Cocky Doc: A Hero Club Novel

by Samantha Lind

  “How do you even know a ticket will still be available for me?” I interject, trying to defuse the situation and bring things back to when this was all just a suggestion and not finalized. I never agreed to go and my growing anxiety over attending a formal event with the hot doctor has me once again feeling like I’d be out of place at an event like they’re describing, especially if I’m now going to be attending as Drew’s date.

  “We always sit at a table as a family and everyone that isn’t already married has a spot for a plus one, and with Drew not already having a date, that means that a ticket is available for you! See, this is working out perfectly!” Lucy exclaims.

  “There’s still the issue of me not having anything to wear to an event like this,” I remind her.

  “Let me take care of that. Just text me your dress size and I’ll have some options ready for you by Thursday!” she says. Her excitement is almost palpable.

  “Since she’s not taking no for an answer, Megan, would you do me the honor of attending the Montgomery Family Foundation’s annual gala this weekend as my plus one?” Drew asks me, a broad smile on his face.

  “I’d be honored to. I’ll just apologize now if I’m not the best date. I can’t really dance,” I state, looking down at my lap and the fact that I’m in a wheelchair. “And I’ll really be out of my element. I’ve never attended a gala or fancy fundraiser,” I tell him honestly.

  “You’ll be great, and I’m not much of a dancer myself, so it will be the perfect reason why I won’t be out on the dance floor showing off my two left feet,” he tells me.

  “Okay,” I say, accepting the fact that I’ll be going on a quasi-date with Drew. God help me now. The man looks delicious in a set of scrubs, I can’t imagine how good he’s going to look in a tux.

  7

  DREW

  I PULL my tux from the back corner of my closet and lay it across my bed. The yearly gala put on by my family’s foundation is always a good time and done for a good cause. It’s just a social gathering that I usually don’t look forward to. All the pretentious assholes who are out just to flaunt their money so that it can appear like they give a shit about people who need their help. They’ll happily throw down a thousand dollars a plate, then drop another few grand on trips or spa packages, all in the name of helping out some sick kids and getting to slap their name on a donation plaque. It also ends up being a who’s who of Rhode Island.

  But with a date to tonight’s event that will not be a who’s who socialite, I’m actually looking forward to it for the first time in as long as I can remember. I’d like to get to know Megan more. Getting to see another side of who she is. I’ve only gotten to see the professional side of her in our few encounters at the hospital, so it will be nice to see her outside of that setting. From the little bit of time I’ve been around her, she seems down to earth and I find that really attractive in a woman. I’ve also noticed that my name doesn’t matter to her, or my family’s social status. It probably helps that she’s not from around here, so doesn’t really know our ties to the community.

  I finish getting dressed, spritzing on some cologne, then adjust my cuff links. The ones that my grandfather gave to me before he died a handful of years ago. They’re my go-to when I’ve got to pull out the ole tux, and they remind me of the man that he was. The pillar of our family.

  I look over myself one last time in the mirror before I grab my wallet and cell phone from my dresser, slipping both into my pockets. My wrist vibrates, my watch alerting me to a call from my mother.

  “Hey, Mom,” I greet her after slipping my phone from my pocket and bringing it to my ear.

  “Are you on your way yet?” she asks in lieu of a greeting.

  “I’m just leaving my place. I have to stop and pick up Megan, first,” I tell her as I walk out the door, turning to lock it up before heading out into the driveway and into the waiting SUV. I’d usually drive myself or take an Uber, but I ordered a handicap-accessible car service for tonight. That way, if either Megan or I wanted to have a drink or two, we can.

  “Okay. Come find me when you get here. I’ve got something for you to look over before you give your welcome speech, and I’d love to meet this date of yours.”

  “Will do, and Mom, take it easy on her. We’re not dating. She’s new to town and the hospital. Lucy was just trying to be nice by inviting her and knew that I didn’t have a date. It’s nothing, really.”

