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The café was small, the kind that tourists overlooked and locals loved. When Hank told me about the café being one of Parker’s favorite, I decided I had to check it out. I sat at a table near the front windows with the puppy on my lap. I took a swig of my still warm tea and opened the newspaper. My thoughts kept going to Parker and our discussion last night and his bare chest when he opened his bedroom door. As if dreaming about him wasn’t enough, he had to invade my daydreams too.
I should do something for him. But what? He has everything. Maybe Chloe will have a good idea.
I pulled my cell from my back pocket and sent Chloe a text, instead of calling, in case Sophie was sleeping.
Hey, I wanna do something nice for Parker but I don’t know what. Any ideas?
Men always like food. At least the ones I know.
Food? That’s so…normal
So? Maybe normal would be unexpected and nice
True, Okay thanks. Kiss Sophie for me.
I decided to bring Parker lunch. He’d either like it or laugh at it. I sent Hank a text letting him know I needed a ride to the hospital. Then ordered him a lunch to go.
* * *
Hank droppedme at the emergency entrance and kept the puppy with him. The emergency room was packed. There wasn’t an empty seat available. Such a big difference from back home. No one was at the reception desk. A quick check of my watch said it was twelve thirty. Maybe the receptionist was were on lunch break.
Okay, now what do I do?
A scruffy construction worker with his bloody hand wrapped in an old towel entered. “You have to ring the bell. Someone will come out sooner or later.”
A door behind the reception desk opened. A nice elderly lady with grey at the temples, glasses sitting on the tip of her nose, and something like fatigue in her eyes stepped out, hands on her hips.
“Hi,” I said meekly as she continued to stare without speaking. “I’m looking for Dr. Parker Hawthorne. I have his…”
“Are you a patient, ma’am?” barked the receptionist. “You have to fill out those forms on the clipboard and take a number.”
“No. No, I’m a friend delivering his lunch,” I said
I wasn’t expecting Attila the Hun behind the granny glasses with the butterfly chain attached. I watched her to sit down at her computer and slide her glasses in place. Her name tag read Lillian.
What am I doing here? He has to be very busy.
“Actually, Lillian, I’m surprising him with lunch,” I said, chewing my nails. “Maybe I shouldn’t have come here. He is so busy.”
The call this morning from Chloe sparked my surprise lunch delivery. Apparently, Parker stuck to his word and called this morning to speak with Sophie’s doctor, and they changed her recovery plan.
Thank God for Victoria finding and picking me.
“He only comes to the ER if he is needed for an emergency,” Lillian said sliding her glasses down from her eyes and smiling a little more friendly this time. “Take the elevator down the hall to the third floor. I’ll let his assistant know you’re coming. What’s your name?”
“Mia Anderson,” I said, starting to walk away then stopped. “Lillian, sorry to have bothered you.”
“No problem.” She pointed to guide me down the hall. “That young man works way too hard.”
“Thanks for your help,” I turned to reply “Yes, it’s seems he does.”
“Mia, you get on up there with that lunch and make him eat it,” she slid her glasses back in place “Nice to see someone taking care of him.
* * *
The third floorwas like another world compared to the emergency room. Parker’s assistant Rebecca met me at the elevator. She looked more high fashion than a doctor’s assistant.
“Hi Mia, Lillian said you had lunch for Dr. Hawthorne.” She said gesturing to follow her
