She took a deep breath and swallowed hard. She suddenly felt hot. “Surrender is difficult for me. I need to think about this.”
He smiled. “Take all the time you need.”
She smiled, too. “Good answer.”
Before he responded again, there was a knock on his door. Dr. Gilman stuck her head in. Her eyes widened at finding Shauna sitting there. She smiled tightly. There was an awkwardness as she came in. “Ms. Banks, hi,” Dr. Gilman said, looking from Shauna to Dominik. “I hope everything is okay and I’m not interrupting?”
“Everything’s fine, and no, you’re not interrupting. Come in. Join us,” Dominik said.
“Ms. Banks, I thought you’d have gone home by now.”
Shauna looked at her watch and frowned. “Is that the time? Actually, you’re right, it’s late and I still have some work to do.” She put her notepad in her briefcase and stood.
“Well, I hope Dr. Coles has taken very good care of you.”
“Yes. I had some questions about E.R. procedure and he was kind enough to stay and answer them for me. I definitely have a better understanding of how the E.R. runs,” she said.
“Good. Are there any questions I can answer for you?”
“I’ll more than likely have questions for you in a few days.”
“Fine. Just let me know and I’ll be available.”
“I will. Good night, Doctors.” She nodded to Dominik and then walked out.
“Please tell me that wasn’t another altercation,” she said.
“What do you mean, ‘altercation’?”
“I heard about Friday night,” she said, shaking her head. “Your very heated discussion in the E.R. foyer with Shauna is all over the hospital. I asked you to help her, not alienate her. We need this, Dominik. We need her to give us a favorable review. There’s no way this hospital is going to survive without the Cura Medical Group’s backing. Whatever happened, whatever I just walked in on, you need to fix it now.”
“Margaret, relax, it wasn’t an altercation.”
She looked at him hard. “Okay, good. I need you to be on point and work closely with her. I need to know if she’s leaning toward going through with the buyout or not.”
“How am I supposed to do that?”
“Be creative. Carry on,” she said, then walked out.
Dominik gathered his things to leave for the day. He walked out the long way, passing the conference room just in case Shauna had gone back there. The door was closed and locked and the lights were off. He continued to the exit, waving to his E.R. staff and then to Rodney at the security desk before heading out for the night. He got halfway to his car.
“Dr. Dom, Dr. Dom.”
Dominik turned and saw Lindy, a longtime patient, running through the parking lot to catch up with him. “Hi, Lindy. Are you okay?”
“Hi, Doc. I’m doing fine.” She smiled happily, out of breath.
“Are you taking your medication like you’re supposed to?”
“Yes,” she said.
“Good. Then I’ll see you later,” he said and turned to continue walking to the doctor’s parking area.
“But wait, I just wanted to give you something. I found it last week in the E.R. waiting room. It was on the floor where I was sitting before.” She held up a small flash drive. “I think it belongs to one of those reporters. I tried to look at what was on it just in case it was important, but it’s all scrambled up. I think it’s broken. Anyway, I didn’t want to throw it away just in case it might still be something useful. Is it the hospital’s?”
Dominik looked at the small black drive knowing it didn’t belong to the hospital. But the possibility that someone had accidently left it in the waiting room was very real. “No, it doesn’t belong to the hospital, but I’m sure it belongs to someone. And I’m sure they’ve been looking for it. You need to turn it in to security and they’ll take care of it.”
“Okay,” she said happily. “Are you going back inside?”
“No, I’m going home now. I’ll see you later.”
“Okay. I’ll give this to Rodney. Have a good night, Doc,” she said and then hurried inside.
Dominik went to his car. As soon as he got in, his cell phone beeped. There was an email message from the hospital. He opened and read it. It was Rodney notifying him about Lindy’s found flash drive. Dominik frowned. He had no idea why Rodney would send him a message about something intended for Lost and Found. He got out and went back into the E.R.
