I spent way too long drying my long, chestnut hair, making sure that every strand was smooth and in place. I applied a full face of makeup, wanting to look absolutely flawless when he saw me up close. I modeled the rest of my makeup off of the kinds of girls he was supposedly into.
Then, I put on the dress I borrowed from Carol. It was a dark, floral number with a skirt that floated past my hips. It was cut rather low in the front, which wouldn’t hurt my chances with Damon. When it was all said and done, I was pleased with how I looked. I felt sexy, and that was half the battle. Now, I just had to keep calm while talking to my dream mentor. I didn’t want to say something stupid and embarrass myself. I knew we were only meeting up to talk about our lives back home, but I still felt like I needed to prepare.
I didn’t want him to know how much of a loser I used to be. I had carefully crafted the right look and personality to succeed in the medical world. I didn’t want to let him know that I was probably one of the geeks he used to make fun of. I wanted to give the illusion that I was the cute girl-next-door who was maybe a few years too young to catch his eye the first time around.
My stomach fluttered uncomfortably. I was nervous, but still excited to see where the evening went. Without saying another word to my roommate, I slipped on a pair of wedged heels, buckled the ankle strap, and strode out to my car, buzzing with excitement. With one final look in my visor mirror, I couldn’t help but smile at my reflection. I was basically living out my high school fantasy and it felt pretty damn good.
Chapter 4
Damon
I made my way to the bar, knowing that I’d be early. However, I wanted to be able to secure a good seat in this place, and it usually filled up around this time. I wasn’t too worried about running into any interns, this place was a bit pricier than what most of them could afford. I figured that I wouldn’t have to worry about running into any other doctors either, as this bar tended to attract the wealthy pop culture crowd which didn’t appeal to most of those I worked with. At any moment, I was surrounded by actors, pop stars, people in finance, and your occasional rich kid burning their parents’ money. It was the perfect place to get to know someone in a public setting. The music wasn’t too loud and the lights were low. I had a ninety percent success rate here when it came to sealing the deal.
I ordered a whiskey on the rocks to sit as I waited. On my way over, I decided that it might not be enough to just buy her a drink if I wanted her to be my date to the fundraiser event. I would have to find her something more valuable. Ordinarily, I could find someone to go with me, with no problem. But, I was running short on time, and Olivia was the one.
She ticked all the boxes. She was fun enough to talk to. I didn’t know anything about her, but as we came from the same hometown, at least we had that to talk about. She was intelligent and she was interested in the medical field like I was. She would love talking to the people attending the cancer research fundraiser. Hobnobbing with other doctors, scientists and wealthy patrons of research. I would have to train her to speak the appropriate amount and not pester, but from what I observed of her, she wouldn’t be hard to acclimate to the environment of the upper echelon.
And, she was cute. She wasn’t like, stunningly beautiful, but she was still very pretty. I could probably buy her a ball gown and send her to the salon beforehand and she’d clean up nicely. Yeah, she would certainly do. I had to make sure that she wouldn’t say no. I didn’t have any other leads, and the event was just two days away.
I saw her walk through the door as I was taking my last sip. I drained the rest into my mouth and set it on an adjacent table as I stood up to wave her over. She was dressed to fit in and the dress really suited her. Ripping my eyes away from her ample bosom, I leaned in and gave her a friendly hug before escorting her into our private booth.
“You look great,” I said.
“Thanks,” she said bashfully. “So do you.”
“What are you drinking?” I asked. I pushed a drink menu toward her. “Lots of girls like the specialty cocktails.”
“Oh, I don’t know,” she said as she read through the list. “Is this one really twenty dollars?”
“Get anything you want,” I said. “It’s on me. It’s not every day I get to hang out with a Hazelwood native.”
“I’ll have this one,” she said, pointing to a fruity mixture when the waitress came around.
I asked for another whiskey on the rocks, knowing that the bartender would remember my order.
“So, were you a public or private school kid?” I asked, trying to break the ice with some easy conversation.
“Private school,” she replied. “My mom always complained about how expensive tuition was, yet she still sent my brother and me there. I’m sure the public school was just as good.”
“It’s possible,” I replied. “I mean, we had a lot of degenerates come out of Prep. Our sports teams were better, though. Did you play any sports?”
“I was on the track team— middle distance,” she said after taking a sip of her drink. “I wasn’t great, but I made the team.”
“That’s cool. I’m guessing you were more into academics, right?”
She blushed and looked down at the table. “Yeah, kinda,” she giggled, “is it that obvious?”
“Intelligence is not a bad thing,” I said. “Smart is sexy.”
She giggled again. I seemed to have found the right thing to say. I just had to sprinkle in a few more reassurances and she would be open to anything.
“I’m still trying to figure out where our paths might have crossed. It’s not like Hazelwood is a big city. For the most part, everyone knows everyone.”
“Can you name everyone in your graduating class?” she asked.
I thought for a moment. For the most part, I had a decent memory of whom I spent those years with. But, there were always a few kids who lurked on the fringes, ones that I didn’t have classes or extracurricular activities with.
