by Holly Rayner
I looked at her for a second, confused. Copies and maintaining the lobby was in Alexandria’s job description, not mine, but Brittany appeared to be shooting daggers at me, and I didn’t want to do anything to cause a scene. Besides, my afternoon was going to be spent catching up on paperwork and filing, so I had some free time. I switched off my computer monitor and grabbed the stack of pamphlets.
“Sure thing, Brittany,” I said with a smile.
She pursed her lips and spun around, marching off in the direction of the supply closet. I wondered if this strange interaction had anything to do with her equally strange bad feelings about me, but quickly dismissed the thought in favor of thinking about my date with Spencer on Friday night. Even while waiting for the copier to print out fifty copies of each pamphlet, I found myself biting back a smile.
The next two days were going to last a lifetime.
Chapter 15
Spencer wished me a very professional “Good day,” and then slipped me a note when I walked into the office on Friday morning. As soon as I was sitting at my desk, I unfolded it and read his messy scrawl.
Can’t wait till tonight. Wear something warm—we’re going to our own personal drive-in.
A smile I couldn’t hide spread across my face, hurting my cheeks. The idea of cozying up with Spencer beneath a blanket, him wrapped around me while we watched a movie sounded too good to be true. I quickly ripped a corner from my planner and scribbled a note back to him.
Are you planning on a rom-com? Or something scary so we can cuddle up close?
I liked the idea of passing notes back and forth all day, building anticipation for our date as if it wasn’t already through the roof. I couldn’t remember the last time I’d ever felt so giddy.
“Dr. Johnson needs to see you,” Brittany said.
I jumped and my hands slammed down over the note I’d just written.
“Good morning, Brittany,” I said, trying not to look as incredibly guilty as I felt.
She gave me a tight smile in return. “I also need you to go into room 8 and start an IV.”
“Sure thing,” I said, sliding the note off the table and tucking it into my back pocket.
I saw Brittany’s eyes follow the path of my hand, but all I could do was hope my handwriting had been small enough that she hadn’t been able to read it.
As I walked away, Brittany was still standing at my desk, watching me go. I was going to have to be a lot more careful in the future. My worries eased when I passed Spencer in the hall a few minutes later and slipped him my note.
A couple hours later, we met in the break room for lunch and Spencer handed me an empty mug. I tried to smile at him, but he refused to look at me. Confused, I grabbed the coffee pot and moved to fill my mug, but just before the first drop could splash into the bottom, I saw the yellow slip of paper torn from his legal pad. I pulled it out and unfolded it.
Horror. I’ll supply the romance.
When I looked at him again, there was an undeniable smirk on his face. The day truly couldn’t go fast enough.
In the afternoon, Brittany kept me away from my desk for a few hours, refiling the supply closet and running odd errands between seeing patients, but I didn’t mind. Staying busy helped the time pass, and all I could do was think about being out with Spencer again, free to smile at each other and touch without fear of someone finding out.
I was in the middle of folding exam gowns in the closet when Alexandria popped her head into the closet.
“Girl, it’s after five. Why are you still folding gowns?”
“What?” I checked my watch and immediately dropped the rest of the gowns in a heap on the shelf. “I lost track of time.”
Alexandria nodded. “Yes, that happens to me all the time when I’m folding clothes. So much fun.”
I laughed. “Any fun plans this weekend?”
“Gym and grocery shopping. Otherwise, my couch has been calling my name,” she said. “What about you?”
I bit back the grin that wanted to spread across my face and shrugged. “Nothing too crazy. This and that.”
Alexandria gave me a curious look like she suspected I was withholding something and wanted to ask for specifics—which she probably did, considering she loved gossip more than almost anything else.
“Well, don’t get too crazy. See you Monday.”
I power-walked across the office, grabbed my bag from the back of my chair (it had been packed since after lunch), and switched off my monitor.
“See you Monday!” I said, waving to a few other nurses still left in the practice.
