Page 79 of Dr. Sexypants

I offered a smile and wave, but he looked past me like he hadn’t even seen me, then glanced down at the tablet in his hand while he spoke into the receiver.

I assumed he was focused on important doctor stuff—maybe even for Ruthie, so I approached the receptionist desk and asked where I could find Jessica.

The woman clicked a few keys on the keyboard and said, “She was in Room Eight, but it says she’s going to be moved to Pediatrics, so I don’t know if that’s happened yet.”

“I’ll go check. If she’s not there, I’ll know where to go next.”

I glanced up at the placards directing me to the ER rooms and followed the one that said, “Rooms 1-8”.

I took it as a sign when I noticed that Justin had moved to stand in the hall, so I’d have to pass him to get to Room Eight.

I walked up to him with far more confidence than I felt, and with a bright smile, said, “Hey you.”

But that confidence quickly turned to ash when he looked me up and down with a scowl, then turned and walked in the other direction without a word.

****

Justin

“Hey you?”

“Hey you?!?”

I didn’t care how good she looked, she could get the fuck out of here with that bullshit.

I couldn’t believe she had the audacity to act like she hadn’t totally stabbed me in the back, coming at me with “Hey you.”

Fuck her.

As I stormed off in the other direction, a thought hit me—at least I was finally over her.

Although the betrayal felt a hundred times worse than a broken heart.

Chapter Thirty

Two days earlier

Justin

I’d just returned to work after my mandatory time off and was starving when I left the hospital early in the morning. I knew I didn’t have any food at home, and the grocery store wasn’t open yet, so I decided to stop at the diner, since the bakery seemed off-limits these days. I didn’t think Lainey would serve me a sneeze muffin, but better safe than sorry.

I took a seat at the counter, along with the other customers who were there alone, and picked up a menu.

As I perused the selections, I got the eerie feeling that I was being watched. Casually, I looked around and realized that half the restaurant was staring at me and whispering.

What the hell?

I tried to remember if there’d been any incidents in the ER that would warrant this kind of scrutiny but couldn’t think of anything. Not recently anyway.

Even after the July 3rd Incident, people hadn’t been this interested in me.

I had no idea what was going on.

Did I have toilet paper stuck to my shoe or something?

I glanced down at the bottom of my sole but there was nothing.

That’s when I noticed that’s where everyone’s attention also was.