Accidentally Yours

by Bettye Griffin

“You’re very welcome.”

  Zack Warner watched as the woman made her way down the hall and disappeared around the corner. She was a real looker. Her dark skin had a healthy glow about it, and her thick but neatly shaped eyebrows topping luminous brown eyes, plus the bangs peeking out from under her hat and swept to one side reminded him of a young Audrey Hepburn in that movie that was a favorite of his cousin Sydney’s, the one in which she played a chauffeur’s daughter. Her figure was concealed by her knee-length coat, but there didn’t appear to be anything that would diminish his interest.

  A nurse appeared and addressed him. “Dr. Warner, would you check on Kevin? He’s all set and awaiting clearance.”

  “Sure.”

  Zack released his patient, a thirteen-year-old who had sprained his ankle while ice skating. Then he checked the patient board. There was a male patient in curtain three being treated for an arm laceration. The wound had been cleaned but not yet sutured. “Why don’t you let me take this one,” he offered to his colleague Jeff Hertz. He might as well find out as much information about the pretty woman he’d just spoken with as possible. He already knew she wasn’t married; “a friend,” she had mentioned.

  “Sure, go ahead.”

  “Hello there,” Zack greeted. “I’m Dr. Warner.”

  “Gary Allen.”

  “I see you’ve had a little mishap.”

  “A freak accident. I cut my arm on a hook from a coat rack while I was putting on my jacket. It stings like the devil.”

  “Ouch. Let’s take a look at it.”

  “Lousy way to end a party,” Gary remarked as Zack inspected his arm.

  “I hope it was nice otherwise.”

  “It was great. Met a lovely young lady who was nice enough to bring me up here.”

  So they’d just met. The word “friend” was probably too strong; they were merely acquaintances. Good. “I’m going to numb the area and then stitch it up for you.”

  “Please. It stings bad.”

  “I wouldn’t recommend you drive after taking pain medication, anyway.”

  “I don’t have very far to go. I was way downtown when this happened.”

  “Well, that was certainly nice of your lady friend to bring you all the way up here.”

  “Yes, it was. Fortunately, she lives in Mount Vernon, so she won’t have too far to go.”

  Zack’s expression was impassive, but he was pleased with the information he had managed to glean from Gary. It was rare for him to be this interested in what his patients had to say, usually he just tried to soothe and reassure them, while determining their living situations if their conditions warranted it. He finished suturing Gary’s arm. “I want you to sit tight for just a few minutes. I’d like to do a quick recheck before I authorize you to leave.”

  “It looks fine to me, Doc.”

  “It’s just a precaution.”

  “I’m really in a hurry to get home. The anesthetic is going to wear off, and then my arm will start throbbing again. Besides, not only is my friend waiting, but a friend of hers is with her, too. I don’t want to hold them up.”

  “I promise I’ll be back in five minutes.”

  “All right.”

  Zack headed for the waiting room. The attractive woman to whom he’d offered assistance was sitting with another young woman. They both looked like they wished they were somewhere else, but then, most people didn’t enjoy hospital waiting rooms.

  “Hello again,” he said. “I’m Dr. Warner.”

  “I’m Vivian St James, and this is Glenda Ivey.”

  “I just treated your friend.”

  “I didn’t know you were a doctor—I mean, his doctor,” Vivian said.

  “So, Doctor, will he live?” Glenda asked.

  Zack laughed. “I just finished suturing his arm. I expect to release him as soon as I check him and give him some instructions. Will either of you ladies be taking care of him at home?” he asked innocently.

  “No,” Vivian answered. “We just met him a few hours ago. We were going his way...he really shouldn’t have had to drive with his arm bleeding like that.”

  “I agree. The pressure from gripping a steering wheel could have exacerbated the blood flow. Do you live near here?”

  “In Westchester,” Vivian said.

  “In the Bronx,” Glenda said simultaneously.

  They all chuckled, then the answers were repeated one at a time.

