I hang up, lock my car, and half run to the stairs, taking them two at a time. I get to level two, take my heels off, and bolt to the other end of the parking lot with my heels in my hand, with only my stockings hitting the bare ground. I arrive panting and a skinny guy who couldn’t care less looks up at me.
“Oh, are you the lady whose parking ticket isn’t working?”
“That… would… be me,” I pant. Oh, man, I’m out of shape.
I give him the ticket. He scans it and then opens the gate with a button. I watch on his security camera as it rises.
“You couldn’t do this for me when I was up there?” I snap. Honestly… some people.
“No. I don’t want to get into trouble.” He smiles sarcastically as he hands over my card.
I snatch it from him and turn to run back to the stairs and up to my level, and then over to my car. I’m out of breath when I glance at my watch. 6. 58am.
Oh, man. I’m late!
I drive like a maniac into the car park. I get out, lock the car, and run. I don’t even know where I will come out in the hospital, but I hope it’s close to where I’m going. I push open the heavy door and come out into an area I haven’t seen before. Where the heck am I? I look around in a panic.
I see a janitor. “Excuse me, where… is… cardiology?” I pant. So much for me looking good today. I look like hell on a stick now.
He frowns. “Down the other end of the hospital and up two levels.”
My face falls. “What?” Crap. I start to run and catch an elevator. I pant as I try to fix my hair in the mirror, and just before the doors open I glance down to see a huge ladder in my stockings that runs up the whole length of my leg.
“Ah. Fuck it!” I snap.
The doors open and I scramble out. I need to find a bathroom to take my stockings off. I glance at my watch. 7. 10am.
Oh my God. Oh my fucking God!
I’m never late.
I don’t do late.
I finally see a restroom sign and run into the cubicle and rip off my stockings like a crazy person.
This day is starting out really fucking bad. I throw them into the trash and scramble out, finally arriving at the cardiology wing. I open the double doors to see all of the interns standing in a group with Dr. Stanton.
Cool, calm, and on bloody time.
I’m panting, my hair is all over the place, and they all turn to look at me together.
Oh crap.
“I’m sorry I’m late,” I whisper, embarrassed as I slide over the where they are standing.
Dr. Stanton’s dark eyes meet mine. I feel myself wither under his glare.
“Nice of you to finally join us.” He sneers.
My face falls. “I’m sorry, Dr. Stanton. I had a parking incident.”
His angry eyes hold mine. “The reasoning is irrelevant. You’re late.”
My eyes hold his. Oh my God.
The other interns all look away. This is uncomfortable.
“I… I know,” I stammer nervously. “I’m sorry.” I drop my head in shame.
“I don’t tolerate late. You need to pick up your act or you won’t last two minutes around here.” He growls angrily. “I don’t deal with incompetent people.”
“I’m sorry. It won’t happen again.”
“Give your lame excuses to someone else,” he mutters before he turns and walks up the corridor.
The other interns and I all stand still on the spot in shock.
What the actual fuck was that?
He turns. “Are you coming?” he snaps.
The interns all take off after him into a patient’s room, while I drift along at the back, hearing my furious pulse in my ears.
“Ashley, don’t make us wait any longer,” he calls from inside the room.
Dr. Vegas might need a fucking doctor himself soon.
How dare he?
You know the thing that annoys me about sexual chemistry? It doesn’t turn off when you want it to. Cameron Stanton is openly furious with me, and here I am, following his cranky ass around all day, imagining how he would look naked. I mean, the suit is nice… perfect, in fact. That messy dark hair that looks like he has just been fucked hard is inspiring. The spotless shoes are designer, and the watch probably cost more than my car, but nope… it’s naked that’s working for me. We walk up the corridor as a group following Dr. Stanton on his rounds. This is the worse kind of torture to watch. He is so gentle and caring with his patients that I can feel myself melt more and more as the day goes on. We stop out the front of the room so he can give us our usual briefing, and he opens the client chart.
“This is Gloria Hernandez. Gloria is ninety-two and in need of a triple heart bypass.” He pauses. “Although at her age, she likely wouldn’t survive the surgery, as she isn’t well enough.” His eyes rise to meet ours. “She will be staying on here so that I can keep an eye on her and make sure she is as comfortable as possible. She has no surviving family left.”
The group falls silent. We know that’s code for Gloria is dying… alone.
