by Layla Hagen
“Want to tell me about it?”
“It’s not something I can easily talk about. You and I going out... I don’t know if it’s a good idea.”
“It definitely isn’t.” The conviction in his voice had me laughing out loud.
“Why do it then?”
“Because I can’t stop thinking about you. And you haven’t admitted it, but I have a feeling that you’re thinking about me more than you’re letting on.”
“Is that so? Presumptuous of you, don’t you think?” I teased.
“I can prove it.”
I bet he could. My toes curled at the promise in his voice.
“Besides, you’d be doing everyone a favor,” he went on.
“What do you mean?”
“Let’s see. Most of my team is avoiding me or scared of me. My business partner is playing referee because I’ve apparently been on an asshole spree since I’ve been back from Rome. He was so desperate that he actually asked my sister to find out what was up with me. We only do that under extreme circumstances.”
“I sort of figured that out.” I was smiling from ear to ear now. Cole had surprised me from the evening I met him, but this was on an entirely different level. I put a hand on my belly, where I felt a strange rumble. Were these butterflies? I hadn’t felt those in years. Cole was waking up this side of me that had been dormant.
“I need to see you again. Kiss you. Explore you...”
I gasped, straightening up. A hot current shot through me, straight between my thighs.
“Cole...”
“Just tell me when you have time for a drink or dinner.”
“Let’s see... I’m working four twelve-hour shifts this week... and I’m working one night this weekend.”
“Sounds like you’d benefit from someone taking your mind off things.”
“Well, yes, but after a shift, I usually just grab something on the go and crash as soon as I’m home.”
“I’m very good at taking care of you.”
His voice was deliciously raw. Just like that, I was on fire. And I did want to see him. He’d awoken so many things inside me in the two days we spent together that I couldn’t help wondering what would happen if I saw him again. I had to stop being afraid. I wanted to.
“Fine, Mr. Winchester. Meet me at the back entrance of the hospital tomorrow at 6:00 p.m. I might be late, but hopefully I’ll manage to message you if that’s the case. And then we can do whatever you want.”
“My pleasure.”
Now that I’d taken this leap, I couldn’t wait to see him. Tomorrow was going to be crazy at the hospital, but I didn’t want to give myself too much time—I might chicken out.
After hanging up, I was even more giddy, but I didn’t have time to daydream about tomorrow, because I was already late to Isabelle’s.
The Uber driver gave me the side eye because I insisted on keeping the espresso machine next to me instead of putting it in the trunk. I couldn’t wait to see my best friend, tell her everything. I’d told her about my day with Cole in Rome, but this was different. I needed all the advice I could get.
Isabelle’s apartment was in the Parkchester neighborhood in the Bronx, a forty-minute ride from my apartment. It was really pretty. The buildings were mostly red brick, and they only had between six and ten stories. The walkways connecting the buildings were full of bushes and trees that were starting to turn green now that spring was here.
I clutched the espresso machine with both hands, pressing the doorbell with my elbow.
When she opened the door, her eyes widened as she took in the box.
“Oh my God. You brought that with you from Italy?”
“Yes, ma’am.”
“Did I tell you I love you?” Isabelle looked gorgeous, as usual. She had red fiery hair that reached to her waist. Her green eyes were vivid, and the mascara she wore brought them out nicely. She was wearing a white shirt with tiny black flowers and jeans. My friend looked impeccable even when she was at home, unpacking.
“This place is gorgeous.” The inside of the apartment was very cozy, with cream-colored walls and some old-school metal chandeliers hanging from the high ceilings.
“I know. I am so, so lucky. The old tenants even left some of their stuff here.”
She liked to mix and match styles and did so successfully. One of these days, I would ask her to give my apartment a makeover too.
Inside the living room, I was surprised to find her siblings there too. Well, I’d expected Josie to be here, but not Dylan and Ian, considering they didn’t live in New York.
“Look who’s here,” Isabelle exclaimed, grinning.
