Page 5 of Mountain Freedom
He gave me an amused smile. “Want to know a little secret?”
“What?”
“I think you enjoy drinking. And I think you should enjoy that one.”
“No, thank you,” I replied firmly.
“Now, Allison,” he said, grinning at me. “I saw you throw back tequila shots with the best of them when your group went out last week.”
“That was different,” I said, my face turning crimson.
“How so?”
“It’s a long-held tradition that residents go to Patty’s bar to celebrate on the last night.” And I felt humiliated that I had to explain that.
“I’m aware,” he said, giving me a knowing smile. “That’s why I was there. But I’m asking why that’s different than now. You were celebrating then. But this is a celebration, too, is it not?” He lifted his glass in toast. “To you, Dr. Bell, and your new position here.”
“Thank you,” I said, attempting to smile despite my growing discomfort. Part of me tried to tell myself that this was totally normal—two colleagues having a celebratory drink couldn’t be wrong, could it? But the whole situation was starting to set off my alarm bells. Itfeltwrong, and that was enough for me. Besides, I had said no, and it bothered me that he was still pushing.
“To your future here,” he said, picking up my glass from the table and attempting to hand it to me again.
“I appreciate the offer,” I said, trying to make my voice firm. It occurred to me that this might be one final test before signing the contract. I’d heard other residents ahead of me talk abouthaving to jump through unexpected hoops to get hired. Was he testing me to make sure I didn’t have a drinking problem? The thought eased my mind. I understood tests. With fresh confidence, I spoke again. “That night was an exception for me. I rarely drink, and never at work. If you were there watching, you’ll know I only had two shots over the course of the evening, spaced out over two hours. The rest of the night I only drank water.”
His lips turned up in that same amused smile from before. “I remember.”
“Dr. Barkley, if this is a test, I assure you that you can expect nothing but professionalism from me. That was one night of letting loose after we had all finished a difficult three years, but it is not indicative of my normal behavior.” I smiled, hoping I had passed whatever test this was—though I wasn’t ready to let down my guard completely.
“That’s too bad,” he said before winking at me. “I was quite taken with you that night.”
My cheeks flushed with heat again. “I’m sorry?” I stammered, hoping I was hearing him incorrectly.
“The way you danced,” he said, scooting an inch closer and moving his hand so it lightly grazed the back of my neck. “So free. So uninhibited. It was a completely different side of you. Gone was the uptight, smarty-pants resident always focused on her work. In her place was this different woman altogether. Wild. Free. Letting her hair down and letting the music carry her away while she danced.” He lowered his gaze to my lips with lust in his eyes. “Licking the salt off the rim in a way that drove me crazy. Oh, I saw you, Allison. You can’t pretend you didn’t see me watching you out on the dance floor. You knew I was there, and you performed beautifully.”
I scooted away, feeling shaky. “I don’t know what you’re talking about. I never saw you there, and I was dancing with myboyfriend. I was certainly not performing for you. That night was completely out of character and I’m embarrassed you saw it. I think I’ve given you the wrong impression.”
“Then give me the right one,” he said, chuckling like we were playing some sort of game. He leaned forward, putting his other hand on my knee. He roughly pushed my pencil skirt up, sliding his hand up my thigh.
I jumped up off the couch, my heart thudding in my chest. “Dr. Barkley, I must ask you to stop immediately.” This could not be happening. Fear coursed through me as I tried to figure out what I would do if he came after me again. He was bigger than I was, and he was currently in between me and the door.
But he didn’t. He leaned back, putting his arms on the back of the couch, and looked at me calmly. “You want to play hard to get? I’m fine with that. Just makes it more fun in the end. But let me make things very clear. This is your interview. You want this job? You have to earn it.”
Disbelief rocked me to my very core. Could he really have said what I’d just heard?
I shook my head, embarrassed by the tears pricking my eyes. “Ididearn it,” I said, hating that my voice quivered.
He laughed, picking up the drink on the table and downing it in one swallow. “Takes more than brains to get a job working for me.”
“I’ll report you for harassment.”
He shook his head, looking amused. “No, you won’t. Not if you ever want to work in this town. I have the power to make you unhireable and you know it.”
“Not if you’re reported,” I replied shakily, taking a step backward.
“Nobody will believe you, Allison,” he said calmly. “It will be my word against yours, and my reputation is impeccable. All I’ll have to say is that I chose a more qualified candidate, butthat you’re making up allegations in an attempt to advance your career. I guarantee one or more of your fellow residents will happily throw you under the bus. Marcia’s already proven she’s willing to do anything—and I do meananything—to get this job.”
The truth of his words hit me like a ton of bricks. Some of my fellow residents were absolutely cutthroat, and he was right. I was a good doctor, but that was it. I had no connections in the medical field, no family lineage of physicians ready to offer me a position somewhere. I had often been too afraid to speak up and get noticed, preferring instead to work in the background.
I was a nobody, competing in a sea of qualified physicians. It had seemed like a miracle when Dr. Barkley had taken notice of me.
