by Holly Rayner
“Are you thinking it could be Meniere’s disease?” I asked when we left the patient’s room.
Dr. Hunt raised an eyebrow at me and tilted his head. “How did you know?”
“I had a friend in college who had it,” I said with a shrug. “All of the symptoms matched up, so I made a guess.”
“Good guess,” he said, winking at me.
My stomach flipped when his blue eyes settled on my face, and as he walked away, urging me to get to know my coworkers and settle into my desk space, I convinced myself it was because I was proud to have done good work. It definitely wasn’t because he was too handsome for words. No, definitely not.
I saw him periodically throughout the day, going in and out of patient’s rooms, talking with other nurses about treatment plans. My body seemed to electrify every time he was close. Then, he would smile at me, and a second jolt would flow through my system. I willed my body to stop responding to him in such a visceral way, but it stubbornly refused.
As I was leaving for the day, shutting off the computer at my desk and dropping my badge into my purse, Spencer stopped at my desk. He rested on his elbows, his shoulders arched up around his ears, smiling at me.
“Well, did you have a good first day?”
I swallowed and nodded. “Yes, it was fabulous.”
“Wonderful. I’m glad to hear it. I know everyone here is so happy to have you on board.”
“Yep, so glad you’re here,” Brittany said, nudging her way into the conversation. She stood close to Spencer, her arm brushing against his. He slid away only an inch, but her face reddened slightly. “You really found a good one, Dr. Hunt.”
He smiled at me again, winking. “The best one, I think.”
“You two are too kind. Thank you very much,” I said.
Brittany was still smiling at me, but it had taken on a hard edge.
“Well, I don’t want to keep you,” Spencer said. “We’ll see you tomorrow for your second day, Ms. Richards.”
“See you both tomorrow,” I said, waving as I walked down the hallway.
I didn’t turn around and check, but I thought I could feel Brittany’s eyes boring into my back.
Chapter 9
By the end of my first week, I was still convinced that the regular eight-to-five workday would end eventually, and I’d go back to life working nights and days alternatively, always jet-lagged and busy. The job felt too good to be true.
In my first week, I’d done rounds with Dr. Hunt on three days, helping him diagnose the little girl with Meniere’s disease and the little boy we’d seen, Alan, with an autoimmune disorder called Ankylosing spondylitis. I was growing comfortable with the layout, patients, and the other nurses. Though, Alexandria was still my favorite person to talk with on breaks. She was always full of energy and was more than willing to fill me in on all of the necessary gossip.
“I walked in on Francine and Carlos making out in the stationary closet yesterday,” she whispered. “It was very PG-13. No nudity, but a lot of roaming hands.”
I covered my mouth to suppress a giggle. “I wonder why they’re keeping it a secret?”
She shrugged. “Well, they work together, so maybe they’re worried about Dr. Hunt finding out.”
A knot formed in my stomach. “Are workplace relationships not allowed?”
“I don’t think there’s a specific rule about it, but they aren’t encouraged,” she said. “Much to Brittany’s dismay.”
“What does that mean?” I asked. My first day on the job had been a little touch and go with Brittany, but by the end of the week, we had found a rhythm, and she was nothing but professionally friendly towards me. But still, I sensed something between her and Dr. Hunt.
“She’s had a crush on Dr. Hunt since the day she was hired,” Alexandria whispered. “She was always picking up extra shifts and staying late to help him. Of course, it earned her the promotion to chief nurse, but it wasn’t all in the name of love for her job. Everyone with eyes could see she was hoping that spending more time with him would spark something between them.”
“And did it ever?” I asked hesitantly, not sure I wanted to know the answer. “Spark something between them, I mean?”
She shook her head. “Not to my knowledge. They’re colleagues, but that’s all. Dr. Hunt is very private about his personal life, so I don’t know any more than what I’ve been able to observe. And I haven’t noticed anything different in their relationship since Brittany started here.”
