"Elizabeth?" She poked her head out of the open door of her office. "Come on in."
Her dark hair was in a loose bun, her makeup beautifully on-point, and her slacks and button-down shirt professional. She was stunning, and I couldn't help but feel mousey in front of her. I had too much of my father in me to feel petite or feminine.
"Thanks for seeing me today." I sat down and pulled the letter from my portfolio that was clasped tightly in my hands. "I have good news."
"So I've heard." She smiled and extended her hand. "Let me see it anyway. This is the fun part."
"I agree. I was so nervous that I would have to move to another part of town, or even to another city. St. Mark's is so busy, and hard to get into." I moved back in my chair a little, but kept my posture and forced myself to keep my chin in the air. Dr. Martin's loyalty was hard- earned, and she expected the best of all of us, every moment of every day. There was no rest in medicine.
"Well, St. Mark's only takes the best of the best, and then a few whose daddies pay a pretty penny to get them in there. We know how hard you've worked. It's well-earned, Elizabeth." She set the paper down and leaned back as a smile lifted her lips. "I've been thinking a lot about this moment."
"Why is that?" I brushed my hands down my black slacks, but kept my attention fully on her.
"Because we had a department meeting last week to talk about our top M.D. grads, and of course your name came up. Most of us had an inkling that you would get the residency with St. Mark’s." She tapped the table as her expression tightened just a little. "What we couldn't agree upon was your mentor."
"Oh." I lifted my eyebrow as confusion rolled through me. "I thought that you were the one to determine who I'd be working under for my residency."
"I usually am, but with your high marks and your strong personality, the Dean of Medicine wanted to discuss options." She shrugged. "It's rare that he gets involved, but it’s a good thing. It's impressive, and telling of your future. You're going to be quite successful if you just keep your nose to the grindstone."
"I plan on doing just that. Tell me who I've been assigned to. Please." I smiled.
She nodded before pulling out a pair of glasses and perching them on her nose. "I wanted to have you work with Peter Fallwell. He's a brilliant neurologist, but your specialty is going to be cardiology. The dean believes you should work for Aiden Crawford."
"I'm not familiar with either of them. Should I be?" I relaxed a little as she leaned back again.
"Yes and no. Dr. Fallwell is new to the area, so I thought it might be good for you to meet someone from another part of the world. You've grown up here and gotten all your degrees here. It just seemed a healthy option. You don't have to work in neurology to have your mentor there, but you know that."
"Yes, ma'am." I pressed my hands to my thighs and leaned forward a little. "Do you have a bio or CV on Doctor Crawford?"
"I do, but let me warn you," she bent over and pulled a folder out of her bottom drawer. "The man is a pain in the ass."
I held my tongue and nodded as I accepted the file on him. It wasn't a shot of his face, but only the top of his head. He had on goggles and was in the middle of surgery. It was hard to tell if he was attractive, but by the regal slope of his nose, his broad shoulders, and tanned skin, I could imagine him to be anything I wanted him to be.
"When I say pain in the ass, I mean it." She got up and walked to her window, pulling up the blinds as she continued. "Think of the one person in your life who is the most annoying, self-centered, drive-you-batty, pain in the ass." She glanced over at me. "Got that person in your mind?"
"Yep." I had no problem conjuring up Jackson. He would be great with someone else, but I was so far over us it was mind-numbing.
"Multiply that by ten thousand and there you have Aiden." She shrugged and leaned against the wall closest to her. "He's impossibly good-looking, which he ignores. That part is good, I suppose."
"Then what's the issue? Does he lack humility?"
"Oh no. He's quite grateful, though unyielding. His opinion is the only valid one. Everyone is stupid compared to him, but he'll never say that. He just makes you feel it." She walked back to her chair and dropped down. "But, you won’t find a better teacher, mentor, or cardiologist. He's brilliant."
I wanted to press her on the part where this man was supposed to make me want to take a long walk off a short bridge, but I didn't. She obviously had a weird hang-up with him.
