were really and truly resolved. Against my lawyer's advice, I ran down to the IT department. Kynlee didn't tell me where she was going, but all of this came about after her lunch with "Jane from IT". So I figure IT is as good a place to start as any.
I enter the large IT room, broken down into cubicles in the middle and offices for the higher ups and a conference room along three sides of the room. I'm perusing name placards on the cubicles I can see when a voice grabs my attention, "can I help you sir?"
"Yes, I'm wondering if Jane is free. I need to follow up with her on an issue I've been having," I say lamely. I'll be lucky if this young, male receptionist doesn't call me on my farce.
The receptionist eyes me up and down, cocks his head, and asks in a flirty tone, "and just who might I say is asking for her?"
"Please tell her Dr. Teton is here to see her," I offer.
The receptionist walks to one of the furthest cubicles and who I assume is Jane, follows him back. "How can I help you Dr. Teton?" She asks with a smile on her face.
This woman is good. Either she doesn't know who I am, or she is an excellent actress. "Jane, is there somewhere we can talk?" I ask with as big a smile as I can muster.
"Ah…" she looks around and then points to an empty conference room in the corner, "we can talk down here." This is the first time I see a kink in her perfect people skills. We walk silently to the conference room and she motions me in first before closing the door and taking the seat next to mine at the huge table. "What can I do for you Dr. Teton?"
"Please Jane, call me Wam," I say with a smile.
I can see on her face she now knows who I am and what I want. She didn't know me by Dr. Teton, but she knows me as Wam, which means this is the right Jane. Hot damn!
"First off, I want to tell you how sorry I am to hear your husband is ill. Thank you for giving Kynlee a place to stay, but I'd like to take her home now," I explain.
"It's ironic Dr. Teton. All Kynlee talks about are good qualities when she mentions you. Right now, with all due respect sir, I feel you are trying to be rather underhanded," she accuses with her arms crossed over her chest and her head tilted slightly to the side.
"I apologize Jane. I thought I was being rather foreword, not underhanded. I'll lay it all on the line for you. Dr. Adams was escorted from the premises today. My name has been cleared, largely in part by the phone conversation Kynlee had with President Eman this morning. I want to thank her and explain that I'm free to date who I want now." We sat and looked at each other briefly. What a tough nut to crack! Okay, more explanation, "who I want is Kynlee. Please Jane, help me make it right. I'm in love with this woman."
Jane's arms fall to her lap and she smiles. "Well who am I to stand in the way of love? Okay Dr. Teton, I'll help you, but I really do need Kynlee's help during the day when I work. It's such a load off my mind knowing someone is at home with Marvin when I'm at work. Kynlee is like family and I trust her."
"She is a very responsible, caring young woman. You should trust her. I don't want to disrupt your arrangement Jane, I simply want to thank her for helping me and let her know I care about her and I miss her," I explain to this woman I don't really know, who seems strangely loyal to Kynlee. "What she does with that information is up to her, but I'd be lying if I said I don't want her to come home with me."
Jane sighs, shakes her head and laughs, "I can't believe I'm going to help you. If you hurt that sweet girl, I will not be happy with you…Dr. Teton."
"The last thing I want is to hurt Kynlee. I want her to be happy and feel loved. I want to help make her happy. She makes me want to be a better man so that I deserve her love," I say with a far off look, as I remember the things she makes me feel.
Jane grabs a piece of paper and begins to write before handing it to me. She points to the paper, "be at this address at 5PM for supper, but not one moment sooner. Okay?"
I nod, take Jane's hand and kiss the back of her knuckles. She smiles but looks surprised. "Thank you for helping me. You won't regret it!" I jump up from my chair, look at my watch, and say, "sorry, gotta get back to the board meeting. See you tonight at 5PM," I yell over my shoulder as I exit IT to return to the Board of Directors' meeting.
Hours later, I'm standing outside what I hope is Jane's house with my hand poised to knock, but I have butterflies in my stomach. I'm a Neurosurgeon for goodness sake, I don't get nervous. I have nerves of steel…or so I thought. I pushed the door bell instead of knocking and waited for someone to come to the door. For all I know, Jane gave me a false address. I doubted it though, as I'm usually pretty good at reading people, Kelly Adams not included.
