Darling Little LeeLee (Doctor Darling’s Clinic #2)

Chapter 9

CHAPTER NINE

Everleigh

Things had been going so well the past few weeks. I’d been almost floating around the office, light and happy. My coworkers were thrilled to see my mood had improved. Leo and I were in sync even though our relationship was still new. We had become way more balanced than I’d ever imagined we could be. He was so adept at helping me manage my stress and worries it was almost if they never existed. I wished I’d confessed my feelings to him back when we first met. My life just seemed better with him becoming my Daddy.

Brainstorming new ideas for the events we held at the clinic, I stepped up to Ronnie’s office door to tell him about them. He’d been so crazy busy with all the nonsense with the potential lawsuit or whatever Ms. Higgleforth’s problem was lately that we hadn’t had a chance to talk much.

Reaching for the handle, I realized too late that he was in the middle of an important phone call. I tried not to eavesdrop but his angry snapping got my attention. Ronnie never raised his voice at anyone.

Pressing my ear to the door, I listened. My intention was to offer him a safe place to vent once he was off the phone, but what I heard made my heart clench. Tears blurred my vision. Seventy-five thousand dollars to keep the clinic operating? Was that what he’d said? It seemed like a hefty sum of money for my livelihood. No. For all of us. Should I ask him what was actually going on?

Another negative. I couldn’t do that.

Removing my hand, I staggered up the hallway and blindly walked into Leo’s office without knocking. He was in the middle of a meeting on his laptop. Leo clicked something on the computer, likely muting his microphone.

“Are you all right, sweetheart?”

“Nope.”

He gestured to the chair in front of him. “Please sit. I’ll be done in a few minutes.”

Leo was being more than gracious. We’d discussed and agreed that our relationship would not bleed into our professional life. Everything had been going well but the potential to lose my entire career left me gutted. I’d been working on things, self-care and the like, with his help. But fear and uncertainty reared their ugly heads as soon as I felt threatened.

Leo cocked an eyebrow. “Sit down,” he said again.

I couldn’t seem to voice my true concerns. My Little side, the bratty side that didn’t care about financial matters, roared to the surface. I kicked the door frame twice.

Leo always wore a professional mask. He never got bothered. Not even on the hard days. Something crossed his features and he leveled me with something close to a glare. Great. The two men whom I admired the most were both upset. My boyfriend studied my posture for a moment before wheeling his chair out from his desk.

Whoops .

I took a step toward the chair on the other side of him, intending to do as he’d asked, but it was too late. Leo caught my arm. Without a word, he locked his door and led me to the corner.

“Daddy–”

“No talking. Put your nose here.” Leo tapped a spot on the wall.

“Daddy…”

Two slaps bounced off both of my bottom cheeks. I slammed my mouth shut.

“Hands behind your back.”

Tears poured over my cheeks but I did as he instructed. Sniffling, I kept my forehead against the smooth wall. Leo stepped away for a moment and returned with a box of tissues. He wiped my eyes and then held another tissue to my nose.

“Blow.”

Swallowing my disappointment and embarrassment, I obeyed. The action made me feel even smaller than usual. Leo kissed the side of my head.

“Stand here while you calm down. I’ll get you when my meeting is done. If you get overwhelmed before then, come over to my desk and sit at my feet. Do you understand?”

I held up my right thumb before lacing my fingers together behind my back.

“Good girl,” he praised. “Whatever is upsetting you I’ll handle it.”

His words melted some of my yucky feelings away. I nodded, letting him know I understood fully what he expected of me.

Leo was beyond patient. He was amazing in so many different ways. He patted my shoulder before leaving my side. I heard the clacking of the keyboard and the meeting resumed.

The corner usually helped me focus but I was spiraling worse than before I entered his office. Taking several deep breaths, I focused on the texture of the cool wall. My thoughts raced and I cried again.

