Dancing With the Doc

by Jennifer Youngblood

  He nodded. “Thankfully, it’s all coming together. It’s nice to merge the book learning with practical application.”

  She was interested in hearing the particulars of his job. “What all have you done this week?”

  “Let’s see. The highlights are … diagnosed a kid with appendicitis and had to call in the surgeon. Got to pull a great, big piece of coat hanger wire out of another kid’s foot.”

  She winced. “Ouch.”

  “Hope he learned not to mow the lawn barefoot. Told a newlywed she doesn’t have the stomach flu. She’s just pregnant.”

  A giggle rose in her throat. “Oh, no.”

  “Set a broken leg for a skateboarder and removed your stitches. How about you? How’s your week been?”

  “Good … busy.”

  He gave her a searching look. “That’s it. I spill my guts, and that’s all you have?”

  “My week wasn’t nearly as exciting as yours. I tried to teach preschoolers ballet.” She crinkled her nose. “They were more interested in the cupcakes that one of the moms brought afterwards. We’re getting ready for a recital coming up in the next few weeks.” She sucked in a breath. “Yep, that’s about it. Oh, I worked a few shifts at The Magnolia. Had a feuding family come in and helped them calm down. Haven’t gotten fired yet.”

  “So, will you be teaching salsa lessons this Friday?”

  “No, I’m afraid not,” she said with a laugh. “I only do those once in a blue moon.”

  The corners of his lips fell. “That’s too bad.”

  She looked him in the eye. “Why’s that?”

  He didn’t skip a beat. “I was just starting to get the hang of it.” He leaned in close, his eyes flickering with a streak of mischief. “Maybe I should book that private lesson we talked about.”

  Heat rose in her cheeks. Not sure how to answer, she just looked at him. What was Chase doing? They were supposed to be just friends. It was on the tip of her tongue to remind him of that, but no sense in beating a dead horse. “Well,” she said with a false cheerfulness as she stood, “it was great seeing you again. Thank you, Mr. Brooks,” she said formally, a hint of mockery in her tone. She moved to leave as he tugged on her arm. “What?” she asked in annoyance as she turned back around to face him.

  “Cat,” he uttered, “stop putting up walls between us.”

  She barked out a disbelieving laugh. “Excuse me? I’m not the one with the girlfriend.” She lifted her chin. “I’m just keeping us both honest.”

  He made a face. “Yep, you’re good at doing that.”

  She bristled like a cat thrown in a tub of water. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

  “You seem so worried about Amber that I can’t help but think you’re some champion of women’s rights.”

  She gave him a scathing look. “I told you. I will not be the other woman.”

  He sighed in exasperation. “I never asked you to be the other woman. I only asked that you give me some time to figure things out, and you might be happy to know that I—"

  Chase cut off his words and stepped back as the nurse stepped into the room. She looked back and forth between them as if realizing that she’d interrupted some sort of exchange. “Dr. Simpson’s at the nurses’ station. He wants to check your work.”

  “Sure.” Chase turned to Cat. “Do you mind?”

  “Not at all.”

  They walked out to meet up with Dr. Simpson. When he saw Cat, his face lit in recognition. “Well, hello again,” he responded warmly. “It’s the beauty from Clementine.”

  “Hello,” Cat responded with a smile. She liked Dr. Simpson’s bedside manner, how engaged he was with his patients. To him, they were real people instead of mere numbers. Cat could already tell that Chase would be that same kind of doctor. A pang went through her. She knew she was being excessively hard on him about the girlfriend. It wasn’t Chase’s fault that he’d gotten back together with Amber recently. What did Cat expect him to do? Dump Amber just because Cat had come back into his life? If the situation was reversed and Cat was with someone, she wasn’t sure what she would do. Still, it was brutal to be in her spot.

  “How did our boy do?”

  A chuckle caught in the back of Cat’s throat. “It was touch-and-go for a while, but I think he did all right.” She cut her eyes at Chase.

  “Well, I guess the proof is in the pudding. Let’s see.”