When I turned back around, though, I yelped in surprise. Brittany was standing in front of me, arms crossed over her chest. I had to swerve to avoid smacking right into her.
“Sorry,” I said, holding a hand to my chest. “You scared me.”
“Is there a reason you’re in such a hurry today?” she asked, tilting her head to the side.
“Because it’s Friday…?” I said, a question in my voice.
I saw a figure appear in my peripheral vision and I turned to see Spencer stepping out of his office and locking the door behind him. When he saw us standing in the hallway, he looked from Brittany to me with a smile that began to slowly fade as he sensed the tension in the air.
“What’s going on?” he asked.
“Just heading out for the day,” I said with a shrug.
“Actually,” Brittany said, her voice overlapping mine. “I’m a little concerned about some missing supplies—pain medication, to be specific.”
“What?” I asked, looking up at Spencer to gauge whether he knew anything about this. By his frowning expression, I guessed he didn’t.
“I’m actually conducting random bag checks to be sure no product is leaving the supply closet illegally,” Brittany said, her mouth set in a hard line.
It was a challenge.
“You mean me?” I asked.
Brittany nodded slowly. “I’m sorry, but you’ve been in the supply closet a lot lately, and you are the newest member of our team. It’s nothing personal, but at this point in time, you are the most likely suspect.”
“Hold on,” Spencer said, his forehead creased with worry. “This isn’t necessary. Have we double-checked the inventory? Maybe someone made a mistake.”
“I hope it is just a simple mistake,” Brittany said. “But if it is, then there definitely won’t be anything in Jess’s bag.”
I felt everyone’s eyes on me, questioning what I would do next, how I would respond. Having my bag searched felt like a violation of my privacy, but a denial would make me look guilty, and I had nothing to hide.
“If you refuse to accept my word, then feel free to check my bag,” I said, slipping the tote off of my shoulder.
Brittany grabbed at it, yanking the straps from my hands and dropping it on the ground. I knew what would be in the bag. I’d been packing it with the same contents since I started working as a nurse: wallet, keys, cellphone, lip balm, tampons, pen, planner, lunch bag and water bottle.
“I really don’t think this is necessary,” Spencer said as Brittany let the straps fall to the ground and began pulling items out one by one.
As she did, a few other employees began to gather around the edges of our interaction, just close enough that they could overhear everything.
“It’s fine,” I said, giving him a tight-lipped smile. “I don’t have anything to hide.”
As soon as the words were out of my mouth, Brittany gasped. She stood up slowly, one hand over her mouth, the other clutching the top of a clear plastic bag full of prescription medications.
My eyes widened, as if somehow that would change the image in front of me. Had she pulled that from my bag? I hadn’t seen her do it, but there didn’t seem to be anywhere else she could have been hiding them. What was going on?
“It’s Hydrocodone,” Brittany said, handing the bag to Spencer and then standing next to him, arms crossed over her chest, her head shaking from side to
side in a continual motion.
“That isn’t mine,” I spluttered. “I have no idea how that got in there.”
“This is the medication that had the discrepancy in the inventory,” Brittany whispered to him. “I just noticed it today.”
“That isn’t mine,” I said louder, practically screaming at them, now. “I didn’t steal anything.”
I looked at Spencer, begging him to hear me, to respond, to tell me everything would be fine, but he wouldn’t meet my eyes.
“Come into my office, Jess.”
“I’ll come, too,” Brittany said, moving to stand in front of me, blocking my view of Spencer. “I can grab the inventory sheets if you want.”
“Just Jess,” Spencer said, his voice hard-edged.
Brittany shrunk a little and stepped aside, but she stared at me as I walked past. It was a challenge of some kind that I didn’t understand. Was this because she’d told Spencer she had a feeling about me? Did she think that feeling had been correct? Or was it something more sinister?
Spencer was standing by the door when I walked into his office. As soon as I was in the room, he closed to door shut and turned to me.