“Wow, I haven’t seen you in years. You guys look unchanged.” There was no other way to say it, the Gallagher brothers were hunks. They both had dirty-blond hair and some serious muscles. Ian’s eyes were blue, Dylan’s brown.
“We get better with age,” Dylan corrected.
“Like George Clooney,” I agreed.
Ian shuddered. “Pick someone younger, Ace.”
That had been his nickname for me growing up because I’d been a nerd. I hugged both of them and then Josie as well. She, too, looked just like I remembered her. Her brown hair was cut in a bob that brushed her neck in a straight, seductive line. She wasn’t wearing makeup. She and Isabelle had always been polar opposites. It was comforting to know that some things didn’t change.
I was closer to Ian and Dylan than Josie, because she’d left Montana when we were still kids. She’d gone to high school here in New York. Growing up, I used to pretend Ian and Dylan were my brothers. It came in very handy in certain situations—no one messed with me. They’d had my back and even volunteered to tell people I was their sister when the situation required it. We’d gone our separate ways in college. Isabelle and I went to Philadelphia, the guys went to Washington, DC, where they still lived.
“It’s good to see you, Laney,” Josie said. “These two came to help build the stuff Isabelle had in storage.”
“We’re staying until Sunday,” Ian explained. “We should be finished building everything by then.”
“We will be,” Josie said confidently. “Considering Hunter and all the Winchesters said they’ll help on Saturday.”
My stomach jolted at the mention of the Winchesters. It meant Cole was included.
“Okay, then. Put me to work.” Pointing to a stack of boxes from IKEA, I added, “I can start with that. I’m good at building IKEA stuff.”
“Good idea,” Dylan said. “Let’s you and I start on those nightstands.”
The two of us worked together while Josie, Isabelle, and Ian tackled the huge dresser.
“You’ve got skills, Ace,” he said on a wink.
“I had a great teacher.” He and Ian had come over to my parents’ house a lot, helping Dad with repairs. Dad always said that they were like the sons they’d never had. When Isabelle and I moved to our first shared apartment in Philly during college, her brothers had helped us build everything. I loved that they were here, celebrating this milestone with Isabelle.
After finishing the nightstands, we helped the rest of the group with the dresser. Hmm... it would be difficult to talk to Isabelle in private today, given all the commotion in the apartment, but I really needed her advice for tomorrow.
I seized the opportunity two hours later when we took a break. We were setting up the espresso machine in her kitchen, which was separated by a stack of boxes from the living room and the rest of the crew.
“I got a call from Cole before I came here,” I whispered as I dutifully read the instructions for starting the machine the first time.
“What did he want?”
“Umm... to go out.”
Isabelle gave me thumbs-up with both hands. “Yes! That’s why I like that guy. He knows a good thing when he sees it. What did you say?”
“I said yes. And now I’m terrified.”
“It’s time, Laney. You know it is.”
“I’m just... not su
re how to do this. I was so awkward in Rome.”
“Well, he called and asked you out, so apparently awkward works for him.” Her expression turned serious as she cupped my cheek with one hand.
“Did you ever talk to the Winchesters about me? I mean, do they know about Ryan?”
“No, that’s not my story to tell. Just take it easy, Laney. There is no checklist of things to do.”
“It would help, though.”
She chuckled, glancing toward the living room at the group. “You know what would help?” she whispered. “Insider knowledge on Cole. I bet Josie has some.”
Josie had known Cole as long as she’d known Hunter, since they’d all gone to the same school.
“Yes, I do!” Josie said loudly from behind the boxes.
“So do we,” Dylan added. I laughed, pressing the start button of the machine. Of course they’d heard us.
Well, now that the cat was out of the bag, why not roll with it? I made coffee for everyone except myself, because I needed to get a good night’s sleep.
“Thank God Cole asked you out. Hunter says he’s been in a bit of a mood at work,” Josie said as I handed her a cup.
