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“What, marrying me?”
He laughed loudly. “Wouldn’t you just love that, Dr. Smith?”
I sighed, “What? I—I never said I would love that.”
“Why don’t we stop playing these silly games of falsely reading each other’s minds and go out for a drink?”
“You’re only begging me to do this because you know I do stupid shit when I drink, which is why I don’t typically drink. Now, I will have to assume you want me drunk so you can marry my ass because I’m not sober enough to think.”
“Let’s cut through all of this shit,” he straightened up and grinned at me. “I’m merely asking you out to get to know you a bit better as a friend. That’s it. Nearly every doctor or nurse we work with has gone out with me, either in a group or alone. We’re like family. I want to get to know you outside of work, and that way, you’re not so uptight around me.”
“I’m not uptight!” I watched his face light up with humor, knowing he said a word that would intentionally make me overreact. I wasn’t going to give him the satisfaction. “Listen, Dr. Aster,” I flashed a sassy smile, “I’m going to challenge you to get to know me here at work, or not at all. I will not put myself in a position to embarrass myself again, and part of me thinks that is exactly what you’re trying to do. So, take it or leave it, but it’s time to review the charts. I’m moving to Los Feliz today, so I need to go home and take a nap before then.”
“Los Feliz, eh?” he questioned as if he were impressed.
“Yep,” I said, taking the iPad back from him, trying to get this shift change underway. “Lovely neighborhood.”
“Jesus, how the hell can you afford that straight out of an internship?”
“That’s a very rude question, Dr. Aster,” I teased, arching my eyebrow.
“Shit, it is. My mother would be mortified,” he laughed. “I am curious, though?”
“You’ll forever be curious about me, John,” I smiled at his handsome expression. “I have many secrets that I’ll never tell. Unless, of course, I’m drinking, and I give them all away. But we’ve already discussed how that’s not going to happen between me and you.”
“I’ll get your ass out to a bar if it’s the last thing I do,” he assured me in the typical flirty tone he used on me and every other woman he wanted attention from.
“Whatever you say. Now,” I smacked the iPad into his chest, “let’s go over these charts. I’m exhausted and have a long day ahead of me.”
Dr. Aster and I went through all the patients I treated and didn’t speak again about going out for a drink. It was just both of us in doctor mode, which was precisely where we needed to be.
I was a lot of things, but I wasn’t a fool. John Aster was stupidly handsome, and every woman loved his flirtatious spirit and attention. He was extremely upfront about not wanting a relationship, but this man was persistent for attention, and for some reason, he seemed laser-focused on me.
Chapter Three
John
I sank into one of the four wooden rocking chairs that lined the front porch of my family home in Martha’s Vineyard. If there was one thing I loved about my family’s wealth, it was this and this alone—retreating to this home where I spent my childhood summers.
There was something about this place. I had no idea if it was the crisp, salty air, the beautiful scenery, or that this home was a secluded compound, making it seem like we were on our own private island. Perhaps it was the charming town of Edgartown, which was a short stroll. Whatever it was, it was magical, with charming Cape Cod-style estates at every turn and a gentle breeze that continuously rustled through the reeds near the shore.
It was strange how this place made you feel like life should be lived simply, quietly, and delicately, while the price tags on everything here required a net worth that most people didn’t accumulate after working an entire lifetime.
The christening for my niece, Charlotte, went well, as expected when my mother had her hands on anything family-oriented. Charlotte was the daughter of my eldest brother, Sebastian, and his wife, Melissa. Charlotte was not only the first daughter of this highly esteemed and perfectly matched couple but also the first granddaughter of our family.
She was a doll, to be sure, but her life in this heavily governed and pristine family would be unlike any child I’d ever delivered. I was curious to see if she would ease perfectly into her role as the granddaughter of Sebastian IV and Margot Aster or if she would buck against tradition.
I grinned, imagining the four-month-old infant rebelling against all this bullshit and following in the footsteps of her brave Uncle John. It probably wasn’t cool to take pleasure in something that would surely send my mother to an early grave, but I always loved a good plot twist in the lives of us rich folk.
I couldn’t really wave my rebel flag, though, since I didn’t exactly put up a fight when my mother insisted that I leave work for two days to attend the christening.
Walking out on the porch and joining me, my brother Mark stated with his usual sarcasm, “sipping a beer only an hour after we watched our precious niece's baptism?”
“You know me,” I confirmed with a soft laugh.
“I also know our mother and sister-in-law, and both would make the next two days miserable for you if you’re caught tarnishing this event in any way.”
I rolled my eyes and took another sip of my beer, “Well, if they didn’t want me drinking, they shouldn’t have had the fridge stocked with beer.”
