Perfection Read online

  I put my shoes back in the closet and changed out of my clothes. I paused in front of the mirror looking at myself, wondering what the doctor had thought about my body. Instinctively, my hands flew to my breasts. I gave them a slight squeeze, trying to imitate Bullet's touch. No, it was not the same. I sighed. "Man I need to go on a date." I slid into some yoga pants and a matching tank top and waited for my friend and my food to arrive.

  I was opening my laptop when my phone rang. It could only be a few people as I was very selective about whom I gave my number to. I answered it without looking and was surprised to hear the doctor's voice on the other end. "Miss Brightwood? Lilly? This is Dr. Steinmann."

  "Yes, doctor. This is Lilly. Is everything okay?"

  "Yes, nothing to worry about. I just wanted to let you know that I appreciate you coming to see me today. I am returning to Des Moines but I am only a phone call away if you need me. If you have a question or a concern, please call me. I also want to take this opportunity to encourage you to think about your decision. Although not irreversible, if you do choose to change your mind after the procedure there may be more scarring. I want you to be 100% sure that this is what you want."

  I could not understand it, but I was glad that he called me. I discovered that I liked hearing his voice — there was no denying that I was attracted to him. However, I had to keep it real. There was no way Dr. Steinmann was interested in me. This was merely a courtesy call—even my dentist did this. Do not get carried away. He's just being professional.

  "Thanks for caring. It is a big decision but I feel confident that it is the right one. I will as you say, think about it but I look forward to our next meeting. I promise that if I have any questions, I will call you. Without hesitation."

  "Good. That is what I want to hear. My secretary will be in touch about your appointment. She will call from my office so you should recognize the number. If you happen to miss her, she will leave a message giving you the appointment information. I look forward to seeing you again. Have a good evening."

  "You too, doctor."

  "Lilly? It is okay to call me Bullet. All my patients do. Unless of course you are uncomfortable with that?"

  "Um...okay, doctor. I mean, Bullet. Bye."

  30 minutes later I was telling Kate all about it. "Get out of here! He asked you to call him Bullet? Maybe he does that with all of his patients. Should I call Amanda and ask her?"

  "And give her something else to talk about? No way. If it happens to come up in conversation, then okay but don't go out of your way to ask her. So what do you think? Have you ever had a doctor give you permission to call them by their first name?"

  "No. Maybe he is into you. He is a red-blooded American, right? I mean you are beautiful and he is handsome—it makes perfect sense that you two hook up." Kate dug her chopsticks into her fried rice.

  "Whoa, Nelly! We are not hooking up. I'm sure it was just a courteous gesture. It is kind of nerve-racking, you know, this kind of thing." I lay on the carpet next to the coffee table, which was currently being used as a dining table. "You know what is weird? Dr. Steinmann and Evan look a lot alike."

  "You’re right! Although the good doctor is much more handsome to me. Maybe it's because he is a doctor and not a scam artist like Evan."

  I sat up and reached for my shrimp fried rice, squirting it with soy sauce. I moved my chopsticks around to blend the sauce and said, "So is it wrong to sleep with your doctor?"

  Kate looked at me with an arched brow. "You are really asking me this? Of course not, just take your time. In the meantime, I'll dig around and see what I can find out about Dr. Steinmann. Now that I've shared my wisdom with you, and ate your food I have a favor to ask. What are you doing Saturday night? And don't tell me camping. You've been gone every weekend."

  "Well, strangely enough I do not have anything planned for Saturday. I thought about vegging out and watching some football. Why? What do you have in mind?"

  Kate put her food down and reached for my hand. "Please come with me Saturday night to hear Riley play. He is really nervous and I want to support him but I don't want to sit in the audience by myself. It would mean a lot to me and to him. He heard what a great musician you are — maybe you could give him some tips."

  I squeezed her hand and hugged her. "Of course I will come, but Riley Patterson? What happened to the girlfriend? I thought you were done with him."

  "Girl, I cannot explain it. He needs me and besides the girlfriend is gone. He has been to Kate’s world after all." Kate laughed out loud. "No seriously, they had been in an open relationship but apparently it was only open on her end because she wanted me gone. Riley said no and she split. I know this sounds stupid but I think he might be the one."

