My nostrils flare. Just shut the fuck up and start the rounds, asshole.
“I’m a bit tired from my hot date last night.” Amber smiles stupidly.
Oh God, cringe. Shut up. Her open flirting with Cameron is really grating on my nerves.
A trace of a smile crosses Cameron’s face before he hides it. “Excellent.” He smirks. “At least someone around here is having hot dates,” he adds.
The group laughs.
Don’t look at him. Do not look at him. Don’t fucking look at him.
How about I put a hot poker up your ass, dipshit? Does that count as a hot date?
Because it’s totally doable.
He starts his rounds and I follow at the back of the group. He’s being his usual, witty, fun self, while I’m over here internally drowning in blood from my broken, furious heart.
We get to Gloria’s room and Cameron smiles cheekily. “How is my favorite girl today?” He smiles.
She frowns and fake coughs. “Not too good today, doctor.”
He picks up her chart and reads it as he softly takes her hand in his. Gloria smiles up at him. I snap my eyes away in disgust.
Watching him here being so kind and fun with everyone while he totally ignores me is hard to take. Maybe I should ask for a transfer to Jameson’s team?
Yeah, maybe that’s a good idea. I’m going to have to think on that one. The morning rounds seem to take forever and we stop at the café for the usual midmorning coffee where we all sit together. I glance at the spare tables around us and consider sitting somewhere else, but I know it will stand out to the others that something is wrong.
I stand behind Cameron as he waits in line. Amber is beside him, and if she isn’t careful, I’m going to king hit this bitch.
“Where do you like to go out Dr. Stanton?” She smiles. “I’m new to town and you know… it’s so hard to find descent places to go?”
“Yeah,” he replies, distracted. “I mostly go to friends’ houses and private parties.”
“Oh, really. Are there any parties coming up?” she asks as she runs her fingers through her hair.
The hairs on the back of my neck prickle and I roll my eyes. Please, give me a break.
She’s as subtle as a Mac Truck. I order my coffee and see some of the nurses from reception sitting over in the courtyard. I wave and smile.
Thank God, I’m saved. I’ll go and make conversation with them. I wait for my coffee and head over.
“Hello, Ashley,” they all chirp happily.
“Hi.” I smile. I love these four girls. They’re older, probably mid forties, and really nice. They’re all married with kids and have been around the hospital for years. “How have you all been?” I smile as I take a seat.
“Oh, good,” Tracey replies. “The damn plumbing is playing up, though, and a hot shower is hit and miss.”
“Oh no.” I frown. “That sucks.”
“Did you call that plumber I told you about?” Christine asks her.
I glance over and see Cameron deep in conversation with Amber. I come back to the plumbing conversation.
“He didn’t turn up and he spent all that time quoting. I just found it bizzare.” Tracey shakes her head.
Cameron laughs and I bite my lip so hard I taste blood. I swear to God, I’m going to lose my shit any second.
“Oh, man, will you look at him?” Tracey whispers.
The women all glance over and pretend not to look.
“Who?” I frown.
“Dr. Love.” Christine rolls her eyes and points to Cameron with her chin.
My stomach sinks and I glance back at them only to see Amber throw her had back and release the fakest laugh I’ve ever heard.
“Don’t you ever get involved with him, Ashley. He’s trouble,” Christine tells me.
I fake a smile and sip my coffee. I can’t help myself. I have to ask. “Why is that?”
“He breaks more hearts than he mends.”
“Bit of a player is he?” I ask.
“The worst kind. He sees more nurses in this hospital than patients. Every unmarried nurse in this hospital is in love with him, and he picks and chooses between them to use as his latest play toy.”
My heartbeat thuds.
“He treats them like crap, too,” Tracey whispers. “I don’t know why they put up with it,” she whispers.
I glance back over and right on cue, Amber and he laugh again.
“Treats them like crap?” I frown.
“Yes, tells them straight up that it’s just sex so don’t get any ideas about trying to snag him as their own.”
My heart runs out the bottom of my scrubs and onto the floor in a puddle.
How many women has he slept with?
How many women feel like I do about him?
I was just a number.
I sip my coffee, but I don’t taste it. My taste buds are dying by the second along with my pride.
Oh God, this is a mess. I can’t sit here any longer. I can’t take watching him over there with her, so I stand in a rush. “Catch you later, girls, I have to go make a call.”
I rush out of the cafeteria and down to the courtyard. I need to take back some control. I can feel my life slipping through my fingers. I take out my phone and dial Eliza’s number. She answers on the first ring.
“Hello, Eliza speaking.”
“Hey, Eliza. It’s Ashley.” I quickly correct myself. “I mean Vivienne.”
“Hello, dear.”
“Eliza, I know I left you in the lurch last week, but I was wondering if I could possibly ask for my job back, please?”
She stays silent as she thinks.
“I’m so sorry. I got this new boyfriend and I was trying to please him. I made a stupid decision and now he’s left me anyway,” I blurt out.
“Oh, Ash.” She sighs. “Why on earth would you let a man dictate your job?”
“I don’t know,” I murmur sadly. “Stupidity, I guess.”
She thinks for a moment and I close my eyes. I need this job. “Please…” I beg.
“Alright, come in on Thursday night for your normal shift.”
I smile sadly. “Thank you.”
“Hang on a second, please, Ashley.”
I frown as I wait on.
“Ash, I’ve just checked the roster and we’ve already filled your shift for Thursday night.”
“Oh.” I sigh.
“Maybe you could be on the door or something?”
I bite my bottom lip.
“It’s just one night and then you can go back to the bar.”
I stay silent.
“I really need someone who is flexible, Ashley.”
Shit.
“Can you help me out on Thursday night or not?” she asks.
Fuck, I screw up my face.
“Yeah, that’s fine,” I eventually answer.
“Great, see you at ten.”
I smile. “Thanks, Eliza. I really appreciate it.”
It’s 6. 10pm and Owen and I are sitting in waiting room of the medical centre as we wait for Cameron. Of course he’s late. He’s timed it perfectly so he doesn’t have to talk to us.
My heart is in my throat, but Owen is happy enough, playing with his car on the seat.
The door opens and I look up. Cameron’s eyes meet mine and he nods once in acknowledgment. “Hello,” he offers coldly.
“Hello.” I fake a smile and I look to Owen. “Say hello to Cameron, Owie.”
Owen glances up. “Hello, Cameron.” He smiles cheekily.
Pain crosses Cameron’s face as he sees him and forces a smile to his face. “Hello, Owen.”
He sits down opposite us in the waiting room and drops his elbows to his knees, clenching his hands in front of him.
He’s nervous.
I take out my phone and pretend to scroll through it–anything to not see him go through this. Owen drops to his knees and drives his little tuck across the floor as he makes a tractor sound. Cameron’s eyes lift and he watches him in silence. The office door opens and a man comes out in a white coat. “Cameron Stanton?” He smiles.
Cameron stands, fakes a smile, and holds his arm out. “This is Ashley,” he introduces me.
“Hi.” I gesture to Owen. “This is Owen.”
He smiles. “Hello, Owen. That’s a great car you have there.”
Owen smiles. “It’s a truck. Cars don’t have diggers on the front.”
“Oh, yes, I see now.” He chuckles.
“Please, come in.”
The three of us stand and walk awkwardly into the office. Cameron and I sit next to each other. Owen climbs onto my lap and he holds his car up to show Cameron. “It’s blue.”