Somehow this wasn’t mollifying Hong-Wei much. “Hmm. So none of you dated or married?”
“There have been dates, but not much for me since college. No one ever serious. Work doesn’t leave a lot of room for a social life, and we don’t exactly have much of a nightlife here. Not a lot of guys I’m interested in.”
His stomach danced with butterflies as he glanced at Hong-Wei to check his reaction at that subtle come-out, but Hong-Wei didn’t seem fazed by Simon’s revelation. Probably it wasn’t much of one. “So you haven’t dated Gagnon or Kumpel?”
Simon blinked in surprise. “We all dated each other at one point, but it was a disaster, so we agreed to stay friends.” When Hong-Wei remained weirdly quiet, Simon flipped the tables. “How about you? Have you dated much?” Would you like to confirm your orientation while you’re at it?
He regretted the question immediately when he saw the way it shut Hong-Wei down. “No.”
Well. Damn.
Simon would have redirected the conversation, but they were at the hospital now, meaning he had to leave on an awkward note. He forced a smile, trying to make the best of the situation. “So, here we are. You can leave the keys with the front desk if you want to return the car when you’re done, or I can stop by to get them later and find a ride home. Jared said he has to work late—”
“I’ll bring them by.”
How that upset Hong-Wei, Simon had no idea. “Okay. I’ll look forward to it, then. Have a good day.”
“You too.”
Simon was still flustered when he went inside, and dealing with Dr. Orth all day long wasn’t going to help his case. Since Dr. Stevens’s retirement four months ago, St. Ann’s had relied on a rotating roster from local hospitals to fill in their general surgery slate, and while none of them were exactly stellar, Dr. Orth was absolutely the worst. He was young, full of himself, and he hated Simon as much as Simon hated him, which made working together oh so pleasant. By the time his surgery shift was done and he was showering for a quick changeover before he ate dinner and took his turn in the ER, Simon was grinding his teeth and muttering curses under his breath.
When he came into the locker room, scowling, Owen met him. “Hey there. I see Orth has you in a fine mood as always.”
“Please tell me he’s the one we’re letting go as soon as Dr. Wu starts.” Simon shut his locker and frowned at Owen, who wore his scrubs. “You got called in?”
“Probable cesarean. Kathryn says there might be two, but it’s only the one for now. You going to send me some fun and games from the ER while you’re on shift?”
“Bite your tongue.” Simon pulled his ER scrubs on. “So Jared and I are in ER, and you’re here for OB.”
“Fair warning, Jared has a peds patient he’s going to want a performance for before the weekend’s over.” Owen grinned, a twinkle in his eye. “First, though, you need to go to the nurses’ station. You have a delivery.”
That must be where Hong-Wei had left his keys. Simon thought about collecting them later, then considered how many places they could get moved in a shift and decided it would be best to retrieve them now. “Thanks. Good luck with the cesareans.”
“Not me having them. I’m just keeping the ladies comfortable.” He winked at Simon. “Go to the nurses’ station.”
After he clipped his badge to his lapel and exited the locker room, Simon hurried down the hall, trying to shake off the afternoon with Orth. He hoped they didn’t have any emergency surgeries for the next few hours, since Orth was on call until seven. After that they’d have no surgeon until Orth returned on Monday. Simon wondered when Hong-Wei would start. He’d asked Andreas multiple times, but the only answer he ever got was basically “whenever Dr. Wu wants to,” which wasn’t much help. Surely the man had a start date.
As long as they stopped hiring Orth to fill in, Simon didn’t care what else happened.
At the nurses’ station, an unusually large cluster of hospital staff as well as several patients had gathered at the far edge of the long counter. Probably someone had baby pictures, and since Simon didn’t much feel in the mood to see them, he ignored the throng, heading for the desk. “Hey, did any of you guys see where Dr. Wu left my keys?”
When his question was met with only giggles, whispers, and a round of shhhs, Simon glanced up and saw Hong-Wei himself, looking sexy as hell in a dark gray thermal and black jeans as he leaned over the nurses’ station, smiling as he dangled Simon’s keys and held up a delicious-smelling bag of takeout.