  “Mhmmm…” she hums. “That’s how some of the best relationships start out, Drew.”

  “Mom,” I say on a sigh. What is it with all of my family trying to push me into a relationship these days?

  “Drew,” she mimics me right back.

  “I’ll see you soon, Mom. My ride is here, and I need to give the driver Megan’s address,” I tell her before disconnecting the call and sliding into the back of the SUV.

  “Good evening, Dr. Montgomery,” the driver greets me.

  “Evening. Here’s the address of our stop before going to the gala,” I tell him, passing a piece of paper with the address listed on it.

  “Right away, Sir,” he says as he pulls out of the driveway. It doesn’t take us long, maybe ten or so minutes to make it from my place to Megan’s apartment building that is just across the street from the hospital. What a convenient location to the hospital, makes getting to work easy.

  “We’ll need the wheelchair ramp opened up, if you don’t mind,” I tell him as he pulls into the parking lot and into one of the empty handicap spots. I jump out and head up to the building’s door as he pulls out the ramp. I make work of buzzing Megan’s apartment number and wait patiently for her to answer or buzz me up.

  “Hello!” her voice fills the speaker.

  “Hey, Megan. It’s Drew. Did you want me to come up?” I ask, not really sure what she expected. All I confirmed with her yesterday at work was that I’d pick her up around five thirty. We exchanged cell numbers at that time and that was about it.

  “I can just head down, unless you need anything up here,” she says.

  “I’m good. The SUV is all ready for us. The driver has the ramp out and ready for you.”

  “I’ll be down in just a second,” she says, then the speaker goes silent. I wait next to the elevator, as I hear it working as it moves from floor to floor. A minute or so later, the doors slide open and Megan rolls out. My tongue about rolls back in my throat as I take her in. Lucy wasn’t lying when she said she’d take care of everything to make sure Megan was ready for tonight’s event. The dress she picked out for her hugs her body perfectly. Showing off just enough cleavage to have my dick noticing, but classy enough that she won’t feel like she’s on display at the gala. Her hair is done up in an intricate twist, and a light touch of makeup accents her eyes and makes me want to kiss the lipstick off her plump lips. I don’t know why I’d never noticed before now just how beautiful she is, but sometimes I can be a bit focused on my work and not see what is right in front of me these days. Maybe everyone in my family was right and I do need to take the time to date.

  “Damn. You look amazing,” I tell her as she comes to a stop next to me. I don’t miss her own perusal of me in my tux. I’ve been told a time or two that I know how to fill it out and, apparently, it’s a turn on to some women.

  “Thanks,” she says, biting her bottom lip, and damn if that motion doesn’t have my cock swelling even more in my already tight tux pants. I need to get us moving along before she notices just how tight things are getting.

  “Ready?” I ask, clearing my throat, as it’s sounding a little scratchy all of a sudden.

  “As I’ll ever be,” she says, moving forward toward the door. I hurry my step and open the door, stepping through it so I can hold it open for her.

  “After you,” I say, holding my arm out, pointing toward the waiting SUV. I stand back as Megan rolls herself up onto the ramp and into the SUV. She secures her chair and I slide into the seat next to her.

  “Where did you find a company w
ith a handicap accessible vehicle to hire?”

  “Oh, I have my ways,” I tell her, my lips pulling up in a smile. “Did Lucy help you get ready today?” I ask once we’re on the road.

  “Yes, she came over today and insisted I join her at a local place. She arranged everything from our hair and makeup to manicures and pedicures. Said it was her treat since I indulged her spur of the moment idea of being your plus one,” she says, smiling at me.

  “She’s thoughtful like that,” I tell Megan. “I know she’s got a good heart, as does my mother and grandmother, but sometimes I wish they’d let up on trying to pair me off with someone, not that I’m upset about having you as my date tonight, so please don’t get the wrong idea.”

  “No offense taken. Is this a normal thing for them to do? Arrange dates for you?” she asks as her shoulders ease up as she relaxes next to me.

