Page 34 of Lovesick

Chapter 11

Checking the clock on his dashboard, Max slipped from the Subaru and dashed through the hospital parking garage to the elevator. There always seemed to be traffic going to Long Island, or at least whenever he drove there to drop off Tim, and today had been no exception. The rule he and his ex had come up with was that whoever had Tim would drop him off to the other. It worked. Except on days like today when he was in a hurry to see Lou, to take her home from the hospital.

When he finally got to her floor, he slowed, running one hand through his hair. In his other he held the Times. It was unlikely she would have heard the news because he knew she’d be spending most of her time sleeping. He wanted to break the news to her, the good, the bad, and the ugly of it. He wanted to do a lot more than that, but the woman was recovering from an emergency appendectomy, for pity’s sake, so he had to be patient. He would be patient.

Arriving at her door, he took a breath, pushed it open, and walked in, the smile automatically forming on his face. She lay propped on her pillows aimed at the small television. She turned to him, her grin wide, camouflaging the pallor of her face. She shouldn’t have a lick of energy, but whatever she did have seemed to come out in the look she gave him, the way she turned and sparked to life.

* * *

“Max,I’m so glad you’re back. I can’t wait to get out of this place, to go home.” With you. She thought the words, too chicken to say them, too aware of what they still had to discuss. “How’s Tim? Did he mind staying with George and Margo?”

He laughed and came to her, sat on the chair and leaned in to kiss her forehead. As if he were her mother. Or her doctor. At least he felt warm and smelled so good, the scent of soap and cold New York City air clinging to him. She took a deep breath, felt the pain in her abdomen and promised herself to not do that again.

“Tim loved his stay. It was quite a treat for him to see how the other half lives.”

“I bet.”

“How are you doing? Truthfully. Pain?”

“Only when I laugh.” Ironically, it was true.

He reached out to touch her hand, his eyes roving over her. They didn’t look like doctor eyes, they looked like the eyes of a hungry lover. The flutter she felt didn’t hurt a bit.

“We have to talk,” he said.

That should have been her line. She automatically held her breath and nodded, having no idea what his topic was—or maybe she did. Maybe he was going to tell her he was quitting Regal’s because he had a better offer elsewhere. Maybe it would even be the best thing for their relationship. It would devastate her if the family lost the company, if his desertion was the reason for it. No way Sosi would let that point go. Louise was sure Sosi had offered Max the job purposely so she could throw it in their face in front of the full board. Gloat that Regals value of taking care of their employees to instill loyalty didn’t work so well after all.

He put a newspaper in front of her, the Times, showing her the front page below the fold. At first she was surprised and puzzled and hardly paid attention, expecting an explanation from him, but he remained silent. Prompting her with a nod to read it, she turned her attention to the paper, first to the photo.

It may have been the first time in her life that her mouth actually dropped open. No words came out. The photo was of her and the article’s headline was about their horrible escape from the event. She’d heard from a couple of family members that the event finished well, but reading this headline and looking closely at the photo of her in the arms of Dr. Love himself made her squeal like a girl.

“I don’t believe it. ‘Company Doctor Saves—’”

“I know. Ridiculous. I think we have George to thank for the generous spin. I wanted to show you before you were inundated with calls and press inquiries. I got here as soon as I could.”

She looked up at him, her heart feeling erratic, probably having nothing to do with anything except what he did to her, what she felt for him. Emotions ran high, but she tamped them down. Like she always did.

“At least they didn’t print a photo of me throwing up.” She crinkled her nose and shivered in mock horror at the notion. “Enough people witnessed my humiliation live and in person as it was.”

“Don’t worry. I shielded you as befitting a princess.” He arched his brow the way he always did and if she’d been standing, she would have sunk to her knees. Her chest tightened trying to cage her clattering heart. Peeking at the monitor, she hoped that darn thing didn’t show her crazy heartbeat. The last thing she wanted right now was a well-meaning nurse intruding.

Not unless she brought her clothes and discharge papers.

Louise needed to talk to Max at some point, to finally confront him about his tête-à-tête with Sosi, but maybe this wasn’t the time or place.

“You here to take me home or are you just here to say hello?”

“I’m your physician and your chauffeur today.”

She wished he’d added that he was her lover, her . . . everything. Maybe it was the near-death appendicitis talking, but she felt like she meant those thoughts. She only hoped the sentiments weren’t being wasted on a lost cause. She didn’t think she could stand a case of unrequited love—the worst kind of lovesickness—on top of appendicitis.

“Then let’s see if we can get this show on the road. I’m pretty sure I’d feel more comfortable at home in my own bed.” She remembered him in bed with her as he sent her a steamy-eyed stare full of innuendo. That did it. An extra blip on the heart monitor. But instead of attendants flying into the room with paddles to save her stuttering heart, the door opened and Dr. Scott walked in at a perfectly reasonable pace.

Louise took a deep breath as Max greeted Dr. Scott and they talked about Louise’s chart in the disguised language of physicians.

“I hope the upshot of your discussion is that I get to leave now. Not that I haven’t appreciated your hospitality, Dr. Scott.”

They all laughed. Lou kept herself to a smile.