“Hi, Doc. I thought you might want to take care of this personally,” Rodney said. “This is the flash drive the lady from the Cura Group was looking for over the weekend. I could put it in Lost and Found, but I know she’s anxious to find it.” Rodney gave him the drive.
“Thanks, Rodney. I’ll take care of it.”
Rodney nodded. “Have a good night, Doc.”
On the drive home, Dominik considered going by the Gateway Inn to drop off the flash drive, but he knew going over there this late at night might be construed as something else. He decided to wait and give it to her the following day.
By the time he got home, he felt recharged. A surge of energy pumped through him. He showered, slipped on sweatpants and stepped out onto his balcony, looking out over the view he’d paid an astronomical price for but seldom enjoyed. It was the splendor of Key West with a breathtaking coastal view of the ocean and a stunning sunset.
He went back inside, grabbed his briefcase and set it on the desk in his home office. He pulled out his laptop and the flash drive Rodney had given him. He turned on his laptop and looked up Shauna’s company on the internet. There was no website, but there was a Maryland mailing address and email.
He picked up the flash drive and looked at it, wondering what it contained. Popping it into his computer would be so easy, but he knew he wouldn’t do that. Still, a slow, easy smile crossed his lips. He typed in the email address he’d found on the internet and sent a note to Shauna asking if she was missing a flash drive. He waited. There was no reply.
Convincing himself that he wasn’t disappointed wasn’t as easy as he’d hoped. He had wanted to see Shauna. He looked at the laptop’s small screen. All of a sudden, work didn’t seem like such a good idea. He saved the file, then closed the program. Just as he began to close the laptop, the email message light began blinking. He checked his mail. The smile on his face broadened.
Chapter 11
Shauna stayed up late most nights. Tonight was no exception. The hotel room was dark except for a single lamp on the nightstand brightly illuminating the area beside the bed. She sat cross-legged with her laptop balanced on her knees. She had the TV on, but she wasn’t watching it. For the past half hour, she had been going through the notes she’d taken earlier that day. Not surprisingly, it wasn’t her best work. Her initial assessments weren’t as reasoned and focused as they usually were, which meant she needed to redo most of them. It was obvious to her that she had been distracted.
She could tell exactly when it happened. The second spotted Dominik Coles standing in the conference room doorway looking at her, everything went sideways. Her heart thumped. Just the memory of looking up and seeing him there made her nerves shudder. She moved the laptop to the side, then looked around the cookie-cutter room, finally focusing on the television screen.
A commercial had just come on showing singles talking about searching for love. They were smiling and happily describing their lives after joining the advertised singles-matching program. Shauna rolled her eyes to the ceiling and chuckled. A phone number and dozens of supposedly single men on the other end was a fairy-tale empty promise preying on the perpetually hopeful. She shook her head, discounting the ridiculous claims of finding love so easily. “Finding love is not as easy as a phone call,” she said to the television.
Lately, she had begun to wonder if she would ever find love herself. Where was her Prince Charming or her knight in shining armor? When the answer didn’t readily come, she got up and walked over to the
large plate-glass window and pulled the drapes aside. The hotel wasn’t the best in the city, but that never mattered a lot to her. She never paid much attention. As long as the room was clean and had the essentials, she was fine. But this evening she would have loved to step out onto a balcony to get some fresh air. Instead she just looked out over the skyline peppered with the city’s night lights.
Bathed in complete darkness, the night’s sparkling lights shone and sparkled against the many streets and buildings. Her view was of the downtown area, but as a resort city, there wasn’t much of a business district. From the tenth floor she saw streets blocked out, building roofs and treetops, and of course far in the distance she knew there was the ocean’s horizon. Even though it was late, the streets were lively with tourists and pedestrians still shopping and walking around.
A quiet sadness washed over her as she thought about her last evening with Pearl. It was great seeing her but also sad and distressing. Not because seeing her reminded her of everything she’d lost—it was what Pearl had said about her life now. She had a beautiful home in a secluded neighborhood, a new car, an easy life, and still she was alone.
