Page 37 of Ruled By Fate

“Except that I much prefer his title,” Rashida chuckled, blushing simultaneously. “It has a lovely ring to it. Is this your boyfriend?”

Brie considered her reply. “We have a shared love of Schumann.”

The woman nodded slowly. “Well, whoever you are, thank you very much.” She popped open the lid and glanced up in surprise. “How did you know I like chai?”

There was an awkward pause, in which Brie looked briefly heavenward.

“Ida, it was so good to meet you,” she said. “I’ll see you tomorrow, okay?”

In a move that was becoming increasingly familiar, she grabbed Cameron by the elbow and steered him back into the hallway before he could say or do anything to incriminate himself.

Or worse, frighten my coworkers on my FIRST day on the job.

The second they were out of sight, she whirled around to face him. “What are you doing here?” she hissed.

“Bringing you a beverage that is bad for your blood pressure.”

She made a sound of pure exasperation. “I am working, Cameron. You can’t just show up at my job. They’ll fire me. It’s unprofessional.”

He stared back with a measured expression. “Brianna, this is my work, too.”

That stopped her in her tracks. “What is that supposed to mean?”

He stared a moment longer, then let out a quiet sigh. “You should get that.”

“Get what?”

In hindsight, she probably should have been expecting the pager. But no matter how often her angel warned her, those things kept catching her off guard.

She cursed in surprise, almost dropping the pages all over again. She glanced at the device, backing away as she did. “Listen, I have to go. Do not follow me. You can’t be here.”

He stared in silence as she hurried towards the elevator, banged frantically on the button, and slipped inside. It wasn’t until the doors were sliding shut that he appeared suddenly by her side.

She cursed again, clutching at her heart. “Cameron! Don’t do that!”

“You said not to follow you.”

“I meant don’t come with me.”

He looked at her calmly. “We’re going to the same place.”

By the time that finally registered, the doors were opening on the emergency room floor.

Maybe it was the coffee churning away in her stomach, or perhaps it was the sight of all those busy faces she was trying so hard to impress. But the bewilderment and curiosity that had informed her every emotion since their fateful meeting faded, then hardened into an indignant rage.

“Cameron, this is my place of work,” she snapped, jabbing a finger into his chest. “My new job. My first day. I understand that you’re trying to protect me, but—”

He pressed a silencing finger to her lips. “Brianna, right now, no one can see me but you.”

Now he tells me.

She looked out the elevator doors again, this time in acute mortification, but didn’t see any immediate red flags. An orderly looked at her strangely, perhaps wondering why she’d been quietly shouting at herself, but otherwise, she appeared to be in the clear. She lifted the papers, hiding her face.

“We are not done talking about this.”

Cameron gave a slight, benign nod. “As you wish.”

She stalked to the nurse’s station and put the files away before running to room sixteen to join Denise. The woman glanced over at her with a scowl the second she entered.

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