by Karen Deen
“While I’d love to stay and chat with you girls,” I say, making Deven roll his eyes at me, “I have to get moving. Things to do, a function to get finished, so I can go home and put my feet up.” I pick up my phone and bag, giving them both a peck on the cheek. “See you both over there later. On my phone if needed.” I start hurrying down the corridor to the elevator. I debated calling a car but figured a taxi will be quicker at this time of the day. Just before the lunchtime rush, the doorman should be able to flag one down for me.
Rushing out of the elevator, I see a taxi pulled up to the curb letting someone off. I want to grab it before it takes off again. Cecil the doorman sees me in full high-heeled jog and opens the door knowing what I’m trying to do. He’s calling out to the taxi to wait as I come past him, focused on the open door the previous passenger is closing.
“Wait, please…” I call as I run straight into a solid wall of chest. Arms grab me as I’m stumbling sideways. Shit. Please don’t let this hurt.
Just as my world is tilting sideways, I’m coming back upright to a white tank top, tight and wet with sweat. So close to my face I can smell the male pheromones and feel the heat on my cheeks radiating from his body.
“Christ, I’m so sorry. Are you okay, gorgeous?” That voice, low, breathy, and a little startled. I’m not game to look up and see the face of this wall of solid abs. “You just came out that door like there’s someone chasing you. I couldn’t stop in time.” His hands start to push me backwards a little so he can see more of me.
“Talk to me, please. Are you okay? I’m so sorry I frightened you. Luckily I stopped you from hitting the deck.”
Taking a big breath to pull myself back in control, I slowly follow up his sweaty chest to look at the man the voice is coming from. The sun is behind him so I can’t make his face out from the glare. I want to step back to take a better look when I hear the taxi driver yelling at me.
“Are you getting in, lady, or not?” he barks out of the driver’s seat.
Damn, I need to get moving.
“Thank you. I’m sorry I ran in front of you. Sorry, I have to go.” I start to turn to move to the taxi, yet he hasn’t let me go.
“I’m the one who’s sorry. Just glad you’re okay. Have a good day, gorgeous.” He guides me to the back seat of the taxi and closes the door for me after I slide in, then taps the roof to let the driver know he’s good to go. As we pull away from the curb, I see his smile of beautiful white teeth as he turns and keeps jogging down the sidewalk. My heart is still pounding, my head is still trying to process what the hell just happened. Can today get any crazier?
GRAYSON
‘I’m just a hunk, a hunk of burning love
Just a hunk, a hunk of burning love’
Crap!
What the hell!
I reach out to grab her before I bowl her over and smash her to the ground. Stopping my feet dead in the middle of running takes all the strength I have in my legs. We sway slightly, but I manage to pull her back towards me to stand her back up. Where did this woman come from? Looking down at the top of her head, I can’t tell if she’s okay or not.
She’s not moving or saying anything. It’s like she’s frozen still. I think I’ve scared her so much she’s in shock.
She’s not answering me, so I try to pull her out a little more so I can see her face.
Well, hello my little gorgeous one.
The sun is shining brightly on her face that lights her up with a glow. She’s squinting, having trouble seeing me. She opens her mouth to finally talk. I’m ready for her to rip into me for running into her. Yet all I get is sorry and she’s trying to escape my grasp. The taxi driver gives her the hurry along. I’d love to make sure she’s really okay, but I seem to be holding her up. I help her to the taxi and within seconds she’s pulling away from me, turning and watching me from the back window of the cab.
Well, that gave today a new interesting twist.
One gorgeous woman almost falling at my feet. Before I could even settle my breathing from running, I blink, and she’s gone. Almost like a little figment of my imagination.
One part I certainly didn’t imagine is how freaking beautiful she looked.
