A Beautiful Mistake

by Ashlee Price

  "How are you?" he asks me.

  "Good," I answer. "Tired and busy, but then doctors are always tired and busy. You know that."

  Of course he does. He's one of the busiest of us all. I have to admit that he doesn't look tired, though. I wonder how he does it. I wonder if I'll ever get to that point.

  "If you come with me to Boston, you'll be less tired and busy," Hal says. "And I can teach you things."

  I look at my sneakers as I lean forward off my heels. "We've already had this conversation, Hal."

  "I just - "

  "The answer is still no," I cut him off as I meet his gaze. "Sorry, but I like it here. The hospital isn't that big, and some of the doctors are a pain in the ass, some of the patients, too, but I'm learning every day. And I have friends."

  "And you like not being in my shadow."

  I shrug but admit it. "Yeah. That too."

  "I understand." He nods. "You need room to grow, so I'll give you that. I'll let you learn from others, learn from your mistakes. And when you've become the best surgeon you can be, you can take my place."

  I shake my head. "I highly doubt that."

  "I don't," Hal says. "But don't think of it as pressure. Think of it as encouragement."

  "I don't think I want to think about it."

  "Okay."

  I glance at my watch. "I have to go."

  "Coffee?" he offers me a second time.

  I can't say I don't need it, so I accept his offer. "Thanks."

  "It has hazelnut," Hal says. "You always liked hazelnut."

  I take a whiff of the coffee and smell the chocolaty scent mixed in with the aromatic beans. "Thanks."

  "You're welcome."

  I glance at the hospital. "I really should be going."

  "Sure." Hal gets off the bench. "I should be, too."

  "I know you should."

  I start to walk off.

  "By the way..." He walks beside me. "How's Liam?"

  "Oh, I don't know," I answer him without stopping or glancing at him. "We broke up."

  "Oh."

  "Don't worry," I assure him. "It was amicable. And I think it's best for both of us."

  "If you think so."

  "Bye." I wave at him before crossing the street.

  "Take care!" Hal shouts after me.

  I send him a smile over my shoulder before rushing to the other side. Then I keep going, straight towards and through the hospital doors, charging onto the chaotic battlefield.

  I've barely taken a few steps inside, though, when a nurse named Tracy approaches me.

  "There's someone waiting for you, Marian," she says as she gestures towards the waiting area.

  I turn my head. The moment my gaze rests on a man with stringy dark hair and high cheekbones, my eyes grow wide. His dark eyes meet mine and my heart stops.

  The patient from Room 2412? No freaking way.

  I quickly turn to Tracy. "Um, Tracy..."

  "Dr. Carver?" The man - What was his name again? Mr. Montgomery? - calls my name as he gets out of his seat.

  Tracy walks away as he walks towards me in long, purposeful strides. I suspected he had a great body while he was lying on that hospital bed, but now I can see it for sure. His black shirt clings to his broad, chiseled chest and tightly packed abs. His contoured arms swing at his sides.

  I draw a deep breath and force a smile. "Hi. Mr. Montgomery, right?"

  He grins. "You remember."

  I shrug. "I guess."

  "Do you remember the names of all your patients, or just the really good-looking ones?"

  Just the crazy ones, I want to say, but I don't.

  "Why are you here, Mr. Montgomery?" I ask him with a wider smile. "Do you need anything?"

  "Dustin," he corrects me. "And yes, I need something. I need you."

  My eyebrows rise. "What?"

  "Do you remember when I was about to have my surgery? Because I don't."

  "That would be because of the morphine," I tell him. "It's normal."

  "But it bothers me. It's like I'm missing a piece of my brain, you know." He points to his head. "Can you tell me what I missed?"

  I tap my fingers on my coffee cup as I search for the memory. "Um..."

  What happened again? Right. He called me into his room. He flirted. He asked me to marry him and held his breath. He played a stupid prank on me and then chaos erupted. That's what I remember.

  I meet his gaze. "I don't think you missed anything important, Mr. Montgomery."

  His eyebrows furrow. "Sure?"

  I square my shoulders. "Sure. Nothing worth remembering."

