Daisy smiled at me. “Glad you pulled your head out of your ass, bro.”
“So glad you’re here, sis,” I shot back.
Dad rose to his feet and greeted me with a hug and a pat on the back. “Take a seat.”
I sat in between them, happy that the mood in the room was what it used to be, a warm and safe space, a place where we had so many family dinners.
Mom put the plate of tacos in the center along with rice and beans and chips. Dad had the jackfruit tacos, while we had a bigger selection. But Mom didn’t join us. She took her plate down the hallway like she intended to eat and work in her office.
“Mom, where are you going?” I turned to look at her.
“Gonna work in the office.” She turned back to me before she continued down the hallway. “You guys have a lot of work to do.”
I turned back to my dad and sister. “What’s she talking about?”
Daisy filled her plate with tacos and stayed silent, letting Dad have the floor.
Dad grabbed his food before he grabbed the folder sitting beside him and tossed it at him. “We’re gonna get to work on this case.”
I lowered my gaze to the folder and opened it, seeing Mr. Torres’s information.
“Three doctors are better than one, right?” Daisy asked after she finished chewing her bite.
“And we both know you haven’t even glanced at his paperwork,” Dad said, not in accusation, but simply matter-of-factly.
I looked down at the first page, his most recent lab work. “I appreciate the offer, but I can handle this on my own.”
“I know you can,” Dad said confidently. “But sometimes we need help getting back into the water. So, let’s start.” He grabbed a pen and rolled it toward me along with an extra notebook.
Instead of resisting, I took a breath and got to work.
Daisy looked over her notes and all the red ink she’d added to the tests. “With his cholesterol being as high as it is, it really makes no sense to have this abnormally low blood pressure. There’s definitely something more to this, that his heart is being compromised by a bigger issue. I think the heart surgery is necessary, absolutely, but I think he’s either got a lot more going on, or his cardiovascular and pulmonary problems are contributing to disrupting the normal functioning of his body.” She lifted her gaze and looked at me, expecting me to elaborate.
“I’m in agreement.” When I turned to look at Dad, he was looking at Daisy.
She dropped her gaze and reached for the bottle of wine to refill her glass, so she was oblivious to the way Dad stared at her.
Like he’d never been more proud.
I knew my parents didn’t have a favorite, but Dad definitely treated Daisy differently from Derek and me. It wasn’t necessarily favoritism, but he was more impressed with the things she did, even if her successes were similar to what Derek and I had accomplished in our careers. There was just a different kind of affection there, probably because she was his only daughter.
Dad spoke before turning his gaze back to me. “That’s very insightful, sweetheart.”
Daisy shrugged and took a drink of her wine, never taking compliments too seriously because she knew perfection was the expectation set for each of us in medicine. Dad raised us to be the best every single time because mistakes led to malpractice, which led to untimely deaths.
Dad’s treatment of Daisy never bothered Derek and me because we were the exact same with her. She was probably the perfect sibling, inheriting Dad’s brilliance but also Mom’s sass and fire. She was a brilliant diagnostician who saved lives when no one else could figure out the problem, but she expressed herself with the same ease that Mom did. But also, she didn’t take shit from anybody. “I agree with Mr. Torres’s previous assessments, that without this surgery, he won’t live long. After looking at his scans, I know exactly where I would make my incisions and replace his valves, all the while keeping in mind his pulmonary issues, but…” I dropped my gaze and looked at my paperwork. “I’m not sure if I can do it.”
“Son.”
I wouldn’t look at him because I didn’t want to see his disappointment.
“Dex, come on,” Daisy said. “You’re the best. Period.”
“You don’t cut people open,” I countered. “You don’t understand.”
“I don’t,” Daisy said. “But I know you—”
“Drop it.” Dad placed his notes inside the folder and closed it. “All we wanted to do today was take a deep dive into this. We’ll worry about that some other time. Alright?”
I appreciated the change in subject.
Daisy closed up her things too then downed her glass of wine like she intended to leave soon. “Well, I should get going. I’ve got a lot of stuff to do tomorrow.”
“I’ll walk you.” I closed the notebook.
Daisy rolled her eyes. “I don’t need you to get me home. I’m taking a cab.”
Dad got to his feet. “Dex is staying here. Mom wants to talk to him. I’ll take you home, sweetheart.” He moved to where his keys and wallet were and pocketed them.
Daisy didn’t argue with Dad because that was totally pointless. She grabbed her things and shouldered her bag before she came to me and wrapped her arm across my front for a quick hug. “You’ve got this, alright?” She kissed me on the cheek then walked out with Dad.
I watched them walk out in the reflection of the window, seeing Dad open the door for her then follow her out.
I didn’t know what Mom wanted to talk about, but I grabbed the bottle of wine and refilled my glass in preparation. I shouted down the hallway. “Dad says you want to talk?”
She came out a moment later, carrying her dirty plate and empty glass. She set everything on the dining table to be cleaned later and took a seat across from me. “How’d it go?”
“Fine.” It was one thing to look at labs and scans, but it was a whole other thing to open someone up and try to fix a broken heart. It wasn’t just about steady hands and a sound mind, but a lot of things you just couldn’t control.