  My hands flew to my mouth in surprise. "So the great Kate Nicholson has met her match?"

  My friend shrugged. "Not exactly, but he is trainable and I like having him around. So you’ll come? 9 o'clock Saturday night at the Allistair's?"

  "Of course I will be there. This gives me an excuse to go shopping. I may even have to find a date. Or, I could just find one there."

  "That might be easier than you think." Kate gave another wicked laugh but dug into her food without explaining what she meant. For the next few hours we did what students all over campus did—study for finals. I could not help but occasionally think about the handsome doctor. How soft his hair must feel. How warm his hands were. I wondered what his lips tasted like. Hmm... It was definitely hard to study.

  Chapter Six

  Bullet

  I hopped aboard another plane this time leaving Kansas City and the exciting Lilly Brightwood. There was no friendly air hostess named Candy on this flight — just Stewart. Not interested. I took my spot by the window and stared outside thinking of my recent cases. Lilly had been the high point of this trip. My appointments after her were much less rewarding, a nose job, some liposuction and a tummy tuck. It was the usual crowd of older women looking to turn back time. Of course I would help them, that was my job. My last appointment was a repeat, Carmen Fuentes. Carmen was in her late 40s now. She had been one of my first patients, one of my first dalliances. What I used to find exciting and daring, her hand rubbing my crotch during the examination, her offers to "take care of me" used to thrill me. But now I felt tired. Tired of the games. Tired of being used as a toy for cougars. I was a damn good doctor — no one could take that away from me.

  I had turned Carmen down, politely of course. Telling her I had to catch a flight. She knew that was BS, when had I ever turned her down, but I had to make a change if I was to ever get a girl like Lilly. Of course, I'm only human. I do love sex, but I had to curb the habit of sleeping with my patients. And not just for my sanity. I had received a phone call from a mentor, Dr. Huffington. During the course of the conversation, the doctor let me know that my dalliances were well known. He subtly suggested and then outright told me that I needed to change my ways. "Bullet you are a damn good doctor. Everyone is talking about you. You keep up the good work and you will retire in 15 years, but you have one bad habit and it's going to get you into trouble. If you ever do decide to join a practice or build your own clinic you need a clean reputation. Stop playing with your clients."

  I knew he was right so I accepted his advice, but so far changing my playboy ways has been more difficult than I thought. I could say no but some of my regular clients seem to expect extra attention. It was going to take persistence and a hell of a lot of willpower to stand my ground. Yeah, I was taking his advice. A friend invited me to a club here in Kansas City this weekend and I planned to attend after a quick trip home.

  My phone rang and it was my secretary. We hadn’t taken off yet so I answered it. "Dr. Steinmann."

  "Doctor, Carmen Fuentes is calling me every 30 minutes wanting to know when she can see you again. When you go back to Kansas City this weekend will you be seeing any patients?" Page Tillman my long-time assistant and no time girlfriend was efficient and professional. I never had to worr
y about her gossiping even after she had caught me in a compromising position a time or two. Of course, each indiscretion brought with it a slight pay raise. Well, silence is golden and I don't mind paying for it. My attorney suggested that Page sign a nondisclosure agreement and she did happily. That too came with a little bonus. Page was all about the money and that worked for me.

  "No, I will not see patients this weekend. I'm actually going to take some vacation time. Go ahead and book her for next week. Make it Monday. I will still be in town and I can see her then. However, could you please make it clear to her that this will only be a brief appointment? I don't want to get stuck for hours."

  "Sure Dr. Steinmann. I have that down here for Monday. Late morning, okay?"

  "Yes that is perfect. Paige, have my housekeeper take my shirts to the dry cleaner, the ones on the bed. I need those back before Thursday."

