He was standing near the end of the corridor, speaking to someone on his phone.
Riley had found a seat, conversing lightly with her aide.
Maybe she was reassuring the lady.
Even from several feet away, Roman looked like he owned the place.
Not literally.
But he had the posture of a man who was accustomed to ownership, and in that tuxedo, accustomed to profound respect.
His suit was perfectly tailored, the shoes on his feet probably worth more than my monthly, if not yearly, salary.
His wrist watch looked like it was heavily guarded at night.
He turned, and our eyes met.
For some inexplicable reason, my stomach tightened.
I settled for annoyance.
It was definitely annoyance.
“Gail, where’s Richard?” “Dr Locke stepped out for a bit,” Gail replied, typing away on her system.
“Do you need him?
Should I page him?” I was not listening.
Roman had ended his call and was walking toward me.
Stupidly, I clenched my hands and pressed my feet to the ground.
What was I preparing for?
A duel?
“Dr Holt?” He stopped a few steps from me.
“A word?” Gail stopped typing and leaned in her ears to us.
That gossip.
It took all my willpower to smile.
“Sure.” He sent his phone into his pocket.
“How long have you been practicing?” I was completely taken aback.
No, I was thrown so far into the past there was no map to bring me back.
I blinked.
“Excuse me?” “How long have you been a doctor?” “Long enough.” His expression hardened.
“That’s not an answer.” “It’s the answer you’re getting.
What?
I’m not practiced enough to treat your sister?” Now, I was sure the tightening was annoyance.
He gave me an incredulous look.
“Do you always speak to people this way?” “As a matter of fact, I do not, because most people don’t interrogate me.” “I’m not interrogating you.” “Then you’re making a remarkable impression of it.” I mocked and I hope he caught it.
He looked at me for another moment.
“You have a problem.” I scoffed.
“I do,” Did he think I’d back down?
“It’s you, and how you are being unreasonable.
I have a problem with how you walked into my department, in a hospital that you obviously do not own, demanding an audience, speaking rudely and firing people.
This is not Westbridge.” I did not know why I asked that last part, except he definitely had standing over there and thought he could transfer it here.
“I didn’t fire you,” he calmly said.
Why was he suddenly so calm?
Now it seemed he was the reasonable one and I was the one sporting for a fight.
“I feel if I give it enough time, you would,” I said, with the calmness I could muster in the microseconds I was given.
Then made a face that said, ‘See, Mr Sterling?
You are not the only levelheaded one in this conversation.’ Something almost resembling amusement appeared in his eyes.
It disappeared quickly.
Of course that must be my thinking.
His change in countenance was making me dizzy and seeing things.
He gave me a strange look.
“You don’t know who I am, do you?” “That’s another thing.
Even if I did, I wouldn’t care.” Wait, wouldn’t I?
Sterling.
Roman Sterling.
I knew I had heard that name before.
I just could not remember where.
Quickly I made a mental note to check.
“You’re very confident.” “I’m very tired.” And now, becoming very angry, and dizzy.
He studied me.
I studied him right back.
Up close, he was even more irritatingly attractive.
There was a faint scar near his jaw.
His eyes were darker than I’d initially noticed and his hair wasn’t perfectly styled, either.
There was a slight disorder to it, like he’d run his fingers through it repeatedly.
Human details.
I hated that I noticed them.
His eyes were still on me and I kept mine as steady as I could.
I wasn’t going to let him win.
Wait.
Were we in some kind of competition?
Just then his phone rang and the spell broke.
He glanced at the screen.
“Brooklyn.” My breathing returned.
“Yes,” he said.
His expression changed as he listened.
Something about the shift made me pay attention.
The arrogance disappeared.
He became focused.
Controlled.
Dangerously still.
“No.” A pause.
“I’ll handle it.” The call ended.
Whatever that call was about, and whatever he was going to handle suddenly did not seem safe anymore from my viewpoint.
But it was not my concern.
I had enough problems in my life to be bothered about Mr ‘handsome and mysterious’ problems.
From my line of sight I saw Riley coming.
Her limp was not really pronounced, just a slight hesitation when she put weight on it.
“Are we set to go?” she asked, leaning heavily on her right leg.
My eyes went to the left.
Was it hurting?
Or was I leaning too much into my doctor’s intuition?
Roman looked at me like I held the answer, then at her.
“Yes.” “Thank you again, Dr Holt.” She glanced at me, smiling.
Then, unexpectedly, she reached out for a handshake.
“I apologize for my brother.” I took it.
“You don’t have to apologize for him.” “I know,” She looked at Roman.
“That’s why I did it.
He may not look it, but he is a really good person.” She was almost right.
When Roman sighed, I bit back a laugh.
I liked Riley more now.
She smiled innocently, held out her hand to Claire and together they left.
He waited a second more.
Then, “Dr Holt.” “Mr Sterling.” I returned.
His eyebrows lifted.
When I shrugged, that amused look flitted across his face before he turned and followed after his sister.
“Good riddance.” I exhaled, finally able to breathe properly.
Gail resumed typing on her computer.
“I wouldn’t say that.
He is very handsome.” I stared at her.
“Enough that you forgot that you are a nurse?
You literally stopped working.” “Girl,” her eyes slowly lifted.
“He is handsome enough to make me forget the principles my mama taught me.” I stifled a laugh.
Giving in to it would be encouraging her.
“You are impossible.” I pushed the chart to her.
“Process this.
It has both mine and Richard’s signatures.
He was the attending.
I discharged.” “A’ight.
But I do hope he comes back.
Not wishing him bad luck, but having eye candy as a patient would sure peck up my day.” This time I shook my head.
“I don’t think he’ll return, Gail.
In case you didn’t notice, we are not up to the standard he visits.
Believe me, we won’t be seeing him again.” “Too bad.” Typical Gail, fawning over every handsome man within a five mile radius.
Well, this one was way out of her league, and not in our tax bracket.
Mr Handsome was very much through with us.
Returning to my office, I picked up the next chart, and moved to complete my filing.