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Broadie
Sure. Where are you parked?
6:30 p.m.
Poppy
Not that you’ve ever been there, but in employee parking. It’s across the street from the physicians’ parking.
I knew where it was.Or I thought I did.
6:31 p.m.
Broadie
See you soon.
Tucking my phone into my suit pocket, I head to the general surgery floor to see if I can manage to round on a few patients before I meet her. Okay, let’s be real. I’ll be lucky to focus on one before I’m waiting for her to walk out the door.
As luck would have it, one of my patients was with their case manager. It sounded as if she was making arrangements for rehab placement after discharge. So, I’ll stop by and see them later tonight or first thing in the morning. Plus, I can always review the patient’s chart from my laptop at home later. Jenny was on duty when I saw Mr. Rexrode. I can always reach out to her if the progress notes in the computer aren’t clear since I’ve already seen each of the folks on my list once today.
Right now, there’s only one thing on my agenda.
As I reach the exit door to the parking area, I take a fortifying breath and hope I’m not going to get my ass handed to me as the remaining day-shift employees leave for their cars. I’ve barely taken two steps onto the asphalt when I see her.
Poppy stands by a black Lexus, wearing a deep blue silky sleeveless blouse, white linen pants, and sexy blue heels as her hair softly swirls about in the wind. Even though I’m worried my house of cards is about to come tumbling down on me, I can’t help but smile.She’s so fucking beautiful.
The closer I get, the more anxious I become. How has this woman turned the tables on my life? I answer to no one. Not even my mother or grandmother. But if this pretty pharmacist dares to turn me away, I’m likely to get on my knees to beg her forgiveness in the middle of this damned parking lot.
“Hi.” My voice cracks.Fuck, Broadie. Man up.
“Hi.” She crosses her arms over her chest, the action making me swallow hard. “I think we need to have a talk about your underhanded behavior. Do you have no boundaries?”
I stand there like a statue, my hands buried in my pants pockets to prevent them from shaking. Is this how all of this ends? All of that trouble, and I barely got a shot with her.
“I have it on good authority that you sent another set of flowers to my mother. And apparently, a note on one bouquet was requesting another date with yours truly.”
Thank fuck.I nearly blurt my relief out loud. I’d completely forgotten about sending those. Arching a brow at her, I ask, “How do you know that bouquet wasn’t your mother’s?”
Poppy giggles, and it’s taking every ounce of willpower not to pull her into my arms right here for all to see. “Didn’t realize you were into older women.”
“Oh, I am. Especially if it will get me in her daughter’s good graces.”
“Well, you’ll love Agnes, then. Heck, you may have chatted with her on Bumble.”
“Excuse me?”
Poppy laughs. “Agnes is Mom’s roommate. She’s probably who opened your card and read it loud enough anyone within a one-hundred-foot vicinity could hear.”
“Is she some sort of attention hog?”
“Probably. But given anyone reading to my mother has to shout, it only stands to reason the entire wing would’ve heard it.”
This woman. Even standing here talking to her about her hard of hearing mother with a roommate that rivals Blanche fromGolden Girls, she’s hands down the very best part of my day. We both stand here smiling at one another for a moment before she breaks the silence.
“It was manipulative, and you know it. There’s no way I can turn you down now.” She again crosses her arms, the act pushing her perky tits so they spill into the V-neck of her blouse. “I didn’t know you had it in you to act that way.”
Guilt colors my vision, but I try to make light of it to spare this little slice of heaven that’s shined on my otherwise dreary day. “You have no idea the lengths I’ll go to get you to go out with me.”
