Blake sighed as he swiped his finger across his phone.
—VENUE PROBLEMS. MEET TONIGHT AT FIVE. MY OFFICE.—
Why did it have to be tonight that Don Fitzgerald wanted to meet to fix this? Carli and he were supposed to go on their second date tonight, but Fitzgerald had written in all caps, which meant he wasn’t going to take no for an answer. Nothing short of a medical emergency would sway this guy into allowing Blake to get out of the meeting. Stupid charity fundraiser wasn’t even until late March. On the other hand, if the problem was with the venue, they needed to get it fixed quick. As he responded that he’d be there, he thought of why he was in this mess to begin with. Being the new guy on staff had come with some extra responsibilities, and since he was young, single, with no kids, many people figured he had extra time to give. They didn’t take into account that he was spending extra time with his patients to make sure he was treating them correctly.
Not that he wasn’t confident in his skills, but medical school could only teach you so much. Reading through medical journals and research was needed to keep him up to date. All of that took time, time he would have liked to spend with Carli. He’d managed to sneak in a few minutes a day to chat or have a quick lunch together, but aside from a tiny peck on the cheek yesterday, he hadn’t been able to kiss her. That addiction thing was strong.
Checking his watch, he saw that it was a little before four. Carli would be getting off work in a few minutes and most likely heading up here. Better cut her off at the pass.
The waiting room in radiology was empty. Most people with appointments had already come in, and the only others would be emergencies. It was a good day. Peeking through the window, he waved, hoping to get Carli’s attention, not Joy’s. That was the last thing he needed.
Carli looked up, and he signed,Can we talk for a minute?
Her fist noddedyes,and after glancing around, she walked out to him. He led her to the atrium. “I’m really sorry. I have to cancel tonight. I have a meeting I need to attend.”
“You didn’t know about it before?”
“No, it’s an emergency for one of the committees I’m on. I’m really sorry.”
The smile that crossed her face was forced but not mad. More disappointed. He totally understood.
“It’s okay. I could use the time to wrap my Christmas presents.”
Stepping closer, he touched her arm and ran his hand down to her elbow. That wouldn’t be construed as too intimate if noticed by someone passing by, right? Not that it mattered. There was no rule in the hospital that staff couldn’t date.
“I feel terrible. I want to make it up to you and see you soon.”
“I’ll be stopping by the pediatric unit Christmas party on Friday before I go home. You’ll see me then.”
Tilting his head, he frowned. “I kind of wanted to see you without a bunch of other people around.”
Her smile turned authentic. “And why would that be?”
Glancing around first to check for eavesdroppers, he said, “That little addiction problem I mentioned. It’s kind of building up.”
“I’ll be with my family Christmas Eve and day, but since Christmas is on a Sunday this year, I get the Monday after off. Are you working?”
“I’ll need to check on a few patients, but I don’t have any office appointments that day, and I’m not on call. Could we spend the afternoon together? Just hang out?”
“Mercedes will be home. The college is closed for the week. I’m sure she won’t mind, but I don’t want to ask her to leave.”
“We could hang out in my apartment.” Totally alone. That idea had real merit.
“Okay, let me know your address and what time.”
Shaking his head, he said, “I’ll pick you up. I don’t want you taking the T into Boston the day after Christmas. I’ll text you when I’m done with my patients. Most likely around noon.”
“I look forward to it. Good luck with your meeting.”
His hand still at her elbow, he tugged her a bit closer. “Let me get you an Uber to take you home tonight.”
She laughed and shook her head. “I can take the T. It’s not a problem. I do it all the time.”
“But you didn’t expect to have to take it tonight. You thought I’d drive you home. Do you even have a warm enough coat to get you to the station?”
Her eyes filled with laughter. “I had to take the T into work this morning, so yes, I have a warm enough coat.”
“Doesn’t matter.” He retrieved his phone and tapped a few things. “An Uber will be waiting outside in twenty minutes. That should give you enough time to finish up what you were doing and get your things. It’s all paid for. Tip and everything.”
