by Natalie Ann
He didn’t know that about Brooke and Cori, not that it mattered. “So it sounds to me like you’ve got someone else to chat with.”
Jack laughed. “Lucas is a lawyer. He never shuts up. He doesn’t get guys like you and me. He’ll be right out there gabbing with the rest of them.”
“I’ll tell you what I told Jake, I’ll think about it.”
“Better than nothing,” Jack said and walked out of his office. Grey hoped that was the last interruption so he could get on with his day.
It seemed like everyone was concerned about his social life lately.
“Sierra, wait up.”
She turned to see Cori Reynolds rushing down the hall. She’d worked with Cori a few times in the year she’d been here. Cori was an RN that rotated within departments to fill in for vacations and open positions. Sierra was in the Gastroenterology Department full time dealing with digestive diseases. It was a lot more boring than her years as an OR nurse in Buffalo.
“Hi. Are you here today?”
“Yeah, I’m filling in. How do you do this every day?”
“It’s fine. It’s not much different than other departments,” she lied.
“Sure, it is. You said you were an OR nurse. This is like sleepwalking with bodily noises and functions.”
Sierra laughed, she often thought the same thing. “We aren’t supposed to talk about patients urges to pass gas while we are in the room or the need to run to the bathroom every five minutes.”
Cori giggled. “That’s why I like you. Other nurses just roll their eyes at me. I get we burp and fart and have stomachaches, but having to listen to them discussed all day, it’s kind of depressing.”
“It’s not all bellyaches and you know that. And it’s not as depressing as the OR in the ER,” she said. “I did my last two years there. Man, it wasn’t dull, but there were nights you just went home and wanted to cry if you lost someone.”
“I bet. I try to stay upbeat with the patients. I get not too many want to be in the hospital. If I didn’t work here, I wouldn’t want to be either,” she said, letting out a laugh.
“Your clothes sure do make people smile.”
“I thought it was fitting to wear this top today,” Cori said looking down at the hot dogs, hamburgers, and bacon floating around the white material. “You know, things not to eat if you’re here with stomach issues.”
“Very true.”
“So, there is this friend of Jack’s I was thinking you might like to meet.”
“No way,” she said. “Stop right there. I don’t do blind dates. They are for losers. Last I looked, I wasn’t a loser.”
“Please,” Cori said, waving her hand. “You’re hot. No loser status on you.”
“Then how do you know I’m not seeing someone?”
“Are you?” Cori asked, tilting her head.
“No.”
Cori held her thumb and finger up in the shape of a pinch. “That could be considered a little bit of a loser. Have you dated anyone since you’ve lived here?”
“That’s not your concern,” she said. She liked Cori a lot. More than some of the other nurses, but not enough to talk about her dull personal life.
“That’s a big fat no. I know, I’m good that way. Come on, let me introduce you to him.”
“No, thank you,” she said.
“He’s a doctor,” Cori said, wiggling her eyebrows.
“Then definitely not. I don’t do doctors.”
“Ah, but you have done a doctor, haven’t you?” Cori asked, bobbing her head.
She’d have to watch the words she used around Cori, even if the statement was funny. “That would be a no too. I just don’t like to date anyone from work. Sorry, you’ll have to find another sucker for your husband’s friend.”
“He’s really hot,” Cori said.
“Which you shouldn’t be noticing since you’re married.”
Cori let out of huff. “Being married doesn’t mean I’m blind.”
“The answer is still no, Cori. Sorry. I’ve got patients to see now.”
Sierra walked away with a smile on her face. Cori was a riot, but there was no way anyone was setting her up on a blind date. Least of all with some cocky doctor. She’d bet he was a surgeon just like Cori’s husband.
Not happening.
2
Too Cocky
“I have to say this got me out of doing a Valentine’s Day dinner,” Jake said to Grey when he walked up to him at the bar. “With any luck there won’t be that many people here for that reason.”
“Or more because they are thinking the same way.”
Grey hoped not. He really didn’t want to end up here, but between Jack and Jake he felt the peer pressure worse than when he was twelve and his brother convinced him to ask fourteen-year-old Lizzie Miller to the movies. She’d laughed at him sweetly, but then said no way.
Besides, he was starting to feel self-conscious about his dating life. Or lack of it, as many had pointed out.
Maybe by showing up tonight, people would cut him some slack.
“Rachel is talking with a bunch of people. I told her I’d grab her a drink, but I think I’m going to wait for her to find me to get it,” Jake said.
“That’s the brother I know and love.”
The two of them got their drinks and moved to a corner in the room away from everyone where it was only slightly quieter.
They weren’t there for more than two minutes before Ed Clover came up next to them in his light gray suit that was easily a size, maybe two, too small. His yellow shirt accentuated the extra pounds that his suit was squeezing out, making him look like a dirty snowman.
“Grey, I didn’t expect you here tonight. Stick with me and we’ll find you someone to take home.”
Jake snorted next to him. “Ed, I’m not sure you’ve met my brother,” Grey said. “Ed Clover, this is Jake Baxter, he’s a new medevac pilot here.”
