The principal looked at Janae through slits before allowing a cautious smile to grace her lips. “If anyone can make that happen, Mrs. Sanders, it’s you.”
Janae stood and shook the woman’s hand before leaving the office and heading toward her car in the parking lot. Excitement flooded her as she plotted the destruction of an invisible enemy with each step.
“You’re goddamn right I can get it done.”
She was so busy devising devious plans that she walked right into a hard wall that seemed to appear out of nowhere.
Slightly dazed, she wondered why she wasn’t falling backward. As hard as she’d hit whatever that was that seemed to appear out of thin air, she should’ve been on her ass. When she finally got herself together enough to look up, she locked eyes with none other than Adam Henderson. The man she’d secretly lusted after for four years.
Her eyes walked down his angled face, caressing his strong carved jawline and nearly becoming mesmerized by those hazel eyes with the fiery sparks of green specks that made them look even more golden. His full lips were framed by a thin, light brown goatee that made his mouth appear more desirable than it had any right to.
His hair was artfully twisted into the sexiest locs she’d ever seen. They were pulled into an intricate pattern that created a tasteful, yet pleasing bun at the back of his head.
Her eyes traveling down further, she took in the lines of a finely made single-breasted suit that displayed the sharp lines of what looked like a well-defined body with a muscular chest and arms. She didn’t know if he still played basketball like he did in high school,but whatever his fitness routine, he was looking tastier than a slab of barbecued ribs searing on a grill.
“Are you all right?”
Dammit, she’d nearly gotten her composure back when his lush voice poured over her, making her shiver.
“I’m fine… I’m sorry, Adam. I wasn’t watching where I was going.” She looked around, trying to keep her eyes off him so she could get her bearings and finally get her mind right. “What are you doing here on campus?”
“I… work here.”
She blinked rapidly for a few seconds, trying to get her brain cells to work.
“Of course you do. Michael mentioned that you worked in secondary education in New York.”
His scrutinizing glare felt like a hot spotlight shining on her, putting all of her flaws and insecurities on display.
“Are you sure you’re all right, Janae?”
“Yes,” she replied, much too quickly for someone who wasn’t supposed to be bothered by this man.
“I just haven’t had enough coffee yet. Shift work does that to you.”
“If I remember correctly, you’re a nurse, right?”
She nodded, feeling a little more confident once the conversation landed on her occupation. She was always cool, calm, and collected when it came to work. So this topic change was just what she needed.
“I practiced as a critical care nurse for a few years after I finished undergrad before becoming a certified registered nurse anesthetist. I’ve spent the last twelve years working in that role.”
“And how does one become a nurse anesthetist?”
She scanned his face to see if there was any hint of bullshit. Some people still felt nursing was a woman’s career that was somehow inferior to becoming a physician.
When she saw a bright spark of interest in his eyes, she was slightly surprised.
So he isn’t just another chauvinist asshole.
Although somehow happy about that, she couldn’t pinpoint why she was so relieved to know she wouldn’t have to curse him out about his outdated views on women in the workplace.
“You have to earn your BSN, then practice for a few years in a critical care subspecialty, followed by three to four years of full-time study to earn your DNP or DNAP.”
“DNP or DNAP?”
Curiosity flashed in his eyes, making her want to tell him more. Janae loved what she did, and she was damn good at it. Talking about her beloved profession made her step into her confidence the way she did most things.
“Doctor of nursing practice or doctor of nursing anesthesia practice. The former focuses on the organizational specialization of nursing, which includes some focus on practice. The latter focuses specifically on the practice of nursing anesthesia. I’m not really interested in climbing the administrative ranks in the health care system as a whole, so I earned my DNAP to help me learn all I could about my practice.”