I take off running towards Dunbar Park and the basketball court where the guys are waiting for me. Elvis is pumping out more rock in my earbuds and my feet pound the pavement in time with his hip thrusts. I’m a huge Elvis fan, my music tastes stuck in the sixties. There is nothing like the smooth melodic tones of the King. My mom listened to him on her old vinyl records, and we would dance around the kitchen while Dad was at work. I think she was brainwashing me. It totally worked. Although I love all sorts of music, Elvis will always be at the top of my playlist.
“Oh, here’s Doctor Dreamy. What, some damsel in distress you couldn’t walk away from?” The basketball lands with a thud in the center of my chest from Tate.
“Like you can talk, oh godly one. The surgeon that every nurse in the hospital is either dreaming about fucking, or how she can stab needles in you after she’s been fucked over by you.” Smacking him on the back as I join the boys on the court, Lex and Mason burst out laughing.
“Welcome to the game, doctors. Sucks you’re on the same team today, doesn’t it? Less bitching and more bouncing. Let’s get this game started. I’m due in court at three and the judge already hates me, so being late won’t go well,” Lex yelled as he started backing down the court ready to mark and stop us scoring a basket.
“Let me guess, she hates you because you slept with her,” I yell back.
“Nope, but I may have spent a night with her daughter, who I had no idea lives with her mother the judge.”
“Holy shit, that’s the funniest thing I’ve heard today.” Mason throws his head back, laughing out loud. “That story is status-worthy.”
“You put one word of that on social media and I won’t be the one in court trying to get you out on bail, I’ll be there defending why I beat you to a pulp, gossip boy. Now get over here and help me whip the asses off these glamour boys.” Lex glares at Mason.
“Like they even have a chance. Bring it, boys.” He waves at me to come at him.
Game on, gentlemen.
My watch starts buzzing to tell us time’s up in the game. We’re all on such tight work schedules that we squeeze in this basketball game together once a week. These guys are my family, well, the kind of family you love one minute and want to kill the next. We’ve been friends since meeting at Brother Rice High School for Boys, where we all ended up in the same class on the first day. Not sure what the teachers were thinking after the first week when we had bonded and were already making pains of ourselves. Not sure how many times our parents were requested for a ‘talk’ with the headmaster, but it was more often than is normal, I’m sure. It didn’t matter we all went to separate universities or worked in different professions. We had already formed that lifelong friendship that won’t ever break.
Sweat dripping off all of us, I’m gulping down water from the water fountain. Not too much, otherwise I’ll end up with a muscle cramp by the time I run back to the hospital.
“Right, who’s free tonight?” Mason is reading his phone with a blank look on his face.
“I’m up for a drink, I’m off-shift tonight,” Tate pipes up as I grin and second him that I’m off too. It doesn’t happen often that we all have a night off together. The joys of being a doctor in a hospital.
“I can’t, I’m attending a charity dinner. It’s for that charity you mentor for, Mason,” Lex replies.
“Well, that’s perfect. Gray, you are my plus one, and Tate, your date is Lex. I’m now the guest speaker for the night. So, you can all come and listen to the best talk you have witnessed all year. Prepare to be amazed.” He brushes each of his shoulders with his hands, trying to show us how impressive he is.
We all moan simultaneously at him.
“Thanks for the support, cock suckers. My memory is long.” He huffs a little as he types a
way a reply on his phone.
Mason is a pilot who spent four years in the military, before he was discharged, struggling with the things he saw. He started to work in the commercial sector but then was picked up by a private charter company. He’s perfect for that sort of role. He has the smoothness, wit, and intelligence to mingle with anyone, no matter who they are. He’s had great stories of different passengers over the years and places he’s flown.
“Why in god’s name would anyone think you were interesting enough to talk for more than five minutes. You can’t even make that time limit for sex,” I say, waiting for the reaction.
“Oh, you are all so fucking funny, aren’t you. I’m talking about my role in mentoring kids to reach for their dream jobs no matter how big that dream is.” The look on his face tells me he takes this seriously.
“Jokes aside, man, that’s a great thing you do. If you can dream it, you can reach it. If you make a difference in one kid’s life, then it’s worth it.” We all stop with the ribbing and start to work out tonight’s details. We agree to meet at a bar first for a drink and head to the dinner together. My second alarm on my watch starts up. We all know what that means.
