I hear her clear her throat and my trance breaks. I blink and come back into focus.
She looks at me, puzzled. “Are you all right?”
“Yeah, uh…sorry. Long day. That’ll be $27.85.”
She motions with her debit card. “Here you go.”
I glance at it. “Oh right.” I take the card from her and hear her chuckle. Damn, even her laugh sounds beautiful.
I swipe the card in the credit card machine and punch in the total. I hear a beep come from inside her purse and glance over as she takes her cell phone out and reads the text message. She giggles and a huge smile beams across her face. Her cheeks blush as she types her response. I start to think about reasons why she would blush and can only think of one: she has a boyfriend.
I turn away and let out a sigh as the machine processes the payment and the white receipt begins to print. I tear the paper, grab a pen, and slip it to her so she can sign.
“Can you sign this, please?”
She places her phone down and looks at me. “Of course. And thank you so much for the éclairs. I can’t wait to eat them when I get home. Seriously this place has the best ones in town. Is this your parents’ place?”
I shake my head. “No, this is my aunt and uncle’s bakery. They just left about twenty minutes ago.”
She signs her name and passes me the receipt. “Well, tell them that I have loved their éclairs since like forever! Every Monday my mom picks these up for me and my dad, but she couldn’t tonight, so here I am.”
I give her the shopping bag and her debit card. “Enjoy.”
She puts her card in her wallet, grabs the bag, and smiles at me. “Thanks. Have a good night.”
My eyes follow her toward the exit as she walks outside. I step around the counter and look out, watching her cross the street and disappear into the night.
Wow.
I stand there staring out, recovering from the shock of seeing such beauty. A car horn startles me and I slip back into reality. I step back and focus on cleaning up the back of the bakery. A few minutes later, I walk toward the register to count the day’s earnings and lock it up.
I see the signed receipt she left and pick it up to put it in the pile of receipts. I glance at the signature and see her name elegantly scripted on the line. Melanie Stevens. As I read her name, I smile and hope that I’ll get to see her again, sooner rather than later.
Melanie
THE SIREN OF THE AMBULENCE startles me out of my daydream. Jumping out of my seat, I pull my hair into a small ponytail and race toward the entrance of the emergency room. A couple of the other ER nurses rush up behind me just as the paramedics bust through the door, rolling a patient on a gurney. It’s go time.
I grab hold of the gurney and assess the patient. “Talk to me.”
Jacob, the paramedic, spits out the history. “Multiple gunshot victim. Wounds on the upper chest and right leg. He was all over the place during the ride here. Levels fluctuating. BP 100 over 59. Age 37. Victim’s name is Brian and he remained conscious.”
As I check Brian’s dressings, Dr. Easton Quinn sneaks up behind me.
Flashing his pen light into Brian’s eyes, he says, “So Brian, I see you got yourself in a little bit of a pickle here. Don’t worry, I’ll fix you right up.”
I check Brian’s blood pressure as Dr. Quinn listens to his heart and checks his lungs. He removes the stethoscope and motions toward the operating room.
“OR 3 is open. Let’s bring him in there and get those bullets out.”
As we all race to the operating room, I look down at Brian, whose face is full of pain and worry. I smile. “You’re in good hands sir.”
Seconds later we arrive to the OR, just as the nurses finish prepping it. As Brian is pushed inside, Dr. Quinn and I wash up and change into scrub gear for the surgery. The nurse anesthetist rushes inside and I watch as Brian is slowly put to sleep in a matter of seconds.
I roll on my latex gloves, put on my mask, and let out a deep breath. Surgery is always very stressful but it’s a rush at the same time. I close my eyes and relax. You got this.
Dr. Quinn takes control. “First things first, we need to make sure these bullets aren’t causing any more damage.”
He nods to me. “Pass me the fluoroscopy.”