“Shit, Grey, all you need to do is go out with him and you’ll have chicks crawling all over you.”
What the hell? Ed made it sound like Grey was a troll. He could get his fair share of women anytime he wanted to.
“I’ve been telling my brothers that for years,” Jake said.
“Speaking of hot chicks,” Ed said, “here comes one now.” Grey turned and saw Rachel Chapman coming their way and couldn’t wait to see what his younger brother did. “I’ve talked to Rachel a few times. She told me she has a hard rule about not dating doctors, but I think I still have a shot with her. I bet you she’s the type that likes older men.”
Grey started to cough and took a sip of his beer. Jake only rolled his eyes.
“Gentlemen,” Rachel said, stepping up and stopping. “So nice to see you.”
Just because he felt he had to, Grey leaned down and gave Rachel a kiss on the cheek and slipped his arm around her waist. “It’s been too long, Rachel.”
Rachel laughed and leaned her head on his shoulder, Ed’s jaw hitting the ground. “I know. Maybe I’ll stop over this weekend.”
“What about me?” Jake said. “I thought you didn’t care for doctors.”
Rachel laughed and slipped her other arm around Jake. “I like doctors just fine. Just not the ones that hit on me.”
Ed’s face was turning slightly red, Rachel in on it, telling Grey that Ed had indeed hit on her quite a bit. But Rachel had always been able to take care of herself.
“Good thing I’m not a doctor,” Jake said.
“Ed,” Rachel said, “I’m sure Grey introduced you to his brother Jake, but he might not have told you he’s also my boyfriend. Though I’ve got to say it sounds childish saying that at our age.”
“Yes,” Ed said. “I met Jake. If you’ll excuse me, I see someone waving to me over there.”
Ed took off fast, Rachel laughing. “He’s such an ass. He must have hit on me five times before I finally said I had a firm rule about not dating doctors. That was the only time he stopped.”
“Do y
ou have that rule?” Grey asked.
“Not really. Though I’ve never dated one. You guys are all too cocky for me.”
“I’m not cocky,” Grey said. At least he didn’t think he was.
“Not with women you don’t seem to be, but I don’t know you well enough. With your work, you’re pretty cocky. You all are.”
“That’s different,” he said. “I know what I’m doing there.”
“Which means you don’t know what you’re doing with women?” Jake asked.
“I know just fine. Look, Rachel, someone is waving you over, seriously, not like what Ed just made up. Why don’t you take Jake with you and introduce him around?”
“Ass,” Jake said but was pulled away with Rachel.
Grey was standing there by himself when he felt a presence at his side. “Hey, Jack. Did you just get here?”
“Yeah. Summer was a little fussy and I thought for sure we would be able to cancel, but no such luck. Cori said she wasn’t running a fever and was just acting up because she didn’t want us to leave.”
“I bet you put your daughter up to it,” he said.
“Shhh. Don’t say that too loudly or Cori will believe it. I didn’t, though I might next time. I’m assuming I haven’t missed anything.”
“Nope. Same old shit like always.”
“Is your brother here or did he find a good enough excuse?”
“He’s here. Rachel dragged him over to the other side of the room.”
“I’d like to find a place to hide myself before Cori decides to do the same to me.”
Grey looked at Jack’s six-foot-five-inch frame. The guy was built like Jake on top of it. “There isn’t much hiding for you and you know it in this room.”
“Unfortunately. And here comes my sweet wife.”
Cori came walking over fast, almost at a jog in her green dress and black heels. Most of the women here were wearing black, but Cori managed to stand out and look lovely at the same time.
“Grey, I didn’t know you were coming,” she said.
“I managed to get talked into it.”
“Well then, hang on. Don’t go anywhere. I’ll be right back.”
“Where is she going?” he asked Jack.
“No clue,” Jack said, watching his wife weave through the crowd. “No worries, she just grabbed a few people. She’s determined to not let me stand here and be unsocial.”
“Grey, do you know Brooke and Lucas Mathews?” Cori said when she returned with some friends in tow.
He held his hand out to both of them. “Not personally. It’s nice to meet you.”
“Guys, this is Grey Baxter. He’s a surgeon in with Jack.” Cori stopped and started to wave her hands and Grey noticed Ben Harper, the head of security, come over along with this wife, Presley. She also worked at the hospital as a nurse. He only knew that because he’d heard enough of the women whining when they found out Ben was taken.
Did the women really look at the men that way in the hospital? Did anyone look at him that way? Since he’d been hit on enough, he’d like to think that was the case.
It’s just he wasn’t often interested in what anyone had to offer.
The few times he’d dated someone from work, it didn’t work out and then it could get messy because you run the risk of seeing them again and having them run their mouths about anything that happened. And normally what happened was Grey broke things off if it hit a few months or the women did faster than those few months because he wasn’t around much.
Everyone talked in the group for a few minutes, Grey feeling like the third wheel on a bike being pulled in all directions when they realized he was there alone.
“I keep telling Grey I have a lot of friends I could introduce him to,” Cori said.
“Leave Grey alone,” Brooke said. “Cori thinks everyone has to be as outgoing as her.”