Parting ways, Mason yells over his shoulder to us all, “By the way, it’s black tie.”
I inwardly groan as I pick up my pace into a steady jog again. I hate wearing a tie. It reminds me of high school wearing one every day. If I can avoid it now, I do. Unfortunately, most of these charity dinners you need to dress to impress. You also need to have your wallet full to hand over a donation. I’m lucky, I’ve never lived without the luxury of money, so I’m happy to help others where I can.
Running down Michigan Avenue, I can see Mercy Hospital in the distance standing tall and proud. It’s my home away from home. This is the place I spend the majority of my waking hours, working, along with some of my sleeping hours too. My heart beats happily in this place. Looking after people and saving lives is the highest rush you can experience in life. With that comes rough days, but you just hope the good outweighs the bad most of the time.
That’s why I run and try not to miss the workouts with the boys. You need to clear the head to stay focused. The patients need the best of us every single time. Tate works with me at Mercy which makes for fun days and nights when we’re on shift together. He didn’t run with me today as he’s in his consult rooms and not on shift at the hospital.
I love summer in Chicago, except, just not this heat in the middle of the day when I’m running and sweating my ass off. It also means the hospital struggles with all the extra caseload we get. Heat stroke in the elderly is an issue, especially if they can’t afford the cool air at home. The hospital is the best thing they have for relief. My smart watch tells me it’s eighty-six degrees Fahrenheit, but it feels hotter with the humidity.
I don’t get the extra caseload, since I don’t work in emergency. That’s Tate’s problem. He’s a neurosurgeon who takes on the emergency cases as they arrive in the ER. Super intense, high-pressure work. Not my idea of fun. I had my years of that role, and I’m happy where I am now.
Coming through the front doors of the hospital, I feel the cool air hit me, while the eyes of the nursing staff at the check-in desk follow me to the elevator. The single ones are ready to pounce as soon as you give them any indication you might be interested. Tate takes full advantage of that. Me, not so much. When you’re an intern, it seems like a candy shop of all these women who want to claim the fresh meat. The men are just as bad with the new female nurses.
We work in a high-pressure environment, working long hours and not seeing much daylight at times. You need to find a release. That’s how I justified it, when I was the intern. I remember walking into a storeroom in my first year as an intern, finding my boss at the time, Leanne, and she was naked from the waist down being fucked against the wall by one of the male nurses. Now I am a qualified doctor who should hold an upstanding position in society, so I rarely get involved in the hospital dating scene anymore.
Fuck, who am I kidding? That’s not the reason. It’s the fact I got burnt a few years ago by a clinger who tried to get me fired when I tried to move on. Not going down that path again. Don’t mix work and play, they say—well, I say. Tate hasn’t quite learned that lesson yet. Especially the new batch of interns he gets on rotation every six months. He is a regular man-whore.
Am I a little jealous? Maybe just a tad. Both me and my little friend, who’s firming up just thinking about getting ready for some action. It’s been a bit of a dry spell. I think it’s time to fix that.
Pity my date for tonight, Mason, is not even close to what I’m thinking about.
My cock totally loses interest now in the conversation again.
Can’t say I blame him.
Just then the enchanting woman from today comes to mind and my cock is back in the game. I wish I knew who she was.
Now this afternoon’s rounds could be interesting if my scrubs are tenting with a hard-on.
The joys of being a large man, if you get my drift.
There’s no place to hide him.
Chapter Two
MATILDA
“Tilly, stop worrying. We’ve got this.” TJ looks at me with his compassionate eyes.
He’s a such a hard-working guy who’s become a valuable team member. I take my hat off to him. He’s supporting his family while both he and his fiancée try to get through studying at college part-time. They have a son, Lewis, who is the most adorable little boy with his dark skin, beautiful eyes, and tight curly brown hair. It wasn’t their plan for TJ’s fiancée to get pregnant at seventeen, but they’ve stuck together, and both worked hard to keep on their roads to their individual dream careers. Working, studying, and sharing the parenting. Amazing role models for Lewis as he grows up.
