Page 2 of Doctor Charmer

“If I say yes, they’ll say I’m egotistical, and if I say I don’t know, they’ll call me a liar.”

“A lose-lose.” Her gaze pins to mine and doesn’t move. “For you, that is. It’s a win for us, regardless. Everyone on the rig always leaves Eastport with a lightness we didn’t have when we arrived. You guys are good for our egos. Quota be damned.”

“Well, there is a price to pay for going over the quota. I’m sure the chief has told you.”

“I believe he said something about taking the most charming doctor in the ER out to dinner.” She grabs a fistful of her hair, tilts her head, and tosses it over her shoulder. I’m sure it’s her go-to move she uses on guys. I’ve been around the block a few times and have seen almost all of them. She looks up, expecting to find me staring, and I take a long pull of my coffee. “Hmmm,” she scoffs and plows forward. “Followed by a fitness checkup.”

She really is bold. “I don’t need to examine you to know your pulse is racing.” I push off the wall, and she takes the tiniest of steps in retreat. Her lips part, and her eyes widen in anticipation.

“Shortness of breath.” My gaze lowers to her arms by her side. “You are experiencing a heady high of dizziness that feels as if you’re flying.” I give her the play-by-play of what she’s experiencing.

“And what does the doctor prescribe to cure… my ails?” Her body leans toward me.

The door to the doctors’ lounge pushes open, and I don’t react. Lyndsey does. She leaps back as if she’s a teen caught with a boy in her parents’ basement after hours. She turns, and a wave of embarrassment skims across her face when she sees who has entered. Everyone in the hospital is familiar.

Lyndsey gathers her fire helmet from the table behind her and whispers to me. “Should I tell Chief Boden to expect you later?” I give her credit for sticking to her invite.

“We’ll just have to see, won’t we?” I watch her exit the room before turning to face the intruder.

“Now’s not a good time.” I brush her off before she speaks. I’ve learned my lesson and never let her get in the first word, not here in the ER, which is my domain.

“Dr. Morgan.” Louise Derby bites out my name as if it causes her pain, and it probably does. I’ve been a purposeful pain in her side for the last year. “The end of the year will be here in a few days, and your department is the only one that’s in noncompliance.”

I scoff. “What the other departments do is none of my concern. Maybe HR should follow my lead.”

“That’s not how Human Resources works, and you know that. It’s a simple attestation. And I can’t believe you have me wasting my holiday vacation to come chase you down. You are keeping me from taking off the rest of the year.” She crosses her arms across her chest and pins me with her best HR-approved glare. I’ve been on this side of this glare from nearly every person in her department. They must workshop the move together.

“And every year, New Year’s strikes without you getting what you seek. When will you get the message?” I’m being rude on purpose. The attestation is neither simple nor harmless. It’s an annual statement sent around to every person in the hospital pledging that they follow the hospital fraternization policy. Any relations between colleagues must be disclosed and filed with HR, a policy that began four years ago when I was named head of the ER. The timing and my reputation coincided, convincing the very active rumor mill that I was the cause for the policy. I wasn’t, but I’ve never corrected anyone. However, I do have my reasons for opposing it.

“Well, this year will be different. Dr. Riggs is retiring next year and wants to secure his legacy with no loose ends. He’s told every department to get their shops in order. If you don’t sign, I will bring this to his attention. With your reputation and history, he’ll gladly make an example of you on his way out the door.” She gives me an update that is two months late. Dr. Riggs has never been a fan of mine because of his niece’s infatuation with me nearly a decade ago. An infatuation I toyed with in the name of hospital politics, never seeing the damage it caused to his niece until it was too late.

“Yeah, good luck with that.” I feel the buzz on my hip and whip out the pager, happy for a distraction. It’s an alert. A big one. I should have known the minute HR showed up in my ER that it would be a sign of the apocalypse. “We’re done here.”

Louise huffs as I march around her and ignore her last comment. “We’re just getting started, Dr. Charmer.”

She calls out loud the hospital moniker that is usually whispered behind closed doors. She falsely believes her words will sting me. They don’t. I learned a long time ago to embrace the name and the reputation that comes along with it.

Hearing it called out in the ER doesn’t embarrass me; it only emboldens me. I am who people believe me to be. I paint on a smile and prepare to charm away.

Chapter Two

Ivy

“Hold on to that ball,” I shout, twisting in my front-row seat in the van, taking in the laughter of the girls. My girls. Eight members of the Cromwell College women’s volleyball team filled with giddiness from us pulling off a monumental victory against a school that is nationally ranked.

Chelsea snatches the flagrant volleyball from the air, her deft hands always reliable. “I got it, Coach.” She shoots me a wink from the back seat and stuffs the ball underneath the seat in front of her.

I blow her a kiss, still floating on air that we are here. Our little team was never supposed to make the regional tournament. When we received the surprise selection, we had no funds for this trip. We didn’t even have transportation.

I twist back in my seat, my gaze taking in the dark, snow-covered, single-lane country road. We’re in the middle of nowhere Rhode Island, headed to the team’s hotel located outside a town called Eastport. “Thanks again for driving. And for getting us the van,” I thank our chauffeur and savior, GriffinSmart. He’s a member of the men’s volleyball and basketball team and scored us access to the basketball van, a precious resource in our fund-challenged school.

Griffin is a sweetheart and pitched in at every fundraising event we held over the last few weeks for this trip.

He reaches up to his rear-view mirror and adjusts it, something I’ve seen him do regularly. He’s not all altruistic; his reputation on campus is legendary, and he’s set his sights on the girls on my team. It would be much easier to manage if half the team didn’t already carry a crush on him.

“You know I’d do anything to spend time with you gals.” He doesn’t even try to hide the devilish smirk spreading across his face. If I were ten years younger, he’d be exactly the type of bad boy I’d get in trouble with.

“Well, I still appreciate you taking an interest. We’re a family, and we stick together and look out for one another. Welcome to the family.” I give him the mantra I’ve instilled in the girls, hoping to keep him on the straight and narrow.

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