Would a woman like Emory be interested in a guy like me? Sure, I was successful in my career, was financially secure, but she didn’t know any of that. Who gave a shit about that crap when it came down to a connection? The ghosts of my past lingered, taunted me, reared their ugly heads when I least expected it. Like now, when beautiful Emory appeared out of nowhere. Would she give me a shot? She’d be stupid to do so. She just knew the guy who’d said stupid things and almost made her cry. Shit. I was in trouble here. I tossed the towel in the hamper and stripped off my sweaty T-shirt on the way to the showers. This was one fight I had no intention of losing.
EMORY
“Spill, girlfriend.” Faith Abrams swiveled around in her office chair and wheeled over to where I sat filling out papers.
I spent three hours on Saturday mornings volunteering at an inner city health clinic that catered to women and children. Visits ranged from pregnancy to ear infections and everything in between. In July, I’d been looking for something to fill my time with Chris having left for Plebe Summer at the Naval Academy, and this had certainly done it. The place was in desperate need of help, overrun with patients wanting the free or low-cost services, and being a nurse practitioner, I could write prescriptions like a doctor while not requiring one to be on staff at all times. It helped keep costs down and the budget was thin.
“The party was fun. Christy was beautiful. The dress I told you about looked great.” I glanced up at her briefly before back at the prescription I was writing. I ripped it off the pad.
“Any cute guys?”
I hid my flushed cheeks by turning back to my charts. I’d spent the night thinking about Gray, reliving my ridiculous behavior over and over. I’d tossed and turned, even swore at myself in my empty bedroom, angry I wasn’t flashier and sexier. Hell, I would have settled for not being a bumbling fool. I’d assumed Gray to be a jerk or worse, actually dangerous, but spending only a few minutes with him had me thinking otherwise. I’d even gotten confirmation about his character when I’d said my goodbyes to Paul and Christy.
Paul had given me quick reassurance that the man was a really good guy, which only made me feel even worse. Gray was the first guy in eons…no ever, to make me lust. Yes, it was pure lust because as I thought of him in my dark bedroom, I envisioned unbuttoning his shirt, no, ripping those buttons right off, to feel his soft skin and the hard muscles beneath. I longed to know what those long fingers could do, whether the stubble on his jaw would be rough against my inner thighs. He’d reduced me to a puddle of hormones.
When the alarm went off at five, I’d been ready to burn off the frustration out on the water. After rowing for two hours, I went home to shower, then on to the clinic. Now, at noon and just before closing, I was wiped.
I glanced up and rolled my eyes at Faith, leaned my forearms on the desk. “There was an auditor from Social Security.”
Her pink scrub-clad shoulders s
lumped and she pouted. “That’s no fun.”
“You’re telling me,” I grumbled, remembering how Bob/Bill had belittled my job. “He thought a nurse practitioner was a candy striper.”
“Girlfriend, you worked hard for that title. I bet that auditor doesn’t have a master’s degree.” She humphed in indignation.
As for Gray, I wasn’t saying a word. I was embarrassed enough just thinking about it and couldn’t fathom mentioning how stupid I’d been to anyone else. If I told her how I’d acted, she’d probably smack me. I just wanted to go back to bed and toss the covers over my head.
“Hey, Em.” Another nurse, Samantha, filled the open doorway, clipboard in hand.
I looked up. Smiled. “What’s up?” She was in her early thirties, brown hair pulled back in a ponytail, blue scrubs.
“The kid in room three. Okay for his vaccine?”
I nodded. “Sure. Bring a lollipop in with you.”
The woman pulled one from the jar on the counter, switched papers around. “Carrie in room two. Next appointment?”
I thought of the woman who was three-months pregnant. “One month. Give her a pack of pre-natals. She hasn’t taken any before.”
“One more.” The woman sighed. “Then we can all head home. Alice Watkins. Wants a refill on her pain meds.”
I thought about the woman, her case. Broken rib, short-term pain meds. “No. She can’t have any more. Second time she’s gotten it refilled. If she’s still having pain, she needs to be seen again.”
“Got it. Thanks.” The woman left to wrap up those loose-end patients.
“That’s it? Just an auditor?” Faith asked, returning to our conversation. “I need to live through your dating life.”
I swiveled my chair around to face Faith. “What dating life?”
She gave me a pointed look over the edge of her reading glasses. She let them drop to dangle from the thin chain around her neck. “Exactly.”
I sputtered, placing my stethoscope on the desk. “You have four kids and a man that loves you dearly. Why are you so interested in other men?”
“Not for me, sweetheart, for you.” She pointed her finger at me like Uncle Sam.
I held up my hands, leaned back in the creaky office chair. “Oh, I’ve had a man. I’m good.” I’d settle for no guy than to have Jack back in my life. But then my thoughts veered to Gray. I sighed.