“Doesn’t matter,” Devon cuts in.
Damn him, I was about to say, “It’s been a long time since our one and only date,” but he didn’t let me finish.
“Slip him a little dog nip and he’ll be fine,” Devon quips with a chuckle.
Romeo barks raucously at Devon’s joke. I give a crazy, high-pitched giggle and both men turn toward me with a quizzical look.
“I’m still not feeling myself,” I say, swallowing another hysterical giggle. I sound as if I’m gargling.
“You’ll be in fine shape soon enough, Francesca darling,” Devon assures me. His silver hypnotic gaze is meant to do a number on me, but it doesn’t work. The only eyes I’m aware of are Harrison’s as he levels a stern glare at Devon. I fantasize that his look says, “Don’t call my girl darling. Francesca is mine.” How I wish that were so…
“Thanks, Devon. Please sit down.” I gesture toward my sofa.
Harrison sprawls on the couch next to me and Romeo promptly crawls on his lap. Devon sits close to my other side and I feel like the filling in a Manwich.
I pull away from Devon and give him a look that says “back off,” but it goes unheeded. The man doesn’t believe in personal space.
“Aren’t you afraid I’m contagious?” I ask, exasperated.
“Not at all.” He pats my bare knee with his elegant, long-fingered hand. I’m wearing my favorite sky blue sundress and from the way he’s looking at me, he likes it too. “I already had chicken pox.”
My iPhone pings with a text message, cutting the thick tension in the room.
“Excuse me, I have to check that. It might be Antoinette,” I say, clicking on it.
A text from Elise, not Antoinette, pops up on the screen: “D Day tomorrow…tune in at 6…it’s HUGE.”
I gasp, wondering what she means by that.
I text back: “Will do…thx 4 heads up…good luck. Kisses to the boys.”
“What boys are you sending kisses to?” Devon inquires with a raised eyebrow. I can’t believe he is peering into my cell phone. How nosy of him.
“My friend Elise’s twin babies,” I say more for Harrison’s benefit than Devon’s. “Why did you come here?” I ask Devon.
“I had a free afternoon and thought I’d pop over and discuss your Bowled Over event. I’m at your service. Medically and professionally.” His mouth eases into a suggestive smile. “And however else you’d like.”
Devon’s sly smile irritates me, but not as much as it irritates Harrison. The side of Harrison’s chiseled jaw clenches and unclenches rhythmically as he watches me in damning silence.
“I’m gonna get going.” Harrison lifts Romeo off his lap and sets him on the floor. He gets up and raises a stiff hand in farewell. “Catch you later.”
Before I can respond, he nods at Devon and stalks away.
I follow Harrison to the door and when he opens it, I reach up and put my hands on his solid shoulders. I kiss the side of his taut jaw and he doesn’t even crack a smile.
“I wish you weren’t leaving. Do you have to go so soon?” I ask even though I can’t imagine why he’d want to stay with Devon here.
He motions to the living room with his chin. “You’re busy and I have to make some calls.”
“Oh, well, thanks for taking Romeo out. I’ll call you later.”
Harrison gives me an uncompromising, possessive look. His hard, fierce eyes send tingles up and down my spine. “Make up your mind, Frankie,” he says in a gruff tone and then turns away, leaving me staring at his hard back as he heads toward the elevator.
My stomach is tied up in knots as I close the door. Devon is waiting for me and I don’t want to prolong his visit. I’m feeling grumpy and put out that he ruined my time with Harrison. I wrap things up and usher him out with the excuse that I’m not feeling well.
A few minutes later, the doorbell rings. I rush to the door, hoping it’s Harrison, but I find Fizzy instead.
“Oh, it’s you, Fizz. Come in.” I try to muster enthusiasm at seeing her again, but I feel as if I don’t know my good friend anymore.
On top of everything else that’s changed, her looks have changed too in just one weekend. Fizzy’s normally milk white skin is tanned light golden brown and her red hair has glinting highlights. She never tans, but today looks like she just came back from a sun-drenched vacation at St. Tropez or Cannes. She is carrying Coquette who looks tres chic with a print silk scarf around her neck. All Coquette needs is a beret to complete the Parisian look.
