Chapter 68
The music cut off abruptly, replaced with my lover’s brusque voice. “Curt?” he asked.
“Hey, Dr. Feelgood,” I purred. Lee laughed, and the tension in him dispelled. Encouraged, I told him, “I have a bit of a problem. Maybe you can help?”
“A medical problem?” he wanted to know. I could hear the smile in his voice. “Or is this something I can take care of when I get home?”
Trying to sound casual, I reminded him, “I thought you’d be here already.”
Lee sighed, and my anger evaporated at the weary sound. “I’m sorry, hon. Dan called in. He’s running late, and I’m the only physician here until he arrives. On top of that, we’re swamped with summer colds. What’s up?”
“Oh, I don’t know, doc.” I kept my voice light and reminded myself it wasn’t his fault. “Got something hard and long shoved down the front of my pants. I wondered if maybe you could come by and take a look?”
Chuckling, Lee lowered his voice. “Much as I’d love to sit here and let you talk dirty to me,” he said, serious, “I’ve got to cut this short.”
In my mind, I pictured him curled around the phone, speaking low into the receiver so no one would overhear. He was thirty-four, tall despite his Chinese heritage, with jet black hair cut short over ears that were just a hint too big on him. In the last year or so, short gray wires had begun to creep up on his temples, and fine lines were starting to etch themselves into the soft skin at the corner of his dark eyes. “I have a little girl waiting to have her arm stitched up,” he told me, all business once more. “What do you say we wait until I get home to play doctor, all right?”
Disappointment drew the corners of my mouth down into a petulant frown. “How long?” I wanted to know.
“Two hours,” Lee replied. We listened to each other breathe for a long moment. Before I could answer, he amended, “Maybe only one. I have these stitches to put in and then I’ll see if there’s anything else the nurses can’t handle.” When I still didn’t answer immediately, he wanted to know, “Curt? Don’t be like this. What’re you thinking?”
I reminded myself it wasn’t his fault, and a slow smile spread across my face. “I’m thinking you and me in the hot tub, steaks on the grill, a couple glasses of wine to set the mood. What do you think?”
“I think—” Lee turned away, covering the receiver, and his voice sounded muffled and indistinct as he spoke to someone else. When he came back on the line, he told me, “I think I have to go. The girl’s been moved into op and they’re ready for me. Can we get back to this when I get home?”
“You said another hour, right?” I asked, hopeful. My mind was already ahead to a time when Lee would slip out of his scrubs and into the hot tub beside me. “How’s steak sound? Some shrimp, a good red wine. Say yes.”
His laughter was boyish and sexy. “Yes. I have to go. I’ll see what I can do about wrapping things up here before five, all right? No promises, though.”
“Just as long as you’re home by the time the grill’s hot.” With a suggestive grin, I added, “Unless you want me to wait until you get here to heat things up.”
“You’re bad,” he said. “I’ll come as soon as I can.” Before I could tease him about his choice of words, he cautioned, “Don’t. I’ll be home soon. Love you.”
Tugging at my tie to loosen it, I sighed. “Love you, too.”
* * * *
An hour later, there was no sign of Lee. I wasn’t surprised. I put the steaks back in the freezer, the wine in the pantry, and toyed with the idea of calling the clinic again. One of the hazards of living with a doctor was that I had to share him with the rest of the world. But would it be asking too much for some time with him alone? It seemed he was always at work. If this kept up, the only time I’d get to see him would be if I made an appointment…
Of course
Before I could change my mind, I snatched up the phone and hit redial. When the clinic’s generic message began, I hit zero and prayed I didn’t get the same bitch nurse I had last time. Luck was on my side, though. After a few rings, the familiar voice of Lee’s head nurse answered. “Riverside, Janice speaking. May I help you?”
“Janice,” I laughed. “I’m glad it’s you. When were you demoted to receptionist?”
Recognizing my voice, Janice groaned. “When I made the mistake of hiring Lisa.”
She must have meant the nurse who answered the last time. “The one with the attitude?” I asked, just to clarify. “When did she start?”
“Today’s her first day,” Janice admitted. Lowering her voice, she added, “And it’ll be her last, if she doesn’t shape up. I don’t care how short-staffed we are.” Then, as if remembering her manners, she said, “But I’m sure you called to talk to Lee, not me. He’s between patients right now so let me see if I can page him—”
Before she could put me on hold, I said, “Actually, I didcall to talk to you.”
Janice’s bright voice grew suspicious. “Why?”
Taking a deep breath, I reasoned that the worst she could say was no. “I wanted to know if you could maybe work me into the schedule today. Just to see him. Brighten up his day. He works himself to death, you know he does, and I thought maybe you could put me down as his last appointment, or something? What do you say?”
“I don’t know, Curt.” Through the phone, I heard papers shuffling as Janice checked the schedule book. “Lee’s got two walk-ins down, but he wanted to leave after that.”
At least he was tryingto leave early. “Just pencil me in after the walk-ins,” I told her. “Please? But don’t say it’s me. I want it to be a surprise.”
Still, she hesitated. “I don’t know…”
“Come on,” I cajoled. She was close to giving in, I could feel it. “He’ll thank you for this, Janice. Trust me.”
* * * *
I made it to the clinic in fifteen minutes. I pulled around the back of the building, like Janice had instructed, and sure enough, she was waiting for me at the back door. This late in the day, her gray hair frizzled out of the bun she wore to keep it off her face, and she snubbed out the butt of her cigarette as I reached her. “Oooh, he’s pissed,” she said with a shake of her head. One foot kept the door open, which she pulled wide to usher me inside. “You better be right about this, Curt, because he almost bit my head off when I told him he had one more scheduled.”
“You didn’t tell him it was me?” I asked, concerned.