Page 17 of Fourteen of a Kind

“So, what kind of doctor are you?” I asked as we began jogging.

“Pediatrics. What do you do? Are you in college?”

Shit. I had to think of something fast.

“Yeah. I go to NYU.”

“What are you studying?” He glanced at me.

“Art.”

“Really? Are you an artist or something?”

“I love to paint,” I said, smiling.

“That’s cool. You look like an artist.”

“I do?”

“Yeah. You do.” He winked.

We reached the park’s entrance, and he glanced at his watch.

“It was nice to meet you, Ella. I have to get home and shower before my shift at the hospital, but tomorrow is my day off. Have dinner with me.”

Shit. I was leaving tomorrow.

“Thanks for the invite, but I’m having dinner with my grandmother.”

“Breakfast?” He smiled.

“I can’t. I’m sorry.”

“Okay,” he spoke with disappointment. “It was nice meeting you.”

“You too, Dr. Malone.”

He went left, and I went right. Jogging back to the hotel, I couldn’t stop thinking about his six-foot-three-inch stature, brown hair that was short on the sides with a longer wavy top, blue eyes, and a sexy five-o’clock shadow that graced his masculine jawline. He was older—I’d say in his late twenties or early thirties. What made him even more sexy was that he was a pediatrician, which meant he liked kids. He was all kinds of sexiness bundled into one package. I would've had dinner with him if I weren’t leaving New York tomorrow. But then again, I would’ve had to keep the lie going about myself, and I was uncomfortable doing that as it was.

Grandma Barb and I spent the day visiting the museums, having lunch and a wonderful dinner, and then it was time to head back to our rooms.

“I’ll see you in the morning, Grandma.” I kissed her cheek before stepping off the elevator.

“Sweet dreams, darling.” She smiled.

CHAPTER 6

Graham

I entered my apartment and stared at the packed boxes scattered all over the floor. Stepping into the shower, I thought about the artist, Ella, as the hot water streamed down my body. She was beautiful, and it was for the best that she turned down my breakfast and dinner invitation.

Tonight was my last shift at the hospital before I left for Los Angeles in a couple of days. Even though I would have loved to have gotten to know her better, it would have been a mistake since I would never see her again. She was younger than me and still in college, even though I sensed she wasn’t your typical college girl. She seemed more mature than most college girls.

“Get her out of your head, Graham.”

A few hours into my shift, my friend, Brenden, grabbed me and dragged me into one of the conference rooms.

“Surprise!” my coworkers shouted when I stepped inside.

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