Fizzy gives me a tight hug and Coquette yelps as she’s squished between us. Romeo is at our sides at once, yipping and doing a crazy little dance of joy. Fizzy puts Coquette down on the floor and they immediately start sniffing each other and making up for lost time.
“You look amazing, Fizz, all golden and radiant. A weekend with Santiago must be like a spa weekend.”
“A weekend with Santiago is better than a spa,” Fizzy declares grinning broadly.
“It shows. Too bad you didn’t come sooner, you missed Devon by ten minutes.”
“That is too bad. You know I’m dying to meet him.”
Romeo ardently follows Coquette’s swishing tail as she leads him to my bedroom. “Looks like Romeo wants to get reacquainted with his lady love,” Fizzy says, grinning.
I smile back at her as we head toward my living room couch. Suddenly, I feel tongue-tied. There is so much I want to ask her about her feelings for Harrison and Santiago, but I don’t know how to start. In all fairness, I was attracted to two men too—Alex and Harrison. Deep down, I know that Fizzy’s a good person. I just wish she didn’t have her sights set on Harrison—or that he liked her company so much.
Fizzy sprawls on the couch. “When can I meet the delicious Dr. Hamme?” she asks, wiggling her eyebrows.
Gosh, aren’t two men enough for her? I never realized she was such a man-eater! I stiffly sit across from her on the loveseat and try to relax, but I can’t. “You’ll meet him at Bowled Over. He’s the only replacement I could find for Alex at such a late date. And Antoinette adores Devon, so it’s a win-win.”
Fizzy’s smile fades as she studies me. “How do you feel? Harrison’s been giving me updates. You sure got a bad case of the pox.” Well, compared to her dazzling glow, I must look like crap.
“Yeah, but I feel much better now, thanks to Harrison. He’s been a lifesaver.” I give her a challenging look, but she meets it with a smile.
“I’ll bet,” she says warmly, not acting the least bit jealous that Harrison has spent so much time with me.
After a tense pause, I ask, “Fizz, did you tell Harrison that I was looking to marry a Dr. Hot?” I am not going to mince words tonight. That’s the first of many questions I plan to ask her.
She looks puzzled. “No. Why would I do that?”
“I don’t know, but it’s weird. Earlier, I called him Dr. Hot. It slipped out because he had just called me beautiful and we both know I’m not looking my best these days,” I say with a self-deprecating grunt.
“You don’t look that bad, Frankie. Your hair looks pretty,” she says kindly.
“Thanks. But anyway, Harrison’s response was, ‘have you been talking to Fizzy?’”
Fizzy starts laughing and I stare at her as if she’s lost her mind. “I know why he said that. It’s because the girls at the office call him Dr. Hot.”
I don’t want anyone else calling him Dr. Hot! “They do? And Harrison knows about it?”
“Yeah. Believe it or not, his full name is Harrison Oliver Taylor and his initials spell HOT.”
“No!” I jump up and my hands fly to my face as my jaw drops.
She nods vigorously. “Yep, isn’t that ironic?”
“Fizzy, it’s more than ironic. It’s fate,” I say in a hushed tone as I pace the room. I am beyond flabbergasted. I’m thrilled and I just got goose bumps all over. Talk about a sign from the universe! I stop in front of her and stare at her wide-eyed. “Do you realize that confirms that Harrison is
my Dr. Hot?”
“Chloe and I have known that all along.” Fizzy pulls my hand so I land beside her on the couch. “Really, Frankie, sometimes you can be so clueless.”
I sit up ramrod straight. “Wait a minute, Fizz. Does that mean you’re not into him? I mean romantically?”
Fizzy’s eyes cloud over with hurt and her mouth tightens into an appalled pucker. “I don’t feel that way toward him. Why would you think that? First of all, I’m your friend and I’d never do that!”
“But—”
She holds up her hand. “Let me finish. Second of all, Harrison and I are buds. Santiago is the only guy for me. He always will be.” She sighs dreamily. “Especially after this weekend…”
My heart soars at her words. Fizzy is back to normal, and I was only imagining all that poison about her. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have thought it, but…but I noticed how much Harrison enjoys your company. Like I do,” I quickly amend. “And everyone else for that matter.”
“Thanks. He might enjoy my company, but he’s crazy about you, Frankie.”
