by Bianca Vix
I give my head a brisk shake. That kind of thinking is best kept for after work, when my thoughts can run free.
Chapter 2
Ash
“Yes, doctor.” She turns to walk away, but not without giving me a smile first.
Oh, that smile of Sarah’s. I can never get enough of her pretty smile. It’s like no one else’s, not that I’ve ever seen. It does something to me. If I could, I’d make her smile all the time.
I try to push that thought out of my mind as I head back to my office. Leaning back in my chair, I open up the first of the charts she gave to me. But I don’t start reviewing it yet. My mind’s still on Sarah
She’s a great employee. Definitely someone I’d like to get to know better, if she didn’t work with me. Given the circumstances, I can’t risk starting anything with her. That would be so inappropriate.
But I can’t stop thinking about it. She’s not just efficient and very good at her job. Sarah’s beautiful. The uniforms that the staff wear here aren’t sexy by any stretch of the imagination. They aren’t meant to be, of course. And yet nothing can hide Sarah’s looks.
She’d look good in anything she put on, I’m sure. It’s impossible not to notice her.
Not that I’ve been anything but professional. And I am not going to change that. I’m not doing anything to risk my position here, or the clinic itself.
There’s no way I’m going to start my career off on the wrong foot. Not to mention that my future plans are too important as well. Once I’ve gotten enough hours in here, I intend to open my own clinic. Nothing’s going to get in the way of that.
But someone like Sarah is hard to ignore. Aside from her looks, she’s a great person. Easy to work with. Driven. She wants to succeed in her field. Just like I do.
She’s the first woman who’s really caught my eye since my last relationship. The first one who I’d even think of asking out. I swore off relationships after my last one. To say that it didn’t work out is putting it mildly. Of course at the time, I was going through residency for medical school. That didn’t help. The time I had to put in left pretty much no time for anything else, especially being a great boyfriend. And I didn’t just want to get through my residency. I wanted to be the best out of all my classmates. And I was.
Putting in long hours is the key being an excellent physician. Not so great for being a good partner. My ex was really tolerant and patient at first. But even she had her limits.
I can’t blame her. But once we were over, it made me not want to get into anything again. Not until now. Sarah is amazing. Too bad she’s off limits for me.
I refocus my attention on the file in front of me. The clinic’s busy today, as usual. That’s exactly how I like it. I like the rush. Juggling multiple tasks at once. It suits me. It’s why I chose to work at this clinic in particular. Once I was accepted, everything fell into place. It’s not only a great place to work, it’s good training as well for being able to set up and run my own clinic in the most optimal way I can.
Most people who go into the medical field are driven. But I’m even more so. People comment on it all the time. Nobody I’ve ever met has been a slacker. I’m told I take ambition to the next level. I take that as a compliment. It’s who I am.
But that’s not the only reason I work hard and play to win. It’s not just because it suits me and my personality. I have another reason. Her name’s Laila.
She’s my younger sister. There’s only a year in between us and so we were pretty much inseparable growing up. Somehow we escaped the usual sibling rivalry. Even at the age that most sisters and brothers would go their own ways, we stuck together.
We’ve been close our entire lives. She’s the reason I decided to become a doctor in the first place. From a very young age, I knew it was what I wanted to do. I never changed my mind. There was nothing else for me. No matter how many career days I went to, no matter how many other options I came across. Nothing has ever made me want to give up on my dream.
It’s all because of Laila. She was born with a serious breathing issues. She was always back-and-forth to doctors, clinics and even the emergency room sometimes. I was the opposite. Completely healthy. And I hated it so much when she couldn’t keep up with me because she struggled to breathe.
It wasn’t something any child should have to go through. There were so many times I’d wave at her while she was inside the house, watching through the window while I was outside playing with the other neighborhood kids. I could tell just how much she wanted to be outside with us, but couldn’t be.
My parents got me involved early on in helping her out. I did as much as I could at the time, which wasn’t very much when I was really young. Sometimes I’d feel helpless, watching her suffer. And I became determined to never feel that way again. To never be helpless and unable to help my sister out as much as I wanted to.
Both my mother and father encouraged me along. They were always telling me that I was helping Laila out just by treating her like a normal child, along with everything else I could do.
But that wasn’t enough. Not for me. Not that she ever complained. Now that we’re both adults, she still has trouble. She’s much better though. But she still struggles a lot. So I became a doctor. To help her out, even now. And I do whatever I can. Now I’m driven to help others too. Because she’s not the only child to grow up that way. Not the only adult still suffering.
After a quick assessment, I close the folders in front of me. I’ve got patients to see now.
I catch a glimpse of Sarah setting up one of the rooms as I stride by. I don’t say anything to her. I’ve got to keep my mind on my job. Usually that’s never a problem for me. Except lately, something’s different. It’s getting harder to work with her without getting distracted.
She’s going to make an amazing nurse when she graduates. She’s the type of person that you can always tell from the beginning just how successful she’s going to be. I’ve seen a number of nursing students come through this clinic. If they’re good, that shows right from the beginning. If not, that shows too. Sarah’s definitely on the good side. Great side, really. She could train others that are already further along than she is in the program. She’s got great things ahead of her.
