Doctor's Orders (Complete Series)

by Lilian Monroe

  She sweeps her hands in a dramatic motion and poses in front of me like she’s on The Wheel of Fortune. I feel my lips betray me, curling upwards into a smile. She’s beaming and I can’t help but start laughing. It rushes up from my core and shakes my shoulders until she’s laughing as well. It feels good to laugh. It feels good to laugh with her.

  “I guess it is my lucky day,” I respond. She smiles back and then stares at me with those deep brown eyes.

  “You should smile more,” she says softly. “It suits you.”

  I don’t know how to respond, so I say nothing. My smile fades and I nod, turning around to head back to my office. My steps feel lighter and I can still feel the afterglow of her smile beaming at me. I’ll do anything to laugh with her again.

  13

  Emma

  I need to sit down before my head explodes. That was unexpected, to say the least. I’ve never seen him look so… human. Maybe this conference won’t be a disaster after all.

  My heart is racing, and I’m not sure if it’s because Elliot was so nice to me, or because he almost caught me snooping through these files. I’ve found three other people with the Aesthetics Management Fee tacked onto their account. It’s weird, and I can’t figure out why certain people have it and others don’t.

  I gather the files and put them away. If Dr. Yates comes out and sees me doing it, he won’t be happy. He specifically asked me not to work on the filing until after the conference.

  The front door opens and there she is again, Melodie Sanders, two days in a row. I force a smile onto my face.

  “Hello, in to see Dr. Davis again?”

  She doesn’t even answer, just flicks her hand at me and glides past my desk. She turns the corner, heading down the hall for his office. The lightness I felt after my conversation with Elliot evaporates. They’re certainly made for each other with the way they treat people. The spark I’d felt in my core when Dr. Davis started laughing dies down immediately.

  I turn to my cell phone and look up Valerie’s number.

  Guess what?

  Seconds later she responds: You’re having a torrid affair with the asshole doctor.

  I snort. Yeah right. I’m not sure he’s capable of anything torrid. Still, I think of the way his face lit up when he laughed, and how his eyes crinkled at the corners. He does have life inside him, he just hides it behind layers of… jerkiness.

  Very funny. No. Well… not yet. Going to an overnight conference in San Diego with him next week though.

  I don’t even have time to put my phone down before it buzzes again.

  Call me ASAP.

  She answers on the first ring. “What?”

  “I know, it’s crazy. The clinic’s head doctor said Dr. Davis would need help and that it would be good experience for me. So yeah, I guess I’m going to San Diego next week.”

  “You have got to be the luckiest person I know! Who gets to go away on a trip after working somewhere three days?”

  “I’m not sure it’s luck, it’s probably just that no one else wanted to spend two days with the guy,” I laugh. The door to the practice swings open. “I got to go,” I whisper and then hang up the phone.

  “Hello, welcome to Manhattan Aesthetics, how can I help you?” I plaster a smile on my face but all I can think of is the doctor down the hallway. Then I think of the blonde bombshell behind the closed door with him and feel a twinge of jealousy in my chest. They’re obviously involved and I’ll need to keep it professional next week. Otherwise, I’ll make a fool of myself on my first trip away.

  Even talking to Val about torrid affairs is too far. I need to step back and realize that this is my job, and it’s vitally important that they like me and that I do well here. If I don’t, I’ll be getting more visits from a dangerous man who likes to sneak out of alleyways, and next time he won’t just leave me alone. I shiver at the thought. At least I’ll be out of the city for a few days next week. That in itself will help me relax.

  14

  Emma

  “Happy Monday, Em!” Dave’s voice booms through the lobby. I look up from my desk and smile at him.

  “Happy Monday, Dave,” I respond somewhat less enthusiastically. He walks up and presents me with a steaming cup of coffee from the cafe on the corner.

  “A present for you for your first week complete!”

  I take the cup from him and inhale deeply. I smile at him, glad to have a friend at the office.

  “Dave, you’re too nice. Thank you.” It’s hot and bitter and delicious. I take a long sip and then put the cup down, smiling at my friend.