“You think so? You’re not just saying that?”
“Men don’t give the kind of TLC Harrison’s been giving you just for the fun of it. Have you two been getting along better? No more second-guessing him?”
“I have full trust in his medical abilities. Even if he’s a vet, Harrison has cared for me better than any doctor I know. But that’s not the reason I’m falling in love with him.”
Her eyes widen and she lets out a whoop of delight. “Falling in love?”
“Yes,” I admit and then let out a frustrated sigh as I slump back on the couch. “But I think he’s annoyed with me again.”
“Why?”
“He was here when Devon showed up. You should have seen Harrison’s face when he found out that Devon is a sex therapist.”
Fizzy starts cracking up as she playfully taps my hand. “Ooh, Frankie, you’re in trouble,” she teases in a sing song voice.
“Tell me about it. Devon was his usual fresh self, calling me ‘darling’ and touching my knee when he talked to me.”
“How did Harrison react?” Fizzy’s eyes are alight as she eagerly awaits details.
“He looked like he wanted to beat him up. And then when Devon started boasting about chairing the event, Harrison got up and left.”
“He’s jealous,” Fizzy says with a smug smile.
“Could be.” I groan. “He probably thinks I’m interested in Devon.”
“And getting sex therapy on the side,” Fizzy adds impishly.
“That’s not funny. I don’t want him to think that.”
Fizzy heaves a dramatic sigh and rolls her eyes. “So, spell it out to him already. You need to communicate better, Frankie. How is Harrison supposed to know how you feel if you don’t tell him?”
“You’re right. I’ll call him tonight. Now tell me about Santiago.”
Fizzy hesitates. “Can’t say much,” she says in her usual cryptic way.
I cross my arms and wait. When she doesn’t divulge anything, I snap, “Knock it off already. Why are you so reluctant to talk about Santiago?”
Fizzy wraps a long red curl around her finger and mulls it over. “I’ll tell you this much—he is awesome. I get hot all over just thinking about our time together.”
I know the feeling, but I don’t let on how much Harrison affects me when I’m with him. It’s her time to talk and I want details. “What does he do for a living? Have you been together a long time? I can’t believe you’ve kept him a secret all along,” I say.
She smiles mysteriously. “Santiago prefers to have privacy and anonymity.”
“Oh.” Now I’m concerned for Fizzy. What if Santiago is married? “At least tell me what he looks like.”
She shivers and rubs her arms. “Dark and dangerous.”
“The dangerous part troubles me, Fizz. Doesn’t that worry you? What if he’s in the CIA, or a double agent, or…”
Fizzy takes a deep breath. “Chill, Frankie. He’s not dangerous…at least not with me. His private life is just that—private. Santiago is fearless and I think that’s so damn sexy.”
“Oh.” I wish I shared in her bravado, but I wouldn’t want to fall in love with a guy who is dangerous—sexy or not. “Please be careful, Fizzy Pop.”
“Don’t you know I’m not the cautious type?” she says in an incredulous tone. “I’m dying for adventure. I wish I could go along with Santiago when he disappears. Don’t get me wrong, I enjoy working at Harrison’s and the bar is fun too, but I crave excitement,” she says passionately. “I don’t like having to rely on Santiago for thrills.”
I’m a bit taken aback by the fervor in her. “I didn’t know you felt that way. You’ve always seemed so content.”
Fizzy groans. “That’s the problem. I don’t want to be content anymore. I’m not an old lady. I’m craving wild adventures and I want them now!” Her blue eyes sparkle with excitement and determination.
“I can see that,” I say, feeling a bit disconcerted. My heart sinks as her words set in. Is that what Harrison and Fizzy think I am…an old lady?
“I’m seeing Santiago again, today,” Fizzy says with a tremor of anticipation.
I am intrigued by her excitement, but I’m also looking out for her. I don’t want Fizzy to get hurt and this dark Santiago character seems like the shady type who could easily wring her heart out. Who knows how many other women are dying to escape with him on one of his dangerous escapades?
“I’d love to meet him sometime,” I say, for different reasons than she’d imagine.
“Someday.” Fizzy gives me another cryptic smile that frustrates the hell out of me. “Is everything set for Bowled Over this weekend?” she asks, changing the subject.
