Page 86 of Slow Burn

The rest of the dinner, Elijah did his best not to lose his shit over Georgia going on a date with another man. Even when they got back to his house, and they had sex in the kitchen, in the back of his head, he was screaming she is mine the entire time.

It wasn’t until about three in the morning, when Georgia was snuggled against him in her sleep, that he made a plan.

No fucking way was she dating someone else.

VIVO VINO WAS a small restaurant, with only ten tables and a few stools at the bar. With candlelit tables, soft music playing, and flowers on each, the atmosphere was romantic.

Georgia decided to meet Parker at the restaurant, as she typically did on first dates, so she could leave on her own terms. Plus, she wasn’t too keen on giving anyone her address. Being the first to arrive at dinner, she smiled as she watched two other couples dine together. There was clear comfort with both couples, so it wasn’t a first date like the one she was about to endure.

But she kept going back to last night. Elijah not saying a single word about her going out with another man was astounding.

Maybe this was worth it. Maybe Parker would actually give her more than just slow motion for commitment.

“Georgia?” a man questioned, causing her to stop staring at the other two tables. He held out his hand. “Parker Harrison.”

She stood to shake his hand and was only slightly relieved that the guy was handsome. Dark hair clipped short to his head, piercing blue eyes, and a few inches taller than her, Parker was good-looking.

But he was no Elijah.

They both sat down, and he gave her a lazy grin. “I met your brother in an unorthodox manner, but I am glad it turned into me meeting you.”

“Oh no,” she grumbled, dropping her head for a second. “How did you meet Nash?”

That was a detail she didn’t think to ask.

Parker chuckled. “At the hospital, we can sign up for carpooling, and I had to pick up another doctor. She was in a compromising position with your brother when I arrived a few minutes early.”

“Stop it!” Georgia laughed at how her brother still managed to surprise her with his shenanigans. “So he set this up as a blind date to forgive him?”

“I think it was more of a blind date for me to give him a ride since he didn’t have his car, and I ended up being late for work.”

“Should I be ashamed?”

“No, but we have a funny story of how we met,” he said as he reviewed the extensive wine list.

It wasn’t really the meet-cute she was looking for, but beggars couldn’t be choosers.

“How do you like working in the hospital?” She asked. “I love working in a small practice, but I can see the allure to a bigger setting.”

“I’m in the ER, so every day is different,” he told her. “And I have a shift schedule, so my sleep is perpetually a disaster, but I love it.”

Shift work. Just like the man she was trying to forget about.

Their server came over, and Parker ordered a gin and tonic. She stuck with a glass of Merlot.

“My shift ended yesterday. It was one of those times when everything was running smoothly, then we got an alert from the fire station that they were bringing in three burn victims. Chaos ensued because we were short-staffed and the team coming in to relieve us wasn’t there yet.”

Was the world trying to tell her something?

Once the word firefighter left Parker’s mouth, all she could think about was Elijah.

“Was everyone okay?” Georgia asked.

Her date went into detail about the medical diagnoses of the patients. This was right up her alley, but she wasn’t able to focus.

She swore she saw Elijah by the restaurant's front door.

THIS WAS INSANE.