“Just like that?” Anthony said, not bothering to chase away the doubt in his voice.
“Yep, just like that. It’s as easy as pouring me another drink,” Doc said, handing Anthony his glass.
“What if I told you that I’m starting to have second thoughts?”
“About giving me a refill?” Doc Z said, eyeing him carefully. “I’m perfectly capable of getting it myself.”
“No, about Liza,” Anthony responded, trying to stay patient. Sometimes he wondered if Doc tried his nerves on purpose.
When he was teaching med school, Doc would never accept an incomplete answer from any student in his class, and yet, he gave them all the time.
Doc settled back in his seat. “What was Liza’s reaction to the build site?”
“She fell in love with it.”
“I knew she would,” he said in a triumphant tone. “You can’t call things off now.”
Anthony strode to the bar. “What do you mean? Of course I could.”
“Sure, if you want to break the girl’s heart.”
Though spoken gently, Doc’s words hit him like a bullet. He remembered how her eyes had lit up at the view of the Pacific Ocean, and how animated she seemed as they toured the grounds, talking about the possibilities.
Lastly, he recalled the feel of his lips on hers, and the kiss that he couldn’t forget.
Break Liza’s heart? That was the last thing Anthony wanted.
He set down Doc’s tumbler, grabbed the nearly empty bottle of bourbon and swirled it around as if that would give him the answer. With a disgusted sigh, he poured the rest of the liquid into the glass, walked over and handed it back to his friend.
“We’ve got to tell her the truth, Doc.”
“Uh-huh,” Doc grunted, then swallowed. “No way.”
“Why not?” Anthony demanded.
“We can’t. Not yet anyway. Besides, even if she did know, I doubt she’d turn down the job. You know she really wants it.”
And I want her. Badly, Anthony thought, which was deliciously tempting and potentially disastrous for both of them.
“Yes, I know,” he admitted.
“So what do you have to lose?” Doc asked. “Besides one of the best architects and one of the best people I’ve ever known?”
Anthony leaned against the bar. “You’re really not making this easy.”
Doc downed the rest of his drink and smacked his lips. “Have I ever?”
“Truth,” Anthony admitted with a resigned grin. “Consider it done.”
With a wide grin, Doc Z walked over and clapped Anthony on his shoulder. The gesture, while fatherly, could only mean trouble.
“So, until I get a joyous call from Liza, and since you want me to stay out of sight, I guess, I’ll be bunking here for a few days.”
“Heaven help the both of us,” Anthony joked as he picked up Doc’s suitcase and headed for the guest bedroom.
Chapter 6
Liza opened one eye, squinted at the alarm clock and rolled over. She’d spent the past several weeks nailing down an architectural design she thought best fit Anthony’s vision for his cosmetic surgery clinic. Countless hours of work and more than a few sleepless nights would culminate in the most important presentation of her career.
She stared at the floral wallpaper in her room, and her stomach clenched with fear.
How many times had she come up with amazing designs that were never actually brought to life? Her bosses always advised her to not take it personally, but having her work rejected always hurt. It would hurt even more if the rejection came from Anthony.
What if he hates them?
Liza twirled a lock of hair that had escaped from her rollers sometime during the night. She wouldn’t think about that right now. Those what-if kinds of thoughts were paralyzing, and a darn good reason to stay in bed all day with a cup of tea and a good book.
She kicked off the covers with her feet and hopped out of bed before she could change her mind. She walked to the antique mirror in the corner of her small quarters.
“This will be my best presentation ever,” she said aloud and with as much confidence as she could muster with her morning breath.
Liza took a leisurely shower and slipped into her most expensive suit, custom-made by a designer in Chicago. Wearing it always made her feel like she could conquer the world.
An hour later, she packed up her laptop and her portfolio case, grabbed her purse and headed downstairs. She’d chosen a room on the third floor of the bed-and-breakfast primarily for the privacy, plus, she was able to negotiate a fair price on a long-term rental.
Though it was still early, she could hear dishes clanking and the nasal sound of a boisterous talk radio program. The scent of eggs and bacon hit her nostrils before she even reached the first floor.
“How can anyone sleep around here with all these delicious smells?” Liza declared, a big smile on her face as she entered the room.
Maisie turned in her place and her eyes widened. “What a sharp suit! You look like you’re about to go on the air!”
“More like on the chopping block,” Liza quipped as Maisie toddled over to her.
“Don’t be nervous, honey. In that fancy suit, you’ll have that cute doctor under your spell in no time. I saw the way he looked at you that night he picked you up for dinner.”
When Liza opened her mouth in protest, Maisie waggled a finger. “And don’t tell me again that it was just a business meeting,” she added. “Because we both know that it wasn’t.”
Liza’s face warmed, and not from the heat in the small room.
“You’re right,” she said, setting her things on an empty chair. “But it’s not just Anthony that I have to impress today, Maisie, it’s a whole team of people.”
“Like whom?” Maisie said, putting her hands on her hips.
