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Her face fell for a moment, then she smiled, waving a hand as if to dismiss the importance of my work. “I’m sure you can stay a little while longer. Come grab a quick drink with us.” She slipped her free hand into mine.
“I really can’t. But thanks for the offer.” I pulled my hand away.
Her eyes narrowed, but her mouth formed a sideways smile. “Well, don’t forget about Newport. My door”–she tapped my elbow again– “is always open to you.”
It wasn’t lost on me that she referred to it as “her” door rather than “theirs.”
I nodded, smiled with pursed lips, and turned to walk away.
She grabbed my forearm. “You’re not going to leave without a goodbye hug, are you?”
I stifled an exasperated sigh and leaned in slightly, patting her on the shoulder, trying to make as little bodily contact as possible.
Colleen wasn’t having that. She set her martini down on a nearby table, pressed herself into my torso, and gave me a long, lingering hug with her hands sweeping suggestively down my back.
“Goodbye, Colleen. Have a nice evening.”
“Bye, Nathaniel,” she said, her voice lilting and teasing.
Nodding once more, I turned and walked down the sidewalk at a brisk pace, heading in a hurry to the restaurant where I was meeting my client.
Finally, I thought. It had been yet another close call with Colleen, but I had managed to slip out of her talons, albeit not without an inappropriate hug. I sighed, shaking my head as I opened the glass doors to the restaurant.
Seeing Colleen left me with a sick feeling in my gut.
My best friend’s wife. Coming onto me.
Again.
I needed to shake off the uneasiness so I could focus on being pleasant and productive with my client instead of obsessing over the uncomfortable position I was in between David and Colleen.
That was hard to do when I was falling for their daughter.
Chapter 23
Amelia
Work had been grueling lately, and that particular day was especially rough. It didn’t help that I was walking around in a daze half the time, distracted and worried about my situation with Nathaniel and the pregnancy.
The hospital’s staffing issues were improving, but it was still busy. Or maybe it felt busier than usual because I was so wrapped up in my own concerns. All morning, I was rushing around trying to remember who needed what, vacillating between being completely frazzled and zoning out.
Just as we were about to close the office for the lunch hour, Carol, the nurse practitioner attached to our department, pulled me aside.
“Amelia, is everything OK?”
“Yes,” I lied. “I’m just a little out of it, that’s all.”
“You’ve made a number of mistakes today. Like forgetting to clock in, forgetting to check on the patient in Room B, and letting that elderly couple go without directing them to the front desk so they could schedule their next appointment. Although these are all minor mistakes, they are very much not like you. We need everyone to be on their A-game.” She wasn’t angry; she was voicing valid concerns.
Plus, she was right. I had been making careless errors all morning.
“I’m sorry, Carol. I’ve just got some personal issues that I’m dealing with. It won’t happen again.”
“You look a little tired, too. Are you getting enough sleep?” Carol was a medical professional, and she could tell there was more to it.
“Yeah, I’m fine. It’s just life stuff,” I reassured, not wanting to give anything away about my situation. “I promise I won't let it distract me anymore.”
“Hey, everybody has off days. It’s alright. Tell you what, I’ll call in a replacement to fill in for the rest of your shift. Take the rest of the afternoon off and be kind to yourself, OK?”