  Zack was running out of time, and he knew it He couldn’t think of a single thing to say. It wasn’t every day that women who looked as good as Vivian St James walked into the ER, but how could he possibly let her know he’d like to see her again? She wore no ring, and she had just met Gary. She probably wouldn’t refuse. “Well, ladies, come back anytime. I’m at your service,” he said with a smile that vanished the moment his back was turned. You wimp, he said to himself as he returned to Gary.

  “What a hunk,” Glenda drawled.

  “Did I fall over myself or what?”

  “What was that you said about not knowing he was a doctor? Did you see him before?”

  “In the back. I thought he was an orderly or a nurse or something. The guy who checked Gary in had that doctor look, but he was just a nurse. These days you just can’t tell. I guess I gave myself away when I said that,” she said dejectedly.

  “You did seem a little excited about him being a doctor, but I don’t think he noticed. And did you notice his eyes?”

  “Right away. They’re so bright; it’s like he’s got X-ray vision.”

  “Makes me glad I’m wearing matching underwear,” Glenda remarked. “And speaking of eyes, I saw you cut yours at me.”

  “Well, I did see him first I was afraid you might have forgotten that.”

  “So what are you gonna do about it?”

  Vivian’s forehead wrinkled. “What do you mean?”

  “About the doctor. You know, the one you saw first I think he likes you.”

  “What makes you say that him saying to come back anytime? He was making a joke, Glenda. This is an emergency room!”

  “I don’t know. Something I saw in his eyes. The vibes. His sticking around and making small talk. I just have a feeling he was attracted to you.”

  “Shh. Here comes Gary.”

  “Then again,” Glenda continued, “maybe he was attracted to me.”

  Vivian gave her a Say whaaaat? look, but quickly turned her attention to Gary. He made an attempt at smiling, but it was obvious he was in discomfort.

  “How’s the arm?” Glenda asked.

  “All stitched up and still numb, but probably not for long. The doctor gave me a pain pill for tonight and said tomorrow it shouldn’t hurt as bad. Right now I just want to go home.” He reached for Vivian’s hand with his uninjured left hand. “Ladies, I can’t tell you how much I appreciate your bringing me here.”

  “I’m glad we could help,” Vivian said.

  She and Glenda went outside with him, and after bidding them good-bye—she also received a kiss on the cheek and a promise that he would call her soon—and watched as he drove off. “All right,” Glenda said the minute his Volvo disappeared around the corner, “back to what we were talking about.”

  “What do you suggest I do, Glenda? Sprain my wrist? Give myself a first degree burn so I can show up for treatment’ Forget it. I’m anxious to find my Mr. Right, but I’m not desperate.”

  Later, after dropping Glenda at her apartment and getting her own car, Vivian considered the irony. Her friend Desireé Mack had wanted to introduce her to a doctor over a year ago, but they could never coordinate their schedules, and then Desireé returned to Colorado. Now it looked like she’d missed out on another M.D. Like Glenda said, if it wasn’t fated, it wouldn’t happen.

  Maybe there was a nice lawyer out there waiting for her, or even an Indian chief.

  Chapter 3

  Manic Monday through Stingy Saturday

  The phone lines in human resources were busier than usual, even for a
Monday morning. Vivian didn’t understand it. The company’s upcoming merger with another, larger manufacturer hadn’t even been announced yet. How did everyone know about it?

  There was a knock on her office door, and the head bookkeeper of accounts payable asked in that nasal tone that gave New Yorkers a bad rep. “Is it true we’ve been bought out?”

  “Wherever did you hear that?”

  “It’s what everybody’s saying. They say they’re going to downsize because they don’t need two of each department, or that some of us will have to go to their offices in New York.” A mournful look overtook her features. “I only have three years left before I retire. I don’t want to start commuting into the city, Vivian.”

  She could easily understand why. Eloise Sherman lived fifteen minutes away from their offices and could barely manage to find her way to work now.

  “But I would consider early retirement if they made me a good enough offer,” Eloise added with a meaningful look.