Dropping to the floor, I slowly shifted my body out of the corner and crawled to Leo’s feet. I wasn’t sure how the position was going to help me any more than the corner had. Wrapping my arms around his leg, I was surprised when he lowered one of his hands to my head. Leo continued speaking, the meeting clearly very important. His fingers rubbed my scalp, gently soothing me. At least my nonsense occurred on my lunch break. I never took more than fifteen minutes most days, but we were allowed a full hour if we needed it. Ronnie suggested a half-hour minimum but I ignored my own well-being more often than not, at least I had before Leo encouraged me to take advantage of the full time.

Finally, the meeting ended and I heard him shut the laptop.

“Come here, Everleigh.”

Hesitantly, I raised my arms to him and he tugged me to sit in his lap. Not wanting to face the disappointment likely etched in his features, I buried my head in his shoulder. Leo cupped my face, tilting my chin upward. I had no choice but to look at him but it didn’t mean I’d open up yet.

“You’re not hiding from me, little girl.”

“I’m trying to.”

“What happened, Leelee?”

“You said we couldn’t do this at work and now I’m doing this at work and you said if anyone finds out that it could be a problem and I don’t wanna–”

“Pause.” His jaw clenched and relaxed as he stared into my eyes.

“Yes, Sir.”

“To clarify, I prefer to keep our relationship away from our coworkers. It’s not because I’m embarrassed by you or your behavior. Our business should stay ours. Now, do you see anyone else in this office? And does that ring a bell, sweetheart?”

“Oh, um, no and maybe.” When he repeated it in a more concise way it made perfect sense. I’d clearly embellished his actual words and twisted the meaning in my head.

“Now, tell Daddy what happened to get you so upset.”

“I wasn’t eavesdropping exactly, but I heard something really upsetting.”

“Were you involved in the conversation?”

“Can you please define the word ‘involved’?”

“You are aware of what it means to be involved in a discussion.”

His dark brown eyes flicked between my eyes and my face, likely searching for some sort of tell. I wasn’t lying per se but I was not being truthful either.

“Sorta.”

“How did you come upon the information?”

“Um.” Chewing on my bottom lip, I contemplated scooting myself off his lap and fleeing. However, that wouldn’t make me feel any better. And I was fairly certain he would follow. I’d already caused a big enough scene even though he was the only witness.

“I can’t help you if you don’t talk to me, sweetheart.”

“I was walking into Ronnie’s office. He told somebody on the phone that in order to keep our clinic open there is a huge cost.”

“Hang on. You’re upset over something that you have zero knowledge of the context. Unless he told you the issue or asked for your opinion, you have nothing to worry about.”

“Seventy-five thousand dollars, Leo!”

“For the rest of the time we are in this office today you can call me ‘Daddy’ when we’re alone and ‘Dr. Callahan’ in front of everyone else.”

“I apologize, Daddy.” I blew out a breath.

He wasn’t playing. I had been disrespectful on top of my spiral, flipping in between headspaces with abandon.

“You’re forgiven. Back to the topic at hand.”

“I don’t have that kind of money. Do you have that kind of money? It’s not as scary as a million dollars and yet it’s an absurd amount in a small amount of time.”

“You did not gather enough information, little lionheart. What’s the timeline?”

Ugh . He was so smart. I didn’t know the context because I hadn’t asked Ronnie. No. I grew sick to my stomach and hightailed it away before I verified anything. It was very much a trait of mine when I allowed stress to overwhelm me. “I don’t know.”

“I’ll talk to Ronnie.”

“Then he’ll know that I was, um, well that I was….”

“Eavesdropping?” Leo asked gently.

“Yeah, but to be fair, he was talking loudly.”

“Let’s see if he’s got a few minutes right now so we can put your mind at ease.”

I said nothing as he released my chin.

Leo plucked the phone handset from its cradle, pushed a button to get Ronnie’s office and spoke into the phone. “Hey, it’s Leo. Can you come to my office for a minute? Uh-huh. Yes, it’ll be quick. Thanks.”

I sighed, wishing I had done things differently. It was something I would have thought I’d have gotten the hang of by now.

“You can stay where you are or you can sit on the couch. Which do you prefer?”

