Page 70 of Hearts on the Table
“All the hype will die down soon.” Blake did his best to sound optimistic. I’d been complaining to him about the ridiculousness of it all ever since we’d sat down. We’d gotten interrupted multiple times, turning down two selfie seekers and one guy who asked for my autograph, of all things.
I thought we’d be safer in a bar a few blocks from the medical district, surrounded by other doctors. But apparently, nowhere was safe.
“Not likely,” I answered, slouched over our table. It was challenging to condense my 6’2” body onto a bar stool, but I was trying my damnedest. “Lainey’s calendar is still full of interviews and she’s supposed to be on her way to New York any minute now for some late night show thing.”
Blake whistled. “I know it sucks, but I have to say, as someone heading up my department, I would do illegal things to get the kind of exposure Cedar’s racking up.”
Hence why all the madness had yet to die down. The Carmichael PR team was unstoppable, shamelessly using Lainey to plug a new cardiac care initiative for inner city families. Meanwhile, Cedar was just as shamelessly riding their coattails.
Everywhere I looked, there was Lainey, talking about the importance of heart care or smiling at an interviewer while discussing her mother’s foundation. The more articles that came out and media clips were generated, the more all of it snowballed a bit further out of control.
I had never realized a measly internet video could make such a splash, but the PR people were relentless. Between their new campaign, Carmichael’s celebrity, and Lainey’s beautiful face, suddenly it seemed like the whole country was thinking about heart surgery.
“And still no word from Lainey?”
“Nada. Which is the worst part.” Another swig of beer didn’t help mellow my agitation. This all might have been more manageable if she’d been around to commiserate with. Instead, I was on my own, trying to hide in the corner of a sports bar.
“I guess it’s hard to talk to her when she’s busy with the ladies of The View.”
Had Lainey gone on The View? I hadn’t caught that one. I needed to set up a fucking Google alert. According to Cooper, she was still keeping up with most of her patients, which I wasn’t sure was physically possible, but who was I to question the Great Lainey Carmichael?
“Just let me get through this, Sam.”I drained my beer, setting it down before moving on to the full pint glass sitting beside it. It paid to be prepared.
“They were doing a segment on good news, or something. She was great,” Blake chimed in again, oblivious to how badly I wanted to bang my head against the table.
Shewasgreat at this stuff. Charming and smooth. She tied in some good plugs for Cedar and her mother’s charity. In one of the morning show interviews today, she’d also mentioned that she and I were “great friends,” which I’m sure was just because that’s what someone told her to say, but it felt like one more nail in the coffin.
I’d admired Lainey from afar ever since we’d met, but over the last six weeks I’d gotten closer to her than I ever dreamed of. Even while she hesitated about committing fully to our relationship (who could blame her with her history?), she let me coax her out of her shell more and more as the days went on.
I’d always known she was charming, but she was also caring and thoughtful. She claimed she didn’t do relationships, but she’d already adopted my family and friends as if they were her own. With every inch she gave me, I wanted a mile. And now I had nothing.
“Listen, man, if you’re going to sulk this whole time, that’s fine. I’ll just watch the game.”
I pinned Blake with another glare. Wasn’t this supposed to be one of my best friends? Where was the support? I knew I should have gone to Molido’s.
He shrugged off my angry look. “Tough love, buddy. You can sit here and mope all day, or you can grab your balls and call her. Talk to her about it.”
“She basically told me to stay away from her, Blake. I don’t think blowing up her phone was what she had in mind.”
“Seems like she’s getting put through the ringer even more than you are. Maybe she’d appreciate knowing you still have her back.” He clapped me on the shoulder. “But what do I know? I’venever gone viral before. I’ve also never dated quite this far out of my league. You’re breathing rarefied air, over there.”
“I just wish I knew where her head was at.” Friday had been perfect. Saturday was a dream. All my hard work had paid off. All those lunches, quiet moments stolen in the hallways, and morning workouts had led to that one, perfect day, when I’d finally felt like I had every piece of her, not just the flashes she allowed other people to see. But then her cold shoulder after the PR meeting had pulled the rug out from under me.
I thought she’d felt it, too. That closeness. Intimacy that had nothing to do with sex. But maybe I’d been wrong.
“No time like the present to ask.” Blake nodded towards the doors where Lainey made her way through the crowd to us. A few people stopped her to chat or take pictures. She obliged, but she was stiff, smile tight.
My feet hit the floor before I realized I’d slid off the stool.
“Aren’t you supposed to be on a plane right now?” I asked when she finally made her way to our table. She shook off my offer of a stool, swiping my beer.
“No. No travel. I had to put my foot down. I’m running myself ragged over here.” She chugged the IPA, downing about half of it before slamming it on the table. Foam sloshed over the side.
“We’re going to need more beer,” Blake muttered, trying to flag down a harried server. I was less concerned for my backup beer and more concerned about Lainey. Her usually riotous curls were sticking out from her surgical cap, which I wasn’t sure she knew she was still wearing. Dark circles couldn’t hide under the thick makeup rimming her eyes.
“You’re not going to New York?” I couldn’t help the hope rising in my chest. I was so damned happy to see her face in person, instead of on a screen.
“No New York. I couldn’t…” She picked the beer up before putting it back down without drinking. “Caplan canceled all my clinical work for next week. Completely cleared my calendar without even consulting me."