  “Yes and no. My mom and grandmother, yes. They’ve been trying to find me someone and marry me off since I hit my twenties, especially since I graduated med school.”

  “I’m sure they just want to see you happy.”

  “But that’s the thing, I am happy. I love my job. I admit, I’m the stereotypical young doctor who’s married to his job, but the last few years have been demanding. From med school to residency, I didn’t have much time to devote to anyone, especially anyone looking to build a lasting relationship. I don’t want a partner who’s willing to play second fiddle to my job, and that’s what they would have done during those years. Now that I’m out of residency, my schedule is more relaxed. I can spend more time away from the hospital if I want. Take an actual vacation, which sounds so foreign to me right now.”

  “If you could go anywhere, where would you pick?” Megan asks.

  “I’ve been debating going somewhere on the beach, maybe down in the Caribbean or Hawaii maybe, or going down to South America, Chile maybe and backpacking my way around.”

  “Any of those options sound like amazing places to visit. Have you been to any of them before?”

  “When I was a kid, we went on a few cruises that stopped in the Caribbean, but nothing more than a day spent in a handful of ports. What about you, have you traveled much?”

  “Nope, the farthest I’ve traveled is when I moved here. I’d never been east of the Mississippi River until a couple of weeks ago,” she says.

  “Wow. So, this was a big decision and move for you.”

  “It sure was, but with being offered my dream job right out of college, I knew I had to take it. It was important to me to prove to not only my parents, but myself that I could move out and be on my own. I don’t want my disability to define me. Yes, I’m usually sequestered to my chair, but that’s because it allows me the freedom to move around easily. I can walk short distances with the aid of a walker, but I get around so much easier in my chair. Some people look at it as a detriment, but I look at all the freedom that it does give me. I also think it helps me a tad bit with kids that I help. It makes me a little more relatable. I can use my personal experiences when I’m helping kids with tests or procedures that they find scary.”

  “Did you live at home while going to college?”

  “No, I had the entire college experience and lived in the dorms. A nice perk of needing a handicap-accessible room is I was always in the nicest and newest dorm building.”

  “Gotta look at the bright side of things.”

  “Always,” she agrees. “What made you want to become a doctor?”

  “My brother, Tyler.”

  “How so?”

  “He was born with a heart condition and spent many years in and out of the hospital. He was fifteen when he finally got a new heart.”

  “Wow, so he’s okay now?” she asks, concern lacing her voice.

  “Yeah, he’s good,” I tell her, chuckling a bit at just how good he’s doing. “He travels around the world, getting paid to speak. He’s taken advantage of all his travel and has a pretty popular travel blog and Instagram following. You’ll meet him tonight; he always comes home for the gala. It was because of his condition and treatment that my grandparents started the foundation.”

  “Wow. That’s all so amazing. I’ll have to follow him on Instagram and live vicariously through his travels. I’ve always wanted to see the world but have always known that is more of a pipe dream.” There’s a wistful tone to her voice.

  “He does go some crazy places,” I confirm. “Why does traveling have to be a pipe dream?” I ask as the SUV turns the corner and into the driveway of the country club that is hosting the gala.

  “Mostly money. I can’t just jump in the back of a bus and go explore. Traveling with my chair requires planning. Expensive hotel rooms and special rental cars. My family has never been able to afford those luxuries. My parents hadn’t been on a vacation, even just the two of them, until they helped me move out here. They used the drive home as a small vacation, stopping along the way to see the sights.”

  I take in what she’s said, and it reminds me just how lucky I was to never want or need for anything. With a family that has such deep roots in the area, that has more money than we know what to do with, I’ve always been able to do pretty much whatever I wanted. Hell, I never even had to think twice about what my undergrad or med school was going to cost, as I knew that it was going to be more than covered. I just had to focus on studying hard and excelling. I wanted to be one of those top doctors that could save kids like my brother. The ones that had a pleasurable bedside manner, on top of knowing their shit when it came to diagnosing and treating their patients. My parents had multiple visits with different doctors until they found the right one to treat Tyler.