"I'm good with whomever you decide I need to be paired up with. I trust your judgment." I locked gazes with her again.
"I know you do." Her expression softened. "I'm going to set you up with Dr. Crawford, because just like you trust me, I trust the dean. He obviously knows what he's doing, and he thinks the pairing would be good for both of you."
Odd.
"Does he know Dr. Crawford?" I stood up as she did. My time was almost over from what I could tell.
"Yes. His son and Aiden went to med school together." She picked up the letter and handed it back to me. "Just stun him with your brilliance, and don't put up with an ounce of his shit if he slings it around. Got it?"
"Of course. I'll remain respectful and do my best to make you proud." I smiled and tucked the letter back into my portfolio file.
"I know you will, but this time around... don't try to make me or anyone else proud. This is only for you. This three years is for you to take in all you can. It will refine you and change you. It will make you not only into the woman you're meant to be, but the doctor we all want to give our trust to."
I walked around to her side of the desk as she extended her arms to me and gave me a warm hug.
"Thank you for all of this. For everything." I fought back tears. She'd been in my life for the last six years, directing my every step.
"No. Thank you. You've been a delight and a joy." She moved back and gripped my upper arms gently. "We're all proud of you. Just stick to your guns and use your own judgment with everything you encounter. It's not all black and white. It's mostly gray."
I nodded. "I've learned that while here at NYU."
"Good. Then we've done our jobs well." She let out a quick sigh and nodded to the door. "Get out of here and mind your p's and q's around Dr. Crawford."
"Absolutely." I walked to the door, but paused before walking out. "Where is his M.D. from?"
"Harvard, and he was valedictorian, but don't let that intimidate you." She smirked.
"Right." I laughed and walked out into the hall as my heartbeat quickened. I was headed toward a new adventure, a new journey, and, whereas I was completely thrilled, I was also terrified.
Good thing Stephanie would be there with me.
Chapter 4
Aiden
I was grateful for the group training that I was in charge of the next day. It kept my mind busy and helped me stop thinking about Max and his wife sharing their last week together. If I wasn't concentrating on their loss, then I was thinking about Elizabeth. I even enjoyed the sound of her name as it moved through my head. I was being ridiculous, but no one would ever know my thoughts, especially not the girl. If she was to be under me as a student, then she would get only the best and most demanding mentor she had ever had.
"This is the last part of your coursework for this class today." I passed out a handful of quizzes to the doctors sitting in front of me. "Score an eighty or less, and you won’t receive credit toward your continuing education. Simple really."
A few groans resonated around the room, but I ignored them and walked to the front of the room to drop down into my chair. A pretty young nurse stuck her head into the classroom and gave me a worried look.
"Dr. Crawford, we're having a code blue and they need you now." She moved back as I jolted from my seat and took off down the hall behind her.
"Why the hell didn't they use the intercom system? How long did it take you to get down here? Shit." I growled my response, not caring about anything but saving whoever was going under.
"The wiring is messed up from the storm last night. It's almost fixed. I'm sorry. I..."
I moved past her, ignoring her as I rounded the corner that led to the ER. I sprinted the rest of the way, stopping by the OR as Peter stepped out of a room and shook his head.
"He's gone." He let out a sigh and moved past me as I jogged into the room.
Max Burns was on the table, his flesh pale and body lifeless.
"No. Wait." I moved toward the table and pressed my hand to his chest as I scanned the machines around him. "Talk to me. Tell me what happened. There should be something we can do."
"We've been trying to bring him back for twenty minutes. They couldn't remember which room you were in." Karen, one of my favorite nurses, reached out and touched my chest. "He's gone, Doctor. I'm sorry."
I pursed my lips and moved back. "Right. Has anyone spoken to his wife?"
"She left about ten minutes ago. Said she couldn't deal with everything." Karen shook her head. "I hate this part of our job. It seems like there's always five deaths to two lives saved. Why is that?"
