Chapter1

Shelby

Not sure if it is the thunderstorm outside or my haunted thoughts from the email I read earlier that startled me out of my sleep. The email was from the Director of the Health Department in a region of China. My chest is rising and falling quickly and my respirations have increased. I only get a few hours of sleep each night. Between my thoughts of past and present and my work schedule as an infectious disease physician, sleep just doesn’t come until exhaustion sets in. Luckily, I have never required a lot of sleep. I remember during my residency I had much more exposure to new procedures compared to my colleagues as I would be awake while they wouldsleep.

As I get out of bed, I try to remember what startled me. My mind seems to keep it hidden from my conscious state. I look over at the bed where Kevin is fast asleep. He looks so peaceful with his lips slightly parted and his black, thick hair messy over his forehead. Kevin is a friend of mine, well, a friend with benefits. I know he wants more but I don’t think I will ever be able to give anyone all of me since…well, since....

In the conversations we have had, I always use my career and the amount of traveling as my excuse for not settling down again. We enjoy each others company. He is always a perfect gentleman. Neither of us put demands on the other. It works well for us, well for me. The truth is, it’s been twelve years and the images still hauntme.

Making my way quietly into the kitchen, the floor is cold on my bare feet. I always find it hard with winter ending and spring approaching to get the right temperature. Grabbing a bottle of water, I gaze out onto the City That Never Sleeps. As the storm moves away, streaks of lightning can be seen in the distance against the ominousclouds.

My high-rise apartment on Fifth Avenue in New York City has a great view of Central Park. That combined with the large floor-to-ceiling windows was the deciding factor when I purchased the property. It is just one of my many properties, as I like having my own personal space in places I travel. My friends do not understand why I have purchased places around the world. I refuse to rent them out when I am not