He says something else through that cheeky grin and she laughs out loud.
Fuck, he knows her. He’s been in the Escape lounge with her.
How many nights has he spent with her?
Stop it. It doesn’t fucking matter anyway.
I watch on for another thirty minutes as he and his friends talk, drink, and check out the occasional girl who walks past them.
He’s a player. His friends are players, and even though I knew this all along, it kind of sucks to have proof. He shakes everyone’s hand and heads toward the door.
Is he meeting her out the front?
Shit.
Unable to stop myself, I put my tray down on the nearest table and follow him out. Luckily, the bouncers are talking to a group of men and are distracted, leaving me to walk around the corner and into the shadows without being noticed.
I stand in the silence and watch him walk across the road alone. The lights flash on his luxury car as he unlocks it and hops in.
I stand in the silence as I watch his Aston Martin pull out of the parking lot and drive away down the deserted, dark street.
I look down at myself in shame. I’m dressed in next to nothing, wearing a wig and pink sunglasses. Reality sets in. There will never be anything between us. He lives the fast life and I live the life of a married woman… only, there is no husband.
Who was I kidding?
“Cameron,” I whisper softly into the darkness. “I wanted you to be my escape man.”
I sit with my elbows on the kitchen table as I try to focus my eyes. I’m so tired after only four hours sleep. To make matters worse, I’m in surgery all morning. Well, I’m not actually in surgery. I’m in the watch room, which is boring because you can’t actually see anything.
Owie sits on my lap as he eats his breakfast. I’m missing my little man, working all these hours. I have to keep reminding myself that this is for him and his future. Jenna is up, dressed, and acting all perky. She even has makeup on and her hair done. I frown as I watch her flit merrily around the kitchen.
“What’s wrong with you?”
She smirks. “What?”
I glance at the clock. “It’s 7am and you are up.” I frown as I try to articulate my thoughts. “And you’re ready.”
She smiles. “So?”
I frown. “It’s weird, isn’t it Owie?” I kiss the top of his little head.
He nods as he keeps eating.
She stands on her tiptoes to look through the kitchen window, out to the house next door. I rub my eyes as I try to wake up, and put Owie down on the chair. I go and stand next to her at the window and look out to see what, exactly, she is looking at.
A handsome blonde man is working on the fence.
I look at her and raise my eyebrows. “And who is he?”
“He’s our new neighbor.”
“Is he?”
We both watch him through the window.
“And what is our new neighbor’s name?” I ask.
“Elliot.”
“Elliot,” I repeat. “And where did you meet Elliot?”
“At the park,” Owie interrupts.
“Owie, eat your breakfast,” Jenna replies.
My mouth drops open. “You’re going to the park to meet neighbors now?”
She shakes her head. “No, he was just there with his niece. It was a coincidence.”
I smile as I turn my attention back to him sitting on top of the fence. He really is kind of hot.
“How convenient,” I mutter.
Jenna sips her coffee as she watches him. “It was a bit.”
“And what’s Elliot’s story?” I ask as I flick the kettle on. “Apart from being all rugged mountain-man like and a fence fixer.”
“He’s just bought the house next door and is renovating it.”
I dunk my teabag in the cup. “And?”
Her eyes hold mine and she smirks. “And he’s single.”
I smile broadly and raise a brow. “Once again, very convenient.”
She raises her eyebrow. “That’s what I thought.”
We both turn our attention back to him. He’s wearing a red and black flannel shirt, has a few-days growth, and his blonde hair is shaggy. He’s hammering something into the fence. We watch him for a minute.
“You should probably be a good neighbor and take him out a cup of coffee.”
She smiles into her cup. “I really should, shouldn’t I? It would be rude not to.”
“And cookies,” Owie interrupts.
Jenna smiles and I get out another cup.
“How did last night go?” she asks.
I roll my eyes. “Guess who’s a member?”
She frowns. “Who?”
I raise an eyebrow.
Her mouth drops open. “Fuck off,” she mouths.
“Nope.”
“Did he see you?”
I shake my head again and glance at Owie eating his breakfast as he watches the morning cartoons on television.
“Oh my God,” she whispers as she leans in so Owie can’t hear her. “Was he with anyone?”
“Not last night, but obviously he’s been before.”
Jenna’s eyes widen as she bites her bottom lip. “I have no words.”
“I have one,” I whisper, deadpan.
“Hmm.” We both stay silent as I make the cup of coffee for Elliot.
She shrugs. “Maybe he goes there for the articles?”