“Mayor Langston, for one. I don’t know who else will be there.”
“Gregory? Oh, don’t worry about him. He’s a lot less uptight since he got married.”
She pursed her lips. “Just don’t mention the carousel.”
Liza frowned. “Why not? Isn’t it safe?”
Maisie moved past her and picked up a pair of tongs. “Oh, the city has done a lot of improvements to it, both cosmetic and mechanically, in the past year so it’s definitely safe. Just not for hearts.”
“What do you mean?” Liza asked, curious now.
She lifted the bacon out of the pan, put each strip on a paper towel–covered plate to drain and turned back.
“There’s a saying around town that if you ride the carousel with your sweetheart you’ll fall in love. It’s one of a few interesting legends in Bay Point.”
A few, Liza thought, wondering what the others were.
“Romantic, isn’t it?” Maisie continued with a wink. “At least, to those folks who are in love or want to be in love.”
In love or want to be in love? That certainly did not describe her, she thought, as her face warmed a second time. She knew she was lying to herself. It’s not that she didn’t love being in love. But in her experience, on the other side of elation there was only pain. Joy was short-lived, and for her, the risk was too great, especially with Anthony.
“Is that what happened to the mayor?”
Maisie nodded. “Big time. Just after he was reelected for a second term. Oh, he grumbles about the carousel from time to time when he gets teased,” she grinned, knowingly. “But he and Vanessa are so happy.”
Liza was dying to ask more questions, but she didn’t dare. The woman already suspected there was more than business to her relationship with Dr. Marbet.
Her heart clenched in her chest. She knew the truth.
It was lodged in the whirlwind of passionate kisses that she
’d abruptly ended, and that he’d implied he didn’t want to end.
So who was right? And who was wrong?
She couldn’t blame him. He was so used to being desired by women that he just assumed she did, too. And while it was true that she did desire him, if only for one night, she wasn’t willing to risk the best opportunity she had for establishing her architectural business in Bay Point and Northern California at large.
She shook her head. One night could destroy a lifetime of dreams.
Maisie set a plate down on the table and gave her an odd look. “Why are you shaking your head? Sit down and have some breakfast.”
Liza gave her a weak smile, and laid her hand on her stomach. “Oh, I couldn’t possibly eat. I’m too nervous.”
During her time at the bed-and-breakfast, Liza had noticed that none of Maisie’s plates matched. This one had a rooster in the middle of it, beak taunted open, like it was ready to swallow any food that was put upon it. Maisie put down a stainless-steel fork and a knife next to it that looked like they’d been bought at a flea market—charming, vintage and very dull.
“Even more reason to get some food in there to calm it down.”
“I don’t want to get my suit dirty,” she insisted. “With my luck, I’ll spill something on it.”
Maisie put her hands on Liza’s shoulders and guided her to a chair. “Not to worry, honey, I’ve got just the thing.”
Liza sat down, watching in patient amusement as Maisie went over to what, with all the clanging and rustling, was probably a junk drawer. Her amusement turned to horror at what Maisie held proudly in her hands.
An adult-sized bib.
Liza arose from her chair slowly. She wouldn’t be caught dead wearing that thing, even inside, where no one could see her. She picked up her belongings and eased toward the door.
“The meeting will be over in an hour or so. Let’s have breakfast when I return,” she suggested. “I can change and neither of us will have to worry about getting my suit messed up.”
Maisie shrugged and tied the bib around her own neck. “Suit yourself. Bacon is never good reheated.”
She gave her a hug. “I’ll be back soon. Wish me luck?”
“I don’t believe in luck, but I believe in you.” Maisie hugged her back. “How’s that?”
“That’s the best advice I’ve heard in a long time.”
Liza smiled as she went out the door, her nerves oddly calm.
The streets and sidewalks were wet, but the moisture was already disappearing, warmed out of existence by the morning sun.
She’d slept so soundly she hadn’t even heard the rain on the roof, and she realized it was the first night she hadn’t had a dream about Anthony. It was probably a sign that her subconscious mind was processing what her heart already knew.
As much as they were attracted to each other, in the end, business relationships that turned sexual often ended badly. It would be better for both of them if she kept focused on her goals, rather than how his lips made her feel.
The distance to Anthony’s condo, where they would gather in a special meeting room, was short, but would still allow her some time to review her presentation in her head.
But as she made her way down Magnolia Avenue, she found that her mind drew a blank. She couldn’t think of anything but making sure she put one foot in front of the other, without falling flat on her face.
Liza walked past two new restaurants that were in the process of being constructed and a few new stores that had already opened, including a tiny, independent bookstore.
Although moving here was risky, Bay Point was in the midst of an exciting turnaround, and Liza was hopeful that she would be able to play an important role in the town’s rebirth.
A few minutes later, she arrived at the condo’s community center. She quickly found the meeting room located on the first floor. The door was open, but she stood aside from it, where she couldn’t be seen, and took a deep breath.