  "So we didn't have sex?"

  My fingers tighten around my cup as my cheeks catch fire. I swallow the lump in my throat.

  "No!"

  "Ha." He touches his chin. "Well, did I at least try to kiss you?"

  I look away. "No."

  "Hmm. I definitely wasn't my usual self. So what did I do, huh?"

  "You just talked a lot."

  "What did I say?"

  "A lot of things," I answer. "I don't really remember them anymore."

  "I wish I could." His ebony eyes pierce mine. "I wish I could remember every moment I spent with you, every word I said..."

  I snort. "Mr. Montgomery, I assure you it's better that you don't remember."

  "Why not?" he asks as he takes a step forward.

  I look away. God. I thought it was the morphine, but he's stubborn and annoying even without it.

  And charming. Damn it, he's just naturally charming.

  I tuck a loose strand of hair behind my ear. "Because they were stupid things. Morphine makes you say stupid things."

  "Oh."

  "Yeah, so it's better if you - "

  "So you do remember what I said. What did I say?"

  I shake my head. "No. I - "

  "Let me guess." He leans over my shoulder so that his mouth is above my ear. "I said you were hot. I said I wanted to have my hands in your flaming hair, and not just this patch of hair."

  I feel my ears turn red.

  "And I asked you to get into bed with me so that you could use your skills to relieve me of the heavy ache in my groin and I could get beneath your scrubs and rub - "

  The cup in my hand drops to the floor. The coffee splatters on his pants and mine.

  "Shit!" I bend over to pick up the cup. He looks around for an orderly to mop the mess.

  I walk away to throw the cup in a trashcan, taking as long as I can so I can catch my breath and calm myself down. When I turn around, though, he's right behind me.

  Why can't he just leave me alone?

  "Mr. Montgomery..."

  "I'm sorry," he says as he hands me his handkerchief. "I didn't mean to be rude. Or to make you waste your coffee."

  I put up my hands and shake my head. "You didn't mean...?"

  "How about I buy you one when you get off work? Or even a different kind of drink?"

  I look at him with wide eyes. Is he asking me out?

  "Mr. Montgomery, I really have to go."

  I don't even wait for an answer. I just walk away. It's what I should have done earlier, much earlier.

  "The name's Dustin," he calls after me. "And I'll be waiting."

  I roll my eyes as I get into the elevator. Can't the man take a hint? Does he really get such a high from teasing me, torturing me?

  "What's the problem?" Kelly asks me when I get out.

  She's already changed into her scrubs and her white coat.

  Before I can answer, her gaze falls on my sneakers, still stained with coffee. "What happened to you?"

  "I dropped my cup of coffee," I answer as I walk to the residents' lounge.

  She walks with me. "Because?"

  I glance at her. "Remember the patient from Room 2412?"

  "Yes. I saw him earlier in the waiting area." She pauses. "Wait. Is he here because of you?"

  "He's not supposed to be."

  Kelly gasps. "He came back for you."

&nbs
p; "How the hell did he find out I was in his room before his surgery? He doesn't remember it."

  "Maybe one of the nurses told him."

  "The nurses shouldn't have told him that. The nurses shouldn't even know that."

  "Maybe he remembers you."

  I snort.

  "Well, what did he want?" Kelly asks.

  "Nothing," I answer quickly.

  I open the door to the resident's lounge and we enter.

  "Marian." Kelly stands in the middle of the room with her arms crossed over her chest.

  I sigh. "He asked me out, okay? Which is crazy."

  She clasps her hand over her mouth as she gives a bigger gasp. "He asked you out?"

  "Shh." I hold a finger to my lips as I open my locker.

  Kelly stands beside me. "What did you say?"

  "Nothing. But I'm not going." I take off my cardigan. "Definitely not."

  "Why not? You're single now, and he's hot. Way hotter than your ex."

  "He was a patient."

  "He was," Kelly points out. "Not anymore."

  My shoulders slump. "I've got enough on my plate, Kel. You know that."

  "Enough bad things. This is a good thing, though. Trust me, you need the good things to get through the bad."

