Page 8 of Doc Showmance
“This hospital needs the extra income to keep it afloat. If we can tolerate it another year, then we should be out of the red and have paid off the expansion that finished last year. With inflation and living in Southern California…everything’s more expensive. Hear me out before you say anything else. The show’s ratings have been falling. They’re considering pulling the plug, but before that, they do want to try one last—”
“We seem busy enough to support the hospital without the show,” I interrupted.
“Please, Amber, let me finish.”
I slumped and recrossed my arms. “Okay. Sorry.”
“The producers are bringing in someone new. Someone who will draw in a wider audience because of who he is. Someone who’s a licensed vet in California and does exotics in addition to dogs and cats. He’ll infuse some young blood while he sees exotic animal emergencies during the day instead of Dr. Kovac.”
“That’s great,” I said sarcastically. “It’s Ian Todd, isn’t it? I saw him earlier.”
He shot me a be-quiet glare. “I’m not done. They want you to up your time on camera.”
I sat up straighter and leaned forward about to utter a firm, “No.”
One hand raised to hush me, he continued, “They’ll pay you more. Maybe even twice as much as they’re paying now on top of your regular salary. The producer plans for you and Dr. Todd to be the primary stars. Both of you will be followed at all times you’re here and maybe some of the time outside the clinic.” When I opened my mouth to voice a resoundinghell no, he said, “Don’t speak. There’s more. This next part is top secret. You will sign a non-disclosure agreement tomorrow to make sure no one on staff or the audience knows this. Your friends can’t know, nor your family. You two are going to be very friendly with each other. As in you respect and like each other…a lot.”
“You want me to befriendly…as in you want me to get it on with him? For TV? I’d have to be an actress to make that fly.” I wanted to flash him my middle finger and storm out because I sure as hell wasn’t getting “friendly” with Ian.
But that text from Marino… Crap. Plus, the thought of losing my residency when I was within months of being done terrified me. So much work. So much time and effort would be flushed down the toilet.
“You’ll fake it. Viewers will eat it up.” Dr. Morris’s face remained calm and even.
My blank stare aimed his way must’ve expressed my thoughts because his eyebrows rose in a way I didn’t appreciate.
“I’m not asking you to fall for him, but just have a little flirting and whatever. Maybe build up to a fake date. Do you understand me?”
I barely breathed as I asked, “You want me to fake interest in a colleague? Another veterinarian? Possibly go on a date with him? For TV ratings?”
He nodded.
“That’s insane. I don’t even like him.”
“You can pretend to like him.”
“Aren’t interhospital relationships a no-no? You were real clear on that three staff meetings ago. What the hell do they have on you to bring this down on me? This is way off the charts of your usual ethical boundaries.”
“They’re twisting my arm here.” He sighed and stared upward. “You’re apparently good on TV and they want to amp it up.”
“I don’t want to do this.”
“The money will be real good, Amber. It’d only be for a few months, maybe two or three. They’re desperate for you to do this. I won’t force you into it if you’re really against it. But they’re going to apply pressure points to all of us if you refuse.”
I should do this. For the money. For Marino. And to keep my job since I had planned to stay here after my residency ended.
I can handle Ian Todd.Now kissing him? My stomach clenched, and not in an I’m-going-to-vomit way but with excitement that had no business entering this consideration.
I sat there and blinked. Realistically, he wasn’t asking for anything outrageous. Except he was since this had to do with Ian.
He covered his face before speaking again. “If you don’t do this, the producers want me to threaten firing you and excavating that client complaint from last month who threatened to go to the board.” He covered his face. “That last bit wasn’t my idea. I wouldn’t do either of those, but I wanted you to know in order to understand how serious they are about this.”
No one said this needed to be either a relationship or lasting. Just flirting.
I’m not an accomplished flirt. Kind of missed learning the strategy of how to act around men of interest in my younger years. I was a nerd who focused on school and bucking the system whenever possible. Me trying to hit on a guy usually involved me being blunt and skipping through niceties.
“I’ll think about it, but I refuse to kiss him on camera.”
My boss grinned, relief written all over his face. “Meet in conference room when you get in at eight tomorrow. The producer wants to run through ground rules. We’ll get the contracts signed. The meeting will be off camera. You’ll be on camera by ten.”
