“Excuse me, are you Gwen Wright?”
Immediately, I tense, wondering if this is what Caleb warned me about. Random strangers accosting me in the airport.
A petite young woman about my age stands before me. She tucks shoulder-length, dark hair behind her ear and sends me a warm, shy smile.
“Yes?” I answer hesitantly. “That’s me.”
“I thought so.” She sticks out her hand, and we shake. “Dr. Helen Chu. I think we’re heading to the same conference. A minute ago, I was checking out the schedule. I saw your name and picture on it and then I looked up and, well, here you are.”
“So nice to meet you.” I let out a breath, allowing my chest to expand. Thank goodness. Not a Caleb fan. A colleague.
Helen laughs softly and says, “I bet you and I will be the only ER doctors there.”
“You work in the Emergency Room too?” I ask, excited. I thought I’d be the only one.
She nods. “My father’s an oncologist in California. When he takes time off, I cover for him, so I try to stay up to date on the latest cancer treatments and research. That’s why I’m going.”
“I grew up in California.” I tell her, “Are you from there too?”
“Born and bred in Los Angeles. I did my training here in New York and stuck around to work since then. I’m moving back to California soon, though.” Something troubled passes over her expression. “My family needs me.” Then, Helen’s gaze drops and lights with interest. “Is that a waist bag? I’ve been wanting one of these.”
I flash a triumphant “told you so” look at Alvina. She sighs, like I’m already tiring her out with my shenanigans.
“Why, yes, it is.” I unclip the bag and give it to Helen.
She examines it, running a finger over the silver zipper. “So cute.” She hands it back. I attach it to my waist, reaching behind me to secure the clasp. I’m about to ask which hospital Helen works at when another voice, this one younger and shriller, breaks in.
“Did you say Gwen Wright?” asks a girl sitting on the other side of me. She’s in her late teens or early twenties. She shoves light-brown hair out of her face, showing off chipped red nail polish and a tiny gold nose ring. Her hazel eyes are wide and fixed on me. Another girl with matching nail polish and hair dyed a startling shade of green leans around her friend to stare.
“Yes, that’s right,” I answer, already knowing where this is heading. It’s the way these two stare at me, a mixture of curiosity and unwarranted disdain.
“As in Caleb Lawson’s fiancée?” The first girl’s voice is loud, pitched high with disbelief as her eyes roam over my faded jeans and plain white T-shirt. She stares extra-long at my earrings. They’re Christmas light bulbs, one red and the other green, dangling from my ears. They have buttons on the side that make them light up and flash, but I have them turned off for now. Even I realize that might be too obnoxious. The thing that snags the girl’s attention the most is the large diamond solitaire that adorns my left hand. I resist the urge to tuck it under my leg, hiding it.
Alvina leans closer, her elbow brushing mine, an unspoken vow of solidarity. The touch grounds me. Alvina can make you feel about one inch tall with just the twitch of her eyebrow. I’ve seen her reduce grown men to tears, doctors that acted rashly and not in the patient’s best interest. As long as she has my back, I’ll be fine.
“That’s me.” I give a friendly smile as I remind myself that these girls don’t know me yet. That’s why they’re looking at me like I have three heads. Once they see what a nice person I am, I’m sure they’ll like me.
Helen still stands before me, watching this exchange with interest. So much for keeping my identity as Caleb’s fiancée low-key at the medical conference. Other passengers stare as well, their bodies angling my way, clearly eavesdropping. With all those eyes on me, it’s like I’m suddenly onstage, playing a role, but I don’t know my lines.
“What are your names?” I ask. Maybe if I win these girls over, it’ll prove to Caleb that he has nothing to worry about.
“Skylar,” the one with the nose ring answers.
“Hannah,” says the green-haired girl as she cocks her head. “How’d you guys meet? I heard it was in rehab and you were his doctor—”
“No,” interrupts Skylar. “It was from that movie Caleb did. Where he was a surgeon. They hired her to make sure everything was medically accurate. What was that like? Working on set with him?”
“Oh, yes.” Hannah’s eyes gleam. “What about when he kisses his co-star? Do you get so jealous, because if that was my boyfriend I would likedie.”
I reel backward, shocked by the misinformation spewing out of them, but the two girls continue with their barrage of questions before I get a chance to respond.
“Do you see all of his movies free?” asks Skylar.
“Is he a good kisser? Because he seems like a man who knows how to kiss,” says Hannah.
“Where does he put all of his Academy Awards?”
“Is he paying for the wedding?”