The knot in my stomach loosened noticeably. I didn’t know why it mattered. If Dr. Hunt wouldn’t date someone like Brittany—tall and beautiful and accomplished in her field—then I had no reason to believe he’d make an exception for me. Besides, as I kept reminding myself, I didn’t want to date him. He was my boss.
Working relationship. Working relationship.
After talking with Alexandria, I found myself studying Brittany and Dr. Hunt’s interactions, searching for any lingering glances or secret touches. On Dr. Hunt’s part, there was nothing. He was perfectly cordial and kind and polite, as always. Brittany, however, watched him long after he’d walked away from a conversation. She did her best to place herself near whichever room he was working in and volunteered to help him whenever the opportunity arose. She had it bad.
I almost felt sorry for her. Falling for a man like Spencer set a woman up for a lifetime of disappointment. Even if she realized he didn’t feel the same way about her, it would be hard to let the dream go. I was grateful I’d gotten a handle on my own crush from the beginning. I’d saved myself a lot of heartache, I was sure.
An hour before I was meant to finish, Francine caught me in the hallway outside of one of the exam rooms. I had to bite back a smile when she walked up, remembering what Alexandria had told me about her and Carlos—a nurse who worked at the clinic at night, mostly—in the closet.
“Are you going out with us tonight?” she asked.
“Out with who?”
Her forehead wrinkled. “Did Brittany not tell you yet?”
I shook my head and Francine dismissed it with a wave. “She probably forgot. Always so busy, that woman. Anyway, we’re going for drinks at the Den at six. It would be a great opportunity for you to talk to everyone in a more casual environment.”
“Yeah, that sounds fun. I’ll definitely be there. Who all is going?”
“Everyone,” she said. “Doctors and nurses. Even Dr. Hunt is coming. He doesn’t usually, so it’s a treat.”
My smile took on a life of its own, refusing to be suppressed.
“Awesome. I’ll see you there.”
Two hours later, I was walking through the doors of a local bar. It sat on the first floor of a three-story brick building, and looked like it was one of the first buildings to exist in the city. The interior of the bar was all red brick and reclaimed wood, with open arches leading to cozy corners.
As soon as I walked in the door, I saw Alexandria standing at the bar. She was flirting with the bartender, leaning far across the bar to be closer to him. I didn’t want to interrupt, so I went on a little wander—the place wasn’t that big, anyway.
I found everyone on the patio through a set of French doors in the back wall. String lights hung from the wooden beams of the overhang that protected the patio from the elements, giving the whole space a fairytale kind of look. Our clinic appeared to have claimed the entire patio as our own. Nurses and doctors were scattered amongst the tables, mingling with one another, laughing and drinking.
Pushing down my introvert tendencies, I ordered a drink from a waitress and then sat down at the first table I came to. There, I met Gina the phlebotomist and Ryan the anesthesiologist. I learned that Gina had only been at the practice for a few months, so she was still relatively new, too.
“You’ll feel right at home in no time,” she said. “At least, that’s how I felt. Everyone is so warm and welcoming.”
“I can see that. Everyone has been so nice. I think I’m really going to
like it. I already do,” I said.
I felt a hand on my shoulder and turned around to see Spencer standing behind me, a tall beer in his hand. “Jess, you made it.”
“I did.” I smiled up at him. “Were you worried I wouldn’t?”
“No. Well, it’s just that Brittany wasn’t sure if you were going to come or not. I got busy this afternoon and had an out-of-office meeting, so I didn’t get a chance to talk to you before I left.”
Just then, the waitress brought me my margarita. I didn’t have the chance to say that Brittany hadn’t invited me tonight, so she wouldn’t have known if I was coming, but it was probably best I let it go.
With my drink in my hand, Spencer tipped his head towards where he was sitting, and I excused myself from the conversation with Gina and Ryan. They barely noticed I was gone. It seemed I would have another workplace romance to gab about with Alexandria. They seemed pretty cozy sitting in the corner by themselves.
“How was your meeting this afternoon?” I asked.
