by Holly Rayner
After we finished eating, Greg and Jamie dragged me and Spencer to a dance machine game with light-up floors. Spencer joked that the two of us were like parents being carted around the arcade by our excited kids. The thought of Spencer and I having kids together gave my perpetually blushing cheeks another reason to warm. I wished I could suppress the rush of blood to my cheeks, and was thankful that I at least had the pink flashing lights to disguise my blush.
I danced with Greg and Spencer danced with Jamie. I danced with Jamie and Spencer danced with Greg. And then, I danced with Spencer. We were only doing what the machine told us to, and weren’t standing too close together, but my heart was racing. I tried to tell myself it was the dancing but…it was more than that.
By the time we left for the day, saying goodbye in the parking lot, I was sweaty and exhausted and felt like the day had turned out ten times better than I’d thought it would.
When we got in the car, Greg looked over at me but didn’t say anything.
“What?” I asked innocently.
“He really likes you.”
“Who?” I asked, as innocently as I could manage.
“I stand by my statement last night that you should be careful, but if you feel about him the way he clearly feels about you, then I don’t think you have much to worry about.”
“You’re dehydrated,” I said, waving away his comment. “Take me home, chauffeur.”
But secretly, my heart swelled. Spencer liked me? I sure hoped so. I definitely liked him. So much for keeping my crush in check.
Chapter 11
I saw Brittany the moment I walked through the door on Monday. She was standing in front of my desk, flipping through a patient file. She was wearing bright red lipstick today.
“Good morning, Jess. How was your weekend?” she asked cheerily, not even looking up.
I flashed back to the Saturday I’d spent with Spencer and Jamie but decided it would be best not to mention it. I didn’t want anyone to have doubts about why Spencer had hired me. Nothing had happened that I should feel guilty about, but better to be safe than sorry.
“Great,” I said. “Nice and relaxing. How about you?”
“I woke up early on Saturday and went to the farmer’s market. I love waking up early on the weekends. It makes the days seem longer,” she said. “What time did you wake up on Saturday?”
It seemed like an odd question, but I shrugged. “Um, I’m not sure. I didn’t set an alarm. Probably around nine.”
“That’s early, considering you walked home from the bar.” She smiled to herself as she spoke, and I felt like I was missing something. “How long was the walk, after all?”
“Twenty minutes.”
She tucked her lips in and hummed. “That was nice of Dr. Hunt to walk you home.”
“Very nice,” I agreed.
“He usually doesn’t come to work events like that. I wonder why he changed his mind that night. Did he tell you why?” she asked.
“He told us both that he had a babysitter and wanted to make the most of his free evening,” I said.
She nodded again. “Yeah, I suppose he did. I just wondered if that was the real reason.”
“You’d have to ask him,” I said, feeling a bit more guarded. Whatever Brittany wanted to find out about Spencer, she wasn’t going to get it from me.
Brittany flipped the file shut and looked up at me, a smile painted across her face. “Let’s get lunch one day this week. There’s a great salad bar across the street.”
“Yeah, that would be great.” There hadn’t been much of an opportunity for me to bond with Brittany yet, and I certainly wanted to. She was head nurse, after all. We would be spending a lot of time together.
I decided I’d made the right call about not mentioning the impromptu arcade day date to Brittany, because Dr. Hunt didn’t so much as mention it when he greeted me that morning.
“Good weekend?” he asked, sorting through a stack of mail that had been shoved in the mailbox outside his door.
“It was okay,” I said with a shrug.
This caught his attention. He raised an eyebrow and looked at me out of the corner of his eye. “Just okay?”
“Just okay,” I said with a teasing smile. “How was yours?”
He turned to face me, looking serious. “It was wonderful.”
My heart fluttered. “I’m glad to hear it.”
The week was crazy. Between surgeries and business meetings, Dr. Hunt was hardly in the office. Alexandria assured me this was normal for him; while he tried to be at the practice as often as he could, he was stretched between the medical side and the business side of his profession.
Although I missed seeing him around the office, with Dr. Hunt gone, I got to know several of the other doctors a bit better. My favorite was Dr. Johnson, a quiet woman who was quite possibly the smartest person I knew, aside from Dr. Hunt. I’d always prided myself on my good mental math for figuring out medication dosages, but Dr. Johnson put me to shame. And, she seemed to remember everything—from a patient’s medical history to the symptoms of a rare autoimmune disorder to everyone in the office’s coffee order.
On Thursday, I was tired of my cold-cut sandwiches and chopped fruit and nuts, so I decided to head out for lunch. I was in the parking lot when Brittany called my name.
“You’re going out for lunch, too? Why don’t we go together?”
I had a book in my bag that I’d been looking forward to reading while I ate my cheeseburger and slurped a milkshake, but I’d also promised Brittany I’d eat out with her, so I agreed. We walked to the salad bar across the street. Brittany was right—it was nice, but it was still the furthest thing from a cheeseburger. My stomach growled angrily as I loaded up my bowl with spinach leaves, grilled chicken, and cherry tomatoes.
When we sat down, Brittany actually licked her lips like she was about to dive into an ice cream sundae.
