by Gina Kincade
Determined not to waste time, Andie sat on a hard plastic chair and took out her phone. She started making a list. The first few items were things she might be able to sell. Amber was willing to let her crash for as long as she needed, but Andie paid her own way. At the very least she could contribute to groceries and the utilities. Her cell phone bill would be due soon too and she needed to keep it active. Without it all her job prospects were dust.
The wait stretched and eventually her mind wandered. She glanced down at her notes and her heart dropped to her knees when she read what she’d mindlessly typed—Call Eric.
Oh, hell no. She deleted the note and shoved the phone in her pocket.
She wasn’t going to get in touch with him. Not after all this time. Andie swallowed and blocked the mental image her brain had just thrown up, but it was a particularly vivid one of Eric’s head buried between her legs.
Squirming in her chair, Andie blushed while fighting tears. It had been two years, but it still hurt to think about him. Recklessly in love for the first time, she’d done things with Eric she still regretted.
I was a completely different person back then, she reminded herself. Everyone had one person they went completely stupid over. Dr. Eric Tam was that person for her. But he was in the past—and he was staying there.
Andie ground her teeth, trying not to think about him. Which meant he was the only thing on her mind now.
When Eric had first started coming to Lynx as a regular she’d been immediately infatuated with him. He was tall, with broad shoulders and movie star good looks. She’d gone so far as to bribe another waitress to give her his table. After a night of determined flirting, he’d made sure to sit in her section whenever he came back. One night she had “bumped into” him in one of the dark corners of the club. He’d wasted no time taking her up on her unspoken offer. They had jumped into a physical relationship that night, her very first.
Images of wild lovemaking in expensive hotel rooms flooded through her…dancing and having sex on the roof of the hotel…hooking up in the storeroom. Sucking him off in the bathroom—which to her shame had been her idea.
He didn’t even realize you were a virgin your first night with him. She hadn’t told him.
Andie had been in her early twenties and was worried he would think it weird to be inexperienced at her age. But she hadn’t wanted anyone enough to get physical before. Not until she met him.
Eric lived up to her every secret desire and expectation for a first lover. Soon she was like an addict, panting after him like a sex-crazed lunatic.
Stop it.
In the end, the man of her wet dreams had left her in the dust like everyone else in her life. It didn’t matter that she loved him. It was over and done with. And the only salve to her savaged pride was the fact he had no idea how deeply she cared for him. She never told him and he never asked.
Men were idiots.
Amber was right. Andie had to watch out for herself. Getting up, she marched back to the reception desk. “I’ve been waiting for almost two hours and I really need to make a statement about a bunch of drugs found at Lynx last night.”
That got their attention. She hadn’t mentioned the club when she’d first come in, but everyone here must know about Calen, the club’s owner, and his ties to the Irish mob.
Within minutes she was ushered to a private office. There she wrote out a statement, giving them Todd’s name, and explaining how she thought the drugs got into her locker.
Yes, she was throwing her ex under the bus. If he hadn’t done anything wrong, he had nothing to worry about. And if he was the one who’d planted those drugs in her locker, then the cops were the least of his worries. She would kill him herself.
Chapter Five
“Is he going to be okay?” Calen asked Eric as he checked out the patient lying in the hospital bed.
The OD Eric found in the bathroom had been identified. He was a local college kid who’d come to the club with friends. The others assumed he’d hooked up with a girl he’d been eyeing and took off with her. He hadn’t been missed till the next afternoon.
“He should pull through,” he assured his boss, checking the student’s chart once again. “It’s just a good thing we found him when we did.”
Overdose drugs had been administered as soon as he’d been able to get his kit from his car. It had been touch and go there for a while, but the young man had pulled through. His parents were flying in from Colorado to take over his care.
Eric had stayed all night at the local hospital—his former workplace. It had been awkward as hell at first, but the staff didn’t seem to hold any of his bad behavior against him. It was a credit to their professionalism that they didn’t boot him out on his ass when he walked in. It helped that the ER staff had changed in the few years he’d been away. There was always a high turnover there.
Also, the fact his “mobster” boss was around might have also helped with greasing the wheels with the hospital administrators. They’d gone out of his way to welcome him when they learned he was there.
Calen saves me yet again.
He turned to the man in question. His boss looked as tired as he felt. There were dark circles under his eyes and his hair was mussed for the first time in memory. A few years ago, Eric would have guessed he was worried about the viability of his business, and how this overdose would affect his bottom line. He knew better now. Calen genuinely cared about people, whether they were his staff or just customers.
“You should get back to the hotel. Maia is probably worried about you. And given the situation back home, she shouldn’t be left alone.”
Calen acknowledged his advice with a tilt of his head, but his eyes didn’t leave the kid in the bed. “I asked one of her other friends, Peyton, to come with us so she’s not on her own. And I don’t want to take Maia home just yet. I will, however, get out of here as soon as Mike arrives. It’s only a matter of time before the cops show up to take your statement. I’d rather they meet me at the club when my attorney is present.”
“Which one is on standby?” Calen had a lot of lawyers.
“Lee.”
