Page 88 of Forgot to Tell You Something

But first, I have to pay the piper and settle whatever score Charlotte believes I owe her family.

I saunter into the cafe with far more bravado than I actually possess, and spot her at an outside table, her dark head bent over her phone. The woman is never without that device. When they offer implantable versions, she’ll be the first in line.

She’s garnering looks from all the men in the restaurant, but that’s nothing new. Charlotte’s beauty is exquisite, but it’s only skin-deep. Hell, that was what first drew me to her when we met. I was in the middle of medical residency, and she was a grad student, majoring in political science. She didn’t have any political aspirations. She did it to piss off her father. It didn’t take me long to learn she was a petulant, spoiled, and pedantic woman—to everyone, including me.

“Charlotte,” I offer as a greeting, standing over the bistro table.

She glances up, her green eyes widening as she takes in my unfamiliar look. “What the hell did you do?”

“I shaved my head and grew a beard,” I respond, sliding into the seat opposite her.

“Embracing your punk roots, I see.” She clicks her tongue against her teeth, a sure sign she disapproves of my current style.

I couldn’t care less. Tally adores this look, and she is the one that matters. “I know you didn’t call me to discuss fashion choices, so why don’t we cut to the chase?”

The server interrupts, and I order a coffee. Black. It’s quick and sends a signal that this will not be some drawn-out mid-afternoon date. I can’t be sure if she misses my hint or ignores it, as she orders an egg white omelet and tea.

“This is a change from San Francisco,” she states, fingering the cloth napkin and looking everywhere but in my direction.

I get it. I don’t fit her mold anymore. I never did. I tried to please her during our courtship, covering my tattoos and attending the ballet, but it was total crap. I wore the clothes she selected, hung out with her tedious friends, and acted like any of it mattered.

When I left San Francisco, I broke that mold, and I’ll never let another person put me in one again.

“I needed a change.”

“We could have discussed things.”

I scoff, biting back a laugh. “What was there to discuss? Your infidelity? I knew about Marco, Charlotte.”

“It was just sex.” I have to give it to the woman. She doesn’t lie. She’s cold as ice but honest to a fault.

“Hopefully, it was good sex,” I announce, a bit too loudly, as the server returns with our beverages. The waitress bites back a grin, while Charlotte blushes under her caramel skin.

“Not really,” she admits, opening a package of sweetener. I don’t know why she bothers. There isn’t enough sugar in the world to sweeten her up. “That’s not why I’m here.”

“Good. I didn’t care to discuss Marco.”

“Why did you bring him up?”

“To drive home the reason I left San Francisco,”—I pause, taking a sip of my coffee—“and why I’m happy here.”

“Memorial is a reputable hospital, although they’re behind cardiac wise. I’m assuming you’re the only robotics certified interventionist?”

“At the moment. Certification costs money—lots of it—and there are no training facilities in the southeast.”

“I’m so glad you mentioned it because that’s why I’m here. With the high incidence of mortality associated with cardiac arrests in this area, Daddy believes it a travesty to not offer top-notch technology to the patients. Besides, it would behoove you both.”

She didn’t waste any time getting to the point. Perhaps she wants to finish this lunch as quick as I do. “While I can’t argue your father’s opinion, he’s no longer an active investor, Charlotte. They paid him off, remember?”

“He wants to change that.”

I groan, leaning back in the chair. “I figured as much. Just tell me what you two want.”

“He will build a training facility here in South Florida. You will act as the trainer for the first class of students. When they are certified and dispatched back to their prospective hospitals, you will earn a handsome payday for your trouble.”

To the outside world, it sounds like one hell of a sweet deal. But I know this family. This is a bribe. “What’s your involvement in this plan?”

“Since Daddy is on the other coast, I will remain here to set up the facility and ensure the operations are running smoothly.”

---