  I hung up the phone confident that my assistant had everything under control. I stared out the window as we rolled down the runway and took off. My phone began ringing and I slid it to silent mode. Whatever it was, whoever it was could wait. I needed a nap. As was my habit, I conjured up an image of the perfect body, shapely breasts, round bottom, tiny waist. When I looked at the face of my fantasy girl, I recognized her. It was Lilly Brightwood. Yes, she was definitely my fantasy girl and I hadn’t changed her body. She did not need a procedure to improve her looks; she was one of those rare creatures who had been blessed with beauty from the top of her head to the soles of her feet. Like all the rest, I was sure that having the procedure done would do more than change her looks; it would change her personality too. That would be a shame. How could anyone so smart, so witty, think that she needed larger breasts?

  Well, that was my job and the customer was always right.

  Almost a week later, I was back in Kansas City walking through the doors of a downtown nightclub. I don’t normally hang out in clubs, much less go out with friends but here I was looking for a distraction. I kept my word to myself and to Dr. Huffington. I had carefully avoided physical interaction with my clients above what was necessary. I felt good about my determination but quite frankly I needed some release. Having sex with yourself wasn't half as fun as having a good time with a playmate. A friendly hostess greeted me, she and a corset that forced her plump breasts up to nearly under her chin. It must be a daily challenge to get those size D's possibly double D's into a corset. I wondered if that was a required uniform or if she just enjoyed wearing one. She pulled back the velvet rope and welcomed me inside. I could see immediately that her top was not a fashion choice but a uniform, because all of the female staff wore them, except a shift manager who wore a black blazer over hers.

  My college friend Dave waved at me from the polished bar. We shook hands and exchanged greetings and then turned our attention to the room. "So glad you could make it. The girls will be here in a few minutes, I think you will really like Vonda. She's got it all and she doesn't mind sharing it." Dave laughed and invited me to sit. "I figured we could hang out here until the ladies arrive, you know just to check out the scenery. They have some musician playing tonight that Michelle and Vonda are all hot about, Patterson, I think his name is so that will warm them up." Dave tossed back a shot and ordered us both one.

  "I hope she's not too easy, Dave. I mean, have you slept with her?" It’s not that I was picky but Dave and I had this thing. We didn’t usually date or sleep with the same girl. Frat house rules.

  "No, I've been seeing her sister but if I could figure out a way to hit that, I would. Would it be wrong to see two sisters at the same time?" Dave laughed and raised a shot glass. I did not answer him but drank the shot. That was enough drinking for me for now. I wanted to be coherent when I met this Vonda chick. We didn't bother with a lot of idle chitchat; we knew why we were there. Dave and I had always been hounds.

  "You know, if it doesn't work out with Vonda, I know where you can go. They have an upstairs room here that is pretty wild after 2 a.m. It is like an after-hours club but kind of porn style. I haven’t been yet but I have a friend who has. Just in case, although I don't think you will have any problems."

  The door swung open a few times. I was grateful that none of the entering patrons were Vonda and her sister. I was horny but not desperate; however, the idea of this club intrigued me. I would have to check that out if I needed a break from my "date."

  "What did you tell this girl about me?" I asked curiously. I kind of wondered what kind of girl goes out on blind dates. I had never been on one; as a matter of fact I hardly ever dated.

  "You know, the usual — you are a successful doctor, own a yacht, you travel a lot."

  "What the hell, Dave?" Before I could chew him out he pointed to the door.

  The two bottle blondes could have passed for twins. Only the one who I found out later was Vonda stood two inches shorter than her younger sister. From a distance she looked promising, but up close, she was a bit of train wreck. One eye was higher than the other, her lips were ridiculously thin and she had a high squeaky voice that rose even higher when she laughed.

  Dave stood and introduced us. "Good evening, ladies. Michelle, Vonda, this is my friend Bullet. He is in town and hoping to have a good time. Bullet, this is Vonda."

  "Nice to meet you, Vonda and Michelle. I have heard so much about the both of you. Shall we find a seat?" I waved at the hostess who led us to a cozy booth to the right of the stage. She took our drink order as the opening act took the stage. I enjoy jazz and would have much rather listened to the musicians than hear Vonda talking on her cell phone. Apparently she had two children and an inept babysitter. Warning signs! Leave Bullet!