“Life is all about fun,” Cori said. “Just one date, Grey.”
Jack was grinning at him so he had to be careful not to insult the guy’s wife. “I don’t do well with blind dates. I hate to say it, but I think they are for losers.”
Cori burst out laughing and he didn’t know what to make of it. “Oh man, I’ve heard that before.”
“Cori,” Jack said. “Listen to your best friend and leave Grey alone. He likes being single, right?”
“Yes, I do,” he lied.
3
Just Played
“Wait up, Grey,” Jack said. “Are you heading to the cafeteria?”
“Yeah,” he said. “The snowstorm is keeping patients away so I’ve got a bigger lunch break than normal.”
“Me too. I forgot to pack something.”
“Cori doesn’t pack your lunch?” he said.
Jack snorted. “I’m gone before she even rolls out of bed half the time. She and Summer sleep until the very last minute and then they are rushing out the door.”
“Sounds just like my brother Colt. He’s been like that his whole life.”
The two of them made their way to the parking garage, then through another, and to the glass bridge connecting them to the main hospital where they went to the cafeteria.
Normally it was packed, but, like Jack said, the weather was keeping people out by the sounds of it.
Once they had their lunches in front of them. A burger and fries for Jack, a turkey sandwich and chips for Grey, they moved to a table in the back and sat down.
They hadn’t even gotten two bites in when Cori showed up at the table with a tray, another woman next to her holding a salad. “You thought you could sneak down here and not tell your wife,” she said, giggling to her husband.
“You know I don’t come here often. I never know when your break is,” Jack said. “I’d ask how you knew I was here, but my guess is you tracked me on my phone.”
“Of course. You’re the one who put that app on my phone so you know where Summer and I are when we aren’t home in case we need you,” she said.
“My mistake,” Jack said.
“It’s date time for us,” Cori said. “We don’t get them often. Sorry, Sierra. I don’t mean to be rude. Why don’t you take Jack’s spot at the table with Grey? Grey Baxter, Sierra Stone.”
Jack stood up and grabbed his tray, then said, “Sorry. My couch is too small for my frame, so guess I’m having a lunch date with the wife.”
Grey watched as Sierra pulled a chair out and sat down. She had scrubs on and a tag that said RN on it. “I feel like I was just played,” she said.
“Funny how I feel that way too. Not by Jack though. I was on my way down here by myself and he stopped me.”
“I get the feeling that Cori does things like this a lot.” She picked her fork up and started to eat her salad.
“Jack is pretty quiet. I guess they even each other out in an odd sort of way,” he said. “Sorry about this.”
“It’s not your fault. Might as well eat our lunches while we are here. Cori keeps trying to set me up with people and I told her blind dates are for losers.”
He started to choke on his sandwich, then had to grab his bottle of water to take a sip. “Interesting.”
“Oh, I’m sorry. I don’t mean that she is picking losers.”
This time he laughed. “I’m honored that you think I’m the one she was trying to set you up with.” She was pretty hot and if he was going to be set up with someone at least she was a treat to look at.
She had dirty blonde hair that was pulled back in a ponytail. Blue scrubs on, nothing flashy at all. Her face was clean of makeup that he could tell but her complexion was pretty flawless.
Clear blue eyes that had a mixture of humor and strength behind them. Right now there was some genuine concern.
“I just assumed. Cori has been trying to set me up for a long time, but the last few weeks she has been horrible about it. She said it was a friend of Jack’s and I just assumed it was you. But well, I don’t like blind dates.” She paused and looked at his name tag. “Nor do I date doctors.”
“I don’t like blind dates either, nor do I make it a habit of dating employees of the hospital that I might run into. Too messy when it doesn’t work out. You don’t work in my office or building, but since you’re friends with Cori, there’s that connection.”
“What makes you so sure it wouldn’t work out that you jumped to that?”
He couldn’t get as much of a grasp on her as he thought. Was this one of those times where if he said he wasn’t interested then she wanted him? He didn’t play those kinds of games.
“History,” he said. “Guess I can’t seem to hang onto anyone.”
She eyed him for a second, then went back to eating. “You don’t look all that slippery to me.”
He figured he might as well eat too. They were talking and it wasn’t like it was a horrible conversation. It sure the hell beat sitting here by himself...like a loser.
“I never thought I was. It might have more to do with my career.”
“Ah,” she said. “All you surgeons put more time into your careers than your personal lives. I get it now.”
He frowned. He figured she’d get it but hated it was pointed out that way too. The way it always was when a woman got fed up with him. “It comes with the territory. I’m sure you’re used to it.” He eyed the department on her nametag. “Though the department you are in might not be as active as some others, still, surgeons are surgeons.”
“I haven’t always worked there. I was an OR nurse before I moved here.”
“Where did you move from?” he asked. She looked at him oddly. “We can sit here and eat and be silent or we can chat. It doesn’t mean either one of us is asking the other on a date. That might make us losers.”
Her smile filled her face. “I like you. Not for a date. Because, you know, you’re a doctor.”
“And you’re a nurse,” he said back. “That I’m bound to run into again or hear about.”
