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Later, Ryan said it was surreal. He went to stand when the uncle approached, and when they were eye to eye and Sofia introduced them, Ryan almost fainted.
“Wait. Uncle John is Dr. John Saint?”
“Now the world is getting too small maybe,” John said, extending his hand with a grin. “How are you doing, Ryan?”
“You know each other?” Steven said.
Sofia was speechless, blood draining from her face. It had never occurred to her that her uncle would know Ryan.
“How do you even know each other?” she asked. “You were at different hospitals, weren’t you?”
“Yes,” John said shortly, looking Ryan in the eyes. “Ryan and his wife were in La Jolla, and I’m in Encinitas. Can I speak frankly here?”
“Go for it, sir. Sofia and Mr. Saint know my history.”
“Oh, okay. Good. I sit on the medical board,” he explained to Sofia.
“I knew we shouldn’t have come,” she said.
“You won’t get any trouble from me,” John said. “I’m happy Ryan is looking so fit. Sit down, everyone.”
They all sat back down, John next to Ryan, asking him questions in a low voice while Sofia strained to hear. Steven reached over and took her hand. Winking, he mouthedit’ll be okay.
While John talked to Ryan, Sofia discreetly slid off the couch and went into the house to find some cousins with whom she could chat. When her other uncle, host Big Mike, announced that dinner was served, she walked into the dining room to find Ryan and was relieved to see that he was smiling and chatting with Oliver. No one pressed them during dinner because one of the cousins announced his wife was pregnant again, and the focus was on her. All would be well.
After dessert was served, Ryan leaned in. “Can we eat and run? I have the early shift tomorrow.”
“Yes,” she said, looking around. “I’m ready.”
Her cousins were gathering their families and heading for the door. It would be easier to leave in the exodus rather than linger and draw it out.
Out in the car, she leaned her head back before turning the key. “That was intense.”
“I feel like a jackass that I didn’t realize your uncle was Dr. Saint. I never worked with the man because he works at the other division. Like he said, Caroline and I worked in La Jolla.”
It was the first time in a while he’d said her name out loud, and it reverberated around the car, hurting her ears.
“What did he have to say?”
“It was actually pretty informative. I can appeal the suspension anytime, but he suggested I get into a refresher course first.”
“Refresher course! I never heard of such a thing.”
“They have one at UC San Diego, Physician Retraining and Reentry. It’s 180 hours, all online except the practicum, so I can do almost the entire thing on my own time.”
“That’s great, Ryan. I’m so happy you can get back into medicine soon.”
They got to the apartment, and when they crossed the threshold, that was the end of theirdate.
“Have a good night,” he said, his hand on the doorknob to his room.
She knew she was making a spectacle of herself, with raised, questioning eyebrows and her mouth hanging open. “Okay, I guess it’s goodnight, then. You too.”
He didn’t take the hint, smiled at her and disappeared into his room, shutting the door. Leaning against it, Ryan tried to slow down his breath. The urge to make a pass at Sofia, to proposition her, to kiss her and drag her to bed was almost overpowering. It had taken every bit of willpower he had to close the door between them, while a familiar voice admonished him, saying,You’re acting like an asshole.
Sofia knew from past experience that once the door was shut, she wouldn’t see or hear from him for the rest of the night. Glued to the spot outside his door, she just didn’t know what to do next. There were so many things to talk about. The dinner, his conversation with Uncle John and her father. It was weird.Hewas weird. And she felt lost and alone.
July 4 loomed ahead. The tension in the air at the beach was positive, with everyone gearing up for a wonderful holiday. More renters moving in, deliverymen coming with groceries, laundry and supplies for the weekend meant traffic was insane.
