Page 87 of Doc Showmance
Okay, that hurt. The image of Maya and Ian together churned inside my already throbbing head. The need to vent burned its way up my throat.
Ian’s hand squeezed my thigh under the table.
I jumped and blinked up at him.
He whispered, “She’s got nothing on you.”
“Thanks,” I mouthed back. Out loud, I asked, “Why does our breakup have to be dramatic?”
All talking ceased. The entire TV creative ensemble stared at me liked I’d grown a second head. The silent attention creeped me out.
“Hon, this is TV,” Marianna said, glaring over the top of her reading glasses like she was schooling a child. “We go big, or we go home.”
“I don’t want to do this anymore,” I muttered. “I’m coming off like a psychotic bitch.”
“I hate this,” Ian said.
“I want to return to seeing patients and making a difference in lives again. I want to be normal again.”
“You were never normal,” Ian whispered.
I whacked him in the arm. “Says the man who gallivants around the world getting himself into scenarios that ensure his shirt comes off.”
“I’ve worked hard to look spectacular without a shirt.”
“I’ve got it!” Marianna slammed her fist on the table, making both Ian and I jump. “The firefighter. The one with the dog Amber saved. Wade something-or-other. He’s got the hots for Amber. More so since you gave him the news his dog’s tumor wasn’t cancer. Let’s put him into the mix and make Ian jealous. They can have a fight, and boom. Done.”
“No.” I shook my head. I didn’t want to play with Wade’s emotions. “Just, no.”
“You think I’d get into a fight over some guy who’s got the hots for Amber and then break up with her over it?” Ian asked. “That’s ridiculous.”
“This whole thing is,” I muttered.
“We’ll orchestrate that she goes on a date with him. All fake of course.”
“I’m already dating Ian, right? I’m not that kind of person who can handle more than one man at a time for a potential relationship situation. I’m also not going on a date with a client. That’s a line I refuse to cross, especially on national television.” This was like déjà vu to the moment when they’d discussed our kiss, when no one had been listening to me.
Marianna cackled. “This is TV gold. I’m scheduling him a recheck with his dog, and we’ll get this all figured out then.”
“No! Is no one listening to me?” I shouted. “I don’t want every weirdo to request I see their pet only to expect they’ll get a date if they pay for an office visit. No.”
As if I’d said nothing Marianna showed her phone to her assistant. Then passed the phone around to the team. Everyone was now chuckling.
“Ian?” I hated this level of helplessness. I massaged my chest against tingling and tightness.
He leaned in. “They can arrange whatever the hell they want, but you do you. They can’t control you.”
I ducked my head and nodded. Some of the pressure on my chest eased.
* * *
“How’d it go?”Ian asked me as I stepped out of surgery on the senator’s dog.
“Simple spleen removal. Tumor looks gnarly, but no evidence of cancer anywhere else. Now we wait for the biopsy with fingers crossed it’s not cancer. If it is bad news, she’ll at least get a few good months.”
He smiled as he leaned in to read the dog’s vitals on the monitor. “Is she anemic today?”
“She started out mildly anemic before surgery. Susan’s rechecking right now. I don’t think she lost too much blood. Probably won’t need a transfusion, but we’ll watch her.”
