Perfect Stranger (Serendipity's Finest 2.50)

Thanks for last night. Emergency at hospital. Let yourself out. A.

Well damn.

CHAPTER FOUR

“Are you sure your father wasn’t a hoarder?” Luke asked Sawyer, as they lugged yet more boxes of admitted crap from the basement out to the curb.

Sawyer dropped his box with a groan. “No comment.”

The day had dawned sunny and hot for a July morning in New York.

“You know what’s in these things?” Luke asked as he wiped the sweat from his forehead with the back of his arm.

“Fishing magazines. Now can we talk about something else? Like where the hell have you been?”

“When did you become my goddamned mother? I called to tell you I wouldn’t be here till later this morning.”

“You also said you met someone. Then you walked in here and not a word about it. Serendipity’s a small town. Chances are I know her. So tell me more.”

Luke had no intention of standing around and gossiping like a girl. Ignoring his buddy, he headed back to the house for another load of trash.

“Was she any good?” Sawyer asked, pushing for answers.

Not that Luke blamed him. In the past, they’d never hesitated to share information if they picked up a hot chick after a game or out of town. Thing was, it’d been a long while since Luke had been on that path. The same for Sawyer. So maybe that explained the other man’s interest.

“What’s wrong? Dry spell so bad you have to live vicariously through me?” Luke asked as Sawyer caught up to him inside the house.

Sawyer opened the fridge and tossed Luke a vitaminwater, then took one himself and chugged it down before meeting Luke’s gaze. “Touchy and secretive about a hookup with a tramp who doesn’t mind doing you not twenty-four hours after meeting you.”

Luke clenched his teeth and silently counted to ten, reminding himself that this was Sawyer’s way of provoking him into replying. Sawyer wasn’t Mr. Sensitive, but he wasn’t a jackass about women, either.

“Not going there,” Luke said.

He wasn’t in the right frame of mind to talk about Alexa. Truth be told, he was pissed she’d left him alone in her bed. The least she could have done was wake him before she headed out. Sad thing was, he’d done it to many women in the past, never thinking how shitty it would feel to be on the other end. And maybe some women could handle it. Hell, if certain females had left his bed before he woke up he’d have been one happy man, not that he’d tempted fate by letting them stay. He knew better than to set up expectations. And maybe that’s why he felt so crappy now. One-night stand or not, he liked her enough to see her again. Clearly she didn’t feel the same and that sucked.

“Hey. I’m serious. Who is it? Obviously she got to you, and if I know her, maybe I can help.” Sawyer hopped up on the counter.

Now that Sawyer realized Luke was really bothered, he’d cut the bullshit. And that was the friend Luke would talk to. “Alexa Collins,” Luke finally said.

Sawyer’s mouth opened wide. “No shit? The doctor?”

“One and the same.”

His friend let out a slow whistle. “You don’t mess round. Class all the way. No wonder she got to you.”

Luke downed half the bottle of vitaminwater and let it stand as his answer. Sawyer was right. Alexa had gotten to him and he didn’t know what to do about it. “Do you know her?”

“Her dad’s my father’s doctor and he spent a lot of time with my old man over the past couple of months. When I was around, I picked up some things.”

“Like?” He propped a hip against the counter and waited.

“She’s an all work, no play kind of woman. Doesn’t seem like you’d have much in common there.” Sawyer raised an eyebrow.

“Then you’d be wrong.” They’d hit it off. Everything about her interested him. “From her perspective it sounded more like her father had pushed her in the career direction she took. It’s expected of her but I’m not sure she’s that happy with the end result.”

“Her old man says she’s taking over as chief of staff at University Hospital when he retires. She’s a shoo-in with the board. And to keep herself there, she has no playtime. Hell, man. I don’t think she knows how to play.”

“Oh, she knows how,” Luke muttered.