The sadness seemed to permeate her heart. This wasn’t what she was supposed to be feeling. She closed the drapes and turned her back on the outside, then went back over to the bed and sat down.
She grabbed her laptop putting it back onto her lap. She opened the program and started reviewing what she had written earlier. Now focusing on her job, she began retyping the notes, taking a more aggressive stance on what she found in the files so far. She listed a number of questions about the waiting process and E.R. regulations that needed answering. A short while later she was completely engrossed in her job. Cross-checking and reviewing the electronic files Key West Medical had given the Cura Group for review, she was midway through reading a report from the previous team of auditors when she received an email. At first she ignored it, but then she brought up the screen. It was from Dominik. She opened and read the message.
It was simple and to the point. Are you missing a flash drive? She smiled. She replied to his email giving him her phone number and asking him to please call. A few minutes later her cell phone rang. She slowly reached over and answered. “Hello.”
“Hello,” Dominik said.
Her insides instantly warmed just from hearing his voice. “Hi.”
“I hope I’m not calling you too late,” he said.
“No, not at all. I usually stay up late working, so I was still up. I don’t usually require much sleep.”
“Nor do I,” he said. “I see we have that in common, as well.”
“Yeah, I guess we do.”
“As I mentioned in the email, I have a flash drive.”
“Yes, it is mine. I’d been looking for it all day. It must have fallen out of my briefcase last Friday. Where did you find it?”
“I didn’t. Lindy found it and asked me about it. She told me she found it in the E.R. waiting room last week. I didn’t know you’d lost it, so I told her to give it to Rodney, the security guard. He presumed it was yours. He gave it to me thinking I’d know how to contact you tonight.”
“I wonder what made him think that,” she said sarcastically.
“Yes, I wonder,” he said.
“Still, I’ll make sure to thank Rodney. When can I get it from you?”
“Whenever you like. I’ll be in meetings out of the building in the morning. How about tomorrow afternoon?” he offered.
“Actually, sooner would be better. The drive has a specialized filtering program that would help with what I will be working on in the morning. It’ll help me sort through data quickly and thoroughly. It makes my job a lot easier and it’s one of a kind. It also has information from a previous job, so I need it back as soon as possible,” she said.
“Sure. Shall I come to you now?” he said without hesitation.
Shauna looked around her hotel room and immediately spotted the toys the sisters had bought for her still in the packages on the dresser. There was no way she wanted him there. “No, I’ll come to you,” she said.
“Fine. I’ll email my address and directions.”
“Okay, thank you. I’ll see you soon,” Shauna said. Then, as soon as she pressed the end-call button, she stopped and thought about what she’d just done. She’d just agreed to go to Dominik’s house. She picked up her cell phone to call him back and suggest they meet at a more public place, but just saying the words in her head sounded silly. What was she afraid was going to
happen—a booty call? She would just go to his house, get her flash drive and come back to the hotel. No
big deal.
She smiled and chuckled to herself as the stray thought of going to Dominik’s house for a booty call hit her. Still, the thought was certainly interesting. She could just imagine what it would be like. He had a body that was made for fun even back in high school. She could only imagine what his body looked like now—thick, ripped muscles, tight, defined abs and a rear firm enough to play with all night long. She shook her head, quickly shrugging off the craziness of her wayward sex thoughts.
She re-dressed in her jeans and a button-down shirt, grabbed her purse and keys, and headed out. She checked her cell phone for the address and directions. She knew exactly where he lived. It wasn’t too far from Pearl’s house, from her old neighborhood.
She pulled up in front of his house. She glanced over, seeing the lights on and the front door open. She got out, and as soon as she locked the car door, the heavens opened and rain poured down in a torrential flood.