  She held out her hand as he inspected it.

  His glasses were perched on his nose. He peered over them, observing Cat’s hand. “Hmm,” he said, tilting his head.

  Chase looked over his shoulder, concern sounding in his voice. “Did I miss something?”

  “Nope,” Dr. Simpson said with a wink at Cat. “You did great.”

  Letting go of Cat’s hand, Dr. Simpson checked the chart rack behind the nurses’ station. “There’s nobody waiting right now, Chase. Why don’t you show this lovely young lady around our facility?”

  Chase smiled brightly. “Thanks, Doc. I think I will.”

  A twinkle lit Dr. Simpson’s eyes. “In fact, you get done in half an hour, right? Get out of here and don’t come back today. See ya in the morning.”

  Chase’s smile widened. “Alright, see you later.”

  It took all of ten minutes to walk through the entire hospital, and that was only because they strolled slowly. They ended at the one and only nurses’ station in the inpatient area. “So that’s it.” He turned to her, a flicker of hope in his eyes. “Want to grab a bite at the cafeteria?”

  Did she dare? She wanted to, that’s for sure. Cat glanced over Chase’s shoulder. Two women at the nurses’ station eyed them, their expressions envious. It’s not me that you have to be worried about, Cat wanted to yell. I’m merely an old friend from eons ago. He has a girlfriend! “Sure. Hospital food sounds great,” she said sarcastically.

  He chuckled. “It’s not The Magnolia.” He held up a finger. “But the price is right. I eat for free. That even includes ice cream.” The grin on his face was so reminiscent of childhood, that for a moment, she forgot she was disgruntled with him. “It’s one of the perks of being a slave laborer.”

  She wrinkled her nose. “You don’t get paid?”

  “Nope, I’m still a student. Can you believe that I actually pay tuition for the privilege of being here?” A wry grin tugged at his lips. “Of course, the hospital bills in full for my services. It’s a heck of a deal for them.”

  She shook her head. “I had no idea how that worked.” They started down the hall. “They’re lucky to get such a good doctor for such a good price. You’re a bargain.”She felt the need to defend Chase from the unfeeling system.

  “Yep, that’s what they tell me.”

  They arrived at the cafeteria. He rattled the door but it was locked. He made a face. “Looks like they don’t have any service at three o’clock in the afternoon.” He paused, turning to her. “I heard the Barbecue Barn down the street is pretty good. Do you want to go there or to the Waffle House?”

  “Maybe I should just go.” It was one thing to grab something at the hospital cafeteria but quite another to go somewhere and eat. This was feeling dangerously like a date. Being with Chase as a friend was like someone putting a deluxe sundae in front of you and telling you not to eat a bite.

  His face fell. “What? You’re not flaking out on me, are you?”

  Her eyebrow shot up. “Do you really think your girlfriend will appreciate you going out to eat with me?”

  “There you are, championing women’s rights.”

  Irritation bubbled inside her. “Evidently, someone has to.”

  “I’m sure Amber is very appreciative.”

  She shoved him. “Stop it.”

  Amusement danced in his eyes. “We’re friends, right?”

  She wondered where this was going. “That’s what you keep telling me.” She was starting to hate the term friends.

  “Okay then, friend,” he countered with a smooth smile. “Let’s go.”<
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  Her traitorous stomach rumbled.

  “Ah,” he pointed, “there you go. We need to feed you before you shrivel away to nothing. I’ve seen toothpicks plumper than you, woman.”

  She rolled her eyes. “I’m not too skinny.”

  He made a show of looking her up and down. “You look fine,” he said nonchalantly.

  Her eyebrow arched. “Fine? That’s the best you can do?”

  “Alright. You look fine, baby,” he drawled flicking his hand like his fingers were hot. “Is that better?”

  She shook her head, fighting the grin tugging at the corners of her lips. “Now, I feel like a piece of meat.”

  “Oh, you’re definitely a piece of meat.” He pumped his eyebrows. “A prime cut of filet mignon.”