  I head to the changing area. "I don't have time for a man right now, Kel."

  She follows me. "Then make time. You made time for Liam."

  I roll my eyes. "Can we please stop talking about Liam?"

  I slip the top of my scrubs over my shirt.

  "And about Mr. Montgomery? About any man?"

  "Fine." Kelly sighs. "But you can't run away forever."

  "I'm not - "

  "When you're ready to talk, you know where to find me." She points a finger at me then walks off.

  I let out another sigh as I continue changing. Finally, some peace and quiet.

  I shake my head. Oh, who am I kidding? Even when it's quiet, there's no peace of mind to be found, not when Dustin Montgomery is invading my thoughts.

  I pull on my pants and lean against the wall. My eyes dart to the ceiling before closing.

  Why is it that men always manage to make my life more complicated?

  ~

  Speaking of men, I find Liam in front of my apartment after my shift.

  I left the hospital through another exit just to avoid Dustin in case he really was waiting, and I succeeded in that. Yet, apparently, I don't get to dodge this bullet.

  Great. Just great.

  I place my hands on my hips through the pockets of my cardigan. "What are you doing here, Liam?"

  He looks at me with those sad, brown eyes and lifts the bouquet of red roses he's holding.

  I've told him a gazillion times I don't like flowers. People can give them to me when I'm in a hospital bed or I'm dead.

  "I tried to forget about you, Marian," he tells me as he offers me the bouquet. "I did try. I went away and I got myself busy, tried some new stuff, but I just couldn't forget about you."

  I let out a sigh. "Well, if you remember, we tried to make things work out between us. We did try, but it still didn't work out. It's over now."

  "Your cardigan looks nice," Liam says as if he hasn't heard me. "But maybe you should have worn a different shirt with - "

  "Liam," I cut him off. "Go home. Please? I'm tired."

  "Well, I can help with that," he says. "I can massage your shoulders. I can - "

  "Liam, stop it!" I lift my hands out of my pockets. "I can't do this, okay? I can't do this anymore."

  His eyes narrow. "Do you hate me now?"

  My eyebrows rise. "No, Liam. I just..."

  "Then I still have a chance." His face lights up. "I still have a chance."

  "No." I shake my head. "No. I don't hate you, but I don't love you anymore. We're done, Liam."

  "But I can make you love me again."

  "No."

  "Remember when I made you love sushi even though you hated it? Remember when I made you buy that percolator that you kept saying you didn't want? Remember when..."

  I'm no longer listening. I slap my hand on my forehead as I try to retain my sanity.

  Breathe, Marian. Just breathe.

  This is exactly why I broke up with Liam. Because he wouldn't listen. Because he was selfish. Because he was always trying to make me do things. I put up with it for three years, but no more.

  "Remember when..."

  "You can't make me do things anymore!" I shout at him.

  Afterwards, I glance around, half expecting one of the doors in the corridor to open so someone can shout at me to shut up because it's late at night. I breathe a sigh of relief when they stay closed.

  I turn back to Liam, who seems to be in shock. At least he's fallen silent.

  "I can't be your girlfriend anymore, Liam," I tell him in a softer voice. "So please just go home. And don't come here again."

  But he doesn't budge.

  Seriously? I start thinking of where else I can go, because I'm getting tired of this pointless argument. Stay over at Kelly's? Go to a bar? Go back to the hospital?

  Suddenly, my phone beeps. I check my message, which happens to be from another nurse, Cindy.

  Dr. Hansen needs you. Stat.

  My eyebrows furrow. Why would Dr. Hansen need me? I'm not on call tonight. I wasn't even her resident today. I can't come up with any idea what she could want from me.

  Still, I recognize my opportunity for escape.

  "I have to go," I tell Liam as I put my phone back in my purse. "Duty calls."

  I turn on my heel and head back to the elevator.

  "Marian?"

  I ignore him and walk faster. I swear if he follows me, I'll call the cops.

  Thank goodness he doesn't. Now I just have to hope he'll leave soon so he won't be in front of my apartment when I'm done giving Dr. Hansen whatever it is she needs. If he is, I swear I'm calling the cops.

