Dating Dr. Delicious

by Laura Iding

  “I’ll take it.”

  “Excuse me?” Surely she hadn’t heard him correctly. Had she? Jake was the chief of trauma surgery. There had to be zillions of places for him to live.

  Fancier places. Like the glass-and-chrome condo that she’d assumed was his but wasn’t. Surely there was some condo for sale, somewhere?

  “It’s a great place, nice and roomy. The open concept is awesome. I’ll take it.”

  CHAPTER FOURTEEN

  FLUSTERED, Hannah stared at Jake. He hadn’t even asked about the rental. Then again, maybe he’d already called the leasing company to find out all the pertinent information. “Ah, okay. Great. That’s really...great.”

  “Would you mind if we grabbed some dinner while we hammer out the details?” he asked, his impersonal tone making her feel as if they were acquaintances rather than former lovers. His carefree attitude grated on her nerves like nails raking down a chalkboard. “I’m starving. I haven’t eaten in hours, and by the emptiness of your fridge, I’m certain you haven’t, either.”

  “Uh, sure.” Was Jake assuming they were picking up where they’d left off? Or was he going to find a nice way to break up with her? The thought made her feel sick, but it was better to have this conversation now, when they wouldn’t be working together over the weekend, than later.

  Just because she’d felt as if her heart had been ripped out of her chest, it didn’t mean she couldn’t pretend everything was normal.

  She’d had plenty of practice pretending her life was normal over the years. It was how she’d survived high school, college and medical school. Sharing a quick meal with Jake wouldn’t be any different.

  “I passed a small Italian restaurant just a few blocks down the road that looked good,” Jake said. “Are you willing to give it a try?”

  She knew exactly where he was talking about. “Antonio’s has great food,” she said, heading for the door.

  “Oh, so you’ve eaten there before?” he asked, as they waited for the elevator.

  “Yes.” Feeling awkward, she stepped inside and stared at the elevator door as they rattled their way down to the main level. “I’ve lived here for over six years.”

  “Six years? Really?” Jake’s brows shot up in surprise. “Did you do your medical school training at Chicago Care?”

  “No, I was in the University of Chicago’s medical school program.” Why did she suddenly feel as if she was talking to a stranger? It was downright mortifying to realize how much she and Jake didn’t know about each other.

  No wonder their relationship hadn’t worked out.

  Outside on the sidewalk she hesitated, wondering if he’d driven his car. Did he realize parking here was a nightmare? There was a reason she didn’t have a car, other than the fact she couldn’t afford one. Should she point out the lack of parking? Would he change his mind about taking over her lease if she did?

  The idea shouldn’t have cheered her up, but it did.

  “It’s a nice night for a walk, don’t you think?” he asked, as if reading her mind. “Antonio’s is just a couple of blocks north of here.”

  She knew very well where it was, but didn’t say anything as she fell into step beside him. Their fingers brushed and she immediately moved farther away, giving him more room. She felt his gaze on her but she stared straight ahead, refusing to make eye contact.

  A strained silence hovered until they got to the restaurant.

  “Hannah, how are you, dear?” Mrs. Antonio, otherwise known as Gina, met her with an enthusiastic hug. Hannah had done a stint of waitressing at Antonio’s in her early years of undergraduate studies, but while it was a very nice place to work, the tips she’d earned hadn’t been enough to live on. Not like the tips she’d earned at Satin, the gentleman’s club. Of course the skimpy waitress outfit and the ass-grabbing had been the reason the tips had been high.

  “I’m good, thanks, Gina. This is a friend of mine, Jake Holt. Jake, this is Antonio’s wife, Gina.”

  “A friend, eh?” The way Gina looked at Jake with frank approval, Hannah could tell the restaurant owner was already assuming they were more than friends. Thankfully, the small restaurant was busy enough that Gina couldn’t stay to chat, but quickly took them over to a small table in the corner, sending Hannah a sly wink as she hurried away.

