Until Harmony (Until Her 4)

Dragging his mouth from mine, his hand wrapped around the back of my neck squeezes. “Tonight,” he says, and my eyes flutter open while I pull in a breath.

“Tonight,” I agree, and his lips touch mine then the tip of my nose before he stands. I watch him in a daze as he puts on his shirt, and then keep watching him as he grabs his boots and leaves the room, giving me a smile over his shoulder as he goes.

I fall to my back in the bed and stare up at the ceiling, feeling nothing but happiness. No fear, no worry about the unknown, just happiness. Smiling, I get up and finish getting ready for work, and then head out with that same smile still on my lips.

***

“Hey, you,” Mimi says, and I look up from the chart I’m working on and meet her gaze. Mimi and I started working here a few weeks apart, but she’s been a nurse for over six years. The first time I saw her, I didn’t know what to think. She’s edgier than any other nurse I’ve met. She has lots of tattoos, black hair that’s cut in a short bob with sharp bangs that brush her almond-shaped, and unusual colored blue-green eyes. I wouldn’t have guessed she’s as sweet as she is by just looking at her, but she is, even if she is a little blunt.

“What’s up?” I ask as she rolls her chair closer to mine.

“I’m exhausted.” She yawns, grabbing her coffee and taking a sip. “These hours are kicking my ass.”

“I hear you,” I concur, picking up my Coke and twisting off the lid. “We only have a couple more hours left though, so not much longer.”

“Thank God. I feel like I could fall asleep standing up.” She yawns again. “This coffee isn’t doing it for me anymore,” she mutters as she pushes out of the chair to stand, sending it rolling back a few feet. “I’m going to go grab a 5-hour ENERGY out of my bag in the break room. Do you mind watching my rooms?”

“Not at all,” I say, and she gives me a small, tired smile before she walks off. Going back to working on the chart in my hand, I lift my head when I sense someone getting close to the nurses’ station then feel myself tense when I see it’s Dr. Hofstadter. Dr. Hofstadter was one of the first doctors I met here at the hospital after I started. When I met him, he gave me the heebie-jeebies. He’s creepy when he’s trying to be charming, and even though he’s good looking, he’s the kind of man whose position as a doctor has given him a false sense of power.

“Hey, Harmony.” He winks, and I fight to keep myself from gagging.

“Hi, Dr. Hofstadter.” I give him a fake smile as he leans against the double ledge counter in front of me.

“How are you?” he asks, and I watch his eyes drop to my chest.

Total creep.

“I’m good. How are you?”

“Been good, spent part of the weekend on my boat, the other part playing golf at the country club.” He smiles what I suppose would be an attractive smile if he didn’t make my skin crawl.

“That’s nice,” I mutter, praying silently that one of the patient’s call light turn on so I have an excuse to get away from him.

“Have you ever been out on a boat?”

“Yep,” I answer, not giving him anything else, since I don’t want to engage him and drag out this conversation.

“Maybe we shou—”

“Hey, Dr. Hofstadter,” Mimi says, sounding upbeat and peppy, and I watch his eyes go to her and twitch with annoyance.

“Mimi.” He lifts his chin in her direction.

“Did you see the football game?” she asks, moving herself to stand between my chair and the counter, blocking him from view.

“I didn’t,” he mutters.

“Bummer, it was a great game.”

“Yeah.” He clears his throat. “I gotta head out. If you ladies need me, you know my number.”

“Yep,” Mimi agrees, and I see his eyes come to me from around her shoulder and watch him smile.

“Have a good night.”

“You too.” I don’t smile back. I just watch him turn and leave.

“God, he’s so creepy,” Mimi says, turning to face me once he’s disappeared down the hall and through the double swinging doors at the end.

“I know,” I agree, because he is, and I’m glad I’m not the only one who thinks so.

“Was he going to ask you out?”

“I don’t know, but I hope not.”

“You don’t want to be on his radar. You need to avoid him.”

“I’ll avoid him,” I assure her.

“Good.” She opens her 5-hour ENERGY and tips it into her mouth.

“So who played in the game yesterday?” I ask with a smile, and she grins at me.

“Fuck, I don’t know, but it’s the only thing I could think to say when I saw the look on your face and him leaning over the counter.”