  “Okay, wise guy. Put a sock in it,” she laughed, remembering why she’d enjoyed hanging out with Chase. He always kept her laughing and there was never a dull moment.

  They walked a block and a half to the small eatery and found a table. While Chase looked over the menu, she took the opportunity to study him. There were faint circles beneath his eyes, suggesting that he’d been spending too much time studying. His tanned face was indicative that he’d managed to squeeze in some time outdoors. His tan made his blue eyes really pop. She traced the lines of his prominent cheekbones, going down to his mouth. Those lips had almost touched hers. Heat blasted over her. A part of her wished that Amber hadn’t called. Then, she and Chase would’ve kissed. She would know what it felt like to have his lips on hers. Cat wondered what would’ve happened between them if they had kissed. Would Chase have realized that she was the one for him and broken up with Amber? She could only dream. She soaked in the vivid color of his sapphire eyes before tracing the hard lines of his square jaw. His broad shoulders were impressive, as were his defined muscles.

  Chase glanced up and caught her looking at him. “What?” he asked with a questioning grin.

  “How can you be so fit when you’re a medical student?”

  A look of pride touched his features. “You like my muscles.” He flexed his arm exaggeratedly.

  Heat flamed her cheeks. “I was only making an observation. You’re fit. That’s commendable.”

  “Thank you,” he said with a touch of genuineness. “Working out is my coping mechanism for dealing with stress. When I first started medical school, all I did was study 24/7. My physical health started to suffer. I was having back issues from sitting too long. Long story short, I realized that I could either take the time to work out on a regular basis, or my health would continue to suffer.”

  “That makes sense. Exercise is such an integral part of my profession that I’ve never really thought about it.”

  “So that’s the secret behind your perfectly toned body. The constant dancing.”

  For a second, she thought he was joking and was getting ready to launch a witty comeback, but then she realized with a start that he was serious. “Thanks,” she murmured, looking down at her menu. “So, what do you recommend?” she asked to change the subject.

  “The Mama’s Pancakes Breakfast is fantastic, but only if you’re super hungry.”

  She pursed her lips. “That is tempting.” Her jaw worked. “Well, since it’s a waffle place, I think I’ll get waffles and grits.”

  He grimaced. “Ugh, I don’t know how you can stomach grits. You must’ve been in the South too long.”

  She laughed. “You ain’t in Chicago no more. No slaw dogs, no inch-thick pizza. Instead you get grits, low-country boil and collard greens. It’s good stuff and some of it’s fairly healthy.”

  He gave her a measured look. “I’m not convinced.”

  “You will be when you try Harper’s grits.” She made a face. “Of course, it takes me a full day to work off all the cream, butter, and cheese in them.”

  “It looks like you’re doing just fine,” he uttered in appreciation. Before she could respond, Chase waved for their server to place their orders.

  Cat sat back in her seat. “I don’t remember much about your family.”

  “Well, let’s see … I have a mom and a dad.”

  “Hah, funny guy.”

  “Let me continue. I also have two brothers and one sister. Dad works in plastics research. Mom taught school for a while, and then stayed home with us kids.”

  Cat was eager to know everything about him. “How did you end up going to medical school in Mobile?”

  He cocked his head. “You know, that’s an unusual story. I worked at the fire department to pay for college. I had a scholarship, but it only covered tuition. Our medical director at the fire department went to med school at South Alabama. He sang its praises all the time. I mean that literally. We’d walk into his office, and he’d be belting out their football fight song. Anyway, he wrote me a letter of recommendation. Apparently, they really respect him because next thing I knew, I had an interview and shortly thereafter, an acceptance letter.” Interest simmered in his light eyes as he studied her. “What about you? I know your mom’s medical issue, at least at the end.” There was a note of melancholy in his voice.

  She gave him a nod letting him know she appreciated his acknowledgement of her loss.

  “I know where you lived.”

  She saw something flash in his eyes, like he was trying to convey some sort of secret information that she couldn’t quite get. Before she could question it too much, the flash was gone.

