“Will do.” Joan smiled as she took the folder from him. “Any more calls from the mystery woman?”
“Nope. Don’t expect to either. I blew it,” Mark admitted.
Troy shuffled out of the supply room. “You should go to her book signing.”
“What?” Mark demanded.
“Lexi Mills is having a book signing at that little bookstore downtown. You should go.”
“How do you know this?”
Joan chuckled. “Because Troy is her super fan. He’ll probably be camping outside the shop just to meet her.”
Troy scowled at her. “No, I won’t. You scheduled me to work.”
“Whoops. My bad.”
Mark laughed at their banter. “When is this signing, Troy?”
“Saturday. Two o’clock. Here.” Troy stomped back into the supply room. A few moments later he came back out with a crumpled piece of paper. He shoved it into Mark’s chest. “There’s all the information.”
Mark smoothed out the sheet, his eyes scanning the information. Two o’clock. Just when he was supposed to be at Hard Drive preparing for his fight. He cocked a grin. “Thanks, Troy. I think I will go to this.”
The intern shuffled off to do his work, grumbling the entire way. Mark winked at Joan. “I have to go make a phone call.”
“Sure thing, boss. I’m going to go take Mr. Seibert to x-ray. And I’ll give the hospitalist a jingle, too.”
Mark gave her a thumbs up and hustled to the ambulance bay. He flipped his cell phone out of his pocket and dialed.
“Hey, Mark. What’s up?” Max chimed through the phone.
“Hey, Max. I need to ask a favor.”
“That being?”
Mark took a deep breath. “Can we move our workout on Saturday up? Maybe to eight o’clock?”
“Are you serious? Why?”
“Lexi is having a book signing. I want to go and talk to her.”
“So you want to rearrange our practice?”
“You did it for Rico when he was dating Avery. At least I’m not asking to meet at the crack of dawn.”
Mark heard Max sigh over the phone. “All right. Call the other two and let them know. We’ll meet at eight. You owe me.”
Mark grinned. “Sure thing. Talk to you later.” Mark hung up and called Dan and Rico. Dan agreed immediately. Rico muttered something about beauty sleep. Once Mark reminded him about asking the same favor, however, Rico was on board. As he slipped his phone back into his pocket, Mark strolled back into the emergency room whistling to himself. The rest of his shift he felt on cloud nine.
The week flew by for Mark. From work to Hard Drive to bed, all his thoughts were about Lexi and the book signing. He kept reminding himself it wasn’t a date. He would only be going to apologize for being unprofessional. However, if she found him humble and charming…well, he couldn’t stop her from feeling that way, could he?
Finally Saturday arrived. Mark rushed from the hospital, jumped into his truck, and raced to the gym. He winced. He wouldn’t get to bed until way later than he normally did. Fortunately he had been able to talk a colleague into switching shifts with him, so he could sleep later.
Max’s and Dan’s cars were already parked outside Hard Drive when Mark arrived. Mark cringed a little as he walked in. He hated putting his friends out like this. However when he stepped inside the gym he was met with bright, cheery greetings from Max, Chloe, and Dan.
Rico, however, was an entirely different story. Trudging in only a few steps behind Mark, he was already muttering. He slipped his sunglasses off and glared at Mark with tired blue eyes. Mark cocked a grin at him. “Good morning, sunshine.”
“Shut up,” Rico grumbled.
“Where’s your better half?”
“Still sleeping. Wish I was.”
“Hey, I did it for you. Remember?”
“Not willingly. I remember you eating a bag of Doritos in my face while I was trying to cut weight.”
Mark chuckled. “Oh, yeah. Forgot about that.”
“This girl better be worth it. I was up late last night.”
“Doing what?”
Rico shot Mark a sly grin. “Newlywed stuff. And I don’t mean thank you cards.”
Mark raised his hand to stop Rico from saying anything further. “TMI, Rico. TMI.”
Rico busted out laughing. “Let’s consider my TMI the equivalent of your Doritos. Feeling uncomfortable yet?”
“Very.”
