“Vaughn!” Kim called when he saw me. “You lost? This isn’t Tuesday.”
“I know what day it is.”
“Mans missed a day, so I made him come down tonight,” Banks said, jogging over with a grin splitting her face. She dribbled the ball between her legs, showing off. “We got our asses handed to us by plastics.Plastics, Cole. Do you know how embarrassing that is?”
“Sounds like a you problem.”
“Sounds like aweproblem since you weren’t there to carry us.” She tossed me the ball. “So where were you? And don’t say work because I checked the board.”
I caught the ball, took a shot from the three-point line. It rimmed out. “Had something to take care of.”
“Something.” Banks retrieved the ball, passed it back to me. “Or someone?”
“Banks—”
“Because word around the hospital is you’ve been spending a lot of time on the ICU floor lately. And the ICU floor just happens to be where a certain director of Risk Management does a lot of her work.” Her eyebrows hiked curiously. “Funny coincidence, that.”
“You’re reading into things.”
“Am I?” Banks moved closer, lowering her voice. “Because I saw you and Harper Sutton in the hallway last week. The way you two were looking at each other was not professional, Vaughn.”
I took another shot. This one went in. “We have a professional relationship.”
“Mmhmm.Professional.” Banks laughed. “You don’t look at anybody at work the way you were looking at her. And she was definitely looking back.”
“Even if that were true—shit’s complicated.”
“Yeah, it is. She works for the hospital. You’re in the middle of the Greene investigation. That’s like, maximum complicated.” Banks dribbled past me, sank an easy layup. “But that’s not what I’m asking about. I’m asking if you’re finally letting yourself have something good.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
“It means you’ve been married to this place since I met you. Early mornings, late nights, weekends in the OR. No hobbiesexcept basketball once a week. No relationships. No life outside these walls.”
She grabbed the ball, held it against her hip. “Harper Sutton is smart, super fine, and from what I’ve seen, she’s got backbone. You should be so lucky to get some of her time. Don’t sabotage it because you’re scared.”
“I am not scared.”
“Then what are you?”
I didn’t have a good answer for that. Banks waited, watching me with those eyes that missed nothing.
“The Greene case is going to get worse before it gets better,” I said finally. “If Harper and I—if there’s something there, it puts her in a difficult position.”
“So you’re trying to protect her.”
“By not dragging her down with me if this goes sideways.”
Banks shook her head. “Man, that’s some tragic hero bullshit. She knows what she’s doing.”
“This is different. The Hart family has serious pull with the Board. If they decide to make an example of me, anyone close to me becomes collateral damage.”
“And you think Harper doesn’t know that?” Banks stepped closer. “Cole, listen. If she’s looking out for you, it’s because she chose to. She has a reason to. Don’t insult her by assuming she can’t handle her business.”
“I’m not?—”
“Youare. You’re doing that thing where you decide what’s best for everyone else without asking them. It’s annoying when you do it with residents, and it’s gotta be annoying when you do it with women you’re sleeping with.”
“I never said I was?—”