Ronnie was the last person on the face of the earth who would judge me for sitting in Leo’s lap but it wasn’t very professional. “I’ll sit on the couch. Will you join me?”

“Yes, sweetheart.”

Leo assisted me off his lap. He unlocked the door then joined me as I settled into the small sofa. Ronnie swaggered into the office, glancing at the two of us before sitting in the chair in front of the desk.

“Thanks for stopping by,” Leo said casually. His easy tone broke some of the tension.

“No, problem. What’s going on, Leo?”

“Everleigh is concerned about some information she came upon.”

I took a deep breath and let it out slowly. “I didn’t mean to eavesdrop, but I heard you say to someone that the clinic needs seventy-five thousand dollars to continue operating. It really shook me up.”

Ronnie rubbed his chin. It wasn’t often that he was rendered speechless and it took a few seconds for him to nod.

“Ms. Higgleforth’s father donated seventy-five thousand dollars to the clinic in his will. She claimed a third-party sent her to conduct an audit, but that was false. She does work for an auditor, and she used that to gain access under false pretenses. She was just here digging for information for her lawsuit so she could contest the will. The best response is to return the money in order to avoid a lawsuit, but it may not matter. It feels personal. She expected the money.”

Leo leaned back against the couch. “Financials aren’t really my business, Ronnie. A donation is a gift, isn’t it?”

“Yes, you’re correct. Please trust that our finances are being handled, Leo. Our records are pristine.”

His gentle assurance calmed me somewhat but the calm was short-lived. The spiral twisted into problem solving. Plus, my Little bobbed in and out as I struggled with bigger emotions.

“We can hold a Littles carnival to raise money!” I blurted out. It was a fantastic idea! Our guests had been begging for a yearly event and this would be perfect.

“Let’s not get ahead of ourselves,” Ronnie stated gently.

I already was. “We’ve been wanting to do something extra special. We wouldn’t need rides, but we could have face-painting. Games. Baked goods for sale. There are so many of our guests who sell trinkets and other items on the side. I know several people who have inflatable bouncy houses. All proceeds go to the clinic!”

“The cost of planning and holding such an event is steep. It would bleed into?—”

“We wouldn’t have to spend one penny!” I leapt to my feet. Ideas flew through my head at a million miles an hour. I planned events all the time. A carnival was just a bigger event after all. It would give me something to do.

“Everleigh,” Ronnie warned.

“We’ll get someone to donate the space, tents, food….”

“Pause.” He cocked an eyebrow.

I should have heeded his warning, but I was far too excited. Especially after I’d been upset about the sudden need for funds. Having a huge event to plan would allow me to pour my energy into something else good.

“We don’t have to worry anyone but we do have to be transparent!” I continued babbling. “We’ve been saying how much a community-based event would?—”

Ronnie leveled me with a glare and I stopped speaking.

“I appreciate your enthusiasm, sweetheart. I do. However, there is a lot of planning?—”

“I’ll do the planning!”

Ronnie pinched the bridge of his nose. “I’ll think about it, but it’s unlikely at the moment. Hear what I’m saying. It’s not ‘no’ but I have to take care of the legal matter first.”

“But you don’t have to take care of this. I can do it.”

“Not now, Everleigh. I have some numbers to crunch and some favors I can cash in. Until then, not a word to anyone.”

“Understood,” Leo affirmed for both of us. “None of this information will leave my office.”

No. That wasn’t fair at all. I could make a difference if Ronnie would let me. I blew out a long breath and flopped next to my boyfriend. He seemed to be taking Ronnie’s side.

I thought over my next course of action. Placate Ronnie. It wasn’t my brightest idea. However, at the end of the day he was my boss.

“I should have asked you about this before running away and having a meltdown,” I said sweetly.

“Yes, sweetheart. You should have,” Ronnie agreed.

“I’m really really sorry for being impulsive instead of thinking it through, Dr. Darling.”

“I can see you’re upset, however I cannot condone this sort of behavior from you. Consider this a verbal warning.”