  “Would you like a glass of wine, Hannah?” Jake asked as he perused the menu.

  “No, thanks.” Wine would definitely make this casual conversation seem like a date. And it certainly wasn’t.

  “Come on, I’ll order a bottle for us to share. I’m in the mood to celebrate.”

  She shrugged and offered a weak smile. Too bad she wasn’t in the mood to celebrate, as well. Although she should be. At least she’d be better off financially now that she wouldn’t be solely responsible for the lease.

  So why did she feel so miserable?

  She waited for Jake to finish reviewing the menu, because she knew it by heart and was already planning to have her favourite: spaghetti and meatballs.

  Once they’d placed their order, Jake settled back in his chair and lifted his wineglass in a toast. “To new beginnings,” he said.

  “Absolutely,” she murmured, wishing she felt as encouraged as he did, lightly touching the rim of his glass with her own before taking a sip. The red wine was incredible, and she had to resist the temptation to down the entire contents in a single gulp.

  Jake stared into the depths of his glass for a minute before meeting her gaze. “I came to Chicago Care to make a fresh start. I was in a relationship back in Minneapolis with a woman whose only goal was to marry an attending physician. It was all about the status symbol, not real feelings.”

  She sat back in her chair, surprised by the revelation.

  “In a lame attempt to protect myself, I decided not to date anyone I worked with because after I broke up with Allie, she made sure the entire hospital knew what a bastard I was.”

  “No, Jake.” She wasn’t buying it. “Anyone who really knew you would never believe that.”

  A ghost of a smile played along his lips. “Thanks, Hannah. But I probably deserved a little of the gossip for being such an idiot in the first place. But that’s not the point.”

  It wasn’t? She held her breath, bracing herself for the worst. Now he was going to tell her why a relationship between them would never work.

  As if she didn’t know already.

  “I haven’t been fair to you, Hannah. I should have told you the truth a long time ago. I sincerely regret giving you the impression I was ashamed to be with you.”

  “You didn’t,” she protested.

  His gaze was thoughtful. “Yeah, I think I did. I know you thought I was upset to find out you had a brother, but that wasn’t really the problem.”

  Confused, she stared at him. “You don’t have to explain, Jake. I get it. Tristan has made some mistakes, no question about it. And I’m hopeful he’s learned from them. But I can appreciate that he’s not the type of person you’d choose to be around.”

  His eyes flashed with anger. “Stop it. Maybe we started this relationship a bit backward, but I should hope you’d know by now that I’m not a snob. Your brother is family. I get that. I was only upset that you didn’t confide in me sooner. Then I realized it was my own fault for keeping our relationship a secret. For acting like we had to sneak around.” He sighed and jammed his fingers through his hair. “Well, I don’t want to sneak around any longer.”

  “You don’t?” she said, her heart grasping the ray of hope. Then she frowned. Was he really saying what she thought he was saying?

  “No, I don’t. Hannah, I’m asking you to give me another chance. I promise things will be different this time.”

  Stunned, she could only gape at him. Never, in her wildest dreams, had she expected the conversation to head down this path. She wondered if her sleep-deprived brain was tricking her.

  Did he really want another chance? To be with her? Why?

  Before she could thi
nk of a suitable response, or any response really, their food arrived. She dug thankfully into her spaghetti and meatballs. which normally tasted divine. Tonight she could have been eating sawdust.

  “So, what’s your timeline on the apartment?” Jake asked, abruptly changing the subject. “Do you already have a new place selected?”

  She felt a little as if she was swimming blindly in the lake. One minute he was talking about a second chance, the next he was back to the subject of her apartment. “Not exactly, but I’m happy to work around your schedule. If you want to take over on the first of August, I’m sure I can find someplace else to live by then.”

  “I’m assuming your roommate moved out?” he asked.

  “Yes. Margie is a pharmacist and she just finished her doctorate. She’s getting married and she and Bryan, her fiancé, decided to move in together.” Why she was explaining all of this to Jake, she had no idea. She was still reeling by the idea that he wanted a second chance.