  “So, how has it been?” He asks. “Not too traumatic?”

  I chuckle. “It’s been great, Davey. Everyone is really friendly.”

  He raises an eyebrow. “Everyone?”

  I grin. He continues: “I heard you’ve been shackled to Dr. Grumpy for the week leading up to this conference in San Diego.” He leans a bit closer and his eyes sparkle mischievously. “If that’s not a harsh introduction to the job then I don’t know what is.”

  I laugh. “It’s been fine, really. We’ve been working on his presentation together and once you get past the, uh, quietness, he’s actually really nice. His sense of humor is dry and witty, it’s good.”

  Dave snorts. “Did you say sense of humor? And I’ve never heard anyone describe Elliot Davis as nice.”

  “First time for everything,” I wink. We both turn as someone clears their throat behind me. My cheeks burn as I see Elliot’s muscular body standing in the entrance. God, I hope he didn’t hear too much of that. I drag my eyes up his body, roaming over his broad chest and chiseled jawline and up to his piercing blue eyes. He’s staring at me intensely, and a blush stains my cheeks.

  I’d hate for him to think I was a gossip, or that I was just doing this to talk about him behind his back.

  The truth is that I’ve been enjoying my time with him a lot. He’s given me his speech and I’ve made up some slides for his presentation. I’ve even convinced him to practice in front of me tomorrow. Whenever he smiles it just lights up his entire face and sends a little thrill down my spine. He’s nowhere near as rude as he was the first couple days. I’m starting to think that was all just an act.

  I’ve still been coming in early to sort through the files, I just can’t get the weird Aesthetic Management fee out of my head. I’ve found over two dozen patients who have been charged this outrageous fee and I can’t figure out the connection. It feels wrong, because I know Dr. Yates told me not to look into the files. But now that I’m working with Elliot it’s an easy excuse to come in early. The fact that he told me to leave it until we get back just makes me more curious.

  Dave turns to Elliot. “Morning, Elliot. Good weekend?”

  “It was fine.” He says abruptly before brushing past us. Dave glances at me with a raised eyebrow.

  “Great sense of humor, hmm?”

  “Be nice, Davey,” I chide, laughing. “Not everyone is Mr. Popular.”

  “I can’t help that I’m loved,” Dave responds with his arms stretched wide as he walks to his office. I laugh and shake my head, glancing once more at Elliot’s office. I take a deep breath, sink down into my chair and try to ignore the butterflies crashing in my stomach.

  15

  Elliot

  I know they were talking about me, but I don’t care. Not really. I’m more annoyed by the fact that Dave has it so easy. Everyone loves him, he can talk to anyone and make them laugh. Seeing him there with Emma just made me see red. I would rather he be nowhere near her. She’s too good for him, and all he has to do is talk to her and she’s laughing and smiling at him.

  I sigh, slamming down the two cups of coffee on my desk. Looks like my peace offering to her was five minutes too late: Dave beat me to it. I can’t help the jealousy that grips me like a hand squeezing my heart. I shrug on my white coat and sit down.

  Why am I even jealous? She’s a coworker, nothing more. She’s Dave’s coworker too. Plus, the
y’ve known each other for a while. Don’t they have mutual friends?

  Sure, I find her attractive, but I’ll never act on it. Who wouldn’t find her attractive, with those intoxicating curves and luscious red lips? It’s more than that though, it’s the way she scrunches her nose when she’s trying to figure out a problem, or that way she snorts a little bit when she’s laughing really hard.

  My daydream is interrupted by a quiet knock on the door. I turn around and Emma pops her head in.

  “Hey, Dr. D,” she says. I almost correct her but stop myself. I’ve never had a nickname at the office before, and I like the way her eyes glinted when she said it. “Just wanted to see if you wanted any help with your presentation?”

  She slips inside my office, leaving the door ajar behind her. I take a deep breath, trying to keep my eyes steady on hers and not let myself take in every inch of her body.