“Good,” he said, pulling out a chair for me and then taking the one opposite it. “It was a meeting with Jamie’s teacher.”
“Oh, I thought it would be work-related. Sorry,” I said. I didn’t want Spencer to think I was prying into his personal life. According to Alexandria, he kept that pretty private.
“It’s all right. Just a parent-teacher conference. He’s doing very well in school. He loves to learn and is an eager student. I’m very proud of him.”
“Well, that’s great news,” I said. “I was a terrible student. Always talking during class and passing notes to cute boys.”
“You were a flirt?” he asked, eyebrows raised, mouth turned up in a smile.
“Used to be,” I said. “I’ve matured a lot since then.”
“Right,” he said, unconvinced. Then, he winked, letting me know he was teasing. “I’m sure you’re the one receiving notes, these days.”
“What does that mean?” I asked. My cheeks were warming, though I couldn’t tell whether it was from my drink or the topic of conversation.
Before he could answer, we both noticed Alexandria making a beeline for me, with a drink in her hand.
“I’ll let you ladies chat. I don’t want to take up all your time, Jess. Enjoy yourself; I’ll see you mingling later, I’m sure,” Spencer, said, as smooth and courteous as always.
He squeezed my shoulder lightly before heading off into the crowd to chat with his other employees, and the skin he’d touched continued to sizzle even as I turned my attention to the frazzled-looking Alexandria.
“Okay, you have to stay with me tonight,” she said in my ear.
“What? Why?”
“The bartender I was talking to when you came in is married, and his wife just showed up. I thought she was going to deck me when she saw us talking.”
“What a jerk,” I said. “I’m sorry.”
She waved a hand. “It’s okay. Aside from his perfect face, he was pretty average. Boring personality. The best thing he could offer was free drinks.”
I laughed. “But you need my big strong muscles to make sure his wife doesn’t come out here and try to start a fight?”
“Exactly,” she said.
So, that’s exactly what I did. I stuck close to Alexandria for the next hour. It actually proved to be a great thing. She knew everyone and, much like she had my first day on the job, she led me around and introduced me to people. Except, this time, everyone was a little looser from the alcohol and we had more time to chat. By the time we’d made all the rounds, I was feeling great about my decision to join Dr. Hunt’s practice. Everyone was kind, and I knew I’d love working with them.
“Uh-oh,” Alexandria said, tipping her head towards the table in the front corner of the patio.
Brittany was sitting in the chair next to Spencer, her legs crossed so her black dress was riding up her thighs significantly, though she didn’t seem in any hurry to fix it. I wondered when she’d changed into a dress. Everyone else was either in scrubs or street clothes. I was wearing the jeans and long-sleeved T-shirt I always kept in my locker in case I needed to go somewhere and didn’t want to run home and change. I didn’t know anyone who kept a dress and heels in their locker.
“What?” I asked, shrugging, pretending their closeness didn’t bother me.
“I’m sure she’s the reason Dr. Hunt doesn’t usually come to these kinds of parties,” she said.
“Someone else mentioned that, too. Is this his first time coming to one or something?”
She shook her head. “Not the first time, but it is rare. I wonder what changed his mind today.”
She gave me a strange look, but I ignored it. Just then, a shrill laugh broke out across the patio. “Dr. Hunt, you are so funny.”
Brittany was touching his shoulder and cackling, head thrown back. Even as obnoxious as she seemed, she still looked beautiful. Spencer smiled at her and then I watched him politely excuse himself. As he stood up, he looked in my direction and our eyes met before I quickly looked away, nervous.
He smiled at Alexandria and me before walking into the bar to get another drink. He returned a few minutes later, but I noticed he stayed close to the bar door, mingling with a group of people from the lab rather than going back to his seat. Brittany noticed, as well. After a few minutes, she left the empty table and began to mingle as well.