“Yes, we’ve had an amazing response. It’s filled to capacity and many corporations have bowling teams that they’re sponsoring with big bucks.”
She gives me a high five. “Good job!”
“Thanks, but I’m so mad at Antoinette. She has forbidden me to go.”
Fizzy’s auburn brows draw together as she stares at me, perplexed. “Forbidden you? Why?”
“She has never had chicken pox, so she’s been acting like I have leprosy.”
“That’s ridiculous. You’re not contagious anymore, are you?”
“No, and she knows it, but she said I have to stay home until every single pox is gone.”
Fizzy’s eyes soften with sympathy as she puts a gentle hand on my shoulder. “I’m sorry. I know how important it is to you because of your mom.”
“It’s very unfair of her. I’ve put a lot of work into it and I want to make sure it’s a success.”
Fizzy’s chin juts out militantly. “Then go already and forget about what Antoinette says.”
“Are you crazy? I can’t risk losing my job, especially now that Elise is at risk to lose her job to Alex. Believe me, there’s nothing I’d like more than to stand up to Antoinette and tell her off, but I can’t. It would be career suicide.”
Fizzy nods sympathetically. “I hear you.”
“I can’t be seen in public with these scars, Fizz. Everyone knows I’m the one planning this event. People will recognize me from TV.”
“So go incognito.”
“What do you mean?”
“I have an idea.” Fizzy’s blue eyes light up with mischief. “Leave it to me. Santiago is a master of disguises.”
Romeo: Ah, ma petite Coquette, you’ve come back to me. And not a moment too soon. You’re looking mighty fetching in that sassy silk scarf, bebe.
Your scent is driving me wild. It’s brought out the wolf in me. Rrrruff!
Chapter Twenty-Six
“Showtime!” I say to Vinny, who is sitting beside me on the couch. Elise’s segment is about to be aired and Vinny and I can’t wait. We polished off a large prosciutto and arugula pizza and Vinny’s drinking from his bottle of Corona, while I sip cold Diet Coke from the can.
I’m glad
Vinny is visiting me. He isn’t Harrison, but his company always lifts my spirits. Vinny had texted me earlier today with, “Woot woot, bringing pizza.” Good thing too, cause I needed a little cheering up.
I miss Harrison. I called him back after Devon left yesterday, but we’ve been playing phone tag ever since. I hate phone tag because eventually one of us will quit calling. I don’t want to text him either. I want to hear his voice.
I wish he wasn’t annoyed with me because of Devon’s visit. It’s not as if I invited him over. I don’t want Harrison to think there is anything remotely romantic between me and Devon, even though Devon was acting like it.
Harrison once made a comment about my apartment being a reverse waiting room for doctors. I know he was kidding, but sometimes things said in jest ring true.
“I’m sick of these anti-depressant commercials,” Vinny says. “They’re so depressing.”
“Yeah,” I say, reluctantly taking my thoughts away from Harrison. “I just want Elise to come on already.”
“She said it was huge.” Vinny’s chocolate eyes look huge too.
“Then it must be. Elise doesn’t exaggerate.”
The show begins with Mike Ranson, WBCG’s seasoned anchorman saying, “Good evening. Tonight we bring you breaking news involving a medical fraud case being investigated by the District Attorney’s office. Elise Richards is on the scene with the latest.”
“Cool, there she is!” Vinny jabs his finger toward the TV. “They’re filming live, right?”
“Yes. Elise looks amazing.” I’m thrilled to see her back to her old self.
Dressed in a tailored royal blue dress with her blond hair blown out in a sleek bob and her face perfectly made up, Elise looks like a young Diane Sawyer. I turn up the volume and we hear her talking into a microphone as she approaches a building off Ponce de Leon Boulevard in Coral Gables. Looking like she’s ready to eat the world, Elise enters the building accompanied by Cal, the cameraman.
She faces the camera and says, “We are about to confront a physician who has been bilking Medicare for millions of dollars. For the past four years, he has hospitalized healthy senior citizens, requiring them to undergo unnecessary, expensive tests and keeping the patients in the hospitals for weeks at a time. All at Medicare’s expense and to his extreme profit.”
Paging Dr. Hot Page 20
