Page 20 of Remedy: Love In Scrubs
I also knew that if McKenzie showed up, she would absolutely fall in love with Aries and try to hook us up. That woman had been trying to set me up since we graduated college, and she would probably pass out from excitement if she saw him in my house. I wasn't ready for that kind of drama.
By seven-thirty, I was a bundle of nerves. I had changed clothes three times, finally settling on a pair of fitted jeans and a soft, oversized sweater that fell off one shoulder. Casual but put-together—the perfect balance for a work meeting that wasn't quite a work meeting.
I was just putting the finishing touches on the charcuterie board I'd prepared when the front doorbell rang. I looked down at my outfit one last time, confirming that I was put together. I was giving very professional, but comfortable. It could be viewed as the perfect balance for meeting for work after hours.
Taking a deep breath, I opened the door.
Aries stood there, looking exhausted but still unfairly handsome in dark jeans and a button-down shirt with the sleeves rolled up to reveal his forearms. He held a bottle of wine in one hand and what appeared to be a bag of takeout in the other.
"I figured you'd be hungry. Wasn’t sure what you liked, but I assumed that you were a woman with great taste, so I picked up Thai.”
I smiled, even though I tried to hold back showing all of my pearly whites. Stepping aside, I let Aries walk past me and into my house.
“What if I’m allergic to peanuts?” I asked, jokingly, knowing a lot of Thai food was made with peanut sauces.
He walked to my kitchen, which was in plain view of the front door, but it was the way he confidently strolled along like he’d been in my house before.
After he sat the bottle of wine down, he turned to me with a bag in each hand. “Peanut-free dishes,” he said holding up the bag in his left hand. “And all the Thai peanut favorites. I’m a doctor, Skylar… of course I thought of allergies.”
Excuse me!I thought.
I rolled my eyes at his smugness, but I couldn't help the smile that crept onto my face. "Always prepared, aren't you, Dr. Yerba?"
"In surgery and in life," he replied, setting the bags on my kitchen island. "Nice place, by the way. It's very... you."
"And what exactly does that mean?" I asked, crossing my arms over my chest.
He looked around, taking in my open concept living space with its floor-to-ceiling bookshelves, cozy furniture, and the large windows overlooking the wooded backyard.
"Organized but comfortable. Professional but with personality." His eyes landed on the charcuterie board I'd prepared. "And clearly prepared for any situation."
I felt my cheeks warm at his assessment. "I like to be thorough."
"So I've noticed," he said, and there was something in his tone that send a chill down my spine.
“For the record, I'm not allergic to peanuts. Thai is perfect," I told him bringing the conversation back to food. “I did make a charcuterie board. I wanted us to have something to snack on while we work.”
Aries raised an eyebrow, his eyes moving from the carefully arranged board to my face. "Impressive, but Skylar, after the hours I just completed in the O.R., my body needs a lot more than fruits, cheeses, and olives.”
“Surgery leaves you ravenous, huh?” It wasn’t until I heard the words out loud, that I wanted to instantly retract them. The wordravenousjust seemed so sexual. By the look on Aries face, and the way he looked me up and down, then paused on my face while licking his lips, his brain was taking him there as well.
“It sure does,” he replied, with heat filling his eyes.
We stood staring at one another for a few minutes, then I cleared my throat.
"Let's, um... let's eat before the food gets cold," I said, breaking the charged moment between us. I moved to grab plates from my kitchen cabinet, desperately needing something to do with my hands. I moved around Aries to reach the cabinet, hyper-aware of how close our bodies came to touching. Now, the kitchen was filled with silence. So, I turned my attention to the bottle of wine Aries brought. "The wine you brought will go perfectly with dinner." I could definitely go for another glass. The glass I sipped on earlier no longer lingered in my blood.
"I'm glad. It's a Cabernet from a small vineyard in Napa. I thought you might appreciate it." He began unpacking the food containers, the spicy aromas filling my kitchen.
As I set the table, I noticed Aries studying the framed photos on my bookshelf. My heart skipped when he picked up one from my high school graduation. Aries still hadn’t put it together that we went to high school together. And I still haven’t pointed it out because my feelings were still a little hurt by the fact that I was invisible to him right along with the rest of our graduating class.
"Is this you?" he asked, examining the photo of me in my cap and gown, standing between my parents.
"Yeah, that's me at graduation." I held my breath, wondering if this would be the moment he'd recognize me.
He squinted at the picture. "You went to Silver Run High School?”
My heart stopped completely. "Yeah," I managed, setting down the wine glasses with slightly trembling hands. "Class of 2005."