Eric nodded. “I’ll make sure the hospital staff keeps me updated. If anything changes with his prognosis, I’ll call you.”
“Sounds good.”
He stepped into the hallway and spoke to the charge nurse about his request.
“Sure thing,” she said with a bright smile and a flutter of her lashes. Eric blinked and glanced at her name tag. Nurse Ellie. Was she the one who had started calling him Asian McDreamy?
He decided she was when she winked at him. He nodded politely and retreated back down the hallway, embarrassed.
Mike stood at the open door of the patient’s room next to two men. One was a short Hispanic male. The taller one was an African-American woman, whip-thin with a no nonsense expression. Their suits screamed plainclothes detective.
“Eric.” Mike waved him over. “This is the doctor I was telling you about. Can you tell the detectives about finding the student?” he asked, gesturing behind them.
The room was empty save for the patient. Calen had ducked out ahead of the cops’ arrival. Eric launched into an explanation, briefly detailing his position and how he’d treated the overdose.
The woman, who only gave the last name Carter, did all the talking. She asked several questions and then proceeded to shock the hell out of him.
“Are you acquainted with Andie Simms?”
He stared at her blankly, hoping he didn't appear as shocked as he felt. “Yes, why?”
Carter flipped to another page in her notes. “Miss Simms came into the station earlier today to make a statement about some drugs being found in her locker. Is it the same drug this boy OD’d on?”
“Possibly,” he said, trying to cover his confusion.
Andie had gone to talk to them voluntarily? That had to mean she was innocent. He checked Mike’s reaction, but the big man was expressionless. Eric was the one givi
ng everything away on his face.
He redoubled his efforts to imitate Mike’s stoicism as the rapid-fire questions continued. He had the faint sense they were trying to trip him up, but they didn’t ask him the one thing that would have thrown him—about his personal relationship to Andie.
“Did Miss Simms mention where she was staying?” Mike asked. “We understand she left her old place recently, but she forgot to update her address with the club’s manager.”
Carter straightened and narrowed her eyes faintly. “She did, but we’re not at liberty to disclose it,” she said in a noticeably colder voice.
Oh, great. The cop was going think they were searching for Andie to shut her up or threaten her in some way.
“All right,” Mike said dismissively. “I’m sure she’ll come in to pick up her next check.”
Eric nodded in agreement, although he hated not knowing where she was. Eventually, the cops left and he and Mike were alone with the patient again.
“If Andie went to the cops to make a statement, then those drugs are definitely not hers,” he said emphatically.
“Not necessarily,” Mike replied. “She could be trying to throw them off the scent. But I admit it’s not likely. We are inspecting the other members of the staff.”
“Is there anything I can do to assist?” He’d do anything to help her. Maybe a big gesture would ease the abruptness of his departure two years who.
“I’ll let you know. I’m going back to the club now to set up a few more cameras—discreetly. In the meantime, get some rest. You look like death warmed over, Asian McDreamy.”
Eric flushed and wrinkled his nose. “Where did you hear that name?”
Mike laughed, but he sounded tired. “You still have fans here I guess, despite flaking out on them. The nurses have been whispering like mad at their station.”
How awkward. “I only care about one girl’s opinion. I need to find Andie.”
“Ask Todd,” Mike said. “Just don’t do or say anything stupid. Everyone’s a suspect.”
“I won’t tip him off about the investigation,” he promised. “I’m only going to ask if he has Andie’s current address.”
I won’t ask if she ever mentions me or if she’s happy. And I won’t ask if she loves him…
There were some things he was better off not knowing.
Chapter Six
Eric was at Lynx before the doors opened. He let the manager, Trey, know he was on call as their doctor that night, but he had a few questions for him first.
“When does Todd start his shift?” he asked.
“Todd K or Todd S?” Trey asked, shuffling through some papers on his desk.
“I don’t know. Which is the bartender?”
Trey smiled. “Both are. But only Todd K is on the schedule today. He should be prepping at the main bar now.”
“Okay, good. I need to ask him something,” he said, hurrying away before Trey asked him what it was.
The main room of Lynx boasted an open space with stairways on three sides. Two led revelers to a catwalk where they could dance. The third led to the VIP suites.
Those were the rooms Andie would serve celebrities and casino high-rollers. Once upon a time, that last group had included him. Now his access to those exclusive spaces was because he was the on call doctor.
That is how it should be, he reminded himself. Eric had never wanted to be a high roller. He’d just wanted to gamble. It was the thrill he was addicted to, not the perks that came with winning.
He paused at the bottom of the stairs, taking inventory of the main room. Lynx was such a big club, there were actually several bars. But this central space had one so special, magazine articles had featured it.
The main bar had been custom built to suit the décor. A circle of cloudy steel with built in lights gave it the illusion of floating in space like a UFO. The massive glass top, with its softly rounded edges, had required special craftsman as well. There were no stools. Instead, black leather couches surrounded on two sides a little distance away, while the third side was unobstructed. There the floor inclined down until it opened onto the dance floor.
The bar was so large it had to be manned by at least four bartenders. Two, a man and a woman, were currently behind it arranging glassware and cutting garnishes for the assortment of drinks they would serve later.
