sweater and arched an eyebrow. “I know . Sexuality is not as rigid as people think. I have learned a thing or two working here. Remember that cute Mr. Derenzo? He thought he was straight for years.”
“That can be true,” Michael said slowly. “But personally? I’m really, seriously gay.”
Loretta rolled her eyes and went back to her chair.
In the staff meeting, the clinic’s two doctors, Dr. Trudy Kaplan and Dr. Jack Halloran, went over their cases. Andrea and Philip, the clinic’s two other surrogates, sat in at the weekly meetings, as did Michael. Andrea worked with straight men. She was in her midthirties, slim and attractive but not glamorous. She had an earthy, no-nonsense sensuality that Michael admired. He also envied the fact that she worked for the clinic full-time—straight men were the bulk of their clientele.
If Michael could do surrogacy full-time, he would. He probably could manage it if he took freelance too, but he liked working with a reputable sex clinic. That way he could be sure his clients had been screened through a sex therapist like Dr. Halloran, and that they legitimately needed him. He didn’t want to run the risk of getting curiosity seekers or those looking for, essentially, a prostitute. Besides, he’d worked hard to become a nurse and he’d become very attached to Marnie. She’d insisted Happy At Home assign him to her second shift Monday through Friday, which gave him steady work for the foreseeable future.
Phillip, the other surrogate, was also part-time. He worked with straight women. He was not a fan of Michael’s and vice versa. Michael found him a little too good-looking and a lot too cocky. He had a slight air of being god’s gift to women instead of being a healer. But Michael supposed he was biased. He had a lot of baggage about big, buff, straight guys like Phillip giving him a hard time in school. And Phillip always ignored Michael, as if he didn’t exist, and that was just annoying.
Dr. Jack Halloran, on the other hand, was a lovely, lovely man. He’d been a combat surgeon and he was tough, with a core of steel under a boy-next-door exterior. Jack looked Michael right in the eye when they talked, gave him respect. He treated Michael as though they were a team. Of course, Jack Halloran was also gay. That might have something to do with it.
Michael had had a mild crush on Jack way back when. When Jack had first come to the clinic, he’d been depressed and suffering from PTSD. There’d been a depth of sorrow in him that drew Michael like a moth to a flame. He’d just wanted to wrap up the good doctor and love on him and make him feel better. But Jack had made it clear that was not going to happen. And really, Jack had been right. It was smart not to do the dirty with anyone at work. Now Jack was in a relationship and was way, way off the market.
Trudy turned to look at him. “Michael? How are things going with Tommy Chelsey?”
Michael sat up straighter. “Good. I saw him Monday for touch therapy, as usual. His mother’s worried that he’s been depressed lately, but I didn’t see that when I was with him.”
Jack looked concerned. “Did she give you any indication of why she thinks he’s depressed? How he’d been acting?”
“Nothing specific. She just said his friends were graduating from college and getting married and she was worried about how he was taking it.”
Jack nodded. “Please remind her that if she’d like to bring him in to see me again, I can make room for him on my calendar. Or I can recommend another therapist if she wants him to see someone who specializes in depression.”
“Sure, Jack.”
“So you’re continuing with Tommy for the time being?” Trudy asked.
“Yeah. His mother said he really looks forward to my visits. She thinks they’re helping.”
Phillip made a very unprofessional noise. Michael frowned at him.
Trudy tapped her pen on the table thoughtfully. “This is getting to be fairly long-term. Is there
“That can be true,” Michael said slowly. “But personally? I’m really, seriously gay.”
Loretta rolled her eyes and went back to her chair.
In the staff meeting, the clinic’s two doctors, Dr. Trudy Kaplan and Dr. Jack Halloran, went over their cases. Andrea and Philip, the clinic’s two other surrogates, sat in at the weekly meetings, as did Michael. Andrea worked with straight men. She was in her midthirties, slim and attractive but not glamorous. She had an earthy, no-nonsense sensuality that Michael admired. He also envied the fact that she worked for the clinic full-time—straight men were the bulk of their clientele.
If Michael could do surrogacy full-time, he would. He probably could manage it if he took freelance too, but he liked working with a reputable sex clinic. That way he could be sure his clients had been screened through a sex therapist like Dr. Halloran, and that they legitimately needed him. He didn’t want to run the risk of getting curiosity seekers or those looking for, essentially, a prostitute. Besides, he’d worked hard to become a nurse and he’d become very attached to Marnie. She’d insisted Happy At Home assign him to her second shift Monday through Friday, which gave him steady work for the foreseeable future.
Phillip, the other surrogate, was also part-time. He worked with straight women. He was not a fan of Michael’s and vice versa. Michael found him a little too good-looking and a lot too cocky. He had a slight air of being god’s gift to women instead of being a healer. But Michael supposed he was biased. He had a lot of baggage about big, buff, straight guys like Phillip giving him a hard time in school. And Phillip always ignored Michael, as if he didn’t exist, and that was just annoying.
Dr. Jack Halloran, on the other hand, was a lovely, lovely man. He’d been a combat surgeon and he was tough, with a core of steel under a boy-next-door exterior. Jack looked Michael right in the eye when they talked, gave him respect. He treated Michael as though they were a team. Of course, Jack Halloran was also gay. That might have something to do with it.
Michael had had a mild crush on Jack way back when. When Jack had first come to the clinic, he’d been depressed and suffering from PTSD. There’d been a depth of sorrow in him that drew Michael like a moth to a flame. He’d just wanted to wrap up the good doctor and love on him and make him feel better. But Jack had made it clear that was not going to happen. And really, Jack had been right. It was smart not to do the dirty with anyone at work. Now Jack was in a relationship and was way, way off the market.
Trudy turned to look at him. “Michael? How are things going with Tommy Chelsey?”
Michael sat up straighter. “Good. I saw him Monday for touch therapy, as usual. His mother’s worried that he’s been depressed lately, but I didn’t see that when I was with him.”
Jack looked concerned. “Did she give you any indication of why she thinks he’s depressed? How he’d been acting?”
“Nothing specific. She just said his friends were graduating from college and getting married and she was worried about how he was taking it.”
Jack nodded. “Please remind her that if she’d like to bring him in to see me again, I can make room for him on my calendar. Or I can recommend another therapist if she wants him to see someone who specializes in depression.”
“Sure, Jack.”
“So you’re continuing with Tommy for the time being?” Trudy asked.
“Yeah. His mother said he really looks forward to my visits. She thinks they’re helping.”
Phillip made a very unprofessional noise. Michael frowned at him.
Trudy tapped her pen on the table thoughtfully. “This is getting to be fairly long-term. Is there
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