  She must have heard him wrong.

  “I see. I’d like to move in as soon as possible, but if you need another month to find someplace to live, I’d be happy to pay the first month’s rent anyway, and wait at the condo until you find what you need.”

  Her gaze shot up to his. Pay the first month’s rent? Why would he do that? “I don’t need your charity, Jake.”

  “It’s not charity, Hannah,” he responded. “It’s more like a security deposit.”

  She wasn’t fooled by his attempt to be nice. “No, thanks. August first is fine. I’m sure I’ll find something by then.”

  He surprised her further by reaching across the table to take her hand. “Hannah, I’m serious. Take the advertisement off the internet. I’ll take the apartment when you’re ready. There’s no reason for you to rush into anything.”

  It was on the tip of her tongue to point out he’d rushed into the decision of taking over the lease of her apartment, but decided not to go there.

  After all, she wasn’t much better. Hadn’t she rushed into their relationship? From the moment they’d met and she’d gone back to the condo with him she’d let the moment of intense attraction cloud her brain.

  Really, she had no one to blame but herself.

  She concentrated on finishing her spaghetti and meatballs, as if her world didn’t feel as though it was falling apart.

  “At least think about staying in the apartment for a while,” he advised as he waved to their server, signaling for the check. “Give yourself time to think about where you’d like to live.”

  She could only nod helplessly, knowing she’d be unable to think of anything but his offer on the apartment and his request for a second chance.

  * * *

  A week later, Hannah found a very small efficiency apartment that was cheaper than her half of the rent would be if she stayed in her current apartment with a roommate.

  The group of efficiency apartments happened to be located farther from the nearest subway station, but she’d survive getting up an hour earlier each day.

  But when it came time to sign the lease for an Augustfirst start date, she couldn’t do it. Instead, she told the manager she needed time to think about it.

  What was wrong with her? She didn’t need Jake’s charity, and no matter how he tried to disguise his offer, that was exactly what it was.

  As she came up from the subway to street level, she realized it was raining. She ducked her head and ran toward her apartment building.

  And practically collided with Tristan.

  “Hey, sis,” he greeted her.

  As before, her stomach clenched when she saw him. She loved her brother, truly, but she didn’t have any more money to give him. At least he was alone this time. She forced a smile. “Hey, Tristan. How are you?”

  “Good. Really good.” He seemed uncharacteristically happy. “Guess what? I landed a job.”

  For a moment she could only stand there, rain soaking her hair and running down her back as his startling news sank into her brain. “You did?”

  “Yeah. You know how I’m always working on cars, right?” When she nodded, he continued, “Well, the guy who owns the garage on Fifth and Elm has some sort of medical problem that makes him unable to do the work himself so he hired me as his mechanic. I start on Monday.”

  Hope filled her heart and she smiled broadly. “Really? Tristan, that’s awesome.”

  “Yeah, well, I wanted you to know. I’ve been hearing from Mom how hard you’re always working, and how much you’re always helping her, and that made me realize that I needed to get my act together if I want to stay out of jail.”

  Really? And here she thought her mother resented the hours she put into her career. Shame burned insisde her as Hannah realized that some of her issues with her family were her own fault. Vowing to be a better daughter, she threw her arms around her brother, giving him a bone-crushing hug. “I’m so happy for you, Tristan. Seriously happy for you.”

  Without his friends nearby watching, he returned her hug with equal enthusiasm. “Me, too. Thanks, sis. For everything.”

  Tears mixed with raindrops on her face, but she didn’t care. She felt as great as if she’d been handed a winning lottery ticket with his news. “You’re welcome.”

  Her brother left and she ducked into the building and out of the rain, shivering a little as she rode the elevator up to her apartment. Despite being soaked to the skin, she felt better than she had in a long time.

  Maybe the fate of her family didn’t rest solely on her shoulders. And even if it did, wasn’t her family worth it?

  Yes, they were.