“Are you Todd?” he asked stepping closer to the male bartender.
The tall brunette man stopped in front of him, setting two glasses on the bar.
“Yeah, that’s me.” He cocked his head at him. “Don’t I know you?”
He shrugged. “Maybe. I’m Eric, one of Calen’s concierge doctors. I used to be a regular when this place first opened.”
The guy nodded, the defined muscles of his arms straining against his white cotton sleeves as he polished a whiskey tumbler. “Oh, you’re Andie’s ex,” Todd said with a smirk as he set down the glass and picked up another. “What can I do you for?”
Wondering why the guy wasn’t more worried about her, Eric leaned against the bar. “Mike filled me in on her situation. Apparently, she recently moved out of her apartment and didn’t leave a forwarding address. He would like to know where to find her. Is she staying with you?”
Please say no.
“Mike wants to know?” Todd asked with a laugh. It was a normal enough sound, not smug, but it made Eric want to punch him in the face.
“I would like to say hello as well,” he said evenly. “I’m going to be in town for a while at Calen’s request.”
Mentioning the boss was less than subtle, but it got the dick to give him an answer, albeit grudgingly.
“Me and Andie are on a little break right now,” Todd said, moving off to stack more glasses. “You know how she is. Blows up hot and then simmers down. It’s kind of our pattern, but she always comes back. We’re actually thinking of moving in together.”
The hell she is fuckwit. “So you don’t know where she’s staying right now?”
Todd pursed his lips. “Couldn’t say. You might want to check with the other waitresses. She’s friends with all of them.” He finished stacking more glasses and leaned back to check his stocks. “I have to grab some more bottles in the back. Sorry, I couldn’t help you track down Andie, but I’ll be sure to tell her you are looking for her.”
He left humming. Eric resisted the urge to go after him to throw the punch he’d been holding back.
You’re not a surgeon anymore. Concierge medicine didn’t have the same motor skill requirements surgery did. He could probably get away with a few solid punches.
“He was fucking with you, you know.”
Turning, he was surprised to see a young nondescript woman watching him. She was wearing the Lynx waitress uniform—a black minidress with silver trim.
They used to be silver with black trim. Andie had been devastating in that outfit. Of course, everything looked amazing on her.
“I’m sorry. I didn’t see you there.”
“Don’t worry about it,” the girl said. “I’m used to it. My name’s Amber. And Todd knew exactly who you were. Andie still keeps a picture of you on her phone. He used to give her shit about it, but she wouldn’t delete it.”
“She didn’t?” He tried not to sound as pathetically happy as he was. “Do you—”
“She’s staying with me. Off Highway Fifteen, Kenwood Avenue, number four-o-three, apartment ten. I’m only telling you this cause of the shit she’s in. If you fuck with her more, I’ll fuck with you,” the short blonde said with a deadpan expression. “Is that clear?”
The address was close by. He could be back in less than an hour—before the club got going for the night.
“Crystal clear. Thank you so much,” he said, already heading to the door.
Amber put her hand on her hips. “She won’t be happy to see you.”
“I know.”
Chapter Seven
“Motherfucker!” Andie slammed the door shut.
It is n
ot Eric Tam on the other side of the damn door. Of course, it’s not him. You’ve hit rock bottom and now you’re hallucinating. Doc Hotshit is long gone. He left you eating his dust instead of his cock.
“Andie? I know you’re not happy to see me… That’s okay. I just want to talk and your roommate, Amber, told me you were here.”
Amber wasn’t her roommate. She was crashing on Amber’s couch. Roommates paid rent. She had no money.
Crap! This was not supposed to happen. Not like this. She was supposed to run into Eric in New York or Paris after getting engaged to a gorgeous, wealthy man. Someone who dwarfed Eric’s six feet. Maybe an NBA player. She would be wearing the perfect red dress with her hair and face expertly made up. Eric wasn’t supposed to show up when she was both homeless and jobless, dressed in a tank top and a pair of boxer shorts with the elastic shot.
“Can I come in?” he called through the door. “I can wait till you get dressed… Mike was concerned about you. Are you okay?”
Oh God, this was humiliating. Not to mention her brief glimpse of him was enough to confirm Eric was as tall and gorgeous as she remembered. He was even dressed neatly in a button-down shirt rolled up at the cuffs despite the crippling afternoon heat.
Damn him and that fucking effortless style. Why couldn’t he have gained weight or started losing his hair?
You don’t have to open up. Being an immature brat was always an option.
“I’m not going away until you talk to me.”
Sighing heavily, Andie pulled away from the door and went to her bag to grab a pair of jeans. When she finally opened the door she was composed and wearing her cutest I’m-not-trying-to-look-good-outfit. And shoes. Being barefoot always made her feel more vulnerable. Well, right now her feet were covered in black leather steel-toed boots. It was as strong and confident as she could get on short notice.
Eric gave her a small smile. “Hi.”
She stared at him with what she hoped was a withering expression.
“Mike called me about the pills they found,” he said after an awkward silence. “I realize it’s been a while, but I was worried about you… Do you want to talk about it?”