There were no words to offer, so I didn't try. "Call my cell if you need me to talk with Mrs. Burns. Something tells me that she'll be back up here."
"Alright, Doctor. Take care, and we'll see you back down here tomorrow." Karen gave me a sad smile. "You're running the ER tomorrow, right?"
"Yes. It's my turn." I walked out and pulled my phone from my pocket, wishing I had a brother or sister that I could call. I just needed a quick pep talk to be reminded that everything I did was for the greater good. At times it felt the exact opposite.
Darkness worked to settle around my heart and drag me into a pit of despair, but, as always, I pushed against it and forced myself to put one foot in front of the other.
Max Burns wasn't a friend, or family, or anyone I even really knew, but he was my patient. A life I'd lost because I didn't have a solution to fix the damage his younger years had done to his heart. Now, at forty-one, he was gone.
"We weren’t cheating." One of the comical, jock-type guys in the back called out as I walked back into the classroom. They all chuckled and I gave him a cocky smirk, faking my way through the performance like I did in front of almost everyone.
"Yeah, right. The only way you're going to pass is by cheating, Vinny." I clapped my hands. "Time’s up. It's almost seven o'clock. We've had a long day. Turn your test in and get out of here."
They groaned and got up, some of them still scribbling furiously. I moved to take my seat again and gave up on trying to force anyone to bring their tests up just yet. I didn't have anywhere to go or anyone to see. I could stay there all night, and most likely would. Peter would have my ass for picking up extra shifts, but the other doctors on staff had families to go home to, wives to make love to, and kids to tuck into bed.
"Thanks for doing this today. You were brilliant." A young female doctor stopped by the desk. The look in her eyes was one I'd seen too often in my time at St. Mark’s.
"Thanks. I'll have these back to you guys by tomorrow afternoon." I took her test and nodded. "Good evening."
"I was talking with some of the other doctors on a break today, and they said everyone was getting together at Johnny K's tonight for a few beers. Do you want to maybe join us?" She nibbled at her lip as she shifted from foot to foot. She was cute, but off-limits.
"No, but thank you for the offer. I'm old, if you guys hadn't noticed." I gave her a cheeky grin and turned my attention to a guy who moved up to hand me his test.
"You're not old. That's silly." She leaned against the desk and cleared her throat. "I think it would do you some good to get out of here for a while. Word on the street is that you basically live here."
I glanced up at her. "Is it now?"
"Well... I mean…"
"Good-night, Ms. Vant; thank you for the offer, but I'm not interested." I pulled the tests toward me and ignored her soft huff as she walked out of the classroom. The last few doctors dropped off their tests, and I sat there in stony silence for a few minutes. Going home to a glass of wine and my couch sounded great, but so did stopping by my favorite bar for a beer. I could find a pretty woman to take back to my place and then spend the night making love to her like I cared. It was a pipedream, but it was bliss while it lasted.
"Hey. What're your plans?" Parks banged out a rhythm on the door as he gave me a quirky smile. His spiky black hair and green eyes had him front and center for female attention, but I was glad for him. It took it off of me.
"I was thinking a bubble bath and glass of chocolate milk. You?"
"Fuck that. You were not." He lifted his hands. "Wait. If you really were, please don't tell me that shit. I already have very little respect for you."
I stood up and laughed. "Oh yeah? Why is that?"
"I can't stand a man who's smarter than me. There's a reason you're so smart." He walked into the room as his eyebrow lifted. "Did you sell your soul to the devil?"
"Um, no, but if I did, then I got gypped. Smarts aren't worth the trauma of burning in hell forever… at least not in my opinion." I tucked the tests and remaining training guides into my briefcase. "And stop being intimidated by me. Just because I can run circles around you, and my dick’s four times the size of yours, doesn't give you the right to be upset all the time."
He laughed loudly and clamped his hands down on my shoulders. "I don't know why I hang out with you. You're one fucking insult after another."