  Vivian marveled at Eloise’s swift change in demeanor from whiny to crafty. Vivian’s job made her privy to advance knowledge of early retirement packages, but she refused to be baited into spilling any confidential information. “I honestly don’t know what’s going on, but I’m sure it’ll all be cleared up this morning.”

  Eloise had barely left when the senior secretary in research and development showed up. “Vivian, what’s this I hear about us being bought out and moving to the city? Why would they want to do something like that? I thought the company was doing so well.”

  If there was anything that made her more uncomfortable than trying to diplomatically get rid of people who dropped by without calling, it was having to lie. She had a highly ethical character; she hadn’t even told Glenda about the company’s plans.

  She managed to get rid of the secretary with a noncommittal response and then dashed down the hall to the director’s office. Connie’s desk in the reception area was vacant, so she went directly to Lisa Mahoney’s office and knocked on the open door. “Lisa, we’ve got a problem.” She had just finished explaining how the announcement, which was not due to become public until later in the week, had gotten out prematurely, when Harriet, the clerical assistant who sat outside her own office, buzzed. “Lisa, is Vivian in there?”

  “Here I am.”

  “Glenda is on two for you. She says it’s urgent.”

  Lisa picked up the receiver and handed it over.

  “What is it, Glenda? They did what? No! Oh, hell. Okay. Thanks a lot”

  She gave the phone back to Lisa, who hung it up. “You’re not going to believe this. Apparently the original copy of the memo about the merger was left in the machine in the copy center. Someone found it this morning, made copies, and passed it out”

  Lisa’s face reddened. “Who made those copies?”

  “Glenda wasn’t able to find out exactly who, and whoever did it will never admit to it. The whole company probably knows about it by now.”

  “Thank you. Would you ask Connie to come in, please?”

  “Sure.”

  She found Connie near her own office with Harriet the two of them talking in hushed voices. The fearful look on Connie’s face said it all; she was the unfortunate party who’d left the memo in the copier. “Lisa wants to see you,” she said to Connie softly. This was a terrible situation. Senior management would get wind of what had happened, which meant that Lisa would be under the gun; and of course she would hold Connie responsible.

  Connie sullenly went off toward Lisa’s office. “What a shame,” Harriet remarked.

  Vivian had always liked Harriet Simmons. In her late fifties, she had been with the company nearly thirty years, working in various departments over that time. “That was such a mean thing to do, copying that memo and distributing it instead of bringing it back here.”

  “It was obviously a major announcement. Some people always have to be the first ones to break big news and be in the know, especially the ones in the copy center.”

  “Connie came in Saturday specifically to do the photocopying while no one was around. The alternative was to have the job done on the outside, and now I’m sorry Lisa didn’t do it that way. It was such an honest mistake. It could have happened to anyone. I tell you, those women are vicious.” One of the extensions began to ring. “There they go again. I’ll get it.”

  Vivian was working when she looked up and noticed someone standing near Harriet’s desk. Harriet was there, but she was helping someone on the phone. “Can I help you?” she offered.

  The very tall form of Peter Arnold filled her doorway. He was a chemist relatively new to the company. Rumor had it that he was brilliant. His build—he was about six-five and on the thin side—was actually more suggestive of a retired basketball player. He had the longest fingers she had ever seen. Out of habit she always checked out a man’s hands, whether she was interested in him or not, both to look for a wedding band and because she found long, slim digits more appealing than short, stubby ones. She felt she did it subtly, not like some men who talked to her with their eyes fastened to her chest.

  “Hi, Vivian,” Peter said. “I wanted to know if I was eligible to join the 401(k) plan. December twenty-seventh was my six-month anniversary.”

  “Yes, you can join. You’re actually a little late; most of the people starting up got their paperwork turned in before Christmas.”

  “It’s not too late, is it?”

  “You might have to offer Glenda a bribe, but since we haven’t had a payday yet this year I’m sure it’ll be okay.” She wanted to put in a plug for her friend, who had said she thought Pete was “kinda cute.”