“Oh, he did mention that. I wasn’t sure if he really meant it.”
“Trust me, he did. I’ve known Cole for about fifteen years now. I’m trying to figure out how to structure all that information best. Hmm...”
“Dylan and I can start with the most recent history,” Ian said.
Dylan nodded. “Like some stuff he did at Ryker’s bachelor party.”
“Are you sure Cole wouldn’t mind you telling me stuff?” I asked. After all, I was keeping my cards close.
“I’m sure,” Dylan said.
Josie glared at her brothers. “Let’s start with the good stuff.”
I grinned at the group, rubbing my palms, suddenly feeling a little less scared about tomorrow. “No, no. I want all the info. Don’t leave anything out. I’m all ears.”
Chapter Eight
Laney
The life of a surgical resident was one hundred percent less glamorous than people imagined. I was required to be at the hospital at five thirty, so I woke up at five. Upon my arrival, the overnight intern handed me the sign-out. I had time to digest that until the chief called the rounds, which usually lasted one hour. I didn’t actually spend that much time in surgery. A big chunk of my day was spent on the floor, checking on the patients and doing discharges.
However, after being an intern, this was actually an improvement. I only recalled that year through a haze. The hours were even longer, the work even more boring. Now I had my own interns. Four years from now, I would be a general surgeon, unless I chose a specialty that required further training, but I didn’t think I will. As part of my general surgery residency, I had to spend a few months in every specialty, and I quite liked being a jack of all trades.
The changing room was full when I arrived. There was no such thing as shame in that room. We each had a tiny locker, and men and women changed side by side. Slipping into my scrubs and sneakers, I felt like myself again. I skimmed my hands down them, smiling at how familiar the fabric felt against my palms. I pulled up my hair in a tight bun, slipped my phone and my pager in the pockets of the pants.
I had been truly shocked the first time I realized pagers were still used, but I unraveled the mystery quickly. The pager signal was more reliable than the one for a phone. Since hospital walls had extra insulation because of X-rays and so on, there were certain floors where there was no signal at all.
After getting the list from my intern, I immediately told him that I’d want to catch up with him and the other three. I’d been gone for too long, and I didn’t want to miss anything. It was going to be outside of working hours, but he didn’t question it. We all did what we had to do.
“Sure. I’ll talk to everyone, and we’ll find a time,” he said.
“Thanks.”
The rounds went by quickly. I had immense respect for the chief of surgery. He was efficient and fair and didn’t hold back from the residents—he regularly asked us to attend complicated surgeries. I’d learned a lot from him.
The rest of the day was a mayhem as usual. On top of the usual workload, we had a stream of patients from the ER: two car accidents and one construction site mishap. I barely had any time to draw in a breath. Most days were like this, and I was used to them. The funny thing was, when it was just me and the patient, I didn’t feel any tiredness or sore feet or even hunger. Adrenaline kicked in, keeping me focused. The patient was all that mattered.
In the afternoon, they called me down to ER to tend to a young woman who’d been hit by a car. Luckily, it was far less serious than the previous two cases—the car drove off while the light was still red and hit her waist with the side mirror. She lost her balance, hitting the side of her head on the pavement. Her X-rays were clear, but she had an ugly wound at the side of her head that required sutures.
“We’re almost done, I promise.” I kept my voice steady and gentle, but it wasn’t until I paused, squeezing one of her hands reassuringly, that some of the tension in her body melted away.
“You’ll be just fine,” I whispered, squeezing her hand again before focusing on the sutures.
“There, you’re good as new,” I said once I was done, taking a step back.
I smiled, happy that the fear in her eyes had subsided considerably. Unfortunately, a new patient was rushed in the next second, so I couldn’t linger. The nurses were taking it over from there.
It was after I was done with my shift that every emotion I’d suppressed slammed into me.