  “You ready?” I ask as the SUV comes to a stop and the driver gets out and opens the door for us. I slide out as he also lowers the ramp so that Megan can roll herself out. I wait as she does so and walk next to her as we both enter. My mother is standing just inside the door, seeing us as soon as we enter.

  “Drew,” she says as she places a kiss against my cheek before she wraps me in a hug.

  “Mom,” I greet her back. Once she releases me, I turn back to Megan. “I’d like to introduce you to my date for the evening.” I pause, allowing my mother to look beside me at Megan. “Mom, this is Megan Lively. She’s the newest child life specialist at the hospital. She got stuck with Lucy training her when she first started. Megan, this is my mother, Carol.”

  “It’s nice to meet you, dear,” my mother says as they shake hands.

  “Likewise,” Megan tells her.

  “Are they treating you well over at the hospital?” Mom asks.

  “They are. I’ve had a very nice welcome, and everyone has been wonderful to work with.”

  “That’s good. I always worry about this one,” she says, pointing at me. “He’s been known to prank people and I’d hate to hear that he’s starting to do such things to anyone new.”

  “He’s been the perfect gentleman,” she tells Mom, a small smirk pulling at the corner of her mouth.

  “Something tells me that isn’t one hundred percent the truth,” Mom calls her out.

  “Well… there was the one time when we first met…” Megan trails off and I just groan.

  “Andrew Michael Montgomery!” Mom exclaims in her stern mom voice. “What did you do to this poor girl?” she demands to know.

  “Uh…” I stammer for a second. “I wasn’t paying attention to where I was going and kind of tripped over her as she was coming out of the supply room and fell into her lap.”

  “What am I going to do with you?” she mutters under her breath. I look over at Megan and she’s got the largest smile filling her face I’ve ever seen. Seeing her so lighthearted about the entire situation has me laughing right along with her.

  “I don’t think anyone at work is going to let him live it down about tripping over someone in a wheelchair,” Megan says between giggles. “But don’t worry, Mrs. Montgomery, he apologized profusely when it happened.”

  “Well, that�
�s good. But how in the world did you not see her?”

  “I was texting and walking,” I tell her, shaking my head in shame.

  “I swear I taught my kids manners and how to walk correctly,” Mom assures Megan.

  “I’m sure you did, and don’t worry, I’ve seen almost every doctor doing the same as Drew was. They’re always so busy running from one patient to the next.”

  “Still, he should have been paying attention,” Mom declares. We’re interrupted when someone from the club walks up needing something from my mom before the event gets into full swing. “I’ll see the two of you later. Drew, can you stop by the podium when you get in there? I’ve got your speaking notes on the podium for you and wanted you to read through them quick to make sure you’ll be good to go.”

  “I’m on it,” I assure her. “Go take care of whatever it is they need you for.”

  Megan and I watch as my mom takes off, disappearing behind a doorway a few seconds later. “Shall we?” I ask, sweeping my hand out in a gesture toward the entrance of the ballroom where the festivities will take place.

  “Lead the way,” Megan says, and I do just that. Once we make it into the ballroom, I lead her over to our family’s table and find our spot. I had already let Mom know that my plus one would need accommodations for her wheelchair, and the event staff has already done so, thankfully. It’s nice to be able to have what I need when I need it, I wouldn’t want to make her uncomfortable.

  “This is gorgeous,” Megan says, looking around at the elaborate decorations.

  “It is. My grandmother doesn’t cut any corners when it comes to the gala.” Speaking of my grandmother, I see her up on the stage talking with someone, along with my brother. “Would you like to meet my grandmother and brother?” I ask Megan.

  “Of course,” she replies, and we head for the side of the stage. Tyler sees us approaching and rushes over to the side, meeting us at the bottom of the stairs and ramp. He pulls me into a huge bear hug.