“If you gave me last names, I think I could give you first names,” I said confidently. “Could you?”
“For sure,” she said coolly. “I have a pretty good memory for names and faces, though.”
“That skill will take you far,” I replied. “There have been a few times where I’ve nearly made a complete ass of myself in a meeting for almost flubbing a name of an important doctor. Even the non-important medical personnel get upset if you don’t know who they are. I swear, some basically want you to know everything about their life.”
“I suppose it can’t hurt to know a little bit more about someone,” she said optimistically. “If it makes them happy, then it’s worth the research, right?”
“Kissing ass will only take you so far. It’ll take you far, but what the top brass really want is money. If you make them enough money, then you can do whatever you want.”
“Is that the point where you are now as a top surgeon?” she asked.
I grinned. “I don’t go out of my way to be an asshole, if that’s what you’re asking. But, if you’re asking if I could, let’s just say that I could sleep with the CEO’s wife and still meet with him to discuss his plans for the hospital.”
She laughed at this. I waved the waitress over and ordered a second round of drinks. Things were going pretty well.
“So, tell me about your med school experience?” she asked. “What was it like?”
I shrugged. This topic didn’t really interest me. “Oh, it was boring, for the most part,” I said lazily. “Studied more than anything, but I did attend the occasional party.”
“Cool,” she said, nodding. “Mine was the same, well without the occasional party.” She laughed. “Now I’m just glad it’s over and I’ve made it into the CUIMC residency program. I’m hoping it will lead to a position in the future.”
“Are you asking me for hookups already?” I asked with a sly smile.
“No, not at all,” she said earnestly.
“I’m just messing with you,” I said. “Actuall
y, I have a little inside scoop for you if you’re interested.”
She leaned in a little closer. I had her in the palm of my hand now.
“I’m looking for an intern wanting to go into general surgery who is interested in putting in some extra hours learning from me. They would be able to sit in on and later assist in certain surgeries, and help with patient aftercare.”
“Really?” she gasped. “Oh my goodness, that would be the most perfect opportunity out there!”
I smiled. “I know. It’s a good opportunity for me because I can have a trusted intern give me a little extra help. I wouldn’t make my intern do menial tasks, they would be learning hands on techniques. And while some of it is grunt work, some of the aftercare parts aren’t all that pleasant, but they are necessary and it’s good to get your foot in the door.”
“I can’t even imagine getting a gig that good,” she said, taking another sip of her drink.
“Well, you better start imagining it, because you’re well on your way to getting it.”
“Seriously?” she asked, her eyes widening.
“You’re clearly one of the better interns this session. But, there are always things you can do to improve your chances.”
“Like what?” she asked.
“There’s this event I have to go to on Friday night. It’s a charity dinner for cancer research, and a lot of important people are going to be there. I wanted to bring a date, but not just anyone. I wanted to bring someone who knew her shit. You’re smart, and with a little preparation, I think you could really be an asset to me. There are a few doctors that the CEO is wanting to bring into our network and he’s asked me to talk up the hospital, and if I play my cards right, it could be a very big night for me.”
“And you want me to go with you?” she asked in disbelief.
“I think you would be the perfect date, yes,” I said, smiling sweetly. “If things go well, I’d be happy to have you come onboard as the surgical intern.”
“And if things don’t go well?” she asked, looking concerned.
I shook my head. “It’ll be fine. I’ll make sure you’re prepared to go. It shouldn’t take much work. I’ll give you a few pages on the doctors you’ll be talking to, and some background information on what the CEO is looking for. You’re not the one selling the hospital though, that’s my job. Mostly, I just want you to make polite conversation with them and their spouses. Just general conversation, it can be medical, but nothing too difficult. You don’t even really have to know anything about CUIMC’s doctor network, at least not right now. You can leave all of that to me.”
She nodded intently, her brow furrowing. “It all sounds very promising, but I have a ton of studying to do. And you did give us three fairly large assignments.”
I pursed my lips. “True, but I never said when they would be due, I can always give everyone a reprieve.”
She smiled. “I guess you probably could do that. And I would really like that internship.”
“Go with me to this event, and it’s practically yours. Of course, I’ll have to announce it so it seems like a fair competition, but no one has to know our dirty little secret. It should be fun for you, too. You can mingle amongst powerful and wealthy patrons, wear a fancy dress, and eat and drink some fantastic food. I bet you’ve never been to an event like this before.”
“I haven’t,” she replied. “That does sound nice. What if I don’t fit in?”
“You will if you’re with me. I wouldn’t even ask you if I didn’t think you were the right girl. What do you say?”
“It’s a very enticing offer.” She giggled.
I reached across the table and took her hand in mind. “Excellent. Now, what do you say to coming back to my place now? We can start preparing for the event.”
She bit her lip in hesitation. “I don’t know, I told my roommate I’d be home after a quick drink.”
“Text her and tell her you’re with me. You just look so pretty right now. It would be a shame to waste those good looks on a dorm room. It’s not even late yet. I promise I’ll have you back to your apartment before first rounds tomorrow.”
