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Nobody called me doctor. “Yes, can I help you?”
“This is Maggie from the Children's Hospital of Manhattan, really looking forward to meeting you tomorrow. Your first week of shifts will be three ten-hour days, then four days off. The following week will be twelve-hour shifts as will the rest of the month. I understand you’re on loan from another hospital, I can't tell you how pleased we are to have you on staff.”
“Wait, so what time do I report?” Clearly, my uncle had fabricated a lovely story about my medical background. On loan? Great. I was going out to come up with even more lies.
“Your shift begins at 7 AM, making rounds on the first floor. I apologize you are coming in right as summer cold season has started. It's been a little bit of a madhouse in here the past few weeks.”
Great, snotty nosed kids. This was going to be a super fun time. Fuck my uncle.
“Yeah, I'm sure that it is, between pollen season and the changing of the temperatures most his immune systems can't keep up. I would like to stay out of oncology by the way.” Kids sick was bad, kids with cancer was worse.
Fuck cancer.
“Of course, we have our regular attendings on staff to hit oncology. You'll mostly be staying on the first floor dealing with minor injuries and the cold season. Is there anything else you require for tomorrow morning?”
Cold shower and to not go into the Children's Hospital to work. “Absolutely nothing. I look forward to seeing you, Maggie.”
Of course I did, if she looked even half as hot as her sultry voice sounded on the phone the hospital wouldn't be so bad. She hung up the call and I stood looking at the roses again and I realized I didn't really care what Maggie looked like. I had Addison waiting for me.
At home.
Our home. Maybe this whole fake fiancé thing wasn't so bad after all.
Nine
Addison
“So what does your sister say about all this?” He asked me as he loaded the next box into the moving truck he had sent to my tiny apartment. I don't know why he thought I had a lot of stuff, but the truck was way bigger than it needed to be.
“Not much, she's kind of used to me doing some crazy things.”
He set the box down in front of him “Oh? You like to get wild?”
He knew how loud I could get. That wasn't what I meant in this case.
“Let's just say that I've had some harebrained ideas before. Or at least according to her that's what they were. She's my older sister, she cares about me. Wants to look out for me. Do you have any siblings like that?” He avoided my eyes and pushed the box back further into the practically empty truck.
“No, no siblings.”
Here are he mentioned that his parents had passed, but I hadn't asked when. Maybe it was before he could even have a chance to have siblings. That would be incredibly sad. I started to walk up the stairs towards my apartment again. My sister was at work, so it was just the two of us. As we entered my bedroom to pick up the last few boxes and a couple suitcases I had packed I decided to broach the subject. “You mentioned that your parents had passed. So your uncle is your guardian?”
“Something like that.” He said still not meeting my eyes. I knew I was pushing it, but I also knew that these questions were going to come up. I would have to meet some of his family at some point. If no place else then the extravagant fake wedding that we were planning.
“He mostly runs the money. He always handled the books even when I was a kid.”
“Before you got into the military.”
“Yeah. That was always his job. So when my parents passed I guess they had it set up in their will that he would continue to maintain the money. He's done a great job at it, I can't say that he hasn't. But he certainly treats me like a child still.”
“Do you act like one?” He turned and looked at me, his dark eyes boring into me. Why did he have to do that? Why did he have to look at me in such a way that I couldn’t help but be turned on? I was trying to have a real conversation with him. A real conversation with my future husband and I couldn't focus on that. All that I could think about was getting back to his place and seeing what else Cole had to offer. This was insane, I had agreed to marry someone that I hardly knew anything about. But somehow looking at him, it felt okay, nearly safe. Nearly.
But I knew that just beneath the surface practically a wild animal prowled. There was a reason his uncle was forcing him to do this. Something had to set him off. We walked down the stairs, him carrying my suitcases and I had a lamp and a small box in my hands when finally I asked the question. “So what did you do that pissed your uncle off enough that he's making you get married?”
He turned and looked at me. “I already told you. I stole a yacht from one of the investors, which was a bold move. And now one I'm paying for.”
“Yes. That's what you said. But I don't think that that would be it. I don't think that's what set him off. There had to be something else like maybe this wasn't your first indiscretion?”
I'd only known him for a day, and I could tell that his bad boy attitude had probably gotten him in a lot more trouble than he was telling me.
