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“First of all, that crush was like a thousand years ago, and I’m not a teenage girl anymore. Second, this is a job and nothing else. The job is going fine.”
Antonio looked up, his brown eyes clear as a summer day. “I know Cal. And I’m sure he got one look at you and decided to take you up on that decades-old crush.”
“Even if that’s true, which I doubt it is, it takes two to tango, as they say—and my dance shoes are being repaired.”
“Most women find him irresistible. It’s why we’ve always made such a good team, we’re both too charming to fight over women.”
I rolled my eyes. “You mean you’re both cocky jerks who used your good looks to trick unsuspecting women into falling for your lines.” In high school, they’d been as thick as thieves, two popular boys with looks and charms and a talent for sports. “If so many women find him irresistible, he should go in search of those women.”
“Seems like his mind is set on you.”
“For the moment,” I sighed. “I’m new and shiny and I showed up just as he was breaking another heart. He’ll get bored soon enough and go in search of easier options, then we can all get back to our lives.”
“Maybe you’re different,” Antonio offered with a shrug, his tone filled with hope.
I let my head fall back and laughed so hard my shoulders shook. “And maybe I can change him? I only take fixer-uppers when it comes to my professional life, Antonio.”
I’d been in relationships before where a man thought he could change me, make me behave more like a woman, dress more feminine, dye my hair. All of that had taught me a very valuable lesson—if you can’t accept someone for who they are, move on and find someone who doesn’t require fine tuning.
“He’s not the same cocky kid he was at eighteen, Teddy. Neither am I.”
They’d both been playboys, dating every beautiful or popular girl in school for at least two weeks before moving on to the next pretty little thing. It had been fascinating to watch, as a girl stuck in the awkward phase until the age of nineteen, the way they flirted so easily, issued compliments that the other girls accepted as their due. How I envied those girls back then.
“I know that, but I also know exactly who Cal is. Even if I was interested in him, which I’m not, I’m not stupid enough to think I can change his bachelor ways.” I scooped a chip through the tomato salsa before Antonio could continue his interrogation. “I like that one a lot. The charred jalapeño works really well.”
His lips twitched, but Antonio didn’t call me out and I was grateful for the reprieve. “Thanks.”
“Have you bought your tickets to Night of a Thousand Heroes yet? I’ve already started building the stage for the big event.”
The hospital fundraiser was one of the biggest to-dos in town and everyone was expected to attend and participate in some way.
Antonio groaned. “Yes. Suzie roped me into providing a four-hour cooking session and a romantic dinner for two as auction items. So I don’t have to show up if I don’t want to.”
I blinked. “Wait, building the stage means I can opt out of dressing up and eating rubber chicken? Yes!”
Black-tie events weren’t really my thing. I felt uncomfortable with all the finery and I disliked wearing heels more than any other type of footwear. I also didn’t want to spend the night making up excuses to not dance with handsy partygoers and douchebags.
“I wouldn’t say that out loud to Suzie, but I think it’s a fair trade.”
“So many single women in Jackson’s Ridge will be heartbroken if you don’t show up.”
Antonio smiled and shrugged. “I’m sure they’ll get over the heartbreak, somehow.” He still had issues with his ex-wife and was gun-shy about starting anything new because of her.
“Twenty bucks says Suzie gets you in a tux, maybe even taking on emcee duties.”
“Fifty bucks says you end up spending most of the fundraiser either ducking Cal or you wind up in a dark closet with him, doing things you shouldn’t.”
“That sounds promising.” I grinned at the thought of semi-public sex with Cal. “But it’s so unlikely I might feel guilty about taking fifty bucks from a single parent.”
“I can afford it. Can you?”
I heard the challenge in his voice and saw it in his eyes.
Cal was no different than any other man who valued his single status above all else, and I wouldn’t make the mistake of thinking I could change him. I didn’t want to change him. In fact, I didn’t want anything from him other than what I’d already gotten.
“Bet.” I took his hand and shook it, ignoring the gleam in his eyes.
Cal
The only time I wasn’t happy at work was times like now, when the ER was quiet and I was forced to sit at my desk and complete paperwork. It had to be one of the circles of hell, I was certain of that much, but it was also a necessary evil to make sure patients got the best care possible if and when they made another trip to the ER or to any other doctor in the hospital.