“Do you have time left before your shift to let me thank you with dinner?”
More giggles, more whispers, and oh, but the tips of Simon’s ears were on fire. Here he’d thought he’d somehow said something to upset Hong-Wei earlier because he’d been so quiet, and now the man was openly flirting at the nurses’ station. Flirting. There was no mistaking the expression on his face. Simon wanted to drown in it—if it wasn’t a look that could get him fired.
Pointedly turning his back on the clutch of gawkers updating Facebook and sending texts to the entire city, Simon focused on Hong-Wei. “I start in the ER in a few minutes, unfortunately. But thank you so much.”
“Hopefully you have time to eat later, then. I’ll walk you.” Hong-Wei cupped Simon’s elbow, and Simon swore he heard the sound of fifteen status updates in their wake.
Simon caught a better whiff of the bag Hong-Wei held as they went around the corner. “That smells amazing. What is it?”
“Me showing off. Do you remember when I said I was going to go to the Chinese restaurant and put in a request? I did.”
Now Simon was incredibly curious. “What did you ask them to make?” He inhaled again, trying to guess. He couldn’t. “Is it spicy? Because I’m not going to pretend to be brave. I can’t eat spicy foods.”
“I had them make tsao mi fun, which is stir-fried rice noodles. With pork, in case you didn’t like shrimp. Not spicy. Most Taiwanese food isn’t spicy, in fact. I wanted beef noodle soup, but that’s a bit much for me to ask for on the spur of the moment.”
“It smells incredible.” Simon glanced over his shoulder, bit his lip, and gave in. “I might have a few minutes before my shift starts.”
Hong-Wei grinned. “I thought you might.”
The longer Simon smelled the food, the hungrier he got. “So you simply went to the restaurant and custom-ordered this?”
“It was slightly more complicated than that, but basically, yes.” They were near the entrance to the elevator, and Hong-Wei paused in front of it, glancing around. “Where would be a good place to eat?”
Simon ran a hand over his hair. “Well, probably the cafeteria.”
Hong-Wei gestured at the door to the doctors’ lounge. “What about here?”
Simon wasn’t supposed to go in there, and he definitely wasn’t supposed to eat there. That said, Owen and Jared had dragged him in plenty of times, and it was after five now, on a Friday to boot. Everyone who might get him into trouble had almost certainly gone home.
“Sure, just this once.” When Hong-Wei regarded him oddly, Simon pointed at the sign. “Nurses aren’t allowed.”
Hong-Wei flattened his lips. “Oh. I’d hoped these ridiculous rules weren’t observed at smaller hospitals.”
“I think it depends on the hospital.” Simon put his hand on the door, pushing it open. “It’s all weird now, because as I said, we had the administration shakeup, and—”
He stopped talking as he stepped inside the lounge and saw the administration shakeup in question talking heatedly to Owen at the table near the pop machine.
Andreas looked as if he wanted to reprimand Simon, but as soon as he saw his new surgeon, he was all smiles and politeness. “Dr. Wu, back again I see. I’m glad you feel at home at St. Ann’s. Is there something I can do for you?”
Hong-Wei waved the bag of takeout. “I came to thank Mr. Lane for showing me around yesterday and loaning me his car today. Brought some special noodles to give him before his next shift.”
Owen raised his eyebrows and drifted over, peering intently at Hong-Wei’s bag. “Oh? What did you bring? Enough to share?”
Simon so longed to strangle Owen.
Hong-Wei blinked, momentarily stunned by Owen’s forwardness. Simon wanted to get rid of his friend, but before he could do that, Andreas stepped in, literally, drawing Owen away. “I believe you are needed in OB.”
Owen glared at the top of Andreas’s head. “I haven’t heard any pages for me.” When Andreas only smiled back at him, Owen pursed his lips and rolled his eyes. “Fine. I’ll go to OB.”
“I’ll go with you.” Andreas nodded at Simon and Hong-Wei. “Dr. Wu. Mr. Lane. Enjoy your meal.”
Simon watched them go, thinking that, for the first time, he was grateful to Andreas for something. Unfortunately, one of his roommates remained.
