by Sandra Marie
He tilted his head, but didn’t want his confusion to stop her from explaining, so quickly composed himself. “I was around,” he said. “I wanted to ask you out, but…”
“After the gossip, you figured I was a one-night type?”
“Yeah.” He paused. “And there is nothing wrong with that. It’s just…”
“Not what you’re looking for.”
He searched for the right words. “That night meant a lot to me. I thought it didn’t mean as much to you. That’s all.”
Her eyes watered, and he resisted every urge to run over there and take whatever pain she was experiencing away.
“It meant everything to me,” she whispered, her cheeks morphing into a beautiful shade of pink. “But I didn’t… I didn’t know who you were.”
He jerked back. “What?”
She let out a huff and knocked her head on the door, her eyes on the ceiling. “I was blind half the night, and with your mask and everything… I had no clue who I was falling for. I’ve been dating around, searching for the guy with the Flounder tattoo, the guy with those kind, beautiful eyes, with that infectious smile. Searching for my Westley.”
“So… when did you realize—”
“About twenty minutes ago.” She snorted. “Guess you can cross me off for that ‘smart woman’ fetish.”
He crossed the room, taking her face in his hands, knowing it was his favorite place to be. His forehead met hers. “Then why are you leaving?”
She frowned, nudging him away with the back of her hand. “I’m about to accuse my co-workers of stealing hundreds of thousands of dollars. I can’t be dating the boss. Even if I…”
“Even if you what?”
He searched her watery eyes, wanting her to finish, needing her to. Even if she liked him? Loved him?
Her lips turned down, and he could hear her hand searching for the door handle. “I really need to go.”
Her laptop slipped in her arm, and though he didn’t want to, he reached for the door and opened it for her.
Cassidy pulled into the office parking lot and sat there for a good twenty minutes before finally getting the motivation to go inside. Her weekend had been spent between phone calls with Shellie and her mother, and nights talking with her Loki stand-up and debating on buying a new mattress. It wasn’t like she’d get any action on it though, so she didn’t know why she was worried about fornicating on the same bed her parents had.
The office lights were dimmed, and Cassidy sighed, flipping them on and taking a wide berth around Big Bully Barry as she went straight to the billing office. Always the first one here, even when she sat in the parking lot forever before going in. Maybe the new hires would be more punctual.
She slumped into her desk chair and woke her computer up, rubbing her eyes. It was just her luck that the man of her dreams was her boss. There would no doubt be a weave of gossip around them constantly if they pursued a relationship, and with Cassidy pointing fingers—no matter how accurately—at her co-workers, it wasn’t smart to get involved. She wasn’t sure if there would ever be a time that would be smart.
Her phone binged, and she reluctantly gazed at the message from her ex. Steven had apologized for being too forward, and Cassidy just hadn’t had the mental energy to explain to him why she’d been so aloof. She took a deep breath and typed a long message back, confessing that she was focusing on work, that things weren’t good right now for any type of relationship, but friendship was always on the table. As it whooshed off, she prayed that he would understand. His perfect record sure helped ease her mind, but there was a smidgeon of doubt.
The morning slowly woke, and she could hear the office coming to life as nurses, docs, and midwives came in, the front office door clicking and banging open and shut. Cassidy cursed the leap in her chest with every noise, the small hope that one of those entries belonged to Jon, and he’d find his way back here. She wasn’t going to jeopardize her career, but there was nothing wrong with wanting to see his beautiful face, hear his wonderful laugh…
But Mondays were his surgery days, and he was most likely at the hospital.
The familiar chatter of her fellow billing girls filled the hallway, and Cassidy’s thoughts—and her stomach—knotted into a ball of nerves, and she stayed focused on her computer screen, making sure her headphones were settled over her ears, even if no music was filtering through them at the moment.
She hated to admit that as upset as she was at those girls, they scared the crap out of her, too. They had no qualms about humiliating her, and when they found out she’d discovered the theft, she couldn’t imagine what they had in store. Hopefully just a few choice words for her before the door hit them in their butts on their way out.