And that’s another problem for me.
She’s exactly the type of nurse I want to hire when I’m ready to open my own clinic. I don’t just want good nurses. I want exceptional ones. The best of the best working for me. Once I get the clinic up and running smoothly, I eventually I want to take a step back from it and get into doing research.
If I can, I want to really change the face of modern medicine. It sounds like a big statement. But that’s what I want. To make my mark. And I need to surround myself by the greatest to do it.
And that’s another huge reason why I shouldn’t even be thinking of asking Sarah out. I shouldn’t get involved. That never works out. I saw a lot of couples that were together during my training. Some of them could manage pretty well while they work together. Far, far more of them couldn’t. Those are not odds I want to test out in my own personal life.
Nothing is going to get in the way of my success. Not even taking a chance on being with someone like Sarah. I’m fine alone. I suppose I’d like to settle down eventually. But I can’t let anything get in the way of my goals and what I want to do with my life.
Not even someone as great as her.
Chapter 3
Cory
I’m going to go back to the clinic even though my leg’s fine. Well, it’s not fine. But it’s getting a lot better. I’ve been putting in a lot of effort to treat it right. Doing everything I’m supposed to. I know the drill. I haven’t been through it myself before, but I’ve been around so many guys who have. And I always knew that if it happened to me, I’d do it right. Hockey is my life. I’ve worked way too hard to get where I am. Nothing’s going to stop me now.
I’m not going to risk my brand new career for something as simple and stupid as
a common physical injury. Getting injured isn’t that bad. Where you have to watch out is if you don’t treat your recovery right. And then if you get hit again, that’s where it can really get serious if things haven’t healed properly the first time around. That’s when an injury becomes a weak spot. And I have no weakness. I train hard. Always have. My determination has gotten me to where I am today. No injury is going to stop me.
If I didn’t take care of myself in every possible way, I wouldn’t be where I am today. They don’t call me The Core for nothing. I get to the core of everything I do. If I’m into something, I go all into whatever the task is. Right now I’m going to do everything I can to make sure I’m fully healed before I get back out on the ice. And I love being out on the ice.
There’s nothing in the world quite like the feeling of being in an arena and playing to win. I love it all. The competition. The skill. The chance to push myself farther in every single game. To reach new levels of skill. To score better and higher. To beat someone who was once better than me. It’s a thrill like no other. And I can’t get enough of it.
Even if I didn’t make it up to pro, I’d play the game no matter what. All the money and fame and other bonuses are just that. Bonuses. It’s not that I don’t enjoy them. That’s not it at all. The game is everything. Everything else is icing on the cake. Icing that I definitely enjoy.
There are so many women who are into hockey players. I have so many choices after each and every game. Hell, I even have my pick after practices, never mind the big games. There’s regular group that likes to come around. I call them loyal fans and they kind of are. A lot of them are into the game too. But every single one is way more into the players. I only ever go home alone if I want to. Which almost never happens.
Except for lately. It’s been hard to manage, but this injury is the priority now. I’m not gonna take any chances. I can lay off the sex for a while. Not for very long. But long enough to heal completely.
So I’m off to the clinic today. Everything’s progressing well and I could get by without coming in. But I want to make sure. It’s the beginning of the season. I don’t want to start off on a bad foot. Or bad leg, as the case may be.
I grab my jacket and head out. The clinic’s not too far from my place. As I drive along, my mind drifts back to the nurse who treated me last time.
Okay, it’s not the first time that’s happened. For some reason, I’ve been thinking about her pretty much every day since we met. There’s something about her. She’s hot, sure. But there’s something else too.
I can’t quite put my finger on it. I don’t think I have a type. I’m open to all kinds physically. But I’m attracted to her in a way I haven’t felt before.
I don’t really think about many of the women I sleep with after we’re done. They know the deal. Even the ones on the home turf. They know what it’s about. Sex and nothing else. I’m not looking for relationship. Most of the guys on the team aren’t. Everyone else involved knows what it’s all about. Sex. No strings. No dating. And certainly no relationships. That’s all we want. Any of my teammates who want a relationship are already in one. There are a couple of guys who are married. But they’re definitely in the minority.
Especially when we’re traveling, everything is very clear. And if it’s not, it gets cleared up pretty quick. I don’t stay in touch with anyone once I’m gone. One and done. I like my life the way it is.
Play hard and play hard. On the ice and off of it.
It’s a great life. Better than even I expected it to be, and I had very high hopes when I started out. I’ve wanted this my whole life. Even when my parents urged me to have a backup career, because not everyone makes it. I didn’t listen to them. I always knew it was a long shot. And I knew they meant well. I get where they’re coming from.
Thing is, I also knew I’d make it. That sounds arrogant as hell. Maybe it is. But I’ve never been more certain of anything else in my life.
Besides, I was right.