Not everyone takes that sort of life-changing news and steps up to take responsibility. No matter their age, TJ and Talesha are wise beyond their years.
“TJ, you are too good to me. You deserve this promotion. I know you won’t let us down.” His smile tells me my answer.
“Damn straight.” He puts his hand on my shoulder to reassure me. “Now go home. It’s your night off. Fleur has everything under control in the kitchen, and we have a few hours before the doors open, and I’m organized.” He chuckles to himself knowing no matter what he says that I struggle to let go of control.
“Okay, okay, I’m out of here. You know you can call me. Even for the smallest question.” I look at him, as he shoos me away with his hands.
Heading into the kitchen, I hear Fleur yelling at some of the kitchen staff to get moving, she hasn’t got all day to wait for them to get out of her way. She is so much like me it’s not funny.
“What are you still doing here?” she calls out to me as she puts down the packages that she’s been carrying.
“Just checking on the last-minute things,” I tell her.
“I call bullshit on that. With all the staffing changes tonight, you’re nervous. Tell the truth.” Fleur laughs at me as she calls me out on my anxiety for tonight’s function.
“Maybe I should just work tonight. Just in case. You know how important tonight is. It’s got to be perfect. Some of the board might be here, checking on us for the tender application.”
She just rolls her eyes at me, turning me, then pushing me towards the exit. “Go. Home. Now. Trust me, woman!” Fleur quite clearly tells me as she walks around to stand in front of me in the doorway.
“I know. It’s not that I don’t trust you. It’s just we’ve worked too hard for this to fall apart at the eleventh hour.” My heart is beating a little faster than it should be.
“We’ve got this. I’ll call if I’m worried or if we need you. So, I don’t want to hear from you unless it’s to tell me you’re out on a date and about to go to some guy’s place for a random hook-up and you’re giving me his details. Understand?”
Now it’s my turn to roll my eyes. “Yes, Mom. Not likely, but thanks for caring.”
We hug quickly, and I walk away, not convinced I shouldn’t be here tonight.
“Daisy, honey. Stop knocking, if she hasn’t answered it means Tilly’s not home yet,” I hear Hannah say as I exit the elevator.
“Tilly!” Daisy screams as she sees me start down the corridor.
“Hi, munchkin,” I get out before she launches at me for a cuddle. Luckily, I manage to put my bags down, so I don’t drop her.
“Daisy,” her mother scolds. “At least give her time to get to the front door.”
It’s too late. I’m wrapped up in a little girl hug with lots of kisses on my cheeks.
“Tilly likes my hugs and kisses, she said so.” I laugh as Hannah approaches us to pick up my bags for me. I’m laughing at the sweet little one who is smiling at me like I’m her Santa Claus.
“You are so right, my Daisy waisy. But I do need to get my bags off your mom and open my door before we can play. Is that okay?” I slowly lower her down.
“I suppose. But don’t take too long, I’m not finished with my cuddles yet.” This precious little girl makes me smile no matter what mood I’m in. She is so full of sunshine that she never lets the world dampen her spirit. I hope she can always keep that in her life. Her energy is a lot of hard work for her mom to manage on her own, though. Hannah is a Navy wife, and her husband Trent is currently on deployment. It’s always a tough time for her, so I try to help where I can with Daisy. Just to give her a break. I’m not around a lot, but when I am, Daisy has dinner with me, or we go to the movies and the park, of course getting ice cream on the way home.
Besides Fleur, Hannah is my other closest friend. Oh, and Deven, of course. You never get a choice with him. Once he claims you, then you can’t get rid of him. He attaches so easily. Not in a bad way, he’s the most thoughtful guy I know. Maybe it has to do with being gay that he’s not afraid to wear his heart on his sleeve.