“Oh, speaking of flowers, you guys should have seen the large bouquet that Shawna tossed in the trash this morning,” Amanda said, leaning conspiratorially closer to the round table.
“Gossip,” Ivan muttered, shaking his head from side to side.
“I prefer observant butterfly,” she retorted, smirking.
“Oh, remind me, Hanna, is ‘butterfly’ a new position created to deliver healthcare and save lives?” he asked, turning to a laughing Hanna.
“Observation is a crucial beginning step in the scientific process,” Amanda defended, shrugging like someone who just made a very valid point.
“Whether it’s love that’s refusing to bloom or a patient’s health, as long as observation is being done…” I remarked, chuckling.
“That’s right,” Amanda answered. “Anyways—”
“You’re still going to tell us, aren’t you?” Ivan chipped in.
“Hm-mm,” she answered. “She was almost screaming as she asked Eunice to throw it away. I wanted to laugh at the annoyed look she wore and scold her for being so callous all at the same time.”
“Still from Dr. Stepan?” Hanna asked, and Amanda answered with a nod.
“Who else?” I questioned, taking another gulp of my drink.
“Poor man,” Ivan remarked.
“Nope. Poor woman. That’s the correct description,” Amanda said. “Dr. Stepan might be an older man, but he’d give a thirty-something a run for his money. The man is fit. He’s the one giving love here; he’s young at heart. But Shawna? With all that hard-to-get energy and frowning whenever he’s around, she acts like she’s not in her late twenties. When she starts spotting wrinkles, she’ll realize what she’s lost. Dr. Stepan will find someone else.”
“I heard she made it clear that she wasn’t okay with their age gap. So, why should she regret refusing him? I mean, everyone is entitled to their choices and all,” I chimed in.
“I think it’s not about her refusing him; it’s how she treats him and acts around him. Making rude remarks about him, openly trashing his gifts. It’s odious, really,” Ivan explained.
“Exactly,” Amanda agreed. “It’s nobody’s business if she says no to him. But treating him like a second-class citizen says the kind of person she really is. Do you see yourself treating a man, any man, like that just because he stated his interest in you like a normal person, Alina?”
“Never. Alina’s too decent for that,” Hanna answered.
“I’m glad you know me more than I know myself,” I responded sarcastically to my assistant before facing Amanda and Ivan. “I get it. Her refusal isn’t the issue; it’s her attitude,” I remarked before going on. “Doesn’t mean I’ll say yes to an older guy, though.”
They all laughed, and I joined in.
“Seriously, though, I think I can still work with a 10-year gap. Maximum of 15. Hmm,” Amanda revealed, squinting her eyes.
“Are you serious? So, you can date Dr. Smirnov?” Ivan asked, surprise written on his features.
“Not Dr. Smirnov!” Amanda answered, her eyes dilating for a second. “He’s too…serious. And imagining myself with a married man makes me cringe. So, no, thank you.”
“I don’t think I can ever go beyond 5 or 6 years,” Hanna uttered.
“I fall right into that bracket, don’t I?” Ivan asked, a mischievous smile on his face. “I’m 25. You’re 20, right?”
Hanna’s eyes were on anyone but Ivan, and it made me chuckle. She wasn’t the shy type, but Ivan seemed to be the only guy who could make her uneasy like this.
“You don’t ask a woman her age!” Amanda chastised playfully, thankfully saving Hanna from becoming tomato-faced. “She’s 20, anyway.”
“Right,” Ivan uttered, finally tearing his eyes away from my beloved assistant.
“What about you, Alina?” Amanda questioned.
“Maybe 4 years. No more,” I answered. I had once gone beyond that gap—and my heart still carried the scar from how badly it ended. I would rather remain single than delve into that situation ever again.
“Uh, that’s sooo not spicy,” Amanda complained. “Anyways, is it just me, or have Julia and friends started dropping their things in the break room for the sake of some territory-marking?”