Jared crossed lazily toward them, laughing. “God, I love watching Owen and Andreas fight.” He sat at a table near them and plunked his feet on a chair. “You better eat fast, though, Si. Andreas is sticking around tonight to do one of his assessments.”
Simon sighed as he sat opposite Jared. “You’re kidding. It’s Friday night. Doesn’t he have a life?”
Jared snorted. “Andreas? Absolutely not.”
Hong-Wei frowned as he opened the bag and withdrew two Styrofoam containers. “I thought Erin Andreas was the human resources director. Is this some sort of employee performance thing?”
“It’s an Andreas thing.” Jared toyed absently with the straw in his cafeteria cup. “He’s the HR director, yes, but his father is also the president of the hospital board and owner of half the county. Their family is so old money some say you can trace them to the French traders who settled Copper Point before the miners.”
Simon was feeling sour, still thinking about the hell Andreas could wreak during his shift—his double shift—when Hong-Wei opened the container in front of him. The smell hit him full force this time, as well as the sight of the glimmering, wonderful noodles. “Oh my God.”
“Eat them while they’re hot.” Hong-Wei passed him a packet of takeout chopsticks, then hesitated. “Or do you need a fork?”
Simon regarded the chopsticks longingly. “I always wanted to learn how. I’ve tried, but I’m a disaster.”
Hong-Wei smiled. “I’ll teach you, but not while your noodles are already half cold.” He glanced around the lounge. “Are there forks in here?”
“I’ll get him one.” Jared got up and fetched a disposable utensil from the drawer by the microwave. When he returned to the table and handed it to Simon, he studied the two of them with interest. “You two seem to be getting along well.”
Simon wanted to kick Jared, but at that moment Hong-Wei had caught a long section of noodles between his chopsticks and sucked them into his mouth. God, the man was even beautiful when he ate. Simon forced himself to focus on his own noodles and spun some around his fork, then took a bite. And groaned. “These are amazing.”
Hong-Wei wiped his mouth with a napkin after finishing his second bite. “They’re not bad. A little different than I’m used to, but they’re good. I’m glad you like them too.” He shifted his gaze to Jared. “I thought it would be wise to get to know my nurse, since we’ll be working closely together.”
“Mmm-hmm.” Jared sipped his drink through the straw. “You still need to come over and have dinner. What about tomorrow? Simon and I aren’t working, and Owen’s on call. A rare Saturday off.”
Simon sat up straight, remembering. “Oh. I told Dr. Wu I’d take him to Duluth to buy a car tomorrow.”
Jared brightened. “Oh yeah? I’ll come along.”
Hong-Wei’s smile was smooth. “You don’t need to trouble yourself.”
“Who’s troubling? I’m looking for some excitement in my life. Plus it’ll bug Owen, which is a bonus.” He set his cup down and grinned. “What are you thinking of getting?”
They talked cars for a few minutes, so Simon focused on eating his noodles. He told himself not to resent Jared for stealing his time with Hong-Wei, that even if Hong-Wei was interested, which he wasn’t, Simon couldn’t go there.
Still, it would’ve been nice to eat his thank-you noodles alone with Hong-Wei.
He was finishing up when Jared rose, stretching as he pushed back his chair. “Well, I’m going to go check the lay of the land. Hopefully we have a nice, boring night.” He patted Simon on the shoulder. “I’ll cover for you if Andreas shows up, but don’t take too long. I only have so much charm. And the price is a performance for my peds patient when she’s discharged Sunday.”
Hong-Wei raised an eyebrow at Simon once Jared was gone. “Performance?”
Simon really was going to kill Jared. “When he has a pediatric patient in the hospital, he likes to give them a treat when they go home, and he’s become famous for putting on something of a show. He drags Owen and me into it as much as he can.”
“This place is so quirky. I like it.”
“Well, it gets quirkier, so I hope you can hold on to your attitude.”
Hong-Wei picked up their garbage as he stood. “I’m thinking I’ll start on Monday.”
On Monday? “Does Andreas know you plan to begin so soon?”