  “Not right now, thanks Emma.” I turn back to my computer, but she doesn’t leave.

  “Rough morning?” she asks with a smile in her voice. I turn back to her, frowning.

  “What do you mean?”

  She points to the two coffee cups on my desk. “Double coffee this early is never a good sign.”

  A million explanations fly through my head. I could tell her they messed up my order so they gave me two, or that I didn’t sleep well. I’m nervous about the speech and I just wanted two. Finally I sigh and I settle on the truth.

  “I got one for you,” I tell her, watching her reaction. Her mouth opens slightly and her eyebrows shoot upwards. “As a thank you. Or… a peace offering.”

  Her lips spread into a wide smile and her eyes sparkle. She brings her hands up and clasps them in front of her before laughing.

  “Elliot! That’s so nice of you. See? I knew you were a good guy.”

  “Looks like Dave beat me to it,” I say more bitterly than I meant to.

  “A girl can never have too much coffee,” she responds. I grab the cup and hand it over to her. She takes a sip and moans with satisfaction. My cock twitches at the sound and I clear my throat to cover it up, shifting in my seat.

  “So,” she says, sitting down in the chair next to my desk. Her hair bounces on her shoulders and she turns toward me, leaning in closer. I can smell her perfume and try not to stare at the curve of her waist as she sits there. “I was thinking, at the end of your speech you should circle back to the facts about quicker recovery and less scarring. Those are the key benefits so they are worth repeating.”

  I nod, trying to focus on what she’s saying. All I can think of is my hands all over her, my lips on her body, on her mouth. I wonder if she’s ever thought these things about me. I clear my throat again.

  “Sounds good, Em,” I say. I didn’t mean to shorten her name but it just slipped out. She smiles at me. Her eyes bore into me and my whole body feels like it’s on fire. I could reach over and run my fingers down her cheek. I could slip my hand around the back of her neck and kiss her right now. I could follow every urge that’s flooding my veins.

  I clear my throat and nod, turning back to my computer. I’m in for trouble in San Diego. Trouble isn’t always a bad thing though, right?

  16

  Elliot

  “Daddy, Daddy!” I hear Gracie’s voice from across the school lawn. She pulls me away from my thoughts. I’ve been thinking about the past week, and how much I look forward to seeing Emma’s smile every morning. She wasn’t lying, she is a PowerPoint whiz. Her presentation is one of the best I’ve seen, and I feel a lot more confident about the conference tomorrow.

  I open my arms and Gracie flies into them, running at full speed toward me. Her little arms wrap themselves around me and I stand up, giving her a spin.

  “Daddy, guess what!” I notice that she’s not calling me Dad but the excitement in her face stops me from teasing her.

  “What is it, tell me.”

  “I got the lead part in the play! I got it! I beat Stephanie Clark. Yes!”

  I laugh. “Yes!” Spinning my daughter around, I drop her down to the ground and she hops from one foot to the other in excitement. Her happiness is contagious and I can’t help but smile. “That’s great, kiddo. Well done, I knew you could do it.”

  She looks up at me, suddenly serious. “You’ll come see me in it, won’t you?”

  I kneel down so we’re eye to eye. I put my hands on her little arms and match her seriousness. “Gracie, I wouldn’t miss it for the world.”

  Her smile cracks her face open and she jumps up again.

  “Now let’s go, I packed your bag and we need to go see Nana. Like I told you this morning, I leave early tomorrow so you have to stay with her tonight.”

  “I hope she made her chocolate chip cookies!” Gracie exclaims as we climb into my car. I smile. Gracie’s grandmother makes the best chocolate chip cookies in the city, and maybe even the country. I was worried that Grace would be upset that I’m leaving, but it seems like those fears were unfounded.

  “I hope so too,” I respond, winking at her. She giggles. Her happiness is boiling over. I reach over and ruffle her hair as we drive to her grandmother’s house.

