Page 10 of Look on the Bright Side

“Okay, let’s use our inside voices,” Lark said. “And yes, he’s…unexpected. I get that.” Oh, this was a wee bit uncomfortable. She was lying. But Luis loved gossip and rotated throughout the floors—emergency room, maternity, oncology, medical/surgical—and had a face that invited people to share their deepest troubles, even knowing his inability to keep a secret. He wasn’t mean about it…just wanted everyone to be up to date. He was probably the one who let everyone know she’d been kicked out of Oncology. But in telling him about supposedly dating Dr.Santini, Lark wouldn’t have to tell anyone herself.

Today was her first day in the ER, where Luis was currently working. Her shift hadn’t started; she and Luis were having breakfast in the cafeteria so she could begin the lying process.

“It’s still new,” she said. “But he has some nice qualities.”

“Name two.” Luis took a hostile bite of his blueberry muffin.

“He’s smart, of course.” She forced a smile. “And…” Shit. Did Lorenzo Santini have another quality? “He’s very family oriented.”

“He has a family?” Luis asked. “I assumed he was hatched in a dark underwater cave.”

“Well, he has his parents, of course.” Did he? Had he said they were both alive? “A brother, two sisters. He’s really close to his grandmother.” She swallowed, not making eye contact. “It’s really sweet.”

Luis gave her a look. “Think about what you just said.”

Yeah, sweet and Santini didn’t belong in the same sentence. “It’s hard to believe, I know.” She smiled.

“Is he great in bed? Is that it? Are you dickmatized?”

“Sorry?”

“In love with his junk?”

“Oh, God, no! I mean, we’re not…there just yet.” There was Ellen, one of the cafeteria workers, thank God. “Hi, Ellen! How’s Raymond’s arm?”

“It’s great,” Ellen called. “Thank you for the cookies. He devoured them.” Lark had been grabbing lunch here when Ellen got the call that her son had broken his wrist sliding into second base at Little League.

“So glad he’s better,” Lark said. “Give him a hug from me.”

Luis waved to Ellen, then turned back to her. “Has he kissed you? How did he even approach you? Did he actually know your name? Seriously, Lark, give me context.”

Lark fake laughed. It sounded like little Connery coughing up some grass. Addie would have to give her some advice…she’d gotten the lies-with-ease part of their DNA. “Well,” she said to Luis, “I think we can all agree he’s very attractive.”

“Aside from his black and tarry soul.”

“Oh, look at the time. We should go, right? Don’t want to be late on my first day.”

“We’re not done here. I want all the details. If he frenches you, don’t be surprised if his tongue is forked.”

Another fake laugh. “I’ll see you in there, I guess,” she said.

“Okay, sweetie. I’m gonna grab another coffee. You good?” Luis asked.

“All set.” She smiled her thanks, but it faded the second his back was turned.

She needed Dr.Satan’s schedule and more information. Without some basic facts of his life, it would be harder to pretend to be dating him, even a little. She hadn’t heard from him since their meeting three nights ago, but she had googled him late the other night. Mostly scholarly articles and his bio (Harvard, Johns Hopkins, fellowships at the Mayo Clinic and Mass General). More about his organ transplant device and significant net worth.

But she needed to know where he lived, the names of his siblings, that kind of thing. Aside from joyless, survival-only eating, she had no idea what he did in his spare time. She was meeting his family for the first time this weekend.

She took out her phone and texted him as she walked toward the ER.

It occurs to me that we should exchange some information if we’re going to sell this. I don’t know anything about you.

Already, she knew better than to wait for an immediate response. She put her phone in the pocket of her white doctor’s coat, took a deep breath and went into the emergency room.

“Dr.Smith! So nice to have you join us!” came a loud voice. A balding, fiftysomething man with glasses and a bow tie twinkled at her.

“Hi,” she said. “I’m Lark Smith, your new resident.”

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