Page 9 of More Than a Match

“You already know I will.”

“Oh, by the way, Dr. Creeptastic was looking for you earlier.”

“Ugh, of course he was. What did he want?”

“He wouldn’t say. He could barely pull his eyes up off my chest long enough to ask, much less give any details.”

“What a perv.”

“You’re telling me. I’m glad in the battle between janitor and doctor, the right man won.”

“I wouldn’t say he won,” I argue. “I don’t even know what this thing between us is.”

“Still, you fucked him. I call that a win.”

“True.”

“Alright I’ve really gotta get going, but we’ll talk soon!”

“Sure thing.”

“Just avoid the ICU, that’s where I saw Dr. Visera last.”

“Thanks for the heads up.”

I watch her walk away, then turn on my heels and head for the lab. Results first, then I’ve got to find Alex.

I round the corner toward the janitor’s closet where Alex and I had our last encounter. I scan the hallway quickly, and my heart drops as I realize he’s not in sight. That’s fine, I’ll just go sit in the closet till he comes.

I enter the small room, closing the door softly behind me and taking a seat on the floor. The minutes tick by, and I can’t help but start to feel foolish. I could be well on my way home by now, but no, I’m here in a musty closet waiting for a boy. What has my life become? A thought occurs to me that nearly drives me to my feet.What if he’s not even working today?

Just as I’m about to stand up and leave, the door opens. I look up expectantly, a smile playing across my lips. That smile freezes as I stare up into the face of Ferdinand, the grumpy old janitor who has been working here longer than I’ve been alive.

“Oh, sorry. I just needed a quiet minute alone, and all the on-call rooms were taken,” I blurt out the first excuse that comes to mind.

“Not a problem, just don’t touch anything,” Ferdinand grumbles, fumbling around with some cleaning supplies on the shelf. “I expect to find everything exactly as I left it.”

“I got it, I won’t touch anything. I’ll only be another minute,” I agree, nodding my head.

I’m half tempted to ask him about Alex but decide against it. I don’t need to arouse suspicion or let anyone know what we’ve gotten up to. Our business is our own.

Ferdinand just grunts in response, leaving and closing the door behind him.

I sigh and adjust myself on the floor, slowly counting to 100. I’ll leave once I’m sure the coast is clear. This was a stupid idea, anyway. I reach 70 and the door opens again. I half expect Ferdinand to be there, so I simply glance upward. My heart flutters in my chest.It’s him.

CHAPTER 10: ALEX

I wheel the cart down the hallway towards the closet, my aching feet reminding me what a long day it has been. I see Ferdinand closing the door of the closet, grumbling to himself. I give him a nod as he approaches, and to my surprise, he pauses to talk to me.

“Heads up, there’s a girl in here,” he says. “Some doctor, just sitting on the floor.”

My heart races in my chest, but I do my best to keep my expression emotionless. “Really? Just sitting on the floor?”

“Yep. Says all the on-call rooms are taken, and she just needed a minute. Can you believe it?” he scoffs. “She better not touch anything. She promised not to, but you never know.”

My heart skips a beat as I remember the last words she said to me: a promise to meet up again. Keeping my composure has become a Herculean task.

“Oh, I’m sure she’ll be respectful of the space. After all, without us, this place would turn on its head.”

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