Married to My Enemy

The door to the break room swung open, and for one hopeful moment, I thought it was Evan. But instead, Molly walked in.

“Morning, doll!” she said.

“Hey Molly.”

“So, I heard you got a day off yesterday for playing hero.”

I smirked. “It was nothing.”

“Ever so modest.” Molly got a pop-tart from the vending machine and then turned to me with an all-too-knowing gleam in her eyes. “You catch up with Evan?”

I pressed my lips together, trying hard to fight back the smile that naturally wanted to present itself at the sound of his name. Molly laughed and clapped her hands together.

“Shh!” I said, casting a panicked look around the room although we were alone.

“Shh, nothing!” Molly said. “I want some details! I heard he all but caused a scene over you yesterday. I was busy with Dr. Newman, so I missed it all. Had to hear it through the grapevine. When I heard you’d taken the day off, I almost decided to call you. But then someone told me that you’d left with Evan, so I figured you might have been busy.”

“So busy,” I laughed.

Molly pulled out a chair and motioned for me to sit beside her as she opened her strawberry pop-tart. “So—what’s the verdict? First impressions aren’t always lasting impressions, eh?”

I shook my head. “I guess not. I’ve never had a first impression proven so wrong in my life. Evan is…intense. And wonderful.”

“Look at you, sounding all smitten.”

“I am,” I said, feeling another blush coming forth. “It’s scary, actually.”

“Scary? What’s scary about it? Tall, dark, and handsome. NAVY Doctor. Girl, that’s what you call the jackpot!”

“But it’s all happening so quickly.”

“Feels too good to be true, huh?”

“Exactly. But us working together.”

“Well, the only thing to do is wait it out and see what happens. Think of it like an amusement park—sometimes the best rides are fast!”

Molly and I descended into a fit of giggles. “You are a mess,” I said.

“So I’ve been told. And don’t worry about this place, your secret is safe with me.” She took another bite of her pop-tart and then checked her watch. “What are you doing here so early anyway?”

“I wanted to check on the woman from yesterday. She’s doing good. She’s in recovery now.”

“What exactly happened with that again?”

“I was taking Lucy for an early morning run and she took off after a stray cat. By the time I got her to stop, there was this woman. I saw her just as she fainted and bashed her head on a metal fence.”

“Goodness, honey.” Molly reached over to briefly take my hand. “I know that had to be scary.”

I nodded. “I thought she was going to die.”

“Well, thank goodness you were there. Not everyone can stay as calm under pressure as you.”

I laughed humorlessly. “That’s the thing I struggle with most. I always feel like I’m on the brink of panicking during emergencies. You’d think that in all my time working in this field, especially in this department, I’d be better at it.”

“That’s interesting. Because in my time working with you, I’ve never seen you lose your cool during an emergency. Maybe you freak out on the inside, but it doesn’t show. And it definitely doesn’t impair your judgment. You’ve got amazing instincts, Tessa. Knowing that you panic on the inside just makes what you do all the more impressive. You’re going places, honey. Mark my words. There’s only great things in store for you.”

“You make it sound so impressive.”