  As we wind through the narrow residential streets, closer and closer to Gracie’s grandmother’s house, my throat tightens. Gracie is singing to herself and chatting away but all I can manage are grunts in return. We turn down the street and my breath catches. I haven’t been here in almost a year, and every time I come near it’s as painful as the time seven years ago, when I realized Gracie was all I had left in the world.

  We get to the familiar brick house and Gracie runs up the three steps and knocks on the blue door. It swings open and Gracie runs inside, hugging her grandmother tightly.

  “Hello, dear, it’s good to see you.”

  “Nana!”

  I clear my throat. “Thank you for taking her, Mabel. I really appreciate it. I’ll be back on Saturday morning to pick her up.”

  “It’s no problem at all, I’m glad to have my Gracie for a couple days. Now, you say goodbye to your father and then we can go inside. I have a special treat for you!”

  “Chocolate chip cookies? I think I can smell them.”

  Mabel chuckles and then turns to me. Her shock of white hair is curled perfectly on her head, and she’s wearing a navy pantsuit with a floral blouse. She’s always looked perfectly put together, so different from my free-spirited Chloe. Still, I can see Chloe in her mother’s eyes, which is why it’s so difficult to come here.

  She looks down at my daughter and I can see her eyes mist up. She loves Gracie so much, and I know it’s because she sees so much of Chloe in her. Feistiness, intelligence, beauty–my daughter is a spitting image of her mother. My mouth feels dry and I nod to Mabel.

  “Anyway, I should get going. Thanks again. Come here, kiddo, let me give you a hug.”

  Gracie gives me a tight embrace and then waves goodbye. I turn around before she sees my eyes welling up. It’s never easy to let her out of my sight. They close the door behind me and I trudge to my car. I sit down behind the wheel and close my eyes, sighing deeply. I would do anything for that little girl.

  I take a few seconds to compose myself and then put the car in gear. I have a conference to go to, and I need to figure out how I’m going to deal with being around Emma for two full days without driving myself crazy.

  I hate to admit it, but I’m more than a little excited at the prospect of being there with her on my own.

  17

  Emma

  My computer is shutting down as I look around my desk. It’s Wednesday evening, and I leave early tomorrow for San Diego. I want to make sure I have everything because I won’t be back until Monday.

  I glance over at the wall of files behind me. I’ve come in early every morning and sorted through the files in secret without Dr. Yates catching me. I think Elliot knows, but he hasn’t said anything. I know I shouldn’t have, but I couldn’t resist. My curiosity got the best of me. I glance behind me to make sure I’m
alone, and then pull down one of the boxes.

  I find Melodie Sanders’ file and open it up. Pulling out my cell phone, I take a couple photos of the invoices with the strange Aesthetic Management Fee charges. I quickly stuff the file back and check my notes. There are a few other names I’d jotted down, so I pull out four more files and take photos.

  Why am I doing this? This could get me fired.

  Within a couple seconds, the files are back in their place and my desk is straightened out. I glance down the hallway: no sign of anyone. My heart is thumping and I wipe a bead of sweat from my temple. I glance behind me and make sure the boxes are in order. Satisfied, I pack up the rest of my things and head out the door.

  My heart is still racing as I check the office behind me, as if someone would follow me out of the door. Ever since Victor popped out of the shadows, I’ve been jumpy anytime I’m on the streets. But there’s no one, obviously. I knew there wouldn’t be. I make my way home, up the stairs and safe in my apartment.

  I drop my purse on the kitchen table and pull out a wine glass. The first sip of red Shiraz hits my tongue and I take a deep breath. I’m sick of this. Sick of feeling afraid, alone, vulnerable. Ever since I discovered these debts it’s been a downward spiral in my life. The day after my father died, I got a knock on the door. Victor’s ugly, scarred face was there, explaining to me that I owed him forty-seven thousand dollars. I’d tried to shut the door, to tell him I would call the police but he’d stuck his foot in the door to stop me closing it. I still remember his gravelly, scratchy voice that day.

  “How do you think your daddy got you this apartment?” he’d asked. My stomach had dropped. How did he know my dad had paid for it?

  “If you don’t leave right now, I’m calling the police.”