Page 27 of Flirting with 40

Slade: I know where you work. If you bail, I’ll just show up and cause an even bigger scene there, playing the doting boyfriend.

Me: You wouldn’t dare.

Slade: Something you should know about me is that I’m a little pushy.

Me: No shit.

Slade: But only for the greater good.

Me: Lucky me.

Slade: And when I say I’m going to do something, I do it. And I love to take dares.

Me: I thought you loved making lists.

Slade: Those too. I’ll touch base so we can get together.

Me: For?

Slade: Details.

Me: Details?

Slade: About our trip. If we’re going to play the part, we at least have to know something about each other.

Me. Yes. Right.

Slade: That didn’t sound convincing.

Me: Yay. Go team.

Slade: That’s more like it.

Me: Thanks again, Slade.

Slade: Just call me Ted Bundy for short.

Me: Funny. Very funny.

CHAPTER EIGHT

Slade

“ICU.”

“Amy Gannon, please,” I say as I lean back in my desk chair and stare out the window to my backyard.

“Nurse Gannon is out sick. This is Nancy Weaverman, I’m filling in for her today, may I help you with something?”

Fuck. A new nurse, but she could possibly be a temp nurse who doesn’t know Ivy’s story. I try to figure out how to play this with Gannon, the only one willing to break the rules and give me updates, not there today.

“Yes, this is Doctor Henderson needing to get an update on a patient. An Ivy Keller.”

The sound of fingernails clicking on a keyboard filter through the line, and I cross my fingers, hoping either she hasn’t been warned not to give me information or that she won’t read the notes deeper in the file. This can go either way.

“And what department are you with?”

“ER. I was on call when she came in. Her case has stuck with me, so I’m following up on her recovery.”