"I bring the ladies your way. You're using me. Everyone does." I chuckled and walked to the door. "I'm not going to have beers at Johnny K's. Hanging out with these people that I just spent all day ignoring does not sound like a good time waiting to happen."
"Awww... come on. There are some beautiful nurses who were just hired. I'll let you pick first if you just come." He caught up to me as I walked down the hall.
"Nope. Thanks, though." I walked into my office as Parks stopped at the door.
"Alright. What if I admit that you’re dashingly handsome and that I'm jealous?"
"Still no date. Get out. I'll see you tomorrow, and no boning the new nurses." I glanced up and smiled at the guy. He had far too much personality; I alone enjoyed it. It often overshadowed his potential in the eyes of our colleagues.
"You're no fun. You know that?" He walked out of the office as I nodded. I was well aware of my lack of fun status. It was purposeful and kept me safe in my bubble of indifference to my own pathetic love life.
I walked through the hospital with my head tucked down, pretending to be on my phone as if I had anyone to text. No one would know the difference, and it would save me from having to deny everyone who requested my presence at the bar.
My car was at the front of the parking lot, and I got in before letting out a soft growl. I wanted to go to the bar, but not the one where everyone knew me. I needed to find a new place to hang out where I could be a nobody; unimportant and unneeded like the rest of the world. It was ridiculous, seeing as how I'd worked my whole life to matter, to serve, but now that I was important it was exhausting.
I stopped by the bar near my house and was glad to see a few girls I'd taken home before. It was easier than leading some poor woman on. Taking a seat at the bar, I was greeted by the bartender, who was new to me.
"What'll it be tonight, sir?" The guy leaned down and dropped a cocktail napkin in front of me.
"He likes Jack and Coke. Double shot. On the rocks." Lily slid onto the seat next to me and leaned close. "I've missed seeing you around, Doc."
"It's been crazy, but you've been missed as well." I let my eyes run down her scantily- dressed form. She was a pretty girl, and would have been a beautiful lingerie model, but she lacked confidence and class. I wasn't one to judge, though. I was a doctor with several million dollars in the bank, sitting at a rundown bar, looking for someone to fuck for the night. It was so far out of my persona that it was humorous, and yet there I was.
"Oh, yeah? Need some company tonight?" She touched my ar
m gently.
"I'd love some. You free?" I took my drink from the bartender and drank it down quickly, enjoying the burn. I would need at least two more to loosen myself up enough to sleep with the wild woman next to me. It was a good thing I was willing to burn a few liver cells in order to feel the high of gripping Lily's hair tightly as I fucked her hard from behind.
"For you? Anytime." She got off the stool and moved just behind me, pressing her hands to my back and rubbing softly before she slid her arms around me and pressed her chest to my back. "I have to be somewhere at eleven, though. You wanna just have some fun here?"
I finished my drink and lifted my glass to the bartender. "Another, please."
"You sure?" He lifted his eyebrow.
"I asked for it, didn't I?" I stood up and turned in her arms, wrapping mine around her shoulders and leaning down as I pressed my lips firmly to hers. She tasted like liquor and peppermint, which teased my senses. "Here's good."
"I'll be in the back. Come find me." She nipped at my lips and moved back. Her nipples were budded, and my body woke up at the thought of flicking my tongue across each of them rhythmically, while she cried out from the pressure I was going to apply to her pliable, tight body.
"Right." I turned and took the glass, pressing it to my lips and lifting it to drain it in three gulps. I let out a long growl and pulled out my wallet, dropping a twenty on the bar and walking toward the back.
The image of Elizabeth moved in front of my vision, and I groaned. I wanted to find out just who this girl was who had everyone at the hospital buzzing. Was she shy or outgoing? Funny or dull? Needy or content?
"In here, handsome." Lily stepped out of a small closet and grabbed my shirt, pulling me in with her. It was pitch-black and I was grateful. I could let her be anyone I needed her to be.
My One and Only: A Bad Boy Secret Baby Second Chance Romance Page 114
