I poured myself a glass of wine. It wasn’t going to tell me the future, but maybe it would get me to stop thinking about it.
* * *
Girls’ night lasted maybe another hour. Katie had an employee cancel on her for the morning, requiring her presence at the store when it opened—something she was very happy to tell all of us about in dramatic detail—and Tara and Elizabeth both looked like they just needed some quiet time and some peace. I took the chance to tell Katie I’d walk out with her, and we shared our hugs with the girls.
I hated to think that if I went with Zack, I’d turn into them—stressed over something I had no control over. But really, wasn’t that just part of a relationship? Being concerned for the other, even if there was nothing you could do about it?
It just so happened that the things we had no control over were a little higher stakes than normal relationships. Most relationships stressed over a rocky patch or over their partner’s difficulty with work. Ours would literally deal with life and death.
Ours? You’re thinking that far ahead?
The normally chatty Katie didn’t say much as we got on the elevator down to the lobby. The doors opened and we saw a man sitting on a couch, wearing a suit and tie. For a brief moment, he made eye contact with us and nodded to us, but aside from a nod, it didn’t seem like anything, like two strangers who needed to do something with eye contact made.
We got to the front door when we heard a voice behind us.
“Hey! Are you the doctor from the hospital? Dr. Elks?”
I froze. I was not someone like Dr. Oz or Dr. Phil. I was not famous, and in fact, the very idea of fame was abhorrent to me. I would have rather moved to an island of three hundred people than be famous in any fashion.
But I didn’t want to be rude.
I turned and saw the man walking to me. He didn’t seem rude or aggressive; maybe he was the family member of a patient that I had treated. That happened from time to time, although I did wish it didn’t happen as often as it did.
“You’re Dr. Elks?”
“Yes, I am. Do I know you?”
I hadn’t meant to sound so rude. But after spending an hour with the girls and feeling their stress, I was probably a little bit on edge myself as well.
“You don’t, but I would like you to,” he said. “I represent some very wealthy people, and they’d like to set up some private work with you. Is that something that would…”
His voice trailed off as I shook my head. No, absolutely not. There were some things that I just did not do, and practice outside the medical facility was one of them.
“Every time I hear a deal like that, it’s to help some crime ring or something like that,” I said. “If it’s truly for some wealthy people, they know how to get hospital access.”
“I’m sorry, Dr. Elks, I do not mean to come across as threatening, and I certainly don’t represent any crime rings.”
He sounded genuine. But I’d been, well, not burned in the past, but I’d gotten closer than I wanted to the fire. I knew that people could come across as sincere and real, only to reveal their true colors later.
And in any case, even if this guy was one hundred percent honest and real, it was a hard no.
“I appreciate that, but I only provide medical care at the hospital or in emergency situations,” I said. “I do not offer my services in advance in private.”
“Well, if you change your mind, take this.”
I wished I had the strength to outright refuse a business card. I always felt rude if I didn’t take one since it was the kind of thing easily disposed of. But I didn’t.
And as I did, I couldn’t help but wonder what I’d just set myself up for. This wasn’t normal, to just have a business card given to you by a complete stranger after a few minutes—no, probably not even a minute—of conversation. But I was too nice of a person sometimes.
“I promise we will make it worthwhile, Dr. Elks.”
“OK, sure, thanks.”
Katie and I walked outside the complex back to our cars, which we’d parked about a block away.
“I’m sorry, and you say your life is boring?” she said with a laugh. “I don’t ever have strangers coming up to me and offering business cards. Usually, they just flash their junk at me or threaten to burn my store down.”
“This was boring compared to that,” I said, also laughing, but I wasn’t laughing inside. I was thinking about this.