“I didn’t do it,” I said, moving towards him. “I swear. I promise you I didn’t.”
He took a small step away from me, probably less than a foot. But it felt like a mile. It froze me to the spot, my chest clenching tight. Did he really believe I could have done this?
“We have inventories on medications like these for a reason. They fetch a pretty penny for someone looking to sell them. They are also one of the more common medications people can become addicted to.”
His eyes shifted around the room nervously before falling on me.
“I’m not selling drugs, Spencer.” I spun away from him, the anger inside of me needing an outlet. “And I’m certainly not addicted to them.”
There was a beat, and then Spencer looked up at me, his blue eyes sorrowful. “I know you aren’t.”
His words would have been comforting if not for the emphasis.
My breath came out in an angry laugh. “Do you think I’m stealing drugs to give to Greg? The brother that I have bent over backwards to help beat his addiction?”
Spencer didn’t respond, but he didn’t need to. The truth was written all over his face.
“This is a serious offense, Jess. I’m so sorry. I can’t continue to let you work at the practice.”
“You’re firing me?” I choked out, my throat thick with emotion—rage, frustration, sadness. “You believe I did this?”
“It doesn’t matter what I believe. The pills were found in your bag, and your brother has a history of addiction.” He moved towards me, bending down to catch my eye. “I’m so sorry. I don’t think you’re a bad person, but I can’t deny what is right in front of my eyes. I have to let you go. I’m so, so sorry.”
I didn’t move. I wasn’t about to give up so easily—I was innocent!
“My bag was hanging from the back of my chair, and I wasn’t at my desk much today,” I said. “This could have been anyone.”
“And I will look into that claim,” Spencer said. “But until anything can be proven otherwise, I’m afraid I can’t have you on the premises. It’s policy.”
I wanted to scream. I wanted to grab him and shake him. I wanted Spencer to look in my eyes and see the truth. But I also knew none of it would matter. His mind was made up. He had a business to run. A worldwide reputation to maintain. I hated it, but I understood.
He looked at the floor, kicked his shoe into the carpet, and shook his head. “I can walk you out.”
“I’ll show myself out,” I said.
We both stood there, silent and uncomfortable for a moment, knowing that as soon as I walked out, whatever had been between us would be over. As upset as the whole situation made me, I wasn’t ready to let go yet. But I had to.
“I’m sorry things didn’t work out for me here, but I’m not sorry I took this job,” I said, more to myself than to Spencer. “And I’m not sorry I met you.”
Before he could respond, I turned and left.
Everyone else in the office had dispersed except for Brittany. She was standing just outside of Spencer’s door, clearly eavesdropping, and she jolted when I opened it.
I walked past her and bent down to grab my tote bag and the few items she had pulled out during the search, which were still sitting in the middle of the hallway. I’d maintained my emotions quite well during the entire ordeal, trying to keep myself as close to centered as possible. I didn’t want anyone to see my cry. I’d save that for when I was alone. I just had to keep it together for a few more minutes.
Spencer’s office door squeaked open behind me and I squeezed my eyes shut for a second before standing straight and turning to leave. As much as I didn’t want to, I couldn’t resist turning around for one last look. Spencer gave me a weak smile that looked more like a wince, but then his eyes shifted away and downward. Towards Brittany.
She had her hand on his elbow. It wasn’t intimate or personal, merely a show of support. But I recognized it for what it was. Territorial. With her hand still on him, Brittany looked at me, her lips raised at the corners.
And that was the moment I nearly lost my composure. It was when I realized what this was all about. Brittany had never been my friend. She hadn’t warned me about dating Spencer because she was concerned about my job or my reputation. It was because Spencer was hers. She liked him, and if she couldn’t have him, no one could.
Brittany set me up.
I wanted to confront her, but I knew it wouldn’t do any good. I didn’t have any proof. So, I tightened my wobbling lower lip, held in the tears, and walked out of the practice of my dreams for the final time.