  “I don’t ever remember hearing anything about your dad.”

  She exhaled a long breath. Talking about her dad was not something she often did, because it brought back too many painful memories. She realized that she didn’t mind telling Chase about her past, maybe because he was such a large part of it already. “When I was eight years old, my father was arrested for being an illegal and was deported back to Guatemala.” The corners of her lips turned down. “My mom and I never heard from him again.” She could tell from the shock on his face that she’d jolted him. For most Americans, illegal immigration was something they heard politicians arguing about on TV. Few people understood it up close and personal. “I didn’t know how I was supposed to feel. Should I be mad because Dad forgot us? Did he get remarried and start a new family? Was he killed after he got there?” She shrugged. “I have no idea what happened to him.”

  He shook his head. “I’m so sorry. I had no idea.”

  She shrugged. “Few people knew. It’s not something my mom and I broadcasted.”

  “I’m sure that was tough on you and your mom.”

  “Yes,” she said simply, “it was. Mom worked two and sometimes three jobs the whole time I was growing up.”

  He shifted in his seat. “Forgive me for asking this, but was your mom worried about getting deported?”

  “No, she’s a naturalized citizen. Her parents emigrated from Guatemala when she was a young teenager. My mom was determined to carve out a life for herself. She wanted to do things the right way, so she took classes and went through the legal process. When she was seventeen, her mother—my grandmother—died of pneumonia. She worked in a refrigerated area and didn’t have access to good medical care. By the time my grandfather took her to the hospital, it was too late.” The horrified look on his face was touching. Cat figured that it would hit a nerve for Chase because of his profession. It was a sad story, but Cat was desensitized to it because she’d heard it all her life. “A short time later, my grandfather remarried a Guatemalan lady. They eventually moved back there, and my mother stayed.”

  “How did you start dancing?”

  She smiled, remembering. “I’ve always loved dancing. According to my mom, I was dancing before I could walk. She said I’d pull myself up using the coffee table and dance. My mom scrimped and saved to pay for lessons. Once, I got a taste of it, I couldn’t stop. It’s in my blood.”

  “You used to dance to the bus stop.”

  “Yes, I’m surprised you remember that.”

  His eyes caught hers. “I remember a lot of things
.”

  “Such as?”

  A smile curved his lips. “How cute you looked in those pink jeans you used to wear.”

  Her eyes widened. “I can’t believe you remember those.”

  He pointed to his temple. “A steel trap.”

  “Evidently,” she laughed.

  The server returned with their food. “Alright, let’s dive in,” Chase said eagerly.

  The food was surprisingly good. Chase paid for the meal in cash and left a sizable tip. Cat wasn’t sure if it was to impress her or if that was just his habit. It didn’t matter. Either way their server was well taken care of.

  The sun was surprisingly hot for this time of the year.

  Chase tugged at his shirt. “If we were in Chicago right now, we’d probably be wearing jackets.”

  “I know.”

  “Hey, do you wanna see if there’s a good movie showing?”

  “I need to get back for a class,” Cat said regretfully.

  He nodded in disappointment. “Some other time, maybe?”

  “I’d like that,” she said with a genuine smile. Time seemed to halt in its tracks as their eyes connected. Again, Cat felt like they were about to kiss. Maybe they should just do it and get it over with.

  He motioned with his head. “Well, the least I can do is walk you back to your car. What types of movies do you like? Do you prefer giant lizards that eat cities, macho men who beat up foreign spies, or mushy romance movies?”

  She laughed. “Mushy romances of course, although muscle men throwing spies around does sound intriguing.”

  “Ah, she likes big muscles.” He flexed his arm. “What do you think?”

  It was impressive, no doubt about that. “Sounds like somebody’s fishing for a compliment.”

  “You know it,” he chuckled. “I have to get them where I can.”

  Cat was no idiot. Even back in elementary school, Chase had a long line of admirers. Now, that he was a good-looking, charismatic, up-and-coming doctor, he was sure to attract attention. The thought of her being nothing more than one of his many admirers filled her with despondency.