  And maybe Jake was worth a second chance, too.

  * * *

  Jake ignored the rain as he balanced the oversize box he held and buzzed Hannah’s apartment.

  “Yes? Who is it?”

  “Me, Jake.”

  “Ah, sure. Come on up.” She sounded surprised, even though he’d mentioned the possibility of storing some things at her apartment when they’d worked together yesterday.

  Had she changed her mind about moving? He sincerely hoped not. He liked the layout of the warehouse apartment. When she opened the door for him, he flashed a quick grin. “Hi, Hannah,” he said, as he set the box down inside the doorway.

  “I didn’t expect you to move any boxes today, in the rain. It’s supposed to be sunny tomorrow.”

  “I don’t mind,” he assured her. Deep down, he knew he was using the boxes as an excuse to see her alone. Outside work. They hadn’t had a lot of time to talk over the past few days. And he missed her.

  “I found a place to live,” she said. “And the good news is that it’s available starting August first.”

  Something in her tone was off—the cheerfulness didn’t match the resigned expression in her eyes. “Hannah, I was serious about my offer to pay the rent next month, so that you could have time to find something you really want.”

  “I already told you I refuse to be a charity case,” she said, crossing her arms over her chest and lifting her chin stubbornly.

  “And I told you, it’s more like a security deposit. Greg isn’t charging me for the condo, so why shouldn’t I pay the first month’s rent?” he argued.

  “Stop it, Jake,” she said wearily. “Stop the pretense. I wanted you to treat me like an equal, not as someone you need to rescue.”

  Appalled by her assumption, he slowly shook his head. “Hannah, you misunderstood my intentions.”

  “Really? And what exactly was your intention?”

  Faced with her blunt question, he forced himself to be honest. “Our month together on Trauma is just about over. I was using the apartment as an excuse to keep seeing you.”

  Her eyes widened in surprise. “Why?”

  “I asked for a second chance, Hannah,” he said testily. “What did you think? That the time we’ve spent together was just a one-month fling?”

  “You were serious about that?” Seemingly stunned, she sank down on the sofa. “I thought maybe tha
t was just something you said after discovering the truth about my brother.”

  For a moment he suppressed a surge of panic. Had he made the same mistake of falling in love with someone who wasn’t capable of loving him back? “I didn’t change my mind,” he said slowly, coming over to sit beside her on the sofa. “I was trying to give you time to understand your own feelings.”

  Seeing the hopeful expression in her eyes gave him the courage to see this through. Hannah wasn’t Allie. Every moment he spent with her convinced him of that.

  And he refused to deny the depth of his feelings. “I love you, Hannah.”

  “What?” The dazed expression on her face nearly made him laugh. Except that he wasn’t sure how she felt about him. “H-how is that possible? You barely know me. We only met four weeks ago.”

  He knew her, better than he’d ever known Allie. Hannah was everything he wanted and more. “I couldn’t take my eyes off you the moment we met. And even though I tried to stay away from you, I couldn’t. What I feel for you is so much more than what I thought I had with Allie. This is the real deal, Hannah.” His gaze bored into hers, willing her to understand. “I admire you. Your strength, your determination. The empathy you have for our patients. I honestly know I don’t deserve you, but I am telling you the truth. I’ve fallen in love with you. I’m asking for a chance to show you how much I care.”

  “Jake, there are some things you don’t know about me.” The fearful expression in her eyes tugged at his heart. “Things that might change how you feel toward me.”

  He expected the familiar betrayal, but it never came. And suddenly he knew that no matter what secrets she had, they couldn’t possibly change how he felt about her. “I don’t think so,” he said calmly.

  “I was arrested when I was sixteen years old. For stealing.”

  “Yeah, so what? You were just a kid.” Did she honestly think that bit of news scared him? “Hannah, I was hardly an angel as a kid. And what difference does it make what happened ten years ago? Look where you are now. You’re the hardest-working intern on service. Even the other trauma attending physicians have commented on your work ethic.”