"Owen?" I hoped I didn't sound as squeaky through the phone as I did to my own ears.
"Are you in the habit of seeing many people?" I could hear his handsome smile through the phone. Out in the parking lot an ambulance siren sounded its arrival. I glanced up, checking the status boards, seeing two more patients pop up for m
y area. Hopefully the trauma wouldn't need my help because this day was starting to look a little hectic.
"If you came into this ER without a major trauma, I would give you one. It is too busy today and we are just getting busier." I scribbled out my signature on the bottom of the order page and handed the chart to the charge nurse for order input.
"Alright then. What time do you get off work?"
"7:30. Though it's usually a little later just to finish paperwork. Why?" Three new patients in the waiting room.
"I'll give you a call then." There was a smile in his voice as the line shifted to silence. I placed the receiver back on the phone, a small smile forming on my lips. It was something to look forward to at the end of my shift. The medics wheeled an elderly woman with what appeared to be a broken hip into the trauma room. At least they weren't going to need the backup, I thought to myself as I headed to room five.
My mind kept replaying Owen's voice, the promise lingering in my head. I'll give you a call then. I wondered where he got the ER's phone number, but I realized it wouldn't be that hard to figure out. He knew I worked in an ER and there aren't very many ERs in Des Moines. Heck, it wouldn't be that hard to figure out my private cell number for a man as wealthy as Owen.
I couldn't wait to hear from him again. I stepped into Room Five, my shoes slipping on the floor. Just because we had given him a bucket didn't mean he was using it. I sighed. 7:30 couldn't come fast enough.
Chapter 9
My feet hurt so much I was tempted to crawl through the parking lot to get to my car. It was almost 8:00, but the ER had been so packed I hadn't been able to escape any earlier. My boss was not going to be pleased with all the overtime. Maybe she'll stop pestering me to take extra shifts, I thought. Nah, not gonna happen in this lifetime. The phones had been ringing off the hook, but the desk secretary promised none of the calls had been for me. I had been able to stave off disappointment until I got to my locker and saw I had no messages on my phone.
So much for Owen's call.
As I stepped out of the main ER doors, the frosty night air stung my face. It smelled like it might snow later. I adjusted my scarf to keep the draft out of my coat and began the long walk to my car. I was just hoping it would start with the bitter cold and a semi-dead battery. Note to self, I really needed to get that fixed. Just as I reached the curb, my phone began to buzz.
A grin cracked my face as I didn't even pause to look at the caller ID and just hit "Answer".
"Owen?" I asked excitedly into the phone.
A siren from the ambulance room sounded, covering up any response I might have heard. I shot an irritated glare toward the ambulance driver, hoping that Owen was still on the line. I nearly dropped my phone when I looked over though.
Instead of seeing a bashful EMT, there was Owen, leaning against the hood of the ambulance with a bouquet of flowers. He grinned and pushed himself off the red hood and gracefully sauntered over to where I stood, my jaw resting on the pavement. He reached over and gently hit the "End Call" button once he reached me, the contact bringing me out of my shock at seeing him.
"What are you doing here?" My mind was spinning. This had to be a trick my brain was playing. Owen was supposed to be in New York working for Jack, not bringing me flowers at an ER in Des Moines.
"It's a little after 7:30, and I said I would call you. So, I'm calling you," he said quietly. His breath frosted the night air as he spoke and he was close enough that I could almost feel his warmth. I was torn between reaching out and touching him to make sure he was real, or just holding still and letting the dream continue. "These are for you."
He held out the flowers, the plastic lining rustling as he uncovered the protective shell so I could see them. They were soft pink plumeria flowers. I took a deep breath, the sweet fragrance instantly bringing me back to the warm sun and sand. I realized they were the same type of flowers that I had been wearing in my hair.
"They're beautiful," I whispered. My eyes flickered up to look at him and his blue eyes made my heart skip a beat. Even in the garish light of the garage he was gorgeous. I kept hoping he would lean down and kiss me.
"Not as beautiful as you," he whispered, and for a moment, I believed him. He tipped his chin down, angling to bring his mouth to mine, but then a cold wind whipped my hair, flinging the tiny strands that had escaped my messy pony tail into my eyes. It must have hit him too, and I remembered we were standing in the middle of an ambulance receiving bay.
"Thank you," I said as I shivered. Owen looked perfectly warm in his long black wool overcoat, but my own coat was just a little short in the sleeves and let in bursts of cold air whenever I moved. Owen rubbed his gloved hands up and down my arms as soon as he saw I was trembling.
"Let's get you out of the cold. Follow me. I have Chinese food in the car." He reached for my hand and began pulling me gently toward Visitor Parking. I followed eagerly, my stomach growling for something other than hospital coffee and the bagel I stole from the doctor's lounge for lunch.
"Chinese? How did you know to bring exactly what I was craving?" Sesame chicken sounded like the most delicious thing I could imagine at that moment. Well, at least as far as food went...
"I'm just that good..." He smirked like it was true, but it quickly crumbled into a guilty grin when I raised my eyebrows. "Emma told me it was your favorite. I was going to get us reservations at a French restaurant, but she made sure I knew that you could be a grouch at the end of your shifts and I would be risking my life taking you anywhere nice in scrubs. So, I have comfort food and a bottle of wine in the car."
I shook my head. "As much as I hate to admit it, she's right. I probably would have killed you in a horrible and gruesome fashion if I was expected to go out tonight. Chinese gets you extra brownie points."
Owen laughed. My night was infinitely better now, the stresses of the busy shift drifting away on the the last of the winter winds. This was the best way to end a shift. A large black limousine loomed up out of the darkness, purring softly in a corner of the visitors' lot. Owen opened the door and I slid in, the smell of delicious food steaming the tinted windows.
"Oh my god, it smells amazing in here! What all did you get?" I wriggled out of my jacket and bent over one of the brown paper bags, tearing into it like a rabid badger.
"Sesame chicken, lemon chicken, shrimp lo-main, spicy beef stir-fry, wontons, dumplings, egg-rolls, and egg fried rice. I hope I got something you like."