“He told me to come whenever I was ready. We didn’t plan to have me begin actual surgeries until the end of the month, or at least for another two weeks. I’m talking more about coming in and establishing procedure, getting to know you and the rest of the nursing staff, things like that. It sounds like the hospital is always shorthanded, so I’ll help out when needed, and I thought maybe if you have any free time and are willing, we could go over the way I prefer the OR set up. Andreas said he’d find me coverage for you when I was ready to begin the transition.”
Simon’s heart skipped a beat. The idea of working with Hong-Wei instead of Orth was almost too much to hope for. “I’ll help any time I’m free, and I’m eager to work with you.”
“I feel the same way.” Hong-Wei sorted the remainders of their meal into the recycling, compost, and garbage bins, then tapped his finger thoughtfully on the counter. “Would you mind, actually, if I hung around the ED tonight to begin going over some things now? Or will I get you in trouble with Andreas?”
“If you clear it with him first, I think you can have anything you ask for. St. Ann’s is so happy to have you here, they’d give you the moon if you put up an order for it.”
“I don’t think my condo has enough space. But I’ll go find Andreas and ask him. Thanks. I hope to see you soon.”
Simon practically floated all the way to the ER. The ED, as Hong-Wei had called it. Technically all ERs were Emergency Departments now, and when he’d worked in the larger hospitals in Madison they’d called them that, but here at St. Ann’s the throwback name stuck. He liked that Hong-Wei called it an ED, though. It suited him, made him seem special and fancy and… well, more Hong-Wei.
He tried to wipe the stupid grin off his face as he arrived, but it didn’t work. When Jared saw him, he gave him a thumbs-up. “Way to score, Si. Bringing you dinner? He’s totally into you.”
Simon shushed him and glanced around fervently, but fortunately the other nurse was gossiping with the tech and the receptionist as the workers from the other shift prepared to leave. “Can you not? God, what if Andreas were here?”
“He’s harassing Owen in OB. I know because Owen’s texting me every thirty seconds complaining. Sometimes he sends me Snaps too.” Jared held up his phone, which was indeed blowing up with text and Snapchat notifications. “I’m serious, Simon. Wu is into you.”
Simon busied himself filling a cart with supplies it didn’t need, then taking them off again. “He needs a friend in a new place, and I’m friendly. I’m sure it’s nothing more.”
“If Owen or I joke-flirt with you, which we keep doing just to see him react, he all but growls at us and barks mine.”
Simon pressed his hands to his cheeks. He did? The idea made his heart leap, but…. “I can’t do anything
about it, though, if he’s interested.”
Jared rolled his eyes. “Si. Yes you can. You have to be smart and careful, is all.”
“In this town? With the surgeon everyone was so sure we’d never get, from a prestigious hospital? I couldn’t cross the street with him without seeing the news as a banner headline on the Copper Point Gazette the next day.” He shook his head. “Besides, I think you’re misreading it.”
“I’m not. He’s into you. Even if you don’t date him, you should at least take him to bed.”
The very idea made Simon’s nerve endings short-circuit. “I can’t. The policy.”
Jared leaned in close. “You want to pursue this, I can see it in your eyes. But you’re scared. You’re using the policy as a shield. What are you actually afraid of, though?”
Simon abandoned his fussing with the cart. “I’m not risking my career to get laid.”
“You are dodging the question.”
He was, and he’d continue to do so. “Do you have any rounds to make?”
“Nope. Did them all.”
“Well, I’m going to go take report from the nurse leaving shift and do my job instead of listening to you gossip.”
He left Jared at the cart, picking up a clipboard as he passed and clutching it tight to his chest in an attempt to still his rapidly beating heart.
What are you actually afraid of?
For a moment, Hong-Wei’s slow, lopsided smile drifted into his mind. Then Simon pushed the image out as quickly as possible, lest it stir up answers he didn’t want to hear.
HONG-WEI FOUND Andreas in the OB ward, arguing with Gagnon. When Andreas saw Hong-Wei, he held up a hand in front of the anesthesiologist’s face and smiled at Hong-Wei. “Dr. Wu. Is there something I can do for you?”
He stifled a laugh as Gagnon mimicked Andreas, exaggerating Andreas’s posture and mouthing Is there something I can do for you? before curling his lip and turning away from the director to read something on a monitor.
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