  Another sigh escapes my lips as I lean on the wall of the elevator.

  "Men."

  Chapter Four

  Dustin

  "Did Dr. Carver say she's coming?" I ask the nurse with the blonde bob sitting behind the computer.

  She shakes her head before lifting the cup of coffee that I bribed her with to her lips. "Not since the last time you asked."

  I glance at my watch. It's nearly midnight.

  Marian was supposed to get off at eleven. I came back before then. When she didn't come out, I thought she might just still be busy. Maybe she was still in the middle of surgery or talking to a patient or finishing some paperwork. After twenty minutes, I asked a nurse to look for her, only to find out she was gone. For some reason, she stood me up.

  Well, that's a first, but I'm no quitter, so I bribed the nurse to ask her to come back. Since then, it's been nearly half an hour.

  I tap my fingers on the reception desk as I look around. Still no sign of her. I've been waiting almost an hour, which is a record for me, and I don't even know if she's coming.

  I sink into a chair in the waiting area. There aren't too many people tonight, but I can sense the tension, the dread and the hope from those around me. They're all nervously waiting for news, waiting to see if their loved ones are going to live or die. And here I am, waiting for my wife so that I can divorce her.

  I place my backpack on my lap and try not to squeeze it, because I know the folder containing the divorce papers Candace got for me is inside.

  I still can't believe I got married and have no memory of it. I know I've done a lot of reckless things. But this? It's not funny.

  Men like me don't marry. We invent stuff. We squander our millions. We travel. We surf. We hike. We sleep around. We get dogs, maybe even cats. But we don't marry.

  I don't marry. I don't even do girlfriends. When you're flirting with a woman and trying to get between her legs, it's fun. When you're between her legs, well, that's definitely fun. But having just one woman to have sex with every day, and who hovers around you when you're not ha
ving sex, asking if you like what she's wearing, making you listen to her talk about her friends, and getting her tears all over your sleeve just because she watched some sappy movie that she's seen before - where's the fun in that?

  So no. I don't marry. Not even if she's attractive, which Marian is. I do like that wavy red hair. It especially suits her when she's getting angry or she's blushing. And those eyes of molten copper. I feel like I've seen them somewhere before.

  When the next person who steps through the sliding doors still isn't Marian, I glance at my watch again and frown.

  One hour and five minutes. How long do I have to keep waiting?

  I tell myself I'll leave in another five and just come back tomorrow. Or rather, later today. I can't wait any longer. When there's only a minute left, I get out of my seat and prepare to leave. Then I see her.

  Finally.

  She rushes towards the reception desk. I follow her.

  "So, Cindy," she asks the nurse. "Did you tell Dr. Hansen that I'm not on call? What does she need? Why didn't she send me a message herself?"

  "Um, actually..." Cindy glances at me. "Dr. Hansen..."

  "Yes?" Marian asks eagerly.

  Cindy looks at Marian with raised eyebrows. "Oh, I sent you the message? Sorry. That message wasn't for you. Dr. Hansen doesn't need you."

  Marian falls silent. For one second. Two. Three.

  "That message was sent by mistake?" Marian asks as she puts a hand on her hip.

  "Yup," Cindy answers. She picks up her cup of coffee and throws another glance in my direction. "I didn't even know I sent it to you."

  "You weren't even aware you sent me a message about Dr. Hansen?" Marian slaps her forehead and sighs. "Cindy, I rushed here, worrying every step of the way about what I could have done wrong."

  "Sorry," the nurse says without an ounce of sincerity. This time, she glares at me sideways.

  "Sorry? I could be sleeping by now, but instead I'm back here. And for what? For - "

  I tap Marian's shoulder and she turns around. Her mouth closes as her eyes grow wide.

  "Hi." I give her a smile.

  For a moment, she just stares at me. Then she scrambles off. I chase after her.

  "No fucking way," she mutters to herself. "Is it too much to ask for some peace and quiet? Can't even you take a hint?" She looks up at the ceiling. "I saved lives today. I helped people today. But do I get help from you? Do you cut me any slack? No."