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At least one woman was interested in him, just not the right one. “If I must.”
Tiffani gave his arm a light slap. “Be nice. You were great last time.”
Before he could respond, Maggie and a cameraman descended on them. “Hello, Rex. It’s so nice to see you again.”
Tiffani’s eyes narrowed but a smile remained on her face.
“Maggie, it’s a pleasure to see you too.” He used his most pleasant voice, thankful for his perfect manners.
Over the next few minutes she asked him about why he was participating in the Walk with a Doc event and about what he did to remain healthy. A couple of times she rested her hand on his arm. The first time he happened to glance at Tiffani and found her lips pursed as she watched them intently. When it occurred again he made a point of looking at Tiffani. Her brows had narrowed and she took a step forward before she stopped.
Did she not like Maggie touching him?
Maggie finished the interview and the camera was off when she gripped his forearm and cooed, “Call me sometime. You can reach me at the station.”
A second later Tiffani said, “Rex, we’d better go. It’s about time to line up.”
As if on cue, an announcement that the walk was beginning could be heard loud and clear.
Rex said in his best syrupy voice, adding a smile, “Thanks, Maggie. Bye.” He called after Tiffani, who was stalking away, “Hey, what’s the hurry?”
She stopped and looked at him. “What?”
“Why the rush? We have time.”
“I was afraid that if I didn’t get away from you two I might go into a diabetic coma with all that sugar piling up,” she answered in a sarcastic tone.
A slow grin came to his lips. “I don’t think I’ve ever felt more flattered.”
Perplexed, she demanded, “What’re you talking about?”
“You’re jealous.” He couldn’t stop his huge self-satisfied smile.
“I am not!” she huffed, then hurried off.
“I thought you wanted me to be nice to her.” Rex continued after her.
She stopped and glared at him. “I wanted you to look like a professional that people could trust, not a man looking for a date.”
Rex burst out laughing. “I was carrying on a conversation. She was the one doing all the touching.”
“And from what I could tell, you were eating it up.” Tiffani huffed a second time and disappeared into the crowd.
Rex found her waiting near the starting line. He grinned and she looked away. Here he was, thinking he wasn’t getting through to her and, lo and behold, she was jealous. That was a giant step in his favor.
The crowd gathered around them. As they did so, Tiffani took pictures of them and several of Rex.
He asked, “What’re you doing?”
“I’m getting some shots to put up on social media, the hospital newsletter and website. They might not be as engaging as Maggie’s interview but they’ll be more about the hospital and less about flirting.” She raised her chin. “Plus, these you can’t forbid me to use.”
His nose almost touched hers. “I bet I can.”
She lifted her head haughtily. “But I’m not going to listen.”
A representative of the hospital, using a microphone, demanded their attention. He welcomed everyone then asked all the doctors to raise their hands. Rex put his up. The crowd around them cheered. The man then said a few more words about the importance of wellness before he called out, “Ready. One, two, three, walk!”
The mass of bodies surged around Rex and Tiffani. For a second he feared he might lose her and grabbed her hand. Her head jerked around, her look rebellious as she tried to free her hand. He held tight. “I don’t want to lose you.”
With a trace of hesitancy in her eyes she stopped resisting.
They followed the route designated by arrows down the path along the river. He’d reviewed a map beforehand and knew they were following a large circular path through the park. Others strolled, deep in private conversation, around them. When the crowd thinned, Tiffani pulled her hand free. He let her go without argument, even though he missed the soft feel of her flesh next to his. He set his pace to hers.
They hadn’t gone far when a girl of about twelve came up beside him, pointing to the billboard, which was now easier to see. “That’s you up there on that sign, isn’t it?”
Tiffani took a picture of them.
He wasn’t going to enjoy having the billboards around town. What had he been thinking to agree to it all? “Yes, that’s me.”
“You’re famous?”
Tiffani made a choking noise.
He glared at her then looked at the girl again. “No, I’m not famous.”
The girl seemed satisfied and ran off to join a group ahead of them.
Through clenched teeth he warned, “Tiff, don’t you dare say anything.”
Her giggles filled the air around them, eventually fading away as they continued to walk.
The ensuing silence between them was comfortable.
Minutes later she said, as if talking more to herself than him, “I love this city. I’ll miss it when I leave.”
His chest tightened. “You’re leaving?”
“I hope so. If I get that promotion then I’ll move to the home office.”
He looked at the railed bridge ahead across the river. “Where’s that?”
“Louisville, Kentucky.”
He whistled low. “That’s a long way away from here.”
“It is. It’ll be a big change but a good one.” She sounded more resigned than excited.
Rex didn’t want to scrutinize the uneasy feeling in his stomach. “How soon is this supposed to happen?”
“If this campaign goes well, I hope soon.” She gave him a serious look then took pictures of people ahead of them.
The thought of her leaving had him suddenly thinking of ways to sabotage the campaign. But why was he overreacting? They hadn’t even been on a date. A fact he decided to remedy right then. “Do you like barbecue?”
She gave him a look of disbelief. “Yeah. How can you live in Memphis and not like barbecue?”
“Wet or dry?” he asked as they made the turn and headed back the way they had come.
“Both, but dry is usually my pick.” She clicked a few more pictures.
“Mine too. How about we go for lunch when we’re done here? I know a great place that serves a special dry rub.”
Her step faltered for a second. Rex grabbed her arm to steady her. When she was surefooted again he released her.
“I don’t know if that’s such a good idea,” she finally said.
“Why? Two hungry friends can’t shar
e a meal?” What made her so reluctant to having anything to do with him outside her job?
“Put like that, it does seem silly to say no.” She smiled at him.
“Then we have a plan.” This type of campaign he could get into.
They were almost back to the starting line when someone called, “Help! Someone, help!” Rex broke into a run. He came up on a few women on their knees beside another woman, who was lying on the ground.
“I’m a doctor. What’s wrong here?” Rex went down on his heels next to the woman.
“She just collapsed,” someone said above him.
He checked for a pulse. Finding none, he quickly said, “Someone, call 911 and get the first-aid people.” Tilting the woman’s head back, Rex checked her airway.
“What can I do?” Tiffani asked from beside him.
“Do you know CPR?”
“Yes,” Tiffani said with confidence.
He clasped his hands in the center of the woman’s chest. “Then you do the breathing while I do chest compressions. Give her two breaths to start.”
Tiffani did as he instructed.
He started chest compressions, Tiffani breathing deeply into the woman’s lungs every time he rested, before sitting back as Rex started compressions again.
* * *
Tiffani had no idea how long she and Rex worked in unison before the first-aid people arrived. She was in the process of giving the collapsed woman another breath when another woman, carrying an automated external defibrillator bag in hand, knelt beside Rex.
Tiffani, with sweat on her brow, moved out of the way. The tension didn’t leave her body as she watched Rex and the woman work.
Rex continued compressions as the first-aid person placed the leads while he talked on the phone. From what she could tell from the conversation, he was talking to the ambulance people.
“Clear!” the woman said, and Rex moved away. Seconds later she pushed a button, sending an electric shock through the patient’s body.
Rex leaned his head close to the woman’s mouth. “Nothing.”
The first-aid woman reset the machine and waited for it to recharge. “Clear!” Once again, she pushed the button. The woman’s body jumped.
