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How she could ever imagine we would be together was a sign of how unrealistic she was.
After the conference, I left the room, hoping that Lisa would leave me alone but no such luck.
“Shall we have a coffee?” she said.
“Thanks, but I already had coffee,” I said, which was a bald-faced lie. I had one cup at home, and I usually had another, but I didn’t want to accept anything from her.
“Suit yourself.”
I went inside my office and would have closed the door on her but she pushed her way in.
“Were you really going to ignore me like that?” she said, her tone dark. “Drake, I thought you understood that we’re going to be friends.”
“We are friends. Haven’t I been friendly with you? I have some work to do,” I said and shrugged helplessly. “I’m really busy with work and my personal life is full, so I really don’t have time for you.”
“Oh, yeah…” she said and nodded. “Kate’s got morning sickness. Bummer.”
I frowned. I didn’t remember saying anything about Kate to her or the baby.
“What makes you think that?” I said, unwilling to give up any tidbit of information about Kate.
“I know a nurse that works with McAllister. Too bad that Kate’s still sick.”
“That’s my personal life, Lisa. You shouldn’t be talking to anyone about my private information. Dr. McAllister’s nurse could get into trouble for revealing my personal information.”
“People talk,” Lisa said and took a sip of her coffee, plopping down on the chair across from my desk. “So sue me. Too bad Kate’s sick. I had an aunt who was sick the entire pregnancy and was hospitalized because of dehydration. Hope that doesn’t happen to Kate. It would really suck for you, having a wife that’s out of commission so soon after you were married.”
She looked at me and at that moment, I saw something in her face – a fleeting look of glee and I realized that was a complete lie. She would probably like it if Kate were sick the entire time.
“I hope not, for Kate’s and the baby’s sake.”
“Of course,” she said and gave me a quick smile. “Poor Kate. Isn’t she trying to do her thesis as well? Must be hard if she’s sick all the time.”
“How do you know about Kate?” I said, alarmed that she seemed to know so much.
“Oh, I do my research.”
I frowned. “It’s none of your business.” I shuffled papers on my desk, trying to think of an excuse to shoo her out of my office. “Sorry, but I have some work?” I said and pointed to a file.
“Trying to get rid of me so fast?” she said, and I could hear hurt in her voice.
“I have a case…”
“Where should we go for lunch? I hear there’s a little deli down the street that has a good corned beef.”
“Sorry,” I said. “I’m meeting a friend.” It was another lie, but I planned on texting Lara and to see if she was free. I wanted to pick her brains about Lisa and what I could and should do.
“Oh, yes?” she said, her smile conflicting with the furrow in her brow. “Do I know him?”
“It’s an old friend from my college days.”
I said nothing more and opened a file, determined not to talk any more.
“Very well, Dr. Mysterious,” she said, her voice betraying a hint of anger. “Don’t tell me. I’ll go. See you at morning rounds. I expect you to come and stand with me.”
I frowned. “Are you going to script our every interaction?”
“Just reminding you that you have to be nice to me. That means you and I do things together. We have coffee together. Lunch. We talk like colleagues do. No avoiding me.”
