I turned. “Alice has your prescriptions and a list of clinics that can take an X-ray if you change your mind.”
“When do you want to see me again?” he asked.
Paul seemed like a nice enough guy, but something about his tone, and the way his eyes lingered below my neckline gave me the chills.
“That’s not necessary,”Is he disappointed?“If you take it easy you can stop wearing the wrap in a week or two.”
If I didn’t know any better, I’d think Paul came here, rather than visit a local doctor, to flirt with me. He wasn’t a bad looking guy, but dating a patient wasn’t a line I’d cross. There weren’t any professional rules forbidding it, but it was my rule. A rule that’d served me well in the Navy.
A rule I wouldn’t start breaking now.
“Take care, Mr. Bunson,” I said, turning to prep for my next patient.
“See you later, Doc.”
I resisted the urge to repeat, I’m not a doctor.
I was a nurse practitioner and damn proud of it. Unlike Jamie, I didn’t attend college right out of high school. Instead, I enlisted in the Navy and started my nursing career when I entered the Hospital Corpsman Basic Training Program. Not long after completing the nineteen weeks of training, I applied for the twelve month intensive “C” school advanced training so I could be an independent duty corpsman and serve on submarines and smaller ships. My military training made earning my civilian bachelor degree a breeze. Earning my master’s degree, so I could become a nurse practitioner, was harder but worth the extra work and sleepless nights.
The rest of my day was filled with normal family practice visits. Sick kids, wellness checkups, and minor injuries.
At the end of the day, Alice and I said goodbye to Carol before leaving.
As I locked the front door, the hair on the back of my neck stood up. My spine stiffened as I turned and scanned the street.
“You okay?” Alice asked.
“Yeah, just have that feeling that someone’s watching me.” Only no one was staring or acting suspicious.
“Ugh, I hate that feeling. Maybe you can call one of your gorgeous brothers to come escort you home.” She wiggled her eyebrows making me laugh. Alice was in her sixties, and happilymarried, but that didn’t mean she was blind, as she often reminded me.
It wasn’t uncommon for people to tell me how gorgeous, hot, or sexy my brothers were. Some even used descriptives that made me want to poke my ears with an ice pick.
I could concede that my brothers were good-looking men; beyond that, I’d remind them, usually with a gagging sound, that as their sister I didn’t want to hear about any sexual fantasies involving my brothers.
I mean, come on, I shared a womb with Jamie and I changed Jay’s diapers.
“You know they’re all happily married.” Jay wasn’t but he would be by the end of March.
“Doesn’t mean I can’t appreciate the goods,” she said over her shoulder with a laugh as she walked down the three steps to the walkway. She stopped at the bottom, turned, and said, “Heard they hired a new guy. Wonder if he’s eye candy too.”
I will not think about Matt.
I willed my skin not to flush.
I will not think about Matt.
I jogged down the steps to catch up with her. “He’s okay.” I focused on my keys. “Good night, Alice. See you tomorrow.”
“Good night.”
I scanned the road again before walking to O.P., my Jeep. I’d named her O.P. after the one-eyed purple monster in the kid’s song. My brothers thought I was crazy, but my mom loved it.
I scanned the exterior, looking for signs of tampering. The tires looked fine, and nothing else looked amiss so I hurried into the driver seat. The instant the door was closed, I hit the lock button.Just like Dad taught me.
Was I over-reacting? Being paranoid? Probably. But one thing I’d learned growing up in a police family—it was better to be safe than sorry.
And to never ignore my instincts. A lesson serving in the Navy reinforced.
