Page 20 of Careless Whisper

I went inside the interior lobby and saw Maren perched elegantly in a sleek chrome chair. She was done up—her blonde hair curled up in lush waves, her coat draped over one arm, and her lips painted blood red.

“Elias.” She rose with a soft smile. “It’s so good to see you.

It’s not good at all!“It’s nice of you to visit.”

She hugged me and kissed my cheek. I patted her back and tried to get her the hell away from me.

“You should put me on your list so I can wait for you in your apartment,” she suggested, tucking her hand into my elbow.

Like hell!

“I’m staying at the Four Seasons, here for some meetings with the folks at UW Medical. And I wasthinking maybe you could get me to see some of your funding people at Harper Memorial.”

Kill me now!

I didn’t press the button of the elevator, even though we stood in front of it. I moved Maren a little away from me as if it was so I could look at her.

Talk about making a statement!

I smiled the best I could. “It’s been a long day. Maybe we can catch up another time?”

She looked shocked. “Are you saying we can’t sit down for a drink at your place?”

“I’m really beat, Maren.”

She pressed the elevator button. “Elias Graham, stop being so rude,” she admonished in a mother to toddler affect.

This was the problem with people like Maren, friends you grew up with, they took liberties, and there wasn’t a damn thing you could do about it.

CHAPTER 7

Reggie

Life at work got a little better after the showdown with Elias outside the gym.

Cindy had told me I was back in rotation, so I’d been assisting in the OR, to Delaney’s dismay, which I didn’t understand because there was enough work for all of us.

Delaney wanted tosnagan attending, and since Elias Graham looked like he walked out of the set ofGrey’s Anatomyand was widely considered one of the top cardiac surgeons in the country, she’d set her eyes on him.

More power to her!

“He’s not single, Delaney,” I overheard a nurse tell Delaney in the locker room.

“What? Yes, he is. I checked his bio,” Delaney protested.

“I talked to my cousin; she’s the one at Stratford inBoston, and she said that everyone knows he’s engaged to Dr. Maren Loring.”

I felt my blood pressure rise at that bitch’s name.

“Who is she?” Delaney wanted to know.

Childhood sweetheart, I wanted to say, but I didn’t want anyone to know about my history with Elias. Let them think that he just hated my guts for some reason, which had nothing to do with us fucking five years ago, and he and his current fiancée fucking me over.

“Someone he’s been seeing forever,” the other nurse informed Delaney with-the-big-claws that she wanted to sink into a doctor.

“We’ll see about that,” Delaney snapped.

I wish I could tell her not to make my mistakes, but I didn’t like Delaney enough to bother.

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