“So, I caught you in the parking lot because I really wanted to apologize,” she said.
I’d just taken a large bite of my salad, so I talked around it. “For what?”
“For asking so many questions about Dr. Hunt on Monday. I just wanted to look out for you,” she said.
“It’s okay. And you don’t need to look out for me. Nothing is…uh…going on there,” I said awkwardly, wondering whether I was telling the truth. I felt like something could be going on there, but Spencer hadn’t given me any concrete evidence to base my opinion on.
Brittany shrugged, unconvinced. “I’ve seen it happen to other girls. Not with Dr. Hunt in particular, but in other offices. They date their superiors and end up getting crushed, emotionally or professionally. Sometimes both.”
“Yes, workplace romances are a risk,” I said, trying to convey in my tone how uncomfortable I was with this conversation.
“They definitely are,” she continued, not at all discouraged. “There’s no denying that Dr. Hunt is incredibly handsome, and although there has been the opportunity for something more to grow out of our friendship, I’ve never wanted to pursue it. I’ve worked hard to get to where I am in my career, and I value my job and our friendship too much to ever risk losing either.”
In the short time I’d worked at the practice, it was obvious to me that Brittany had a serious crush on Dr. Hunt, even before Alexandria had mentioned it. It was also obvious that things between them had not progressed to anything romantic because Spencer was uninterested. If he’d shown any interest, I had a very strong feeling that Brittany would have pounced on it. So, why was she lying now? Was it to save face? Or to encourage me not to pursue anything with him?
“Right,” I said, nodding, unsure what else to say.
Brittany seemed content to talk about working with Dr. Hunt and their “strong friendship” without much interruption from me. So, she dominated the conversation throughout the rest of lunch, talking about the late nights she’d put in when the practice was just getting off the ground. She said Dr. Hunt had once told her that
he couldn’t have done it without her, and I had to assume he still didn’t realize how much the compliment had meant to her.
I tried to pay attention, but the entire conversation left a sour taste in my mouth. It felt like Brittany was trying to make it clear that she was a notch higher on the totem pole than I was. That she had history with Dr. Hunt and I didn’t. As soon as I finished my salad, I was more than ready to get back to work. I interrupted her in the middle of telling the story of her interview with Dr. Hunt for her current position.
“He had seen other candidates, but he also allowed me to put my name in the running, which only made sense because of our friendship.”
“I’m so sorry to cut you off, Brittany,” I lied, “but I just remembered that I needed to get some schedules to Alexandria before this afternoon and I completely forgot. I really should go.”
She looked down at her salad bowl, which was still half full because of all the talking she’d done, and frowned.
“You stay and finish your salad,” I said. “I’ll just see you back at work.” Then, I grabbed my purse and left before she could respond.
I spent that afternoon wondering whether Greg and Brittany were right. Would it be foolish to get involved with Spencer? Or, was it possible he felt the way I did? Was it possible that he thought I was interesting and attractive and worth the risk?
I couldn’t be sure, but I felt like I owed it to myself to find out.
Chapter 12
Spencer was back in the office the following week, and he was the first person I saw when I walked in. He was sitting at Alexandria’s desk and flipping through the calendar she kept there.
“Alexandria, have you done something new with your hair?” I teased him, a quizzical look on my face.
“Very funny. I’m trying to make sense of Alexandria’s shorthand. Usually, she types up a digital copy of the calendar for me, but she’s off sick today, so I have to make do with her coded version.”
I walked behind the desk and leaned over his shoulder. Then, I shook my head. “Might as well be hieroglyphics. I haven’t got a clue what any of that could mean.”
He sighed. “I’ll just have to call her, I suppose. How were things without me last week?”
“We threw a party,” I said.
He looked at me out of the corner of his eye, a smile creeping onto his lips. “Someone’s in a good mood for a Monday. Very feisty.”
“I skipped laser tag this weekend and opted for a book and a glass of wine. It does wonders for my wit.”
It was the first mention either of us had made about our accidental meet-up at the arcade, and I was pleased to see he smiled in response.
“So, does that mean you would be up for lunch with me today?” he asked, spinning around in Alexandria’s desk chair and standing up.
We were standing closer than I realized. I had to tip my head back to look in his eyes, and the delectable scent of cedar and spice wafted off of him.
“Oh, sure,” I said, surprised, but trying to keep my expectations in check. It was a work lunch. Dr. Hunt probably took people out for lunch often.
“Great. Meet me out front at noon and we’ll ride together,” he said. “Carpool for the environment.”
“For the environment,” I repeated. The rush of nerves and excitement that flooded my system at the idea of sitting in the tight confines of a car with him didn’t feel like it had anything at all to do with my love of the environment.
The morning passed in a dull blur, but when the lunch hour came, I felt myself buzzing with excitement. I checked my makeup in the bathroom, ran a brush through my hair, and swished some of the mouthwash I kept in my purse for emergencies. Then, I walked to the front of the building.
Thankfully, Brittany had already left for lunch, so she wasn’t there to glare at me while I got into the passenger side of Dr. Hunt’s silver sports car. As far as sports cars go, it was rather practical. It had a deep backseat that Jamie’s booster seat was strapped into, and plenty of cup holders. It also smelled like a concentrated version of Spencer—woodsy and warm, like an autumn day.
