It’s been nine months since my breakup with August. I tried keeping it under wraps, but of course it got out at the hospital and then spread like wildfire. Look, I’m not going to pretend that my feelings weren’t hurt by how everything went down. I was bitter and resentful toward August for a few weeks, but that quickly gave way to embarrassment. The fact that I was more concerned about my ego after the breakup was a pretty big sign to me that my heart wasn’t fully invested the relationship to begin with.
August is an amazing woman and her husband Remi is more than lucky. They belong together; she was never meant to be with me. I see that now, although that doesn’t mean I don’t appreciate the role Leigh played in how it all went down either. Sometimes I wonder: If she hadn’t pestered Remi to face his feelings and tell August how he really felt, would she have eventually realized they weren’t a fit and moved on from him—with me?
“Oh, I thought it was clear I was waiting on your divorce to get finalized,” I say, brushing the thoughts of August to the side. Sherice lets out a deep belly laugh.
“You’ll be waiting a long time, sugar. I’ve invested too much into Mr. Miller at this point. Just waiting for those retirement benefits to kick in so I can retire myself.” She shakes her head, chuckling again at my comments.
Sherice has worked here for 24 years and is loved by patients and staff alike. If you ever have any questions or problems, Sherice is your gal. Her husband Gary is just as loved as she is and makes it a point to bring her coffee and her favorite pastry at least twice a week when she works night shifts.
“Tell Gary I said not to worry; I’ll take good care of you.” I give her a wink before grabbing the next set of charts and giving them a once-over. “I’m going to take 15 to do a lap and grab some coffee. Page me if there’s an emergency.”
I take the stairs, making my way down through the ER to the cafeteria. I’m halfway through when I spot Stephanie, the bartender from The Lariat in Grand Lake, sitting in a chair with a bloody mess of tissues held up to her head.
“Steph?” I walk over to her, her expression morphing from surprise to her usual kind smile. Even with blood streaming down her hand, she’s still upbeat.
“Hey, Dr. Grant!”
“What the hell happened?” I bend over to examine her ear as she pulls her hand away. Just then, a disheveled Leigh comes rushing over, her hands overflowing with a fresh set of tissues. I watch as she does a double take when she sees me. Her feet get tangled around each other, an ankle wobbling as I dart my hands out to catch her around the waist. Her hair falls forward and hits me in the face, and I note that it smells sweet and floral.
Her mood switches almost instantly from concern for her friend to annoyance at my presence. Leave it to Leigh to be pissed about a doctor being present at a hospital. I release her as she steadies herself, and I use the opportunity to take in her appearance. She looks like she’s practically shrink-wrapped in a red dress that’s stretched over her delicious curves. Her legs are tanned—glistening, actually—and end in sky-high gold heels. I’m surprised she can even walk in those things. I try to resist, but immediately images of those heels up by my ears as I grip her ankles flood my brain. What I wouldn’t give to fuck that annoyed expression right off her pretty little face.
I tend to Stephanie’s ear, a quick fix with no major damage. She won’t even need any stitches, and with a little antibiotic ointment she’ll be just fine. I’m about to leave when she extends an invite to join them tomorrow night at a bar in Denver. I’d actually planned to go back to Grand Lake tomorrow morning. I could use a long weekend at my lake house, but the invitation is too tempting when I see the expression on Leigh’s face. She’s pissed that Steph invited me. I place my hand on the handle of the door, opening it and stepping out before turning around to take her up on the offer.
I give myself another glance in the mirror by my front door. I smooth down a small curl next to my ear. I opt for my glasses tonight, since my eyes need the break from contact lenses and they look good with my navy button-down and dark gray wool slacks. I grab my keys and make my way toward the parking garage of my building.
When I get to the bar, I park my car and make my way inside, scanning the room for Steph or Leigh’s familiar face. It’s a quarter after eight, and I made sure to arrive a few minutes after Steph’s suggested time of 8 p.m. so I didn’t look too eager.
“Can I get you something?”
I casually lean against the bar as a tall blonde woman asks for my order on the other side.
“I’m good for now, thank you.” I turn back to the room and that’s when I spot Steph, who waves at me, her long arm flailing as her eyes light up. I give her a nod as Leigh’s head whips around, her eyes spotting me and narrowing. There’s a woman I don’t recognize with them. I see her lean into Steph, her straw perched on the edge of her lips as she asks a question.
I don’t know what Steph says, but the woman’s eyes widen, her mouth forming into an oh of recognition before mouthing, “He’s hot!” to Steph. I can’t help but smile. This is going to be fun.
“Ladies,” I say, approaching the table.
“Hey, Dr. Grant, this is Marlaina, Leigh’s cousin from Boulder.” Stephanie gestures toward the woman sitting next to her.
“Doctor, huh? Pleasure.” She holds a limp hand toward me as she chews on the end of her straw.
“Pleasure’s mine,” I smile, grasping her hand briefly before taking a seat next to Leigh, who’s making a point of ignoring me.
“So what kind of doctor are you?” Marlaina continues.
“General physician, family medicine. I’m the attending over at Porter.”
“Oh, you probably know Doctor Weidner then? He delivered both of my daughters. Amazing obstetrician,” she says, leaning forward a bit for emphasis. “I almost lost my youngest daughter and very well could have hemorrhaged to death myself if it hadn’t been for him.” She clutches at her chest. “That man is an angel sent by God himself.” She crosses herself.
This is the downside to being a doctor. The moment people find out, they either have an ailment they want you to diagnose right then and there, or they have a harrowing life-and-death story they want to share with you. I don’t mind the latter, but honestly, I just want to enjoy a beer and flirt with Leigh.
“Yeah, I do know him. He really is one of the best. Great man.”
Stephanie nudges Marlaina. “Do you need to use the restroom?” I can see that Marlaina is about to say no when Steph’s eyes bulge and she gives her a look that says you need to use the restroom now.
“Oh, yeah, I should freshen up my gloss.” She gives me a smile as she grabs Steph’s hand and they both dart off before Leigh can join them.
I turn my body toward Leigh. She takes a sip of her now-empty cocktail, clearly trying to avoid eye contact with me. I don’t hide the fact that I’m enjoying the view. Her shapely legs are crossed, exposing a healthy portion of her upper thigh. She’s wearing a different set of just-as-sexy high heels.
“I like your heels,” I murmur, admiring the intricate way the black leather strap winds around her ankle and partially up her calf.