Page 66 of Off the Wall

“I like the guy already.” I hike up a corner of my mouth to show just how totally over the past I am. “Sure, things sucked for a while, but then they got better. And I ended up here. No regrets.”

She falls quiet for a moment, then she says, “There is one difference between you and East.”

“What’s that?”

“He had Becca.” Nori looks away, sipping what appears to be the last of her cocoa based on the tilt of her mug.

“You’re right. I didn’t end up with a wife.”

Nori brings her gaze back to mine. “Has there been anyone since then?”

“No one serious after Daphne.” I wrinkle my nose, pretending my insides aren’t starting to ache. “I can’t do my job and do justice to a big-hearted woman. And I’d never be interested in a woman with asmallheart, so that sort of leaves me at a standstill.”

She nods. Slowly. “Bad news for womankind, but good for the future spine patients who’ll benefit from your dedication?”

My mouth goes crooked. “You said it. Not me.”

“So what’s the new goal, then?” She tips her chin. “If it’s not the big leagues, or a fairytale romance, are you just after being the best sales rep Central Massachusetts has ever seen?”

“Bigger,” I say, shifting on the couch, wondering how much to share. “I’ve got my sights on a territory in LA, actually. The hospitals there have some of the best spine surgeons in the world.”

“We don’t have great doctors here?”

“Of course, but I’m targeting a few who specialize in scoliosis.”

“That’s mostly treating kids, right?”

“Yep. I want to work with the best of the best, to do the best I can for kids.”

“Wow.” Nori exhales. “That’s a lot of bests.” She crosses her arms, pretty much burying herself in my sweatshirt. And that’s when my phone pings with an incoming text. “You’d better get that,” she says. “It might be work.”

“You might be right.”

Dr. Hahn

Cash. Got a burst fracture for you. Guy fell off a ladder. Needs both lateral and posterior approaches. Do you have your pedicle screw system here?

My chest constricts. I’ve worked with Dr. Hahn before, but I’ve been courting his pedicle screw system for months. Trouble is, this kind of surgery is unpredictable at best and almost always complicated. The procedure could take hours, and he works at Mercy General. In Worcester.

That’s thirty minutes away.

I glance at Nori, huddled on my couch, her dark hair still damp. I’ve never turned down a case before. Not once. But I can’t leave her alone right now. She thinks she’s okay, buttrauma response can creep up when you least expect it. I know this from past experience. And the stuff you resist can be the hardest to manage. Nori’s clearly a resister. What if the reality of what could’ve happened to her tonight suddenly hits, and there’s no one around to comfort her?

I push away the thought and dash off a response to Dr. Hahn before I second-guess myself.

Me

I always keep my sets there, but I’m in Serendipity Springs. Alex Linton could get to you faster than I could. And Vortex has a great system too.

Dr. Hahn

Thanks, Cash. I’ll get in touch with him.

Me

Next time, I’m your guy.

I set my phone facedown on the coffee table, even as my stomach clamps like a vise. For better or worse, Dr. Hahn has already worked with Alex, so I’m not leaving him hanging with an inexperienced rep. The patient will almost certainly have a positive outcome. But I’m not just turning down a case for the first time. I’m actually throwing business at my competitor.

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