Thank heavens they didn’t know where she lived. But for safety, maybe she should ask Steven to park outside her place for a while.
Or maybe someone else she hadn’t just rejected wouldn’t mind keeping her company for safety. She supposed that took Jon off the list, too.
She shook her head free of her downward spiral of thoughts. Everything was going to be fine. The girls had gotten themselves into this mess, and she wasn’t going to feel guilty for catching them. Hours had been cut, jobs in limbo because of what they’d done. A single memory of Rebecca tearing up in the breakroom after one of the staff meetings when hours were diced a year ago had Cassidy straightening her back in resolve. Rebecca had three boys to take care of, and she deserved her hours. They all did.
The daily gossip pings of the chat windows filled the room, and Cassidy’s stomach lurched. If Julie said anything about Cassidy using Jon’s room, or the pink glowstick juice on Cassidy’s hands and Jon’s pants, or the fact that Jon and Cassidy always sat next to each other, shared notes and inside jokes, and basically had the best week ever… it wouldn’t matter if Cassidy had slept in her own hotel room the whole time, the rumor mill would go wild. She knew she shouldn’t care about any of it, but damn it… what bad timing was this? She snatched her coffee mug up and meandered into the breakroom, noting that Kami’s door was shut.
Cassidy peeked at reception, at Julie’s curls poking up from behind the high desk counter. She pricked her ears, catching a few words in the conversation Julie was having on the phone. Sounded a lot like rescheduling some of the morning appointments to that afternoon—not abnormal, especially since unexpected deliveries happened all the time, and docs had to rush in and out of the office all day, but reception was awfully quiet for 9:30 on a Monday.
A sick coil ran under her skin, and she seriously considered calling it a day and heading home. But she could hardly leave Shellie alone to deal with the entire billing department on the busiest day of the week.
The breakroom was empty, the smell of a fresh pot of coffee permeating the air. Cassidy poured it to the top, leaving just enough room for two creamer cups. The third cup sent it spilling over and collecting on the counter. She spun the paper towel roll and wiped it up with shaking hands, breathing in and out a little too fast to be all that soothing.
These were felony charges she’d accused them of. Jail time. Prison? That was if the docs decided to press charges. The evidence was enough to get Hallie and Bethany fired, but she wasn’t sure it was enough to prosecute. Her head had spun with all sorts of scenarios all weekend. The only reprieve she’d gotten was the memory of Jon’s hands around her neck and his lips on hers. She frowned, already missing them and wishing she could have more of it.
“Whew!” Julie said behind her, crossing the breakroom in five long strides and going straight for the coffee. Cassidy slid over to give her space. “Thank the lord we only have three providers in office today, or I’d still be out there.”
“Is that what’s going on?” Cassidy asked, nodding toward the general direction of Kami’s office. “Provider meeting?”
“Impromptu one, I guess. Probably something to do with your little project last week.” She winked and leaned up against the counter, blowing across her mug. “Had to resche
dule all the patients this morning. Kami said the docs wouldn’t be available ‘til after lunch.”
“Are they all here?” she asked, trying to be nonchalant, but she wasn’t fooling anyone.
Julie’s mouth perked up knowingly, and she nodded. “Yup,” she said, popping the p. “Dr. Bateman looked like he had a hell of a weekend.”
“What do you mean?”
“The man had dark circles that could rival a raccoon, and he was nursing about thirty-two ounces of Monster Energy.”
“Maybe he had a few deliveries,” Cassidy offered up. It was the most logical explanation, but tingles ran over her heart that it might have had to with her, just like thoughts of him kept her awake most of the night.
Julie shrugged, tapping one of her many rings against the coffee handle. “Well, something was keeping him up.” She gave Cassidy a once-over, and Cassidy wondered how put together she herself looked. Probably not much.
Cassidy pushed off the counter and headed toward the billing office. “Let me know if you need help rescheduling anyone.”