“Hey! You hens want to stop cackling so we can fight?” Dan suggested.
Mark playfully punched Rico and left his friend to finish getting ready. Tugging his gloves on, he sat down on the mat to stretch with Max and Dan. It wasn’t long before Rico joined them.
For the next few hours the four men traded off sparing and rolling with each other. Mark loved doing this more than anything else. Despite the occasional differences, Max, Rico, and Dan were his brothers and he was just as proud of them as he knew they were of him.
At eleven o’clock, Mark peeled off the pads he was holding for Dan. “Gotta go, man.”
Dan pushed his wire rim glasses up the bridge of his sweaty nose and patted Mark on the back. “Good luck, dude.” He sauntered over to a punching bag in the corner to continue his combos, stepping carefully around Max pinning Rico to the floor in top mount. Mark offered a brief wave to them before dropping his wraps and gloves in his bag, zipping it shut, and rushing out the door.
Mark barely let his truck come to a complete stop before dashing into his townhouse. As he shoved the door open he was greeted by his excited chocolate brown pit bull. The dog jumped up to rest his front paws on Mark’s thigh and lick any exposed skin affectionately.
“Come on, Kinnick. Not now,” Mark chided even though he rustled his pet’s fur lovingly. “I have to go shower. I have a date. Well, not really a date. Maybe a date will come from it?” He gently nudged Kinnick’s paws from his leg and dropped his bag on the couch.
Kinnick followed him to the bathroom as if ready to hear all about Mark’s plans. Mark smiled. Kinnick had to be one of his best friends too. He’d had the dog since he was a pup, since he lived in Iowa. He got him from a friend at the gym where he first learned mixed martial arts. He named the dog after the football stadium in Iowa City where his favorite football team played. Two things that Mark loved that came from his home state―his dog and his favorite team. Kinnick settled down on the bath mat when Mark flipped the hot water knob and stepped into the warm stream of water. He moaned as he rubbed the soap into his sore, tired muscles. After quickly drying, he rushed to his bedroom and tugged on the jeans and polo shirt he had laid out the night before. Mark pet Kinnick one last time, locked the door, and then raced back to his truck.
A line had already started to form outside the bookstore when Mark arrived. He parked his truck in the lot across the street and moved to join the fans who were excitedly chattering to each other. Some were wearing T-shirts with the cover art of Lexi’s book on them, and others wore homemade alien costumes. Mark frowned. How famous was Lexi? Would she even want anything to do with some poor, lowly ER doctor? Maybe that was why she wouldn’t go out with him.
At one o’clock the bookstore door opened. The line hardly moved. The summer sunshine blazed down on the side walk as Mark waited to get inside. Ten minutes. Twenty minutes. Half an hour. Finally, after forty-five minutes he got his turn to step inside the dim, cool bookstore. The walls were lined with shelves filled with hard cover books and paperback copies. Nearly all were titles he had never heard of before. He tugged a couple out and briefly scanned the contents, noticing several others in line doing the same. Slipping the books back onto the shelf, Mark craned his neck to find Lexi.
She sat nestled in the corner of the shop behind an antique wooden table. Her blonde curls were tied up in a ponytail. She looked uncomfortable being there. Between each fan’s approach, her eyes darted around the store, and her smiled looked forced every time a person came to the table. Mark tensed protecti
vely. A woman that beautiful shouldn’t be afraid like this.
Finally he was three people away. He had waited over an hour. It was then that he realized she was signing books for her readers. Mark glanced around the bookstore until he found a pile of her first release stacked on the counter. Politely excusing himself from the line, he quickly purchased a copy and then slipped back into line to find himself next.
A smile spread across his face as he approached the table. He set the book before her. With her eyes trained on the door, her voice came out weak. “Who should I make this out to?”
“Doctor Jacobsen would be great. Or Mark. I’m not picky.”
Lexi’s eyes popped open as she looked up at his towering frame. “Doctor Jacobsen! I didn’t realize you read science fiction.”
“I really don’t. My intern suggested that I read your book. And on second thought, I really do prefer Mark.”