Mom detected my mood and didn’t press me on it. “I thought you could use some assistance getting everything in order, so I hired someone to help.”
“Help with what?”
“You know, finding a new office, getting the everyday paperwork on track, organizing your schedule, just making this transition easier for you.”
I was surprised she’d rushed into it, but I also wasn’t. This was my mom we were talking about—Cleo Hamilton, the world’s most organized and effective delegator ever. “I said I would work on this, but I’m not rushing out to do surgery on someone.”
“I completely understand that. But we have to get started.”
“And I feel weird that you hired a stranger. I trust your judgment, but since I’ll be working with this person all the time, maybe I should pick.”
She smiled. “Well, I didn’t hire a stranger.”
I cocked an eyebrow. “Then who did you hire?”
“Sicily.”
It took a moment to absorb that information. “Why her?”
“Well, she’s worked in a medical office before, so she has the experience. I asked her what she liked most about her job, and she said it was working with the patients. Like you, she seems to care about them on a personal level. Plus, the two of you seem very compatible. She only has nice things to say about you, even before she knew I was your mother.”
Sicily hadn’t popped into my head at all, but after my mother made the suggestion, it made sense. “That could work. Having a sexy assistant to look at every day isn’t a bad way to make a living…”
She smiled slightly at my joke. “I know you’ll be professional, Dex.”
“Come on, if I wanted to date her, I would have done it already.”
“And why haven’t you?”
My eyes narrowed at her question because she was stepping into the realm of my personal life. “You better not be doing what I think you’re doing.”
“Me
aning?”
“Playing matchmaker. It may have worked for Derek, but it won’t work on me.”
“And your father and me…”
“Not the same thing at all.”
“Whatever you say, baby. She seems like a good person with a heart of gold, and I know she’ll always keep your best interests at heart and do everything she possibly can to make your life as easy as possible. She’ll be an incredible asset to you.”
“And friend.” I wouldn’t get involved with my assistant.
Mom looked down for a moment before she pressed on. “You’re getting close to thirty. Maybe it’s time to—”
“Mom, come on.” I let them put me back on track with my career, but I wasn’t talking about my love life with my parents—or my lack of a love life. I didn’t have to defend myself or justify my bachelorhood.
Mom stared at me like she wanted to argue, but she made the wise choice and let it go. “I’m excited for you to start this new chapter in your life. I know you’re going to do great things.”
19
Sicily
It was my last week at the Trinity Building.
My employment had been short-lived so I shouldn’t feel sentimental about it, but I would miss this place. I was excited to work with Dex and be in a medical office again, especially when I was working for a brilliant doctor who didn’t just do procedures to fatten his wallet. Serving someone who made a lasting impact on people’s lives made my job much more fulfilling. Honestly, it was an honor to work for him.
Dex and I hadn’t spoken directly about my new job for him, and I decided to wait until he reached out to me first. I knew he was wary about the change, so it was smart to let him take that first step. In the meantime, I started searching for a new office in Manhattan, an apartment like Cleo asked, and got to work on his website and email. As a medical assistant, I’d never had tasks like this, but I’d worked in an office long enough that I knew what I needed to focus on.
Any type of real estate in Manhattan didn’t last longer than a day because it was such a hot commodity. So, every time I responded to a listing, it was off the market by the time I called, even if I reached out just a couple hours after the listing was posted.
When I told Cleo about my dilemma, she had a trick up her sleeve.
She made a couple calls and then turned to me. “Tim and I have known each other a long time. He’ll help you scout for a place.” She texted me the information from her desk. “So, today is your last day, huh?” She’d been training my replacement, so she’d been even busier than usual.
“Yeah…” I sighed in sadness. “I’m kinda bummed out about it.”
“Me too,” she said with a smile. “But I think you’ll be great with Dex.”
“Yeah…about that. Can I have his number?”
She raised her eyebrows. “You haven’t spoken to him?”
I shook my head.
She gave a loud sigh before she grabbed her phone again. “He’s gonna drag his feet on this, isn’t he?” She shared the contact information with me. “I promise you, my son is a serious professional. He’s just having a hard time getting started.”
I chuckled. “I can tell. It’s fine.”
At that moment, my phone lit up with a text message from him. Sorry my mother dragged you into this. You want to get a beer? I smiled at the message. “He just texted me.”
“Good.” Cleo turned back to her computer. “He’s your problem now. Good luck.”
I texted him back. I’m not sorry. I’m looking forward to this.
Well…at least that’s one of us.
I met him in the bar where I’d spotted him last week. I ran behind because I still had a long day at the Trinity Building, even though it was my last day. That place was always hectic, always spiraling out of control, but the concierge team made it organized once again before anyone noticed.
He wasn’t alone at the table. A beautiful woman was sitting beside him, laughing at something he said. She placed her hand on his arm then leaned her head back, laughing uproariously even though he probably didn’t say anything that funny. I wasn’t jealous that some woman was all over him, but I was annoyed that Dex would rather meet strangers at bars than give me the time of day. I was just as pretty as she was, and we also got along really well. So, what the hell was his deal? But I had to remind myself that I would be working for him now, and any possibility of a romantic relationship just went out the window. He seemed like a huge player anyway…so maybe it was for the best.
