He raised his hand. “I don’t need to know the details. And it doesn’t have to be anything serious. Jacine’s smart enough to know when someone is a keeper or not.”
“Wow. Way to compliment someone into a favor.”
“Damn it, Dys. Don’t tell me you aren’t too much into your own work to get serious about someone because in ten years I haven’t seen it.”
That is very true. I worked like a dog. But here’s the thing. I’ve wanted to date Jacine Alexander since the first time I saw her. But I was young and wasn't sure what I wanted except for a good time. The day at that pool party to celebrate her graduation, I suddenly knew I wanted Jacine Alexander.
Her bikini-clad form had played a prominent role in my sex fantasies for years. If I didn’t have such full-on respect for Franklin Alexander, I would have asked her out. But among the things my father taught me was that you don’t mix business with pleasure.
And now the man gaveme permission to date her? No. Heaskedme to date her. As a favor.
Should I pinch myself or slap myself in the face to see if I’m awake?
“Okay, big talker,” said Jacine as she entered the room again. “Apparently you have a huge list of dietary restrictions forthe time being, so no coffee for you.”
“Busted,” I said quietly.
Franklin shot me a scorching glance.
“I can’t wait to get out of here so people won’t tell me what to do.”
A knock on the door turned all heads toward it and, and the doctor walked in. He was tall, blond and looked anything but a doctor, but hey, this was LA. Tinseltown and Starland didn’t always serve up what you’d expect.
“Hello, I’m Doctor Jones, a resident in Coronary Medicine. Dr. Alcord asked me to speak to you about the test results.”
“I should go,” I said.
“No, Jersey. Stay,” said Franklin. “This shouldn’t take long, will it? I’m fine, and I can go home.”
“No, actually, Mr. Alexander, we want to keep you here longer. We found a blockage in one of your arteries, and we want to fix that up.”
“A blockage?” said Jacine. Her face turned white.
“And you are?”
“His daughter.”
“The blockage is what caused the coronary incident. It’s not a total block but I’m sure that Mr. Alexander, has been suffering from some shortness of breath.”
“Dad?” said Jacine.
“So I get a little winded.”
“At your age, Mr. Alexander, you shouldn’t put off seeing the doctor. As you found out, a little thing can have big consequences.”
Franklin scowled at the scolding he received from a man half his age.
“What does it involve?”
“It’s not a difficult procedure. We use a stent that we insert through the groin and place them at the site of the occlusion to open up the blockage. It’s a non-surgical procedure with fewer complications than open-heart surgery. He’ll be able to go home the next day.”
“I’m sitting right here,” said Franklin. The acid in his voice was enough to peel paint off the wall.
“Sorry, Mr. Franklin. In any case, we are setting up the procedure for tomorrow. If all goes well, we’ll release you soon.”
“Wait? Don’t I get a say in this?” grumbled Franklin.
“No,” said Jacine. “I’m not having my father drop dead of a heart attack because he wants a cup of coffee. If my father gives you a hard time about signing documents, call me.” She pulled out a business card and handed it to the doctor. “I’ll have my father’s lawyer, who has power-of-attorney sign off on them.”
