If she’s surprised I’m asking for Skylar specifically, she isn’t letting on. Then again, I’m positive everyone in this hospital knows that Skylar is part of the Fritz family the way they know I’m a Hughes, which means they likely know how our familiesare aligned. We both come from famous billionaire families, though the Fritzes are a far larger family than ours and thankfully a hell of a lot more famous.
“Absolutely. It’s perfect timing. Her patient was just moved to a floor bed, so she’s awaiting her next, which is currently in the OR for at least another hour.”
“Great.”
I look back at the nurses and don’t see Skylar still among them. She walked off, and I can’t help my private smile. She hates that I’m here. I shouldn’t be playing with this fire. I need to be polite and professional and indifferent. And I will be. I don’t want to start off on the wrong foot with any of the nurses, her included. I simply want to clear the air between us and apologize. At least that’s what I’m telling myself I’m doing.
Even if getting under her skin so she’ll mouth off to me seems to be my new favorite hobby. Clearly, I’m just missing excitement in my life.
“I’ll go find her.”
Without waiting for Suzanne to direct me, I head down the hall only to hit the wall of nurses.
“Hi, I’m Lacy,” one introduces herself.
“I’m Aspira,” another comes.
They go on from there until I reach the last one. The redhead Skylar was talking to. Her name is Michaela, and she’s smiling at me the way the rest of them are.
“Can you help me?” I ask her. “I’m looking for Skylar. She’s supposed to show me around the floor.”
“I can do that,” one of them offers. “My patient has a procedure in fifteen minutes, so he’ll be off the floor.”
“Thanks. I appreciate that, but Suzanne told me to find Skylar for this.”
The redhead is looking at me with new eyes, sizing me up the way good friends do when they’re unsure about a man’s intentions.
“Follow me, Doctor.”
I do, much to the disappointment of the other nurses. It’s been a while since I’ve had this level of attention. At my old hospital, the nurses and female doctors and staff stopped noticing me that way after my second year of residency and then completely after I got married. After Astrid left me, I was the sad sack of shit and dove into all things work, and no one felt right about flirting with me. They also didn’t know I was part of Hughes Healthcare, a chain of community health centers in the Boston area, the way everyone here does.
Alden runs it now since he’s the family provider and I’m the surgeon, but I’m still on the board and part of the charity it helps to run.
“She doesn’t like you, though all she said was that she knows you,” Michaela tells me bluntly.
“Her older brother is my best friend.” I tuck in my grin. I don’t elaborate. I have no idea how close she is with this woman, and I don’t want word getting out that Skylar and I technically live in the same house, even if it’s temporary.
“Did you earn her dislike?”
“Yes,” I admit. “But in fairness, she was never roses and sunshine to me either.”
She always thought I was an arrogant jerk—because I was—and I always thought she was a brat—because she was. But that’s not what this is. I’ve been around her plenty of times in the past, and we’ve never been more than indifferent.
This is her reacting because we kissed and it was hot, and it would have led to more if the situation and circumstances were different, and she doesn’t know how to manage that other than to be antagonistic and think of me as an asshole.
At least that’s my psych 101 analysis.
“She’s around the corner. Don’t make me have to suffer ice cream because of you. I’m lactose intolerant.”
I smile down at her. “No unnecessary emotional ice cream eating. I get it.”
“Good. Be nice to her.”
“That I can’t promise.” I grin at Michaela and find my cute little swan setting up an empty patient room. I enter and cross the room as she goes through the supply cart.
“I believe I told you to stay away from me. That wasn’t me being dramatic.”
I approach so I’m standing beside her but not close enough that I can smell her sweet fragrance. “I know. But I don’t think that’s going to work well with us. We live in the same house and work together.”