A verbal warning! Forgetting my surroundings for a moment, I pushed off the sofa to stand in front of him. “Hey! I’m passionate about this clinic and you’re giving me a verbal warning? I’ve never ever had any sort of disciplinary action at my job. Ever. I didn’t even do anything wrong! I didn’t–”

Ronnie rose from the chair. “I don’t want to interrupt you because what you have to say is important to me, however, you did not handle the situation as I would have expected.”

“As you expected!”

“If you continued into my office after hearing what you heard on the phone and spoken to me directly, then we could have settled the matter.”

“That’s not fair.”

“You took the information, ran in here, and spiraled instead of coming to me first.”

“Hindsight is twenty-twenty, okay? I could have done a lot of different things, Ronnie. Have you forgotten that some terrible woman marched in here and gave us all a reason to be upset? That you let her in? After all of that, how can you possibly be angry with me?”

“I’m not angry, sweetheart. I’m disappointed. It also seems like you might have a lot on your plate right now. The last thing you need is to worry about the clinic. That’s my job. Let me handle it.”

Rage bubbled under the surface. My anger wasn’t at Ronnie. No. I felt like no one was listening to me. It wasn’t something that happened to me at work. Instead of saying something rational, I stuck my tongue out.

Ronnie grabbed it in between his fingers.

Well, shit . That didn’t go as planned. I dared not look at Leo. I’d been disrespectful. If we were in Ronnie’s office, Ronnie would have sent me to the corner.

“We are going to drop this topic, Everleigh. Blink twice if you agree.”

Ronnie had never attempted to handle my Little side quite like this, but Leo was sitting nearby. If he wasn’t okay with the action, he would say something. We trusted him professionally and personally. I blinked twice.

“Thank you for listening. Now, I understand how much our clinic means to you. This clinic means everything to me. However, the situations I’m dealing with are not your concern. Am I understood?”

At the end of the day, Ronnie was still my boss. I blinked twice more for ‘yes I understand’.

“I’m glad you understand. Unless you’d like a written warning today for insubordination, you’re going to put your tongue back in your mouth where it belongs. No more speaking about money or events. Have I made myself clear?”

Tears pricked the back of my eyes. I blinked twice more. Ronnie released my tongue and engulfed me in a hug.

“I trust you to handle everything! But if there is anything I can do to help, will you please ask?”

“Will do. Please don’t let this get to you anymore. I’m handling it. I have another meeting and two more appointments, but if you need me come to my office.” Ronnie patted my shoulder, nodded to Leo and left the office, shutting the door behind him.

I sank into the cushions again and curled around Leo. “I’m sorry, Daddy.”

“I’m not angry with you. I’m not upset by your actions though I’d wished things were different. Do your best to focus on work.”

“Mm-hmm.”

Leo kissed the crown of my head. “Come to my house tonight. I’ll drive you in tomorrow.”

Some of the yucky feelings lifted from my shoulders. I had clothes and uniforms at Leo’s house in case either of us wanted to stay at each other’s houses. The thought of sleeping over chased away my spiral.

“Okay, Daddy. I’d like that.”

“I told you I’d handle everything.”

“I have to get back to our guests.” I shifted around until I was in his lap and planted one quick kiss on his lips. He kissed me back sliding his tongue into my mouth. I moaned, pressing my body against his. Leo broke away far too quickly for my liking and I whimpered my disapproval.

“Go on, sweetheart.”

“I’ll see you tonight.” I pouted slightly. “But that’s going to feel like forever from now.”

“We can pick up cocoa on the way home. There’s a new mug out with baby cheetahs.” He winked.

“I’d really like that so much, Daddy.”

Sliding off his lap reluctantly, I squeezed his hand before crossing his office.

“See you soon, little lionheart.”

“Oh, I’m staying until five-fifteen because of the activity planning. What time do you work until?”

“Five-thirty. Go on, sweetheart. If you get overwhelmed you can come sit in my office.”

“I will, Daddy. Thank you!”

“You’re welcome.”

With a happier plan in my heart than I hoped for, I rushed out the door. At least Leo left me with something to look forward to and Ronnie would handle the clinic like he always did.