Her ears perked when she thought she heard a familiar voice from a nearby table. She turned to look and froze. Oh, shit! Jess is going to freak. A short distance away, Penny sat at a table with an older man and woman.
Kim spun around and grabbed the sleeve of Jess's jacket. Her heart beat frantically in her chest. "We need to leave. Right now."
Jess's brow furrowed. "What's wrong?" she asked even as she turned to leave.
"Not in here. Outside." Dodging people right and left, Kim didn't stop until they got outside. She leaned against the building and blew out a breath.
"What was that all about?" Jess asked.
"I saw Penny sitting at a table, not four feet from where we were standing." Dark memories from her time with Anna threatened to overwhelm her. It's not the same. Jess just wants to keep her personal life personal, not hide you.
Jess blinked a couple of times as the information sunk in. "I knew it was just a matter of time. Didn't figure on it being quite this soon, but oh well."
Kim sighed. Not the end of our day I was hoping for. "We should go, before she comes out."
"No," Jess said, her voice firm and clear.
No? "But you know she'll blab all over LA Metro that she saw us together. It won't take much of a leap to figure out we're together." And I don't want you to ever regret becoming involved with me.
Jess took Kim's hand. She led her over to a bench against the building's wall. "Sit down for a minute."
Kim's gaze darted toward the doors to the building when Jess took both her hands in hers.
"Please, look at me."
She forced her gaze back to Jess.
"Do I wish we didn't have to deal with this? Yes. Our personal life isn't anyone's business." She tightened her grip when Kim tried to pull her hands back. "But are we going to hide? Absolutely not."
A lump formed in Kim's throat and tears prickled at the corner of her eyes. She is not Anna. Get that through your head. "I'm sorry. I don't want...." She looked at Jess just in time to see her expression close down.
Jess pulled her hands away and stuffed them in her pockets. "I know you've heard the stories about Myra and what happened in the ER. I don't have the greatest reputation at work. So I understand if you don't want people to know you're involved with me."
Oh, Jess. No. She's been so open and honest with you. It's time to do the same.
Kim put her hand on Jess's thigh. Her heart sank when she felt her flinch. "Please, look at me."
Shadowed blue eyes lifted to hers.
Ah, Jess. Aren't we a pair?
"I'm sorry. You misunderstood me. You're not the only one with an ex from hell." Kim blew out a breath. "You know Anna didn't want to be seen with me at work. But what you don't know is she acted the same way away from work. If I even leaned too close to her in public, she would have a fit." Kim met Jess's gaze and held it. "She was more than happy to fuck me in private, but otherwise treated me like her dirty little secret." Tell her the rest. "I didn't realize it until much later, but I think she really got off on it."
A growl rumbled from deep within Jess's chest. "That bitch."
"My sentiments exactly." Kim winced. "And the other thing I might not have mentioned. Might not? You know you haven't. "She was the Chief of the ER."
Jess's eyes went impossibly wide. "Fuck." She shook her head. "And you still took a chance on me and became my lover? You are one incredibly special woman."
Warmth flowed through Kim, healing another piece of her psyche damaged by Anna. "So are you." God, I lov... Whoa. Where did that come from? Let's not get carried away.
A bright blush covered Jess's cheeks. "We're a pair, huh?" Jess asked, unknowingly echoing Kim's earlier thought.
"That we are." Kim's stomach growled. "Can I have my hot chocolate and cinnamon roll now?"
Jess laughed. "Some things never change." She stood and reached for Kim's hand. "Come on."
Kim had no more than stepped back into the building when she came face to face with Penny, accompanied by the older couple she had been sitting with. Damn. She had hoped Penny had left by now.
Penny stared. Her gaze went over Kim's shoulder, and her mouth formed an "oh" when she spotted Jess.
"Penny," Kim said by way of greeting. She worked not to let her trepidation show on her face. The last thing she needed was for Penny to realize how uncomfortable this made her. It would only add fuel to the fire.
She felt Jess step up next to her but didn't look at her.
"Dr. Donovan." Penny shot a look at Jess and scowled. "Dr. McKenna."
Kim chanced a glance at Jess to see her reaction. Her face was perfectly calm. She had her ER Chief mask firmly in place.
"Good evening," Jess said.
"Penelope, where are your manners?" the woman standing next to Penny asked.
"Mom," she whined like a petulant teenager.
Her mother arched an eyebrow.
Penny blew out a breath, ruffling her bangs. "This is Dr. Donovan and Dr. McKenna. I work with them."
Penny's mother offered her hand to each of them. "It's so nice to finally meet Penelope's co-workers." She shook her head as she let go of Jess's hand. "Oh my... my manners. I'm Cynthia Graham, and this is my husband, Gerald. We're Penelope's parents."
Mr. Graham nodded but didn't offer his hand.
"It's nice to meet you both," Kim said. She could feel Penny's gaze on her. Be pleasant, but brief. Get this over with.
Jess spoke up before Kim had a chance to. "Well, if you'll excuse us, we were just on our way to get some of the wonderful cinnamon buns they have here before the stand closes."
Nice segue, Jess.
"Oh. You'll love them. It's a family tradition. We get them every year," Mrs. Graham said.
Oh great. So we can look forward to running into them again next year. Kim plastered a smile on her face. "Have a nice evening." She started to edge away.
"You too, dear," Mrs. Graham said. "Merry Christmas."
"Yeah. Merry Christmas," Penny said. She glanced at Jess and then threw Kim a hard look. "I'll see you... both — at work."
Ah, crap. "Merry Christmas."
CHAPTER 28
KIM TURNED THE corner.
Two nurses standing outside an exam room abruptly stopped talking. One of them threw a smirk her way.
Kim barely resisted the urge to scowl at the man. The same thing had been happening all morning. Obviously, Penny had wasted no time in spreading the news of seeing her and Jess. The way everyone is acting who knows how the hell she embellished the story.
Although Kim knew Jess was more than capable of taking care of herself, the situation still stirred her protective instincts. Why can't they just leave us alone? Jess's job is hard enough. She doesn't need this. She was thankful Jess was tied up in a quarterly budget meeting. Maybe everyone would get the childish behavior out of their system before Jess got back. Yeah. And pigs can fly.
Ignoring the nurses, Kim continued down the hall to the exam room she had been in earlier. She had misplaced her small notepad and was backtracking her movements in hope of finding it.
She smiled when she spotted her pad sticking out from under the edge of the gurney's base. The notebook contained drug references and dosage tables. Glad I don't have to start all over.
As she squatted down to pick the notepad up, she heard feminine voices and laughter from outside the exam room door.
Kim grabbed for her notebook as the door swung open.
A loud familiar voice became crystal clear when the women entered the room.
"I'm telling you. They were hot and heavy." Cindy snorted. "Talk about beauty and the beast. I wonder what Donovan calls her when they —"