“I was thinking Thai food?” he asked.
“Sounds perfect,” I said, though I would have said the same thing even if he’d suggested we popped across the street for a “great salad bar.”
The restaurant was in a strip mall and looked deserted. I questioned whether it was even open, but the electronic bell above the door pinged as we walked inside and a woman stepped out from the kitchen and took our order. Spencer ordered a few things, but I couldn’t really make sense of what any of them were. I trusted his judgment.
“I know this place doesn’t look like much,” he said as we sat in a two-person table near the front window. “But it’s one of my favorite places to eat lunch. I hope you don’t mind that I ordered for both of us. I thought we could just share a few things—that way, you get to taste everything.”
“That sounds like a great idea. I don’t have a ton of experience with Thai food, so I’m glad you took the reins.”
He smiled, seeming pleased. A few minutes of us chatting later, the woman behind the counter rang a bell and placed two plastic trays full of food onto the counter. Spencer delivered them to the table, and I was immediately overwhelmed by the strong aromas and spices.
“I didn’t realize how hungry I was until this moment,” I said. “This all smells incredible.”
“Just wait until you taste it,” he said, waggling his eyebrows.
He was right. It was some of the best food I had ever eaten. So much so that it was another five minutes before either of us said a word, too wrapped up in trying every dish on the table. Once we were partially satisfied, Spencer began talking about his previous week of meetings and the experience of trying to sell his surgical device to hospitals and clinics and other private practices.
“I trained to be a doctor, not a businessman. So, I feel like I’m making it all up as I go along,” he said.
“It seems like you’re doing a good job. I’m sure you’re more knowledgeable than you think. We’re always our own harshest critics.”
He shrugged and nodded. “You’re probably right. Sometimes, I wish I could just be a doctor. That I could turn everything else off and focus on one patient at a time, without thinking in the back of my head about the overhead of the company and profit margins.”
“You could always hire someone else to step in and manage that side of things, you know?” I said. “But I think you’re doing a great job. I always admired you from afar, and now that we know one another, that admiration has only grown.”
A smile spread across his face, though I noticed him try to bite it back.
Suddenly, he wiped the smile from his face, lowered his fork, and looked at me. “Would you like to go to dinner with me?”
I furrowed my brow, confused, and looked at the plates of food still in front of us.
“Not like this,” he said, dismissing the table in front of us with a wave. “A real date. Not a work lunch.”
I stopped chewing and my mouth fell open. Somewhere in the back of my mind, I knew I was probably giving him an eyeful of my partially chewed Thai food, but I couldn’t manage to close my jaw.
“I don’t want to make you uncomfortable, Jess. The last thing I want to do is cross a line with you, but I can’t let my feelings go unspoken any longer.”
His feelings for me? This all felt much too good to be true. Impossible, even. The part of myself that I’d been denying—the part that had longed for something more between the two of us since I’d first met him—was floating.
Spencer continued to explain, his voice beginning to waver, his fingers drumming a nervous rhythm on the top of the table.
“If you don’t wish to pursue anything other than a working relationship, I want to assure you that I will respect that. Nothing will change for you at work or in our interactions. I just wanted to make it clear to you that I would very much enjoy seeing you more, in my personal life.”
> I took a deep breath and let it out in a huff. “When do you want to go?”
He hesitated for a second. “Are you accepting?”
I laughed. “Yes, sorry. I’d love to go to dinner with you. Just tell me when.”
“Tonight.”
“Tonight?” I asked, eyes wide.
He smiled and nodded. “No time like the present, right?”
“I suppose not.”
I spent the rest of the meal smiling into my plate and looking away every time I caught Spencer looking at me, which was often. I felt like a teenager again, in the best possible way.
Spencer wanted to leave for dinner immediately after work, but I insisted that I needed time to get ready.
“How long will you need?”
“An hour, at least,” I said, thinking about how long it would take to redo my makeup, get dressed, and curl my hair.
He nodded. “They say patience is a virtue, and good things come to those who wait. I wish there was a saying that talked about all of the good things that come from getting what you want right now.”
I laughed. “You can pick me up at six.”
Spencer knocked on my front door at 5:59. When I opened it, he took a step back and looked me up and down, lips pursed in a silent whistle.
“Wow.” He took another step back—very close to falling down the stairs—and shook his head. “You look incredible.”
I’d been holding onto this flapper-style gold cocktail dress for too many years to count. I’d bought it in college when a vintage shop down the street from my favorite bookstore was going out of business. The dress had been 75% off, and I’d found I couldn’t say no. The beautiful garment had sat unused in the back of my closet for years, but as soon as Spencer asked me on an official date, I knew exactly what I’d wear. It was the prettiest item of clothing I’d ever owned.
“You clean up pretty well, yourself,” I said.
Despite the fact that I’d seen Spencer in several incredibly tailored suits since meeting him, he did look especially good standing on my front porch. And perhaps that was part of it. He was standing on my front porch. He’d put the suit on for me.