Chapter 16
“You told him you didn’t do it, right?” Greg asked for what felt like the hundredth time. “You swore to him that it wasn’t you, and he still didn’t believe you?”
I sighed. “Please don’t make me say it again. It’s embarrassing.”
“You have nothing to be embarrassed about,” he said, shaking his head. “This isn’t fair. He only believes it because you told him about me. I just know it.”
“That isn’t true,” I lied.
Really, it was true. I would never tell Greg that Spencer thought I was stealing the drugs for him, but it was the truth. If Greg hadn’t been an addict, Spencer would’ve had a much harder time believing Brittany’s accusation.
“He thinks you passed the drugs on to me. I know it’s true, so you don’t have to lie to protect my feelings,” Greg said, sitting in the armchair next to me. “I’m sorry.”
“This isn’t your fault. It’s Brittany’s. She set me up.”
“Then we should go tell Spencer that,” Greg said, jumping to his feet. “Let’s go tell him what happened and explain to him that his chief nurse is a vindictive psychopath.”
“I don’t have any proof, though.”
“Then, we’ll torture her!”
I couldn’t help it—I laughed. I’d been cycling through emotions ranging from seething anger to regret over the weekend. From vindictiveness to feeling forlorn, maybe now, Monday morning would bring acceptance. As much as I wanted to be with Spencer, it clearly wasn’t meant to be. I just needed to accept the hand life had dealt me and move on.
“Or I could find a new job and forget any of these people exist.”
As soon as the words were out of my mouth, Spencer’s perfect face and chiseled jawline and bright blue eyes popped into my head. How could I ever forget someone like that?
Greg groaned and grabbed his keys from the coffee table. “We need bagels and coffee. I’m gonna go grab sustenance and then we can start the job search. For you and me.”
“For you?” I asked, sitting up for the first time in a few hours, eyebrows raised.
Greg nodded. “I’m ready now. I feel like I have my head on straight and I’m ready for the next step. Time to rejoin the world.”
My throat tightened, and I cleared it quickly. My brother didn’t like big displays of emotion. “That’s amazing, Greg. I’m proud of you.”
He waved me away and rolled his eyes, but I could tell he was pleased.
Then, he marched to the door. “I’ll be back in half an hour. Go put some real clothes on and brush your hair.”
As much as I wanted to continue lounging on the couch, I did as Greg said and cleaned myself up. Ten minutes later, I was walking back into the living room, prepared to flop down on the couch when there was a knock at the door. I wondered whether it could be Greg back early, but he would have used his keys. Then, a part of my mind I didn’t want to acknowledge wondered whether it could be Spencer there to apologize, but I pushed that thought away as soon as it came to me and went to the door.
My jaw dropped. “Jamie?”
The small blond-haired boy stood on my front steps, school backpack slung over his shoulders. “Hi, Nurse Jess.”
I stuck my head through the door and looked around for a sign of Spencer.
“I’m by myself,” Jamie said. “Can I come inside?”
“What are you doing here?” I asked. “Where is your dad?”
“At work. I found your address in my dad’s phone and walked here from the bus stop instead of to school.”
I stepped aside and let Jamie walk into my house, trying to formulate a plan. I had to call Spencer. He would be worried sick if the school called and told him Jamie wasn’t in class.
“I faked his signature on a sick note and had my friend deliver it,” Jamie said. “It works all the time.”
“You do this all the time?” I asked, eyes wide.
He shrugged. “Once or twice. But I came here to tell you it isn’t fair that you lost your job.”
Jamie climbed up onto my sofa and leaned back, his legs dangling in the air.
“Your dad told you I was fired?” I asked, angry and embarrassed. The least Spencer could have done was told Jamie I’d quit. He didn’t need to ruin his opinion of me.
Jamie shook his head. “I overheard him talking to someone on the phone. He said they found stolen medication in your bag.”