Julie saluted her, and Cassidy nibbled the inside of her cheek the whole way back to her chair. Hallie and Bethany were still IM-ing away, oblivious to the provider meeting deciding their fates just on the other side of the wall—and oblivious to the phone ringing apparently.
Cassidy picked it up and helped out the patient, grateful for the temporary distraction. Hawkeye sat atop her computer, and she tugged her drawer open and searched for a replacement. He’d given her a few lucky days, she’d give him that, but she needed some Black Widow comfort. Girl power.
She adjusted the stuffed doll until it could sit without toppling over, finishing up her phone calls. The morning rolled on; every few seconds she’d snap her gaze to the locked manager’s door.
“So, Cass…” Hallie said from her corner desk. Cassidy reluctantly spun around, trying on a smile that she couldn’t quite feel. “I heard you had a great time this conference.”
She gulped and took a calming breath. “It was all right.”
“Any particular reason?” Hallie probed. Bethany’s gaze flicked over her shoulder, landing on Cassidy’s red cheeks.
“Maybe,” she said. Black Widow stared down from the top of her computer. There was courage somewhere in her, she knew, but she was having a heck of a time drudging it up.
“A doctor, perhaps?” Bethany added, a wicked gleam in her eyes. They wanted her to dish, to admit to things. Cassidy straightened her shoulders and slowly spun back to her computer screen.
“Yes, actually,” she said coolly. “I found where Dr. Bateman’s money has been going.”
A tornado could’ve blown right outside the window, and neither of the girls would’ve noticed, each of their gazes burning holes into Cassidy’s cheeks. Cassidy casually clicked through the batch of EOBs she was working on, her anxiety turning into satisfaction as she had them gob-smacked.
“R-really?” Hallie said after a long moment. “That’s a relief.”
“For sure. No more cut hours. Everyone’s going to be so happy.”
Bethany’s chair squeaked as she spun it to the closed manager office. Her fingers tumbled across her desk, snatching up her purse. “I think I’m gonna run out for a smo—”
The distinct click of the fate echoed through the room, the manager office door creaking open, cutting Bethany’s exit short. Dr. O’Neal passed the billing office, barely peeking in, his stride purposeful. Pete and Debbie walked by next, Pete pointing a finger straight at Cassidy and giving her a wink of approval. Heat shot through her neck, but she stayed as composed as possible. Shellie popped into the doorway, looking like she needed a sip of Jon’s Monster drink.
“Cassidy, would you mind taking lunch early?”
She shook her head, quickly clicking to clock out. Hallie’s jaw clenched hard as she passed, eyes shooting daggers. Bethany blurted behind her back, “Guess you get out of things when you’re sleeping with the boss.” She waved her arm in protest. “Her name is on all that stuff. You can’t prove we stole it all.”
“Will you shut up, you idiot?” Hallie hissed.
“Actually, we can,” Shellie said, crossing her arms. “And there is a doctor on the other side of that wall who only wants you fired. Unless you’d like to anger him enough to press charges. Accusing him of sleeping with the staff might do that.”
Bethany’s face drained, and Cassidy’s mouth twitched up at her friend. She didn’t envy the job ahead of Shellie; thank heavens she could handle it.
Cassidy shut the billing office door behind her and stuck her arms into her Wonder Woman jacket. As she flipped her hair free, her eyes drifted up a pair of black scrubs hanging loosely off what she knew was a nice, strong torso. Jon’s arms were crossed, muscles tempting and lovely, his shoulder pressing against the doorframe of Kami’s now empty office. He could even rock a surgery cap.
“I like that one,” he said.
“What?”
He pointed to her jacket. “Wonder Woman. I actually saw that movie.”
She scratched an imaginary itch on her cheek. “It’s no Marvel, but still good.”
He smiled, almost sadly, his eyes not far off from what Julie described. Cassidy turned her head toward the closed billing office. “You hear all that?”
He nodded.
“I’m sorry,” she rushed. “I didn’t tell anyone anything.”