I look at her, unblinking. “Maybe.”
“What are you going to do?”
I sip my coffee. “I have no idea.” I pause. “Nothing.”
I hand her the coffee and grin. “Go get him, tiger.”
I stand in the corridor, outside the operating room. Amber and Scott are suited up in scrubs while the rest of us are waiting for Dr. Stanton.
“Hey, we should go out tomorrow night to celebrate our first week,” Nick says.
Amber’s eyes light up. “Oh my God. Yes!” She grabs my hand in excitement.
“Ah.” I pause, I don’t really want to leave Owie with Jenna again. She has him all week. It’s just not fair. “Let me see if I can get out of another arrangement,” I reply sadly. I would love to go, but I already know I can’t.
Amber smiles. “You’re coming. We are all going to go-the six of us. It will be so much fun, and we can ask Dr. Stanton and Dr. Jameson is they want to come, too.”
“Go where?” Dr. Stanton asks from behind us. I turn to see him standing behind us wearing navy scrubs, a navy cap and shoe covers. My mouth goes dry. I don’t think I’ve ever seen anyone look so beautiful in my whole life. My body instantly craves his and I have to bite my lip to stop my mouth from hanging open. His eyes find mine across the group as my stomach starts to swirl with nerves.
“We’re all going out tomorrow night. Do you want to come?” Amber asks.
He smiles politely. “We’ll see.” He turns his attention to the rest of the group. “Good morning, everyone,” he announces in his husky, deep voice, and that hot Australian accent. He sounds like bloody Liam Hemsworth, only ten times better.
“Good morning,” everyone replies. If I could speak, I would, but I’m too busy with my ‘doctor throwing me on the operating table’ fantasy. When that man touched me last night at the club he awakened something that has been dormant for a long, long time.
A fire-a fire with only one effective extinguisher who looks fucking edible in scrubs. His eyes hold mine for a moment longer than they should, only this time I stare back. I want him to see me. I want him to know that he still does it for me. Does he remember me the way I remember him?
The group all make small talk and Cameron goes through the procedure he’s doing today, but his eyes keep coming back to me.
I feel like I’m the only one in the room. Like I’m the only one he is speaking to.
Am I imagining this?
“Okay, Ashley,” he says.
I raise my brows as I’m snapped from my daydream. “Oh. Erm. I’m sorry. I missed that part.”
“I said that we’re all meeting for a welcome coffee in the cafeteria this afternoon at 2pm, if I don’t see you all before then.”
“Oh.” I nod and fake a smile, feeling foolish.
The group moves to their positions, but he stays standing in front of me. “Will you be coming?”
That could happen just by watching you, you sexy beast of a sleazy man.
He seems to be waiting for my answer. Huh?
“Oh. To… to coffee, you mean?” I stammer.
A trace of a smile crosses his lips. “Yes.” His eyes darken. “Where else would you be coming?”
I feel my cheeks heat in embarrassment and I blurt out the first thing that comes to my mind. “I’ll be there with bells on.”
His eyes continue to hold mine. “Bells are a personal favorite.” He smirks sarcastically. I just want the floor to swallow me up. I watch as he disappears into the operating room, and I drop my eyes to my feet in disgust. I’ve really got to work on my flirting game. I will be there with bells on may just be the most ridiculous thing that has ever left my mouth.
I need to find my old, witty self, and I need to find her quick.
We all sit together in a group in the hospital cafeteria. There are six interns and the two doctors. Amber is taking center stage with her quirky sense of humor, and everyone is hanging on her every word. Dr. Stanton, however, seems to have fixed his attention firmly on me. But, once again, that could be all in my head because I think I’m becoming delusional. Even though I have no idea what’s going through that head of his, I do know he’s attracted to me. But then, maybe he keeps looking at me because he is trying to work out whether it really was me he met in Vegas?
Maybe.
The sexual tension between us is like nothing I’ve ever felt before.
It’s undeniable and I know he feels it, too.
All week, sparks have been flying between us.
“Oh, give me yours,” Steven says as he Facebook friend requests everyone in the group.
I glance around the table to see everyone busily adding each other. Shit, this is why I have two accounts.
“I’m Ashley T.” I smile. I hardly use this account and only have work friends on it.
They all friend request me and to be polite. I go around the table and add everyone,
“Do you have a Facebook account, Dr. Stanton and Dr. Jameson?” Amber asks.
God, she’s so forward. It’s bloody embarrassing.
They both shake their heads and I smirk. As if they would want to be friends with a bunch of interns.