In the short walk from the ER to the changing rooms, I stumbled twice, and a bout of nausea hit me. I leaned against the wall, fixing my eyes on the ceiling. Hmm... when was the last time I took a swig of water or had a snack? I couldn’t remember, which was a clear sign that it had been far too long. No wonder I was light-headed. Unhitching myself from the wall, I walked with measured steps. I couldn’t wait to get home and shower, get rid of the smell of disinfectant. It was one of the things I couldn’t get used to, even though it was part of my daily life. Some of my colleagues swore they couldn’t even smell it anymore, but unfortunately I did.
I left as soon as I changed, throwing my bag over my shoulder without even looking in the mirror.
Bed, here I come.
Once outside the building, I took a deep breath, basking in the cool evening air. The hospital’s back entrance was exclusively for personnel. Ambulances pulled in around the corner, but this patch was entirely ours. It was like a miniature park with a huge oak tree, a bench underneath it, both surrounded by grass and roses.
“Good evening, doc.”
Holy shit! Oh, no!
“Cole, I’m so sorry. I completely forgot we were meeting.”
He stood a few feet away from the entrance, under the massive oak tree, and completely took my breath away. He was wearing a dark blue suit and a white shirt. I pressed my palm to my belly, and this time I had no doubt. Those were definitely butterflies, and Cole Winchester had brought them on.
I’d only seen him in jeans and a shirt in Rome, and he’d been a damn fine sight then too. But something about him in a suit was extra mouthwatering. The outfit highlighted his lean but toned body. He walked over with large, determined strides. His eyes were trained on me. They were blazing hot. In an instant, my body went from exhausted to on edge. Every cell lit up. Holy shit, Cole was doing unspeakable things to my senses.
“You look exhausted, doc,” he said with a smile, stopping in front of me.
I narrowed my eyes, placing a hand on my hip. “These are supposed to be your famous charmer skills?”
“Nah, I’m waiting until we’re alone to put those to use.” He dropped his gaze down my body slowly, then back up even slower. I was on fire. How could he light me up just with one look? I caught myself biting my lip. Oh, wow. This man.
“I’m really terribly sorry for forgetting. It was an i
nsane day. What time is it?”
“Seven.”
I dropped my chin to my chest. “Awww, man.”
I’d been so excited this morning, and then the day had completely gotten away from me.
“Doesn’t matter, Laney. You’re here now.” He lifted my chin with two fingers. The contact singed me. His gaze was so damn intense. My heartbeat accelerated. His touch felt so familiar that it startled me. I was a little scared, but I wanted to spend time with him. I wasn’t even sure what I feared: getting close to someone, loving again, or losing? I remembered his swoon-worthy words on the phone, and I wanted to follow the impulse that had led me to agree to meet him tonight instead of hiding in my shell.
“What’s the plan?” I asked.
“I was going to suggest we head over to a restaurant. I remember you having quite an appetite.”
I laughed. God, I’d forgotten how it felt to be around him. He just had this inner light that made him addictive.
“I’m a bit too tired for a restaurant,” I said. I probably looked like something the cat dragged in. My hair was a mess for sure. I’d worn a plastic cap for a few hours in surgery.
“How about we just take something to go and head over to your place?”
“Wow. You’re already inviting yourself over, huh? This escalated quickly,” I teased. I was a bit panicky at the thought of having him over, though. I’d never asked anyone to my New York apartment. But Cole made me feel so at ease that it was surreal.
“I’d invite you to mine, but you have another shift tomorrow, and you have to be here at five thirty. You said you live close to the hospital. My place is further away.”
He remembered I had a shift tomorrow! I felt so special.
“Well, when you put it like that, how can I say no?” I said.
He winked. “I was counting on you saying that. Let’s go. Is it in walking distance or do you want me to call an Uber?”
“We can walk.” We headed up a small street behind the hospital. “So... you’ve really been grouchy this whole week, huh?”
“I’m an honest man. I might use subterfuge, but never lie. I can call my sister right now if you want. She’ll give you all the proof you need.”