Page 21 of The Billionaire's Fortunate Accident
From the sound of her voice to the sparkle in her eyes, she gave off such a great vibe. She’d make a great doctor; I was sure of that. The fact that she actually cared about people was evident by her demeanor and actions.
Popping into the lobby, I saw a woman standing behind a desk and walked up to her. “Can you point me in the direction of the cafeteria, please?”
“That way,” she pointed to the hallway on the right.
“Thanks.” I took off in that direction and then continued following the signs from there. As soon as I turned the corner and walked into the room, I saw Jessa sitting at a small table, looking down at her phone. Sneaking up behind her, I ran my arms around her from behind and planted a kiss on her cheek. “Hey, you.”
“Stone,” she whispered. “What are you doing?”
“Stealing a kiss.” I took the seat across from her. “I figure if I’m gonna get any at all, I’ll have to steal ‘em.”
“I’d hate it if rumors about me began spreading around.” She looked around and seemed relieved to find that no one was staring at us. “Well, no one’s here, so I guess it’s okay.”
My lips tingled from the brief kiss. “I think it was a little more than just okay. My lips are on fire over here.” I winked at her.
A blush covered her cheeks, and she ducked her head shyly. “You are such a flatterer.”
“It’s not flattery if it’s true, honey.” I saw a woman coming our way and then place a plate of food covered in cream gravy in front of Jessa.
“Thanks,” Jessa said, then quickly began digging in. “I’ve only got fifteen minutes of my half-hour break to go. So, don’t think me rude if I devour this while you talk.”
“What is it?” I tried to make out the food under the heavy coating of white crap.
“Chicken fried steak.” She took a bite, nodding as she chewed it up then swallowed. “Well, it’s most likely soybeans, not real steak. But it’ll fill me up, and that’s exactly what I’m looking for.”
She took another bite, which I noticed was mashed potatoes. “Are those real or fake too?”
“Fake.” She pointed her fork at the small bowl with a greasy sheen on top. “Those green beans are real.”
“And really covered in grease. Jessa, you can’t eat this terribly every day. I’m shocked that you’re in such great shape with this diet.” I couldn’t believe she wasn’t as big as a house with all the junk she ate. “It says a lot about your metabolism. But if you keep eating like this, it will catch up to you one day. I’m gonna start bringing you something to eat. Something healthy.”
Pausing, she looked at me as her fork hovered over her plate. “Really?”
“Yes.” I couldn’t pretend not to care about the crap she was putting into her body. “I’ll start bringing you something when I come to see you at work too. I can’t sit idly by and let you do this to your digestive system. It would be a crime.”
“You’re serious, aren’t you?” She scooped up some shiny green beans.
“Extremely serious.” I knew I had to take a look at what the cafeteria was serving. “Do they serve anything nutritious here?”
“There’s salad. And they have mixed veggies. I don’t like them, though. They’re soggy and tasteless.”
“I’m sure they’ve cooked all the nutrients out of them anyway if they’re soggy. Vegetables should be crisp, even after they've been cooked. And if you must use oil with them, you should only use an oil that’s low in saturated fats, like olive oil. You would think they would know that around a hospital, of all places.”
Shrugging, she didn’t seem to have ever thought about that. “You sound sort of passionate about this, Stone. You said you’re a chef. Why not come up with an idea to end this madness?” She laughed as if it was a joke.
“You’re right. I should.” I’d had no idea there would be a need for a place that sold healthy food in a hospital. “Are there any other places to eat in here?”
“We have a coffee shop on the third floor. It’s sort of like a Starbucks. You know, various coffees and teas and assorted sweets.” She took a drink out of a giant mug.
“And what are you drinking?” I hoped it was water to help wash the crap she was eating out of her system.
“Soda.” She smiled impishly, knowing that it was far from healthy. “I know that soda’s bad for you in many ways. But I need a little pick me up now and then.”
“Sugar is the worst thing to use for a pick me up. You know what’s good at doing that? Nuts and berries, proteins of most any kind will do that little trick without causing your digestive system any distress in the process.” I knew I would have to bring her more than just a meal when working at the hospital. “I’ll pack you some snacks too.”
“I can’t carry around a backpack full of food, Stone.” She finished the food left on her plate. “I grab something when I get the chance to. And every time I leave something in the fridge of the break room, someone else snatches it up. There are a bunch of food thieves up here.”
“And I know why that is too.” Why wouldn’t people be trying to get something better than what this place had to offer? My wheels were spinning, but not the way I’d meant them to be. “Let’s talk about something else. I didn’t come here to trash-talk your cafeteria. So, your accent — it’s not from Texas.”
