Page 10 of Hearts Clash

It was a gorgeous, balmy evening, perfect for unwinding and relaxing. The mood was light and friendly, and they passed the time talking about everything from sports to politics to reality TV, getting progressively tipsier and giddier as they joked around. As the night went by, they laughed and danced, singing along to whatever song came on. It was the perfect way to forget all about the stress and drama of the past few days.

Well, at least until about an hour later when she glanced over to see none other than Scarlett Miller sitting quietly at a corner booth with Carla Anderson, the cardiology department head.

Gianna couldn’t recall ever seeing Scarlett outside of scrubs and lab coats before, honestly, and the effect was striking. Gone was the unflattering work uniform, and in its place was a white silk blouse and a pair of well-tailored, high-waisted slacks that drew attention to her impossibly long legs. Her fiery hair, usually tied back in a severe bun, now cascaded past her shoulders like molten bronze. Her bright hazel eyes were subtly accented with tastefully done eyeliner and mascara. There was nothing overtly sexual about any part of the ensemble, but it exuded class, elegance, and style. Everything she wore had been tailored to fit her lean frame perfectly and brought out the subtle curves of her body.

Gianna didn’t realize that she had been gawking until Bianca sharply elbowed her in the ribs.

“Ow!” she squealed in protest, rubbing at her side and glaring indignantly at the culprit.

“Who’s the hottie?” Bianca asked in a conspiratorial whisper, leaning closer with a mischievous gleam in her eyes.

“My colleague,” Gianna replied vaguely, sneaking another glance in Scarlett’s direction before forcibly shifting her attention back to her companions.

“Oh, hold up, is that the infamous Doctor Miller?” Bianca gasped excitedly.

“Who?” interjected Eileen, giggling tipsily as she leaned in for juicy gossip.

“Oh my God, you haven’t heard?” Bianca exclaimed. “Gigi’s been fuming about her for months. She totally wants to get all up on—”

“Okay, that’s enough of that!” Gianna shouted over her, firmly covering her mouth and holding it shut, earning her a muffled, indignant mumble in protest.

Their friends burst out laughing, and Gianna was unable to stop herself from chuckling as well despite her embarrassment. She removed her hand and swatted Bianca’s arm with her clutch, pouting grumpily. Meanwhile, her mind kept drifting over to that damned woman, still seated primly at the table with that cold, statuesque expression fixed on her face.

“Wait, what? Is there something going on down in cardiology that I don’t know about?” Avery exclaimed, feigning shock and disbelief. “We miss all the best gossip in OB-GYN. What is the story here?”

“No story,” Gianna replied with a heavy sigh.

“Oooh, we should ask them over,” Bianca suggested eagerly, flashing a wicked grin. “You all know each other, right? Let’s order more wine, make some room, and have a group thing. It’ll be fun!”

“What? No!” Gianna retorted.

“Yeah, we should,” agreed Avery, completely ignoring the objection.

Without waiting for anyone else to offer input on the matter, she waved over at the two doctors and flashed a broad smile. Carla grinned and waved back, and moments later, they were rearranging chairs and tables to create space for the newcomers. Soon enough, Scarlett and Carla were sitting across from the four friends. Scarlett’s rigid posture gave off the impression that she wanted to be absolutely anywhere but here.

5

Scarlett

Scarlett had planned for this to be a low-key, quiet evening to relax and unwind. Carla would be announcing her departure on Monday and had invited Scarlett out to dinner to mark the end of their many years of working closely together. Her long-time mentor deserved a proper farewell, so she’d dutifully accepted. Neither of them was young and wild anymore, so she had expected for them to have a nice meal, maybe a glass of wine or two, and then head home at a reasonable hour.

Unfortunately, as they sat and dined and chatted, having just finished a fantastic dessert of crêpe suzettes, Scarlett spotted someone in her peripheral vision that made her pulse jump. Amidst a flashy, energetic gaggle of women in the center of the terrace, sat Gianna in a sleek red dress with her dark, lustrous curls tumbling over her shoulders in loose waves. She was chatting animatedly; her full lips painted a shade of crimson and her wide amber eyes glittering with joy.

The sight sent Scarlett’s head spinning. Every cell in her body seemed to stand at attention as Gianna moved around with feline grace, carrying herself with the elegant confidence of a catwalk model. The woman looked gorgeous in scrubs, but out of the sterile uniform, she was the kind of beautiful that could give a saint a dirty thought or two. The form-fitting red dress plunged deeply in the front, revealing a tantalizing view of her ample cleavage. A simple gold necklace, chandelier earrings, and matching bangles and rings all glittered in the twinkling lights strung from the ceiling, complementing the look perfectly.

The rest of the world ceased to exist. Scarlett found herself utterly transfixed by the scene playing out before her and tried not to let her jaw drop open too noticeably as Gianna’s gaze briefly met her own. God, how could one person be so attractive? No matter how infuriating and arrogant she might be, it was impossible to tear her eyes away. Unable to help it, she swallowed thickly, licking her dry lips as she continued to stare.

The moment passed when a woman Scarlett recognized as Dr. Avery Parker, a colleague up in OB-GYN, hopped off her chair and marched over to greet them enthusiastically. Scarlett quickly looked away and schooled her features, doing her best to appear aloof and disinterested while hiding the furious heat that was surely filling her cheeks.

“Doctor Miller! Doctor Anderson!” Avery exclaimed enthusiastically as she came up to the table. “Fancy running into you ladies here! Come join us for drinks. We have plenty of wine to spare!”

Scarlett blinked in confusion. Had they somehow given off the impression that they wanted to socialize? They had been sitting there quite calmly, merely enjoying a quiet dinner in the corner, and she had no interest in joining their obnoxiously loud group. Before she could politely refuse, though, Carla grinned broadly and stood to accept their new invitation.

“You know what? Why not? It’s a beautiful night, and I’m in the mood to let loose a little,” the older doctor chuckled good-humoredly. Then she glanced over at Scarlett.

Thus, Scarlett found herself stiffly pulling her chair out and reluctantly shuffling over to join Gianna and company. There was a quick round of introductions and greetings, and before Scarlett knew it, she was sandwiched between Carla on her left and Gianna’s bubbly, tipsy younger sister, Bianca, on her right. She was seated directly opposite Gianna, who was giving her a strange look she didn’t know how to decipher.

A tray of tiny, colorful shot glasses were delivered to the table, and Avery insisted on pouring everyone a drink. To Scarlett’s alarm, even Carla was clinking glasses and cheering with the rest of the group like they were all lifelong friends. Scarlett tried to politely decline, earning her an eye roll from the brunette bombshell in the red dress who made her heart stutter each time she opened her mouth.

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