Page 86 of Romeo

She was grabbing a snack in the break room between patients when Chuck cornered her.

“Your friend’s on my schedule in fifteen minutes.” Her co-worker glanced at his watch and his mouth twisted. “Though, he tends to run late.”

No surprise. She didn’t know any biker who watched a clock. They tended to live their life on their own time and terms.

“He says he knows you very well.”

Damn it.Should she pretend Romeo was nothing more than a distant acquaintance?

If he was fishing for details on her and Romeo’s “relationship”…Good luck, Chuck.“We do know each other, but not as well as he tends to insinuate.”

Chuck’s dark eyebrows rose. “But you didn’t want him as a patient?”

“I figured you’d be better suited to work with him.” That wasn’t quite a lie.

Her coworker frowned. “Don’t you think it’s kind of odd that he self-referred himself into our care instead of going to a doctor first?” Chuck turned and leaned back against the counter with a coffee mug in hand.

“Ro—” Her brain glitched. If she called Romeo by his road name, it would only spur more questions. “Marvin tends to march to the beat of his own drum.”

“I’ve experienced that,” Chuck said dryly. “He tried to tell me how to do my job.”

Oh shit.But that wasn’t surprising, either.

Maddie rolled her lips instead of her eyes. “He’s not being cooperative?”

“Oh, he is, but he has some very strong opinions.”

That he did.

“That he shares. Often.”

“On therapy?”

“On everything. And he asks a lot of questions about Roger. For some reason, he seems to be obsessed with our asshole boss.”

Of course.“Be careful. You don’t want to get caught complaining aboutyou know who. That will only make it worse.”

“I’ve managed to dodge most of Marvin’s questions.”

Good.

“Are you sure you don’t want to take him for your patient roster?”

The pleading in Chuck’s eyes had her feeling guilty for pawning Romeo off on him. However, not enough to agree to take him back. “I don’t think it would be appropriate,” was the last thing she said before slipping out of the break room with a peach swiped from her own lunch bag.

As she was about to head back out onto the floor, she noticed the man they were just discussing coming through the door.

She turned her head and called out, “Chuck, your appointment is here.”

“Already?” came his response.

Apparently, Romeo wasn’t late every time. Or Chuck learned to tell him an earlier time to make sure he arrivedbeforehis appointment started, instead of after.

That trick was used often by women tied to bikers. If their ol’ ladies wanted them somewhere at eleven, they told them ten-thirty. It worked until the men caught on.

“Can you tell him I’ll be out in a few minutes?” Then she heard mumbled, “I should make him wait as long as he makes me wait.”

Maddie pulled in a breath before reluctantly answering, “Sure.” She wouldn’t do it for Romeo, but as a favor for Chuck since he took the stubborn Knight off her hands.

---