Page 4 of Faking It with the Off-Limits Doctor

“I bet he’s not as hot as this kitchen,” I reply, blowing a long breath from my lungs.

She giggles. “You might be surprised. He’s a total hunk. Go and look for yourself.” She presses, nodding to the door, eager for me to confirm her assessment.

I take the pan off the heat and walk around the huge prep counter, passing Ricky, who is tirelessly preparing a pile of vegetables. Reaching the two-way door, I peek through the circular hole and scan the diner. There are a few customers, and it takes me a second, but when I see him, my jaw drops, and I gasp.

“Told you,” Beth says, huddling by my side.

“What on earth is he doing here?” I balk.

“You know him?” she cries excitedly.

“Sure, I do. He’s a big-shot plastic surgeon from the city.” I look over at Beth. “He’s a billionaire, you know.”

“No?” she gawks, her jaw dropping.

“Yep.” I nod, looking back through the window at him. “Let me guess. He’s the one who ordered the steak?”

Beth grins and nods back.

While I’m still surprised to see him, I’m now curious. “With all his money, it makes you wonder what he’s doing eating in this place. Or what he’s doing in Riverdale at all.”

I mean, Beth isn’t wrong. Alex Bennett is a total hunk. He’s nearly six feet tall with jet black hair that sits at his collar. He’s sporting a full beard and mustache, and the suit he’s wearing does little to hide his muscular frame. Even now, his biceps threaten to tear the cloth.

The last time I saw Alex was two years ago. We passed each other on the street in the city. It was a quick hello, a bit of small talk, and then we both went on our way.

“How do you know him?” Beth asks.

“Dr. Alex Bennett,” I say, putting on a snooty voice and making Beth laugh, “is my brother’s best friend. They met when they were both out in Ghana about fifteen years ago. Mark was there helping Mom and Dad. I don’t know what Alex was doing. But they swapped numbers and they’ve been best friends ever since.”

“He really is cute, though,” Beth sighs, looking more than a little dreamy.

I snarl. “Don’t let his looks fool you. His bark is as bad as his bite. He’s been a grump for as long as I’ve known him.”

Which is about eight years.

Well, I say “known” him. The truth is, I don’t really know him at all. We were first introduced at a dinner party at Mark’s house. I was only grateful that there were more than just the three of us, or I would have been bored out of my skull. Alex didn’t converse much and seemed to wear a scowl as a permanent feature.

The next day, when I saw Mark in the town, I told him his friend needed to lighten up. Mark told me he was going through a messy divorce. That made me feel bad, but then, that was eight years ago, and the man hasn’t changed. He still looks as miserable now as he did back then. Clearly, it’s true: Money really does not buy you happiness.

“Maybe he’s here to see Mark,” Beth offers, once I’ve returned to my station to begin the joyful job of cutting onions.

I shake my head. “Mark’s not here, Beth. You know that.”

“Oh, yeah,” she exclaims.

“He’s out in Ghana, helping Mom and Dad. They’ve just begun building another school for the children there. He’s not due back for weeks.”

“Then why is he here?” She jerks her head toward the dining area.

I shrug and pretend like I don’t care, but in truth, I’m as curious as my energetic little colleague. I could understand his presence if my brother was in town, but it makes no sense for Alex to be here otherwise.

Strange.

After I plate another order, Beth takes it out to the dining room, and I continue with my job. Now I’ve seen him, Alex Bennett remains on my mind as I cook. I’ve looked at it from every angle, and I just can’t figure out what he’s doing in Riverdale. It doesn’t make sense.

A little while later, Beth returns with an excited smile. “Your grumpy billionaire surgeon wants to speak to you.”

For a second, I’m shocked. “Did you tell him who I was?”

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