Liza grasped the handles of her laptop case, portfolio and purse tightly and entered the room. Anthony had his back to her and was speaking to someone she did not recognize.
When he was done, he turned around and walked toward her. To her surprise, his eyes lit up.
“Liza! Welcome. It’s good to have you with us this morning.”
“It’s great to be here, Dr. Marbet.”
She knew instinctively to refer to him by his proper name rather than Anthony, and would not even think of embarrassing him.
She shook his hand, and he let go quickly, and her eyes averted from his lips.
The other individuals in the room had no idea that they’d kissed, that she’d felt the evidence of his desire pressed up against her.
Liza took another deep breath as she followed him over to a table in front of the room.
“We’ve got a projector and monitor set up. Just don’t ask me if I know how to use it. I’m all thumbs when it comes to that type of technology.”
She smiled politely. “It’s a good thing you’re not all thumbs when it comes to surgery.”
Anthony laughed. “Let me introduce you to the folks around the table.”
“This man is a second-rate comedian but a first-rate politician, Mayor Gregory Langston.”
“Pleasure to meet you, Liza.”
She put down her things and shook his outstretched hand. “I’ve seen you and your wife around town. It’s great to meet you in person.”
“These other two individuals are my friends and members of our board of directors, Miss Eloise Bradshaw and Mr. Jack Warren.”
“Dr. Marbet has told us all about you,” Eloise said in a tone that had Liza wondering exactly what she meant.
Mr. Warren stood and leaned over the table to shake her hand. He had a slight build, but his voice was powerful. “Looking forward to seeing your designs, Miss Sinclair.”
Anthony turned to her. “Liza, we’ll give you a few minutes to get set up while I get a second cup of coffee.”
“I’ll join you,” Eloise declared, looping her arm through Anthony’s in a way that made Liza wonder if the woman was investing more than just her money in Dr. Marbet. Perhaps she was the reason he was off the market? But if he was, then why did he kiss her?
Liza turned away from the conference table and found that her hands were shaking.
She hooked up her computer to the projector, and turned both machines on, then navigated to her presentation. Then she removed her rendering from the portfolio case, and placed it backwards on the stanchion to be revealed at the appropriate time.
Anthony and Eloise reentered the room holding two steaming cups of coffee.
When they were both seated, Anthony said, “Let’s get started, shall we? We’re all very busy, and while I’m off duty today, there’s always a chance I’ll get called to the hospital for an emergency.”
Liza caught Anthony’s eye, and at his nod, she began.
“Thank you all for being here today and for allowing me the chance to present my architectural design for Dr. Marbet’s cosmetic surgery clinic.”
She smiled and clicked to the first slide in her presentation. “Good design is focused on the experience of the customer. This is especially critical in a healthcare setting, where a patient or potential patient is already nervous or anxious about the disease, condition or illness they are trying to get treated.”
The next slide showed two arrows in opposite directions and stock photos of attractive people looking confused.
“Wayfinding is critical. Oftentimes, the structure and layout of a building can add another dimension to their overall experience. It’s really important that people can find where they are going, which shouldn’t be too much of an issue at the clinic because of its smaller footprint.”
“Agreed,” Jack in
terjected, holding up a pen in the air. “I have the hardest time finding offices at our hospital. The building is large and the signage is awful.”
“It’s a known issue in many hospitals around the country,” Liza acknowledged, grateful that someone was engaged in the discussion, even if it wasn’t Anthony. He had a stony look on his face as if he were distracted.
She took a deep breath. “My design takes into consideration the patient experience, the smaller square footage of the clinic, its beautiful location off the Pacific Coast Highway and much more.”
Liza stepped away from her laptop to the stanchion and flipped her rendering over. “This is a design that I call ‘Serenity.’ We’ll dive into the 3-D version on my laptop in a moment, but I just wanted you to see the sketch first.”
Miss Bradshaw gasped. “You drew that...by hand?”
“Of course she did,” Dr. Marbet said in a tone that sounded half amazed and half scolding. “Architecture is art.”
Liza nodded. “I always do my sketches first by hand, and once I’m happy with it, I use 3-D software to bring it to life.”
She grabbed a pen, which also doubled as a pointer. “Dr. Marbet’s clientele is ninety percent female, so I made the exterior design contemporary and chic. It’s soft without being too girly, yet modern enough so that a male patient does not feel embarrassed for being there.”
“The redbrick, circular driveway and expansive, covered entry at the front welcome patients, setting the stage for a positive experience.”
Anthony cleared his throat. “As you know, I have high-profile patients who want extreme privacy. How have you solved for that?”
She pointed to another area of the rendering. “There is a gated entrance on this side of the building, just for that purpose.”
“Very well. How many patient rooms are there?”
Liza warmed at the pleased tone of Anthony’s voice. He sounded as if he were happy with the design thus far.
“There are ten patient rooms, ten recovery rooms and three surgical units,” she responded, pointing to the corresponding sections of the rendering. “The recovery rooms and a portion of the waiting room have views of the ocean.”
Winning the Doctor Page 7