Page 19 of The Potter

I stand, putting much-needed space between me and the grouchy surgeon. “My bad. Astor hasn’t finished telling me what halls I can use.” Eyeing the toilet behind us, I add, “But while I’m here…”

Vance stands and shoots me a look over his shoulder as he turns on the water, washing his hands and splashing water on his face. He looks so broken in that moment that I can’t help myself. “Are you okay? Do you need me to get one of your brothers?” I mean, he was really out of it.

“I’m fine.”

I meet his hateful gaze in the mirror. “Are you?”

It was the wrong thing to say. Vance whips around and eats up the space between us with big strides, forcing my back against the wall. “Don’t let your research fool you, Ms. Belle. I’m not the savior you think I am.”

His eyes roam my face heatedly.

“What are you then?”

Dr. Potter swallows harshly, his hands going to my arms, gently squeezing. “You don’t want me to save you, Peach. You want to run and never look back.”

With that, he releases me and is gone before I can even take a breath.

I stand, rooted in place for I don’t know how long, my arms still tingling with his touch.

Dr. Potter is… intense. Dramatic. And likely a bit pessimistic. But whatever happened to him last year to cause this mood, it isn’t who he is. Trust me, I’ve been there. I’ve been in his shoes.

Tragedy changed me, killed a part of me. It took a long time for me to come around and realize that the woman I was still lived in this different body. She was different, sure, but she was still there. It was only a matter of coaxing her out.

I choose to believe Astor and Duke. Something happened to their brother that really affected him. Like me, he just needs a goal and time. The old Dr. Potter will return eventually.

At least, I hope.

By the time lunch rolled around, Astor had given me the rest of the tour—never mentioning the banned hallway that is Vance’s—showing me how to work his calendar and the labeling of his patient files.

He also assured me the staff, who I’ve now started calling the Pantsuit Brigade, will warm up eventually.

Again, I don’t take their scrutiny personally, only one of them had a wedding band on their finger, and I’m sure landing one of the Potter surgeons is on their bucket list.

All in all, I’m slightly overwhelmed but excited. The world of plastic surgery has proven to be more interesting than I expected.

Astor seems to prefer to block out the majority of his day, only taking a few patients. I didn’t ask why, and he didn’t seem willing to share. But the point is, I managed to forget my run-in with Dr. Potter, keeping pace while Astor told me everything he wanted me to know about Potter’s Plastics.

Until now.

“Halle, could you grab a notepad and come in here please?”

Looking up from a chart I’m putting together, I swallow. “But sir. It’s your…”

Those dark brown eyes gleam with mischief. “I struggle with retaining information,” he lies, pushing the door wider, revealing Dr. Potter in one of the wingback chairs, his foot resting casually over his knee.

But I know Dr. Potter is anything but relaxed. I can tell by the tension in his arms and the muscle ticking over his jaw.

“This won’t take long,“ Astor lies with an adorable wink. “I promise.”

Dr. Potter has steered clear of me all morning, after what we’ll call bathroom-gate. I called Serena after learning how to work Astor’s calendar and gave her the available times that he could meet with Dr. Astor. She huffed, but chose noon and hung up on me. Fortunately, Astor left his outside door open, so I didn’t have to see Dr. Potter go in, but now, he wants me to join them for a meeting that likely pertains to me.

Grabbing my notebook, I stand, inhaling a calming breath.

I should have never mouthed off to Dr. Potter earlier this morning, but he flips something inside me like no other man has ever done before. And trust me when I say men have caused a multitude of bullshit to flip my bitch switch, but not like Dr. Potter. Dr. Potter makes me lose all sense of composure.

But I can handle this meeting and this job. Because no matter what Dr. Potter does, I can become his friend. I have to. I need this procedure. “Sure thing, Dr. Astor.”

Astor holds the door as I brush past him, keeping my eyes on the angry ass in the chair. Even though I’m choosing to play nice, it does not mean I’m a coward. Dr. Potter will not intimidate me.

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