I hear someone open the door and I feel like I can't breath when Kynlee looks up at me with a look of shock. She tries to shut the door, but I put my foot in the way. "Lee, please let me in. I'm here to have supper with Jane."
She crosses her arms over her chest, narrows her eyes and exclaims, "you've got to be kidding me!" She turns tail and walks through the kitchen. I step into the kitchen through a small entryway with a staircase. I hear Lee yell, "Jane?" And her footsteps get further away.
Not exactly the welcome I was hoping for, but Kynlee looks as beautiful as ever. In my mind as I thought of seeing her again, she flew into my arms, hugged me tight, and talked about how much she missed me. Unfortunately my fantasy was nothing like reality.
Kynlee came walking back through the dining room but stopped on the other side of the counter with an unhappy look on her face. "Jane said to show you to your seat and they'll be right out," she says with a wave of her arm toward the table at the far side of the attached dining room.
I walk slowly with my hands in my pockets until I round the counter. I can't help but move closer to Kynlee and take a deep whiff of her hair. A quiet, "mmm," slips from my lips. Lee's hands shoot out to my chest like she is going to push me away, but she doesn't. Instead she asks, "Wam, why are you here? I asked you not to contact me…"
It broke my heart to see tears gathering in her eyes and her bottom lip quivering. "Lee, I didn't come to upset you," I said as I pushed her hair back off her forehead. "I came to tell you about the Board of Directors' meeting today. Dr. Adams has been placed on administrative leave pending the results of their investigation."
Kynlee took a deep, shuddering breath before answering, "that's great Wam. I hope she gets exactly what she deserves. You still didn't tell me why you're here though?"
"I wanted you to know that I've been cleared of the allegations she made against me. I don't know what you said to President Eman, but he seemed very impressed with you. You not only cleared my name, but you added suspicion to Dr. Adams and her partners in crime. Thank you Lee. I'm sure that wasn't easy for you," I said quietly and took one of her hands in mine.
A tear tracked down her cheek, and I wiped it away with the thumb of my free hand. Kynlee leaned into the palm of my hand, still resting against her cheek, and closed her eyelids. Even when she was sad, Kynlee Knutson was the most attractive woman I've ever seen.
"Please don't cry beautiful. I just needed to talk to you. When I found your letter, it felt like someone was trying to rip my heart out."
Kynlee opened her eyes and met my gaze. "Wam, you deserve someone with more to offer you. I can't give you what an older, highly educated woman can. You need an equal that can strengthen your place in the medical world," she attempted to say with conviction, but it came out more like a question than a decree. "This is too hard Wam, you should go," she sobbed and turned away from me, toward the counter.
I placed one hand on the counter on each side of her, boxing her in. I kiss the back of her head and figure if I'm going to bare my heart, it was now or never. "Kynlee, I need you to know something…" I take a deep breath. It feels like my heart is trying to jump out my mouth.
She turns around and meets my eyes again before asking, "what do you want to tell me Wam?"
"I've fallen for you Lee. I haven't been serious about anyone since Winona passed away. I now realize that what I felt for her was puppy love. I've never met a woman that challenges me, makes me laugh, makes me want to be a better person, and turns me on as much as you do. Kynlee…I love you. Please don't leave me. I'm not sure I'd survive it." Now I'm the one with tears in my eyes.
She studies me briefly before she begins to laugh. I look at her strangely before asking, "should I be offended that you are laughing at my heart felt declaration?"
Kynlee throws her arms around my neck and hugs me. I of course wrap my arms around her waist and envelop her in my embrace. "Think of it as a compliment Wam. It's never a bad thing when you can make me smile or laugh."
I raise one eyebrow at her comment, "if you say so beautiful."
"Oh, and Wam…" she looks left and right before leaning up on her tiptoes and whispering in my ear, "I love you too."
I picked her up, spun her in a circle, and then kissed her lips. The kiss started out gently, but within seconds, there was enough heat between us to warm a whole country in the dead of winter. My hands sunk to her bottom and pulled her as close to me as possible. I could feel my body beginning to react to her body against mine. My lungs were starting to burn with the need to take a breath, my heart was racing with adrenaline, and no, it wasn't a banana in my pocket. I was just that happy to be kissing Lee again.