His eyes fell to the floor. “Whatever they think happened isn’t illegal, even if it were true. What they did on the other hand…”
A smile was hidden somewhere deep in her, slowly making its way to the surface. “And you’re not pressing charges?”
He lifted a shoulder. “I can only speak for myself, but it seems like a lot of time in court. And I don’t do this job for the money.”
“Better person than me.”
He let out a genuine laugh, pushing off the doorframe. “I don’t think it’s possible for anyone to be better than you. Believe me, I’ve tried to find her.”
Jon settled the Kit Kat on the edge of the spoon he’d used for dinner and lined it up toward the candy bowl. He curled his fist, his tongue slightly poking out of the corner of his mouth, and slammed down on the spoon, flipping the candy high into the air and about ten feet too far from his target.
“Hey!” Rae said, rubbing her arm. She plucked the candy from the couch and tore into it, tossing the red wrapper on the coffee table. She’d shown up about an hour ago, begging Jon to let her take care of the trick-or-treaters since she never got anyone in the apartment complex she lived in, but his neighborhood had been pretty sad so far.
She tucked her feet up under her and continued to scroll through her phone, chewing and sighing. “I don’t know why you let Tommy talk me into this dating app thing.”
Jon shook his head and lined up another shot with a Hershey bar. “Pretty sure it was you guys who roped me in.”
“That doesn’t sound like me at all.” Her phone dropped from her hand and bounced across the couch. She pushed her short red hair behind her ear and snatched the candy bowl just as Jon made his shot.
“I don’t think I’m equipped to date in this generation,” Rae continued, shuffling through the bowl on a search for more Reese’s, probably. Jon had taken care of those pretty quickly, though. “These dating apps are all fine and good, until they meet me in person. Either they want a hook-up, or they give me that look like I’m wearing a warning sticker. Objects may appear fatter than they are online.”
“Then they aren’t worth your time.”
“Exactly my point.” She wrinkled her nose at her phone. “Maybe I should delete it.”
“Not a bad idea.”
Her brow lowered, and she adjusted on the couch, eyeing him. Jon couldn’t even drudge up a smile for her. After the day he’d had—whole weekend, actually—he didn’t have it in him to pretend. Even on Halloween.
“Why so glum, chum?” Rae asked, nudging his knee with her toe. He reached over for a Crunch bar
and settled it on the spoon.
“Same as you, I suppose.” He slammed his fist down, and Rae moved the bowl to catch the candy.
“Dating app got ya down?”
He lifted a shoulder and fell back into the couch, eyes flicking to the door, praying trick-or-treaters would save him from talking about Cassidy. Or thinking about her. Or wishing things could be different.
Rae rumbled her lips and ripped into a Milky Way. “I can’t imagine anyone being disappointed getting matched up with you.”
He rolled his head and his eyes at her. If only his problems were with the app. The girls were let go today, and Cassidy’s worries about the taboo nature of a possible relationship with him weren’t unwarranted. It had taken all he had in him not to step in and defend her the moment he heard the accusations spilling from the billing office, but he knew it would only solidify any rumors floating around.
There was no official rule that they couldn’t date. There was a thing they had to sign that stated they would remain professional at work, and Jon was ready to take a pen to that paper, if only Cassidy was.
“Geez, something has really gotten to you,” Rae said, setting the candy bowl to the side. “You okay? Wanna talk about it?”
He didn’t, but that didn’t stop him from blurting. “Fell for a girl at the office.”
Her eyes widened. “When? Over the conference?”
“Partly.” He ran a hand over his face. “Mostly at the Halloween office party.”
“The one like, forever ago?”
“Three weeks and two days.”
“Not that you’re counting or anything.”
He managed a smirk at that, then let out a low growl at the ceiling. “I can’t get her off my mind, Rae.”
Her eyes filled with concern and empathy, and she softly asked, “Does she not feel the same?”
The memory of her lips on his, her smile, her touch battled with her words. It wasn’t that she didn’t want to, but she felt she couldn’t. From what he understood, anyway.