Here I am. Successful. Wealthy. Lots of no strings sex whenever I want. But more than all of that, I get to do what I love all of the time.
How many people can say that about their job? No idea, but probably not that many.
When I’m not playing for the team and when we’re not travelling around for away games, I’m still playing hockey. And hell, sometimes even when we are. Whether it’s a pro game that’s going to lead us to the playoffs or a pre-season showcase that doesn’t mean much, I’m out there.
Actually some of the most fun I have these days is just messing around with a pickup game. There’s a few guys like me on the team. We go to a local rink and drop a puck whenever we have a chance. Purely for fun. Of course we’re all still competitive as hell, but it’s friendly. We always keep it friendly.
That’s been the hardest part of this injury. Sitting out on all of those games. The casual, friendly ones. Hell, I normally even play street hockey with some of the kids in my block sometimes. Once those kids got over the awe and excitement of playing with one of their heroes, someone they never thought they’d even meet in real life, they really loosened up.
Some of my teammates think I’m crazy for doing that. They really believe that we should separate ourselves, so the kids keep us up on a pedestal or something. But for me, I can’t see it that way. I remember all those years ago in my childhood when I was out playing street hockey myself, all that time after the rinks were closed and it was before the lakes were frozen. If one of my idols had offered to play with me and my friends, I would have been so far beyond excited.
It’s a great way to learn, sure. But the thrill of meeting your idol? Nothing in the world can compare to that. It would’ve been insanely inspirational if that had happened to me as a child. So I want to pay it forward. Those kids that have dreams of going pro? They’re the ones that have the same dreams that I did. Everything I can do to keep them on that track is great.
There’s nothing I’d change about my life right now, other than this injury. But that’s a minor thing. I’ve got it under control. Except that ever since my clinic visit, I can’t stop thinking about her.
Sarah. Pretty name. Pretty smile. Pretty woman. I can’t quite put my finger on it. But I can’t stop thinking about her. I don’t know what it is. I want to ask her out.
That doesn’t sound like a big deal, I know. But it is for me. I can’t even remember the last time I went out on a real date. I haven’t had a relationship of any kind since I went pro. There’s no point to it. I’m having fun. This is what I want. I can’t see settling down. Not anytime soon, if ever. It’s not what I want.
Yet I can’t remember feeling like this about someone before. Not ever. It’s throwing me off my game. I want to be with her. I want to get to know her. I want to sleep with her, of course.
And somehow, it’s more than that too. Pro hockey isn’t the greatest profession to be in, not if you want a stable relationship. So I’ve never seen the point of getting into one. Maybe someday in the future when I retire. Still, no one I’ve slept with has turned my head like Sarah.
I don’t get it. But I’m not going to overthink it. I’ll see what it’s like when I see her today. She’s at the clinic already. I know because I called up the other day to find out when she’s working this week. Maybe that’s stalkery, but I don’t think so. I want to see her, so I’m going to make it happen. She’s there today. So now I will be too.
The clinic isn’t too busy when I arrive, but I don’t see Sarah. I’m not familiar with the nurse who takes me into the examination room.
“Is Sarah free?” I flash her my winning smile. “I’d like to say hello.”
“I think she’s with a patient now, but I can let her know you’re here. What’s your name?”
She hasn’t recognized me. She doesn’t know who I am. It’s refreshing in a way. To be anonymous. Sometimes being recognized almost everywhere I go becomes a chore. I’m not regretting fame. No way. But sometimes, you just want a little privacy
.
“Cory.”
“I’ll let her know.” She heads off and I lean back against it the bed, folding my hands behind my head and stretching out. My eyes have fallen closed while I’m waiting and I’m drifting off into a half sleep when the door eventually opens.
It’s Sarah. And there’s her smile again. The one I can’t stop thinking about.
“Mr. Reynolds.”
“Sarah. It’s great to see you again.”
She doesn’t respond, turning her head down to look over my chart instead. But just before she does, I catch her smile again. I guess she doesn’t get a lot of patients being nice to her. Or being happy about being back at the clinic.
“How’s your leg doing? Any changes since last time?”
I give her a brief explanation. All the while I’m stealing glances at her as she makes notes in my chart. There’s not too much to report.
She looks up at me when she’s done. “That’s great progress. Have you started physical therapy yet?”
“No. Well, I’ve signed up. But my sessions don’t start until next week. I’ve been taking good care of it so far myself, wouldn’t you say?”
“It seems to be in pretty good shape. So it’s up to you. I don’t think you need it right away if you really don’t want to do it. And I don’t think you need to come back again. Of course, the doctor will give you the final word on that.”
“I’m sure he will.” I sit upright and pull the leg of my shorts up. “Do you have any advice on what I can do to keep from scarring up?”
She comes closer to me to take a look. “It should heal up fine. But if you want to make sure, try using petroleum jelly. It’s helped out a number of my patients before.”
“Great. Thanks for the rec.”
“Do you have any other questions?” She’s closing the chart and getting ready to leave.
“Just one. Sarah, would you like to have dinner with me? I’d like to get to know you better.”
