Page 7 of Eight Naughty Notes

5

CHRISTIAN

“What did you place your bid on, Dr. Powers?

I folded the flyer that had been handed to me with my meal and looked to Nurse Richards.

“Why, so you can outbid me?” I chuckled.

She smiled and then smoothly changed the topic. She was no amateur.

“It’s good to have you back, Dr. Powers.”

We were standing by an unoccupied table where I believe Nurse Richards would be eventually seated with Tori momentarily. She was likely holding the spot for them and would get her food when Tori got to the table. I had just finished paying for my food when I saw her waving me over.

“There was an opening that seemed to be a perfect fit for me. I took it. Needed a change of pace,” I lied.

“Mmmmhmmm.”

I swallowed my smile by taking a sip of my afternoon coffee. I had a long night ahead of me.

“Does it bother you that I’m back, Nurse Richards?

“Call me Stephanie, like Tori does. No, it doesn’t, but it’s not me you should be worried about.” I looked over at Tori who was grabbing food from the salad bar. I nodded.

“When do you plan on telling her you’re still in love with her?”

I looked at Nurse Richards with surprise. She certainly knew how to cut right to the chase. I remember her from my residency. She was a younger nurse that garnered a lot of respect from the doctors, but I recall a lot of the more seasoned nurses giving her a hard time, so she related more to the residents. I’d only been back a couple of weeks and already I could see she intended to be a different nurse to those that came in behind her. A lot of younger nurses respected Nurse Richards.

“You don’t think I know love when I see it?”

“I didn’t say that.”

“You haven’t said anything at all yet.”

“Let me answer your first question, first. I placed my bid on the nine-night Egyptian cruise among a couple other things. The cruise is the bid I plan to win, however.”

“Ooooh fancy.”

I laughed. “Yeah but it wouldn’t be for me as much as it would be for her.” I nodded in Tori’s direction.

She was paying for her food and still had no idea we were watching her. I ran into Nurse Richards as I was grabbing a bite to eat before heading back to the ICU. I had two pediatric cases that were keeping me occupied but one thing I knew better now than I did when I was a young and eager resident, that I had to rest, eat, restore, in order to be my very best for my patients. I couldn’t think on an empty stomach let alone react quickly enough if not rested. I did my best to balance life as much as I could.

I could tell that Tori was doing no such thing. While as beautiful as ever, whenever I saw her, she looked tired. And not just tired like she wasn’t getting enough sleep, but soul tired which made me enter the auction only to win something that might benefit her. I bid four thousand dollars and checked it daily to see if I need to raise it because I’d do that in an instant to one, benefit the children and two, to help Tori. I intended to win the cruise and eventually, her.

“I suppose you answered my second question.” She turned back to me.

“That was my hope.”

She nodded. “I don’t even have to tell you how fragile she is.”

“No, you don’t.”

“Good. Because it stands without question that it means you need to take it easy on her.”

I could feel my jaw tighten. “It wasn’t me who ended things before.”

“You don’t think I know that?’

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