I walked over and did my best to seem unaffected that he’d probably completely forgot that he was meeting me. “Hey.”
Dex turned to look at me because he’d been too absorbed in his conversation to watch the entrance and wait for me to walk in. But he didn’t give me a perturbed look that suggested I’d interrupted his chances of getting a hot piece of ass. He showed that handsome smile and greeted me like he was thrilled I was there. “Hey, Sic. Take a seat.”
I glanced at the woman with him, hoping he didn’t plan to have her sit there the entire time.
That beautiful smile was long gone, and now she just looked pissed.
But I did as he asked and took a seat.
“Sicily, this is Victoria. Victoria, Sicily and I work together. Kinda a business meeting. Can I give you a call later?” If he noticed how dismayed she was, he hid it. He brushed over the situation and made it smooth like glass.
“Sure.” She leaned in and kissed him, squeezing his arm unnecessarily, and then rose to her feet, purposely brushing her ass against him in her skirt as she walked off. “I’ll be waiting…” She headed across the bar and joined the friends she must have come with.
Dex turned back to me like nothing had happened, like gorgeous women always dug their claws into him on a Tuesday evening. He grabbed his beer and took a drink. “What can I get you? Beer or wine?”
“Don’t worry about it. I’ll order something when the waitress comes around.” The disappointed feeling slowly sank into my bones, the realization that really handsome men were never available. Dex was gorgeous, charismatic, smart, fucking perfect…so why would he ever commit to a woman? He would always go to bars and let beautiful women come to him like a magnet until his youth started to take a hit in his forties or fifties. His dad was still hot, and Dex would probably always be hot too. This guy may be single, but he would never be available to me, and that stung a bit.
He was too good to be true…just the way Vince had been.
Just the way all of them had been.
Dex took another drink as he studied me. “Everything okay?” He dropped his smile and turned serious, those intelligent eyes absorbing my expression like he possessed intuition to pick up on things most men couldn’t. “Your mood just tanked out of nowhere.” He’d turned me down without a second thought, and perhaps the connection I felt with him wasn’t mutual. I was just like everyone else…nothing special. He was one of those people who shone the brightest in every room he stood in, stealing hearts and wetting panties in a large radius around him, and he made everyone feel the way he made me feel.
It meant nothing.
That made me feel nothing, made all those feelings evaporate like steam from a hot cup of tea. “No, I’m fine. Just a little overwhelmed with everything we’ve got to do. That’s all.”
Dex took my statement at face value and moved on.
The waitress came over, and I ordered my beer, choosing something light since we’d probably be there for a while. “I’m glad you made things right with your family.”
His playfulness vanished and he turned serious, just the way he did the last time I saw him. “Yeah, I needed to pull my head out of my ass.” He gave me a forced smile then brought the tip of the bottle to his lips again for a drink.
“And I’m glad you’ve decided to give this another try.”
He folded his muscular arms on the table and gave a slight shrug. “Key word…try.”
“Well, I’m happy to try with you.
”
“I’m surprised you took the job. You seemed to like being a concierge for the Trinity Building.”
“I did.”
“Then why leave?” he asked. “I’ve got to be honest with you. I’m not just opening up a practice and jumping back into the fray. There’s a very good chance I’ll realize this isn’t for me and call it quits again. That means you’re putting your job in jeopardy, and by the time that happens, your position at the Trinity Building will be filled and there’s no going back.” He propped his elbows on the table and folded his hands together as he stared at me, becoming stiff and serious.
I’d understood the risk when Cleo offered me the job. Dex was half in, half out, and he was definitely a flight risk. The salary she offered was twice what I got paid working for her, not to mention really great medical benefits, but that wasn’t the biggest incentive. “I believe in you, Dex.” I’d watched him spring into action and save someone’s life like it really mattered whether Mr. Carlton lived or died. I saw the kindness in his eyes—and saw it reach down to his heart. Most doctors at his level of specialty cared more about the recognition and the money, but it was obvious Dex wasn’t like that.
As if he had no idea what to say, he just stared at me, speechless.
“I’m sorry that you lost a patient you cared about, but most doctors don’t care about their patients. We both know the reason they got into this specialty was because of the money and the respect. But that isn’t the right reason to cut someone open. It’s ironic that you’re a heart surgeon—because you actually have a heart.”
He abruptly dropped his gaze and looked at the table.
“Don’t dwell on your failures. Focus on your contributions. I did my research and read everything about you, and I’ve looked into your research, your humanitarian and philanthropic work with underprivileged people who either can’t access or can’t afford quality care. And just in the last year alone, there have been so many forums created where people are trying to figure out what doctor to see because you aren’t available. Your name still pops up. Your former patients still talk about you all over social media and how you’ve given them their lives back. Your work on alternative heart valve replacements has revolutionized the medical field. I’m sorry, but I can’t allow you to quit. This is where you belong. This is what you should be doing.”
The Doctor Who Has No Ambition (Soulless Book 9) Page 15