Over the next half hour or so, people began to excuse themselves and leave for the night, the sober ones offering rides to their slightly inebriated coworkers. As the party dwindled, I noticed Dr. Hunt making his way closer to where I stood with Alexandria. He caught me looking at him a few times, and I just smiled and tried to play it off. But then, I turned to see where he was and caught him looking at me, too. He smiled and lifted his drink, and a warm feeling flooded my chest.
“I’m out of here,” Alexandria said, hooking her purse over her shoulder and pulling me into a quick hug. “I have a session with my trainer tomorrow morning, and it’s already going to be torture, so I don’t need to be exhausted on top of it all.”
“Oh, okay,” I said, hugging her back, trying not to sound as disappointed as I felt.
Once she left, I would have to find a new group to talk to. I could go talk to Dr. Hunt, but I didn’t want to look as desperate as Brittany had all night. I could also just leave, but I didn’t feel ready. Even though the party was thinning out, Spencer was still mingling, and I wanted him to see how dedicated I was to my work and my coworkers.
“I’ll see you on Monday,” I said.
“I stole your phone earlier and put my number in it,” Alexandria said, laughing when I gave her a shocked look. “Text me if anything juicy happens after I leave.”
Right after she left, I worried nothing would happen at all. I felt too embarrassed to push myself into a random conversation and I was also feeling overwhelmed by all of the socializing I’d done all evening. It was more than my introverted soul could handle. So, I slipped away from the crowd and walked to the side of the bar where a small table was set up with two chairs and a single speaker that played soft pop music.
I dropped down into the chair and took a deep breath, grateful for the alone time.
“All alone over here?” Spencer came around the corner. The sleeves of his button-down were rolled up to his forearms and the top two buttons were undone, showing a peek of his toned chest. He looked ridiculously good, and I prayed I hadn’t had enough alcohol to lower my professional filter.
“Just taking a breather,” I admitted.
“Do you mind if I join you?” he asked, hesitating with his hand just over the chair.
“Of course not. Please, sit.”
“You don’t have to say yes.” He smiled. “I know I’m your boss, but you can tell me to get lost if you want.”
“Yes, you are my boss. But right now, you are my friend. So, please, take a seat.”
He tipped his head towards me in gratitude and dropped into the seat. “How are you liking w
ork so far?”
“It’s great. Everyone’s so nice, and you’ve already given me a lot of hands-on experience.”
“You deserve it. You’re a great nurse. And you’ll make a great doctor one day, too.”
I smiled into my drink. “I sure hope so. But I feel kind of silly for telling you that, now.”
“Telling me what?” he asked, forehead wrinkled in confusion.
“For telling you my career aspirations. Now, you know that I don’t intend to stay at the clinic forever. Usually, that’s something I’d keep from my boss.”
He placed a hand on his chest, pretending to be hurt. “I thought you said we were friends. Now, all of a sudden, I’m your boss again?”
I laughed. “You know what I mean.”
He smiled and nodded. “Yes, I do. But I think it’s wonderful you have goals. I wouldn’t want to hire someone who was completely satisfied with their life. It’s good to have dreams, something to work towards. I fully support you. And then, when you become a doctor, you can come back and work for me.”
“I’ve been working with you for one week and you’re already promising to let me come back after med school?” I asked, rolling my eyes and patting his arm playfully.
Suddenly, his hand was on top of mine, warm and solid. My breath stopped for a moment, frozen in my chest. Spencer was looking at me, studying me. His blue eyes were warm and serious.
“I promise.”
I wanted to look away, but I felt caught in his gaze. Was he serious? What did this mean?
“Hey, you two.” Brittany popped up around the corner, her signature ponytail bouncing behind her.
Spencer pulled his hand away from mine. It wasn’t fast and guilty, but definitely purposeful. He didn’t want her to see what he’d been doing, and I wondered why. Was it because he regretted it, or because he thought it was inappropriate? Or, had it just been a coincidence?
“Mind if I join?” she asked.
“You can have my seat,” Spencer said, moving to stand up, giving me one last look before he did.
This time, I looked away.