  “Quite a lot of excitement around here this morning, isn’t there?” he remarked.

  “Yes. It’s regrettable.” She handed him some printed forms. “This is what you need to fill out I would suggest you complete it as soon as possible and give it to Glenda.”

  *****

  She saw Pete again that day as she hand-delivered an envelope of employee change forms to the payroll department for Glenda to process. He was walking ahead of her down the hall, and she gasped when he walked into what she knew was a closet. He came out within seconds and immediately looked around to see if anyone had witnessed his blunder. “I’m still having a little trouble finding my way around this place,” he said sheepishly before disappearing into the men’s room next door.

  She merely gave him a smile, not trusting her voice to betray her with laughter, which she knew would be cruel. Still, she couldn’t help thinking, The man’s been here six months and doesn’t know the closet from the men’s room?

  She and Glenda laughed heartily over the incident in the relative privacy of the payroll office, which Glenda shared with the two clerks she supervised. The confidential nature of the work they both did spared them from being assigned to those portable-walled cubicles so popular in offices nowadays. “So what if he’s a little confused,” Glenda said. “He’s a scientist. They always say they’re a little ditsy. It’s part of their intelligence.”

  “Yeah, right. I’ll bet George Washington Carver was always walking into closets.”

  Glenda rolled her eyes. “How’s Gary’s arm?”

  “He says it’s much better. It’s a little sore, but it’s not throbbing like it was when he first cut it. He’ll have the stitches taken out before the weekend.”

  “Maybe you should offer to go with him to have them removed. You might get to see that fine Dr. Warner again.”

  “I’m sure he’ll have the stitches taken out by his own doctor. There’s no need to go to the emergency room for something so minor, unless he doesn’t have a family doctor.”

  “It was just a thought.” Glenda lowered her voice. “So are they going to get rid of me or what?”

  “I admit I did know about the merger; Lisa told us last week. She swore me to secrecy. I hope you’re not mad that I didn’t tell you.”

  “I understand that, but do you know about the future of my departm
ent? Carol and her husband just bought a house, and she’s understandably worried.”

  “Well, the letter said no changes are expected right away.”

  “All that means is that everybody’s probably safe for the next six months or so. I’m interested in the long term.”

  “I honestly don’t know, Glenda. I guess nobody’s job is safe.” That wasn’t exactly the truth, either. Lisa told them that Human Resources would remain untouched. She would be commuting between the two locations, since the other company did not have a director, only a manager. When Harriet pointed out that they didn’t have a manager, only a director, Lisa had smiled and said Vivian would be in charge of the department in her absence. Not only would she keep her job, but there might be a promotion in it for her from administrator to manager.

  “Well, if they decide to pink-slip me I’m going to take the money and run right out of New York. I’ll go someplace where the odds of finding my soul mate are better. And a warmer climate won’t hurt, either.”

  “I think the odds of finding your Mr. Right are going to be the same anywhere. Besides, anyplace in the Sunbelt is going to pay you maybe half of what you’re getting now, maybe sixty percent, tops.”

  “That’s all right. From what I hear you can live better, even on less money, because everything’s cheaper. I can buy some property instead of making my landlord rich every month. And speaking of money, am I allowed to buy a new outfit to wear to dinner out of my bonus money?”

  “Not really. That money should be earmarked for travel expenses, not for outfits or getting your hair done. Oops.” She had forgotten that Glenda had given up on getting her long, thick hair relaxed every seven weeks, wearing it pulled back or pinned up in its natural kinky state instead of loose. “When the operators at the hairdresser start arguing over whose turn it is to do your head because none of them want to do it, it’s time to go off and live nappily ever after,” she had said at the time.

  Now she said, “Well, it should count. It’s all part of the process. I’ve caught Bobby. Now I want to reel him in.” She pantomimed the act of fishing.

  “You haven’t exactly caught him yet. This is only your first date.”