  "So Dave tells us that you are a veterinarian?" My eyes widened a little and I couldn't help but laugh. "Well, he said you take care of pussies. I just assumed you were a vet." Suddenly she shrieked — or cackled, depending on how you look at it. "Oh my God! He meant that you are a gynecologist." I smiled to humor her.

  Well that would make more sense. I didn’t feel the need to educate her. It was bad enough that Dave told her I was a doctor. I knew what she would be thinking, with her knockoff shoes and cheap dress — that I was a sugar daddy.

  "So what do you do Miss Vonda? Are you an attorney or perhaps an interior designer?" Our drinks arrived and I no longer felt the need to pace myself. I would need to be drunk if I were to spend time with Vonda.

  "Oh my goodness! Nothing so glamorous. I go to school." I perked up a little. Perhaps there was more to Vonda than meets the eye?

  "Tell me all about it. What are you studying?" I ignored Dave and Michelle who made no secret of their passion for one another. It wasn't hard to imagine that Michelle's hand was already unbuttoning his pants under the table. The dark red tablecloth made the perfect partition for such activity.

  "I go to beauty school over on Park. It's Charles Academy — it's a six week program. After that I can do all the makeup I want." I laughed. I couldn't help myself. Maybe it was the drinks but in the right light I could imagine Vonda as a young Melanie Griffith. Definitely the drinks. "You laughing at me? It takes a lot of work learning how to do makeup. I have had to take this program twice." I laughed even harder which ticked her off. Before I knew it she was sliding out of the red leather booth and stomping to the bathroom. Her sister wasn't too far behind her.

  "What the hell, Bullet? You are being an ass! I thought you were going to be my wingman. A little consideration please." Dave ran his hands through his short blonde hair and waved at their waitress.

  "Look, you might waste your time with these two but they are definitely not what I'm looking for. How about this, I turn on the charm a little and see what I can do about getting you in those two girls together. Then I'm out of here."

  Dave grinned in a half drunk, haphazard way. "You manage to do that, and I'll pay for your airfare. Don't screw this up though. I want to leave with at least one of them tonight."

  "A few more drinks and that won't be a problem. Trust me." Out of the
corner of my eye, I could see the two blondes heading back to the table. "I told you it won't be a problem."

  I made small talk with Vonda pretending to be interested in her, providing more shots. I gave the signal and Dave escorted his date onto the dance floor, giving me a moment alone with Vonda.

  "You know Vonda, there is a reason why Dave called me here tonight. I suspect you know what it is." I really did not suspect she knew much of anything but it was always good to boost an ego, especially if you wanted something from that person. She shook her head and gave me her best flirtatious smile. "I hope that you don't take this the wrong way but Dave can't get you off his mind." Vonda pulled back — this could go either way. Either the bonds of sisterhood would prevail or sexual curiosity would get the better of her. I bet on the latter.

  "What do you mean?" Vonda looked nervously at the dance floor.

  I touched her shoulder comfortingly, something I learned in medical school. "Oh no, he likes your sister. He would never hurt her and if you say no he would never blame you. But he can't stop thinking about what it would be like for the three of you to be together. Have you ever tried that, Vonda? You know, played around with a few partners?"

  She looked serious and I held my breath and then came the smile. I knew Dave was good. He owed me big time. I whispered in her ear and waited for the couple to come off the dance floor. I excused myself as the three of them huddled together. It did not take long to see that the conversation went Dave's way. Soon they left and I walked back to the bar. I had nothing going on so I decided to stay to check out this after-hours club. It seemed like the perfect idea until she walked in. It was Lilly Brightwood.

  Chapter Seven

  Lilly

  Awash in pink lighting, gold fixtures and red furniture, the swanky downtown bar appeared posh and upscale. It was only 8 o'clock but the crowd was already gathering to hear hot young talent Riley Patterson. Kate hugged the hostess; apparently they knew one another and she led us to a private booth near the stage. We ordered drinks and waited for Riley to make his appearance. I could not shake the feeling that someone was staring at me and I was not wrong. Standing at the bar in an elegant dark blue suit and a white shirt was Bullet. I knew he saw me even though he stood there looking casual with his hand in his pocket.