Chapter 13
Brant
I shake my head as I head to the gym. I’m meeting my friend, Nate.
But before I enter, I need to rein myself in.
Seeing Regan wasn’t planned, and every time I do, her beauty nearly takes my breath away.
It's easier to ignore the attraction when I have patient files in my hands to keep my mind busy, but at the store... there was nothing distracting me. Not only is she beautiful, but she’s fun.
I feel like a kid again with her, without the pressure of my career.
I walk as slow as possible, trying to shake the feeling out of my fingers before I get there. I’ve been friends with Nate for years; we met in high school.
Inside the gym, he’s walking on the treadmill, scrolling his phone. I head to the one beside him to warm up. Not that I need to, considering I’m already starting to sweat just from the interaction with Regan. She makes me so agitated.
Obviously, work’s important to me, but it’s making me stress more.
The desire to get chief was already there, but having competition is making me hyper-fixate on it.
And now, with the hospital protocol committee breathing down Dr Thomas’s neck after that Dr. Whisperer article, one wrong move could fuck everything.
If they find any hint of fraternization, or anything that even looks like a conflict of interest, they’ll pull me from consideration.
All my years of working toward this position would be gone.
And Regan? She could lose her residency spot entirely. The committee doesn’t mess around.
“Have you been here long?” I ask, turning the treadmill up. I’ve already run my ten miles this morning as I listened to another episode of the podcast, so this is just a walk to loosen up before weights.
“No, I just got here.”
“Let’s do five minutes here before we lift.”
We don’t need to discuss what we’re working on because we have the same schedule every week. Today is chest.
“How’s your week been?”
Nate is in real estate; he’s worked there for years.
“Busy. We have a high-profile client needing an Airbnb, so I’ve been looking and giving all the options. Plus, the show needs a few houses on a street to rent.”
“What show is it?” I ask.
“They won’t tell me.”
That has me curious. “Who’s the client?”
“I don’t know.”
I snort. “You don’t know a lot.”
“Shut up, dickhead. Your head is just growing knowing the grand opening of the new ward is soon.”
I turn the pace up on the treadmill again.
“Yeah. I’m excited for it except for the theme.”
“Why’s that?”
“Mason and I have been going back and forth for weeks. The committee needs the final decision soon, and we still can’t agree.
We’ve already ruled out fairytales, vehicles, ocean themes, and animals.
The planning team is losing their minds because they need to organize the vendors, decorations, entertainment, and all the PR materials. We’re cutting it close.”
He chuckles. “It’s not that hard.”
“I know. My choice was either space or ocean theme. Mason wants jungle or dinosaurs.”
The five minutes are up, so we stop the treadmill and hit the weight area. Starting with bench presses, we load up the bar. Still feeling energetic, I tell Nate, “Let’s add an extra two pounds on each side.”
That earns me a quirked eyebrow. “You sure that’s a good idea?”
“I feel good today.”
He gives me a skeptical look. “Has something happened?”
“I just saw my boss in the thrift store before coming here.”
“Ah. Now I see what’s made you so fired up.”
I push the bar up, my chest burning as I squeeze, Nate’s hands hovering behind me, ready to catch the bar if it gets too heavy.
But I wasn’t kidding when I said I had extra energy.
“It wasn’t just him. His daughter, the new resident, was there.”
Nate’s eyes widen slightly. I keep a straight face.
“He doesn’t want me to talk to her about anything unrelated to work, but I walked into a shop, and she was there. I’m wondering if I should’ve walked out.”
“Why? Speaking to her isn’t a crime.”
“I know, but he warned me not to, and after that stupid Dr. Whisperer article, I don’t need any problems; otherwise, the hospital protocol committee will be involved, and I can kiss my chief position away.
” I hate the thought of it. And Regan, it could even block her from other programs, take away opportunities, damage the way people view her.
All because I couldn’t keep my distance.
He hums. “I see your predicament. But is there anything—”
“No,” I cut him off, knowing what he was about to ask. “We’re just co-workers.”
He nods, but there’s a hint of amusement there, and under his breath he says, “That’s what they all say.”
I ignore him because I can’t voice the silly, nagging thoughts.
The way she challenged me on Shaina’s case.
The way her eyes light up when she’s right.
The way her hand lingered when I helped her up out of the chair.
The way I found myself looking for her in the hallways, even when I know I shouldn’t.
I finish my set and sit up, wiping sweat from my forehead with my hand. “It doesn’t matter anyway. In less than a year, she’ll be gone.”
“Oh, really? Where?”
“New York. That’s where she was living before.”
“And how do you feel about that?” he asks, looking at me more seriously.
Relieved in one way, because it makes things easier since there’s an end date and a good reminder to keep my distance. But there’s also something else that I don’t voice.
“Doesn’t matter how I feel,” I say finally, releasing a heavy sigh. “It’s not my business.”
Nate doesn’t push, but I can see his single nod. It’s one I’ve seen before when he thinks I’m full of shit.
Even if I am full of shit, I’m sure the attraction will fade because that’s all it is. I just need to keep telling myself that.