She frowned. “Tomorrow?”
“Sure,” I replied casually. “I’m not going to kick you out of my place in the middle of the night. What kind of a guy do you think I am?”
She looked away from me. “I don’t know. I suppose I don’t really know you, after all.”
I sighed. I was losing her and I wasn’t sure how to get her back. Perhaps I had misjudged Olivia. She seemed to smart and eager to please. Maybe she wasn’t nearly as eager as I originally thought. Nevertheless, I had to press on. The event was just a few days away, and I really didn’t want to show up alone. If Olivia were as smart as she seemed, she wouldn’t refuse my extremely generous offer.
Chapter 5
Olivia
Sitting in the private booth, I went from feeling very confident to very foolish. I had allowed myself to get so caught up in all of the excitement and prestige of a meeting with Dr. Damon Rye that I didn’t think about any ulterior motives. He was so far out of my league; I was an idiot for thinking that he truly had an interest in me. Well, he had an interest in me, but it seemed to be purely motivated by my willingness to put out.
I wasn’t opposed to having sex. I had just a few sexual encounters during my college career, and they were all with men I had been dating for a while. I wasn’t a prude, but I also didn’t give it up for just anyone. I still believed that sex was special, and I only wanted to do it with men who truly respected me. Sleeping with a guy, just to get an internship was out of the question. I wanted to get ahead in the medical field, but I could not live with myself if I had to sleep my way through life, just to get the job I wanted. I didn’t want to spend thousands upon thousands of dollars to go to school, just to come out a glorified sex worker.
I was insulted and hurt that Damon would even suggest a thing. Carol said that he had a reputation for sleeping with interns, but I thought our connection was stronger than that. I didn’t need anything from him. In fact, it sounded like he needed more from me.
But, I didn’t feel like I was in a position where I could leverage this point over him. He wanted to parade me around some rich people at a hospital fundraiser for cancer research. Somehow, he thought that the offer would be enticing enough on its own. While I did want to be able to network with some of the greatest minds in the medical field, I didn’t want to go so badly I would give up my morals. I just wasn’t that kind of girl. If he had treated me with an ounce of respect and courted me, instead of bribing me, maybe I would go back to his apartment after a few dates. He was still beautiful and charming, but now I knew he was a rat. I wanted to trust him, but I just couldn’t. As he begged me to go back home with him, the horrible sinking sensation in my stomach only got worse. I had to trust my instinct on this one.
“I don’t like this,” I said. “It doesn’t seem right. If you’re offering an internship position for the whole class, should you really be offering it to one person? And, should you be trying to get that candidate drunk enough so she’d go home and have sex with you?”
My voice had gotten louder. I forgot that we were in public and lowered my voice so no one would look over. I already felt embarrassed enough.
“Relax, would you?” he chastised me. “I’m not forcing you to do anything you don’t want to do. People have said a lot of things about me, but none of them bordered on criminal. If you don’t want to come over, you don’t have to. And, when did I mention sex? Do you think you’re really so irresistible that I wouldn’t be able to keep anything else on my mind? I have a job to do and I wanted to know if you were willing to help me out. I was about to let you into my world of endless possibilities for you. Do you know how many girls would kill for that kind of inclusion? Guys, too! You can’t tell me that a few of your male co-interns wouldn’t suck me off, just to spend an hour outside of class with me. I didn’t ask anything of you that wouldn’t directly benef
it you as well. I’m downright insulted that you would act this way.”
I looked down at the table. He was making me feel like garbage. I wondered if I really had overreacted. While he never explicitly said that he wanted me around for sexual purposes, he made it seem that way. Was Carol right about him all along, or was I projecting her concerns onto my situation? My mind was in a pretzel and I was in no place to sort it all out.
“I’m sorry,” I said, not exactly sure what I was apologizing for.
“Thank you,” he said softly. “You really didn’t need to get riled up over nothing.”
I pursed my lips. “Does this hurt my chances of getting the internship?”
“Are you going to the fundraiser with me?”
I frowned. “I don’t think that’s such a good idea.”
His face contorted from his pleasant, charming resting face to a scowl. “Then no, probably.”
“Because I didn’t want to go out with you?” I squeaked. “You know I’m qualified for the internship. I’m the best intern in that whole session and you know it!”
“Then I guess I’ll give you equal consideration,” he said wearily. “This is what I get for trying to help you out.”
I wasn’t sure how to feel. I felt this strange combination of disgust toward Damon, and guilt for not playing the game. It was easy to be optimistic now and tell myself that I didn’t need him to get to where I wanted to be. But, I wondered if five years down the line, I’d be kicking myself for not playing along.
Most of all, he made me feel like the invisible girl in Hazelwood. Once again, I was a nobody, stupidly hoping that the popular guy would like me. He seemed so sweet and genuine, and I fell for his tricks. He was no different than the assholes my mother warned me about. He was exactly what Carol warned me about.
Forbidden Prescription 6: A Stepbrother Fake Girlfriend Medical Romance (Forbidden Medicine) Page 3
