Page 36 of Auctioned to the Billionaire Surgeon

I knew I’d fucked up. I’d just been trying to appease the hospital board and my parents. I’d wanted to be with Jelly. But that wasn’t going to happen now. I’d made her think Lyla was my girlfriend. And I’d insulted her.

It seemed she’d moved on with Nico. I knew that fucker was into her. I wondered how he’d gotten around Carmen’s disapproval of any of her brother’s dating womenliving in Cinnamon House.

“Let’s go sit down. Maybe dinner will be good.”

We made our way to our table, and I pulled out her chair for her.

“Oh, it looks like Jammy is coming to sit with us.” Lyla couldn’t have sounded less enthused.

“Jelly,” I corrected as I saw that Jelly and Nico were indeed making their way towards us.

I briefly closed my eyes as Nico pulled her chair out for her. This wasn’t happening. They weren’t sitting at the same table as us, right?

But they were.

“Hello, Paolo,” Nico shook my hand, gripping it a bit harder than necessary. “Introduce me to your date.”

“I’m Lyla. I’m his girlfriend.”

Nico’s eyebrows shot up. “Girlfriend? Wow. Well, congrats.” He turned to Jelly. “I think you know Jelly Pinkoe.”

“You know I do,” I grumped.

“Hello,” Jelly said. Her makeup was perfect. Everything about her was perfect. She screamed class and elegance, and she looked exactly like the type of woman who should be on my arm at these boring functions.

“Jelly was kind enough to come as my date this evening.” Nico’s eyes locked with mine while he took a sip of his whiskey. That bastard. He was enjoying this. When he’d asked me about my date for this event the other night, he’d already known he was taking Jelly. The bastard.

“That’s, um, great.” I sounded as authentic as half the women’s tits in here.

Watching Jelly interact with Nico wasn’t great. Every now and then she’d lean over and say something into Nico’s ear, and he’d nod. They spent a lot of time laughing over inside jokes. When the hell had the two of them gotten so close? And when the hell had Nico Salazar started laughing regularly?

“Paolo told me that you’re studying to be a physician’s assistant and want to work at the hospital. I wonder if you andPaolo will be working together,” Lyla mused.

“God, I hope not,” Jelly said, tossing the rest of her drink back. Nico deftly grabbed her empty glass and replaced it with a full one from the tray of a waitress walking by.

Lyla and I stared at her.

Nico just smiled.

Jelly had the grace to look abashed. “Er… I mean, I’d hoped to branch out a bit. Dr. Lanetti and I have already worked together for awhile. I’d like to work with some other doctors, too. That’s all,” she gave a half-assed grin, and I wondered if Lyla bought it.

I sure as hell didn’t.

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

Jelly

“Have a good day,” I smiled at the family leaving the office. They were the last patients before lunch, and I was ready to take my break.

“Hey, Jelly,” an X-Ray tech from down the hall stuck his head inside the office.“Can I take you out for that lunch I owe you today?”

I grinned at him. I didn’t even remember his name, but he didn’t need to know that.“Don’t even worry about it. I told you that you don’t owe me lunch.”

“Jelly.”

I turned at the sound of Paolo’s serious voice.

The X-Ray tech made a worried face and left.