Lexi laughed softly as she scribbled a message on the first page. “Well, I hope you enjoy it.”
“I know I will.”
The customer behind him loudly cleared his throat, obviously signaling to Mark to move on. Stepping outside into the brilliant sunshine, Mark glanced at his cell phone. Two minutes. He had waited over an hour to talk to Lexi for two minutes. Cracking open the book, he read the inscription.
To Mark, a really incredible guy. Love, Lexi Mills
Mark’s heart leapt into his throat. Incredible? Love? Nope, he wasn’t going home. He was going to talk to Lexi again if it killed him. He studied the front of the bookstore. With a crowd like that, Lexi certainly couldn’t have gone through the front door. He slipped around the street corner until he reached the alley that ran behind the store.
He grinned as he found what he was looking for, a service door bearing the name of the bookstore. That must be how Lexi got inside, and it would probably be how she left. Mark moved a little further down the alleyway and leaned against the brick wall across from the door. He didn’t want to surprise her the moment she stepped outside. He’d wait for her to get acclimated to her surroundings before he approached her. Slipping his phone from his pocket, Mark found an app to play.
He was so caught up in his game he never heard the old metal door until it slammed shut. Lexi moved swiftly down the alley, her high heels clicking in cadence on the pavement. Mark shoved his cell in his jeans pocket and jogged after her. “Lexi, wait…”
Mark heard the hiss of an aerosol canister releasing. He barely caught sight of the mist before the sensation of a thousand burning, piercing knives in his eyes hit him. It felt like his face was on fire. Biting back the curse words that wanted to pop out of his mouth, he gasped instead. He knew what was in the canister. His years of medical training begged him not to touch his skin.
“Mark!” Lexi nearly screamed. He heard the metallic clink of the canister hitting the ground and felt her arms wrap around him, her fingers sliding up his bicep to his face.
“Don’t touch,” he warned.
Her arms slipped away. “I’m so sorry,” she whispered. “I’m just trying to help.”
“It’s not that. You’ll spread the pepper spray and make it worse. Or you’ll spread it to yourself. I certainly don’t want that.”
“What can I do then?”
Mark laughed weakly. “Could you take me to hospital?”
“Of course.”
Mark felt Lexi’s hands slide around his arm again as she gently nudged him down the street. Their pace was slow. Every once in a while she would tug him in a new direction. Everything was a fuzzy haze. Nothing was clear at all, just blurry objects. All the while Lexi muttered to herself about how stupid she was. Mark stopped dead in his tracks. He heard the skid of tires and a couple of honking horns. “Lexi, stop. You’re not stupid.”
“Mark! You just stopped in the middle of the street!”
“See that? That was stupid. Not what you did. What I did. Which of us is stupid?”
Lexi laughed. “Come on. My car is over here.”
They shuffled a few more steps. Mark heard a car door open and felt a hand gently pat its way to his head. All it could reach was his shoulder. Finally it tugged him down low enough to fit into a small car. Obediently he scrunched into the passenger seat, where his knees hugged into his chest. “Small car,” he commented.
Mark felt Lexi bump into him as she slid into the driver’s seat. “A Fiat 500. I bet you’re not a Fiat kind of guy.”
“Nope. Drive a truck. Now I fully understand why.”
The car purred as Lexi raced through the streets. Mark blinked his eyes rapidly trying to regain his vision. Lexi’s voice startled him. “I bet you’re thinking you wish you hadn’t come to my signing.”
Mark laughed. “Believe it or not, I am very glad I came to your signing. I get to spend time getting to know you better. I wish it was other circumstances but I’ll take what I can get.”
He could have sworn he heard her giggle a little. The sound made his heart jump. It was simply beautiful.
The car came to a stop. The sound of a car door opening and closing was quickly followed by Mark’s door opening. He breathed a sigh of relief. Freedom. He ducked his head as he stepped out and let Lexi lead him inside.
His heart jumped as he heard the check-in nurse’s voice. “Mark! What happened?”
Mark turned his head in the direction he guessed Lexi was standing. “You brought me to my hospital?”