With no umbrella and no hat, she made a mad dash to the front door. She rang the bell. Dominik came a few seconds later. But she was completely soaked by then. He held the door open and she hurried inside. The air-
conditioning chilled her instantly. She shivered and wiped the rain from her cheeks and forehead. “Hi,” she said.
“Come on in. You’re soaked. When did it start raining?” he asked.
“Um, just now. I pulled up, got out and there was a cloud burst. I couldn’t believe it. Great timing, right?” she said breathlessly from the short run down his front path.
“Come on into the living room. I’ll get you a towel.”
“No, no, that’s okay. I’m gonna get soaked again as soon as I leave. I’ll just grab the flash drive and get out of your way.”
“You know you could stay and wait until the rain slacks up. I’m sure it’s just a passing shower. It’ll be over in a few minutes.”
Just then, lightning flashed. Shauna jumped closer to Dominik and held her breath. Instinctively he placed his hand at the base of her back. “Are you okay?”
She nodded. “Oh, yeah. I didn’t expect lightning. I’m not a big fan of thunderstorms.” A rumble of thunder in the distance made them both look up. “Well, it’s late and I don’t want to disturb your evening any more than I have,” she said, looking around curiously.
Dominik watched her. “There’s no one here but us,” he said softly.
She’d been caught and felt silly. “Oh, I just hope I wasn’t intruding.”
“Not at all. I’ll get the flash drive for you.”
He walked away and disappeared into a room across the hall. Shauna presumed it was his office. There was another bright flash of lightning and soon after a loud clap of thunder seemed to rock the house. The lights blinked. Shauna closed her eyes and tried to still her panic. She felt the sickening swell of nervousness coming. Her heart raced. She took several slow, deep breaths to prevent herself from hyperventilating.
“Here’s it is,” Dominik said as he returned to her. The lights blinked again. He looked up. “It looks like we might lose power.” Then he looked at her. “You know, you really don’t need to leave right now. You’re perfectly welcome to stay,” he said.
Shauna nodded nervously. “No, that’s okay. I’m fine, thank you.” She took the drive and quickly headed to the front door.
“Shauna, wait. At least take an um
brella,” Dominik said, opening the nearby closet door. He grabbed an umbrella, but Shauna had already stepped out into the pouring rain. “Shauna,” he called.
She ran to the car, but the panic attack was already with her. She was breathing too hard and her body trembled uncontrollably. Her hands shook as she tried to open the door. Her keys fell. She bent down to get them, fishing through a shallow puddle. Lightning flashed and instantly a massive clap of thunder erupted right over her head. She couldn’t breathe. She couldn’t move.
Dominik stepped outside with the umbrella, but Shauna was already halfway down the brick path. He saw her get to her car, then run around to the driver’s side. She bent down and then nothing. She never stood up. He dropped the umbrella and ran around the car and found her crumbled beside the door, shaking. He bent down and grabbed her, thinking she had fallen. “Shauna,” he called out. There was another flash of lightning and soon after, thunder.
“Shauna,” he called out again. She didn’t look up. He saw that her eyes were closed. He scooped her up into his arms and carried her back down the brick path to the front door. He opened it and hurried inside. Heading right to his office, he sat Shauna down on the thick cushioned sofa. She was shivering. He grabbed the remote control and turned on the fireplace. Then he ran and grabbed towels from the adjacent bathroom. He came back into the room and saw that Shauna was exactly as he’d left her.
She was trembling and staring straight ahead. Lightning flashed and he hurried to her side before thunder rumbled soon after. He sat close and wrapped his arms around her body, holding her tight. When the next rumble came, he gripped her even tighter. She huddled close and he stroked her back, covering her with the dry towel. “It’s okay. I’m here,” he whispered soothingly. He kissed her forehead and she held on tighter. She closed her eyes and let the moment last as long as she could.
After a while the storm passed and only a few low rumbles of thunder reverberated in the distance. He could feel her body calm down and relax beside him. He still held her close. She took a deep breath. “I’m wet,” she said.
Mine at Last Page 10
