Page 18 of Fever: Love In Scrubs
It was crazy that in all my years of living in that house, I’d never fallen over anything. I guess it was because I’d grown familiar with the layout. I knew every box, every stack of clothes, every pile of trash. I’d learned to navigate through the darkness and mess. Now that it was clean, I took a tumble.
It had been three days of me laying in this house with my foot elevated. I’d used that time to check in with my kids. I worked as an Independent Living Coordinator at the youth center back in Colorado Springs. My job was basically to prepare these kids for living on their own. Most of my kids were in the foster care system. More often than not, they aged out or entered adulthood without learning essential skills that most of us take for granted.
Schools didn’t teach financial literacy, budgeting, or banking. These kids are thrown into adulthood after spending their life inthe system. They can’t cook, plan a meal or grocery shop. They had no clue how to write a resume or interview for a job, let alone manage their time.
I was happy to teach them all these things because Aunt Kira was my saving grace. She taught me everything I needed to know about being a woman. It was beneficial that she was my boss and could take over while I handled my father’s affairs. I popped in every so often via video chat to check on the kids’ progress while I was away.
Today I had to get out of this house. Sure, I loved being in my own space, but it was at my free will. Handicapped and all, I got myself out of bed, showered, dressed, and hobbled downstairs on my brace.
Finally settled in my car, I cranked up. The alert sounded, letting me know that I needed gas. I sighed heavily as I pulled out of the parking lot and headed for the nearest gas station. Getting in and out of the car with the boot and a hurt shoulder proved to be a task in itself. When I finally got myself together, I heard a chuckle behind me.
“Shouldn’t you be resting?”
I turned to see Dr. Pierre.
My thoughts drifted back to our interaction in the emergency room. I had to admit that this man was beautiful. He stood at least six feet with a honey brown complexion. His hair was neatly cut with short curls. A tamed mustache and beard combo encased a set of kissable lips. Good Lord, that man was fine.
I’d shamelessly flirted with him and let him flirt with me.
At first glance, he looked like he was mean, but his smile was as warm and welcoming as those beautiful brown eyes. I could tell he had a nice body beneath those scrubs, but seeing him dressed casually was another story. Today he wore a blue short-sleeved shirt, black joggers, and tennis shoes. The muscles of his arms told me he worked out or lifted weights regularly. My eyestraced the veins of his arms. Something about them made him so much more appealing.
“Dr. Pierre?—”
“Jaxson,” he said as he approached my car. “Call me Jaxon.”
“Jaxon,” I repeated.
“Again, shouldn’t you be resting?”
I sighed. “Listen. I’m gonna pull my hair out if I have to sit in that house much longer. I don’t know where I’m going, but I’m going somewhere. I just needed some gas first.”
Jaxson stepped around me and motioned to the pump. “What are you getting?” he asked.
“Regular. Filling up.”
He lifted the pump and popped my gas tank open before tapping his card and slipping the nozzle inside. We stood in awkward silence for a moment as he pumped my gas. This man was insanely attractive, and I couldn’t stop staring at him. When he smiled, I quickly looked away.
“Thank you,” I finally said.
“It’s no problem. How are you feeling?”
“My shoulder is still a little sore. The boot on my foot helps minimize the pain some.”
“Injury aside, how is the moving process coming along?”
“Everything is moved in. It’s just a matter of unpacking and putting it all in place. I’m basically living out of boxes right now. I love the house, though. My contractor did an amazing job. It looks nothing like I remember.”
“Who was the contractor?”
“Um…” I thought for a moment. “Johnathan Gold.”
“From Gold Construction?”
“Yes. You know them?”
“That’s my brother in-law. Remember I told you the company my sister owns? He partners with her on certain projects.”
“Wow. Small world.”