“I thought you’d get the best care if they knew you,” Lexi defended.
Mark shook his head. He would never hear the end of this one. “I was pepper sprayed, Nicole.”
Nicole didn’t respond. She busted out laughing instead. After gasping for air for several moments, she finally found her voice. “Follow me. We’re pretty dead unlike your shifts, big guy.”
The three of them shuffled down the halls of the emergency department. Mark could hear the whispers around him. He definitely wasn’t going to live this one down. Lexi steered him into a room and helped him on the gurney.
“I’ll be back, Mark. I’ll get some baby shampoo and something to rinse your eyes out with,” Nicole told him before closing the door.
Then there was silence. Had Lexi just left him there? Mark blew out a breath as he flopped back against the pillow. Guess I’m going to have to call one of the guys to come get me.
“You know you shouldn’t have snuck up on me like that.” Lexi’s voice cut through the fog, scolding him. “If you would have told me you were there I wouldn’t have pepper sprayed you.”
“You’re right. It had to be pretty terrifying for me to suddenly show up like that. I’m sorry,” Mark apologized.
“I’m sorry for pepper spraying you. You must think I’m horrible.”
“Actually what I’ve been thinking about most of this time is how much I appreciate my friend, Avery. Having one of my senses taken away is pretty scary.”
“Your friend Avery lost one of her senses?”
“Yep, in an I.E.D. blast in Afghanistan. She’s a Marine. And she’s deaf.”
Lexi’s voice was a squeak. “Oh.”
The room fell silent again. After several long moments Mark spoke again. “Not my idea of the perfect first date but I’ll take it.”
He could hear hesitation in Lexi’s voice. “Mark, I think you’re a great guy. In any other circumstance I would jump at the chance to date you. But really I can’t.”
“Is it your ex-husband?”
Lexi paused. “Yes.”
“Why?”
There was another long moment of silence. “He threatened to kill any man I was with. He nearly killed that guy I was with on the Fourth of July. I know his car and it crashed into my date’s car. He drank too much so I was driving his car. I looked him dead in the eye. I don’t remember much else until I woke up in the hospital.”
“Lexi, don’t worry about it. All right? I’m not scared of what he can do.”
“Mark, I know you’re big and strong. But you don’t understand what h
e’s capable of.”
Mark fumbled his cell from his pocket and handed it to her. “Take a look at the newest picture on my phone. The security code is one-two-three-four. Yeah, I know. It’s really strategic.”
He waited for Lexi’s response. Her shocked gasp was what he was waiting for. “You’re on a poster.”
“Yep. I’m a mixed martial artist. That’s for my first pro fight coming up in a few weeks.”
“You’ve fought before? In those steel cage things?”
“Several times. See the blond, skinny guy next to my picture? And the two guys on top of the poster with the names Thomas and Choate beside them? The three of them are my best friends. Rico Choate is my friend Avery’s husband. It was their wedding I was coming from when I found you on the side of the road.” He did his best to wink at her. “See? That’s why I’m not worried.”
“I still think you should be.”
“So you still won’t date me.”
There was another pause. Lexi’s voice came out smooth as silk. “I didn’t say that, did I? I thought we were on our first date right now.”
Despite the searing pain, Mark couldn’t possibly feel better. “At least let me take you out to dinner after this.”
“My choice since I’m driving?” Lexi teased.
“Anywhere you want, baby.”
“Hmm…I’m thinking lobster.”
“Wow, not a cheap date, huh?”
Lexi laughed. It was the first time since Mark met her that he truly heard her laugh. It was incredible. The sound made his pulse pick up a notch. “Seriously, I’m in the mood for burgers. Is that all right?”
“It sounds great.”
Their conversation was interrupted by the door opening. The footsteps were accompanied by muffled laughter. After the clearing of a throat, a male voice spoke. “Didn’t expect to see you again today, Mark.”
“Getting a good chuckle, Tom?”
“Oh yeah.”
“I don’t see what is so funny,” Lexi protested. “He’s hurt.”
Hard Drive Boxed Set Page 42