Dr. Stanton fakes a smile and heads into the room. He smiles broadly as he sees the frail, little old lady in her bed.
“How is my favorite patient today?” He smiles as he picks up her hand affectionately in his.
Gloria is little, old, and frail. Her hair is completely white with a pretty curl to it and her small hand is covered in dark purple veins. She is wearing a pretty pink nightdress and has a pink clip in her hair holding her bangs back. Her face lights up when she sees him and she smiles excitedly as she takes his hand. “Hello, Dr. Stanton,” she gushes. “I’ve been waiting for you.”
He gives her a cheeky grin and squeezes her hand. “Gloria, this is my new group of interns. They are here for the next twelve months.”
Her eyes flick around to all of us and she smiles politely. “Hello.”
“Hello.” We all smile.
“How are you feeling?” he asks.
“I’m okay.” She pauses. “I would like to go home, though, please.”
He smiles harder as he pats her hand, still held firmly in his. “We have this conversation every day, Gloria. You won’t be going home anytime soon.” He picks up her chart and starts to read it.
“It’s just so boring in here, doctor.”
“Just try and relax.” He flicks the chart up to the next page as he reads on.
“Can you do something about my sight?” she pleads. “If only I could read. This is a cruel end, not being able to read.”
His eyes meet hers and he nods sadly. “Unfortunately, I can’t restore sight, Gloria. If only I could.”
A lump in my throat forms as I watch on. As an avid reader I can’t imagine anything worse than the day when my sight will no longer allow me to read. Dr. Stanton continues to read the chart. Unable to help myself, I speak up.
“What is your favorite book, Gloria?”
She looks over at us, surprised by my question.
“I’m Ashley.” I smile as I hold my hand out and gently shake her little hand.
She smiles. “Hello, Ashley.” She reaches up and cups my face in her hand. “God blessed you, my love.”
I frown. “I’m sorry?”
“You are so beautiful.”
I smile bashfully, embarrassed by her attention.
“Pride and Prejudice.” She smiles a soft, far away smile. ‘If only I could read it one more time.”
I smile as I try to block out the emotion. “That’s my favorite book, too, Gloria.”
“It’s a classic.” She rubs my cheek, and suddenly aware that eight people are looking on, I step back from the limelight. Dr. Stanton’s eyes hold mine for an extended time.
“Doctor?” Gloria interrupts.
His eyes flash to her. “Yes, Gloria.”
“I would like custard today, and not that hideous yogurt that they try to make me suffer through.”
He throws her a cheeky wink. “Are you going to be a good girl?”
She laughs mischievously. “Oh, Dr. Stanton, if only I met you sixty years ago.”
He smiles as he hands the waiting nurse her chart. “Can you please order custard today instead of yogurt?”
The nurse practically melts at his feet. “Yes, doctor.”
With one last smile at Gloria he leaves the room.
It’s just before lunch and I am famished. “Is it this way?” Amber asks.
I frown as I look around the parking lot. “I don’t know.” I’m walking in front of her as we search the parking lot for Dr. Stanton’s car. We are picking up some files from his trunk that he brought over from the private hospital. “Who does he think he is asking us to get things for him from his car anyway? I’m not a damn slave,” I snap.
His gorgeousness is seriously pissing me off.
Everyone loves Dr. Stanton. Why does he have to be so fucking perfect?
Ugh, it’s so annoying.
I’m glad I told him I didn’t remember him because we are going to be mortal enemies, I can just tell. I have to watch him be pathetically nice to everyone around me, but then he totally ignores me like I don’t even exist.
Every nurse at every opportunity flirts up a storm with him. And what’s more infuriating is that he flirts back. I can only imagine how many women he must sleep with around here.
“Why are you complaining? He actually asked the guys, remember? But we wanted to hide for ten minutes, so we offered.” Amber replies.
“Oh, yeah, we did.”
“I’ll be his slave. Seriously, how fucking gorgeous is he?” Amber sighs.
I roll my eyes. “He’s okay, I suppose,” I murmur. “I haven’t really noticed. He’s too busy being an asshole.”
“Are you kidding me? He’s a lot better than okay,” she continues from behind me as we weave through the cars. “I think he likes you.”
I turn to face her. “Why do you say that?”
“He is checking you out every chance he gets.”
I narrow my eyes. “Is not.”
“Is too.”