Chapter 5
CHAPTER 5
E lla
We landed in New York, and Shaun’s car drove us to the Mandarin Oriental Hotel.
“Since it’s late, shall we grab some dinner?” Shaun asked as we checked in.
“Of course, darling.” Grandma Barb smiled.
“Sounds great, Shaun,” I said.
We stepped into the elevator. Shaun’s room was on the top floor, Grandma Barb’s was on the fifteenth floor, and mine was on the fourteenth. After freshening up, I met Shaun and my grandma at the restaurant. While we were having dinner, my phone pinged with a text from Simon.
“Want me to kick your dad’s ass?”
I laughed.
“Please, do. I was looking forward to being alone.”
“Consider it done, sweetheart.”
“What is so funny, darling?” my grandma asked.
“Oh, nothing. I just got a text from a friend at work,” I lied, picking up my wine glass.
After a wonderful meal, we all headed to our rooms for the night.
“Thanks, Shaun. I’ll see you back in California.” I kissed his cheek. “Have a safe flight home tomorrow afternoon.”
“Have fun lecturing.” He winked.
“Grandma, what will you do tomorrow when I’m at the hospital?”
“Don’t you worry about me, darling. I’ve booked myself a spa day.”
“Okay. I’ll see you after my lectures.”
The following morning, I took a cab to Mount Sinai and met with Dr. Bainbridge in his office.
“Dr. Ella Kind.” He smiled. “It’s an honor to meet you.”
“Thank you, Dr. Bainbridge. The pleasure is all mine.”
I stood in the auditorium before a group of medical students, talking about and presenting complicated cardiothoracic procedures, showing them how their career choice could save many lives. I answered questions, and after my lecture was over, I went to the cafeteria with Dr. Bainbridge for lunch.
“Any chance you’d be interested in coming to work here?” he asked as we looked at the sandwiches in the cooler. “We have excellent doctors, but you would be this hospital’s biggest asset.”
“And leave the warmth and sunshine of California all year round.” I smirked.
“A doctor could hope, right?” He smiled.
Reaching into the cooler, I grabbed a tuna fish sandwich and placed it on my tray.
“You don’t want to eat that.” I heard a man’s voice behind me.
Turning around, my eyes locked with the blue eyes of an incredibly handsome man.
“I don’t?” A smile crossed my lips.
“No. It’s terrible here.” He smiled.
“Then what do you suggest?” I asked, looking at his badge. “Dr. Malone.”
“The ham and cheese is much better. That’s if you like ham.”
“Ham and cheese it is, then.” I returned my sandwich to the cooler and grabbed the ham and cheese. “Thanks.” I smiled at him.
“You’re welcome.” His captivating smile made my belly flutter.
After lunch with Dr. Bainbridge, I returned to the hotel to see if my Grandma Barb was done at the spa.
“You look great, Grandma.” I smiled, stepping into her suite.
“Thank you, darling. I feel refreshed. How did your surgery go?”
My brows furrowed. “I didn’t do surgery today, Grandma. I gave a lecture.”
“Oh, that’s right—silly me. I’m just so used to you being in surgeries all day. Let’s go shopping on Fifth Avenue and buy you something special.”
We spent the rest of the day shopping. As I was getting ready for bed, my phone rang, and my dad Facetimed me.
“Father,” I answered, sitting on the bed.
“Daughter.” He smiled. “I know you’re not happy with me right now.”
“Why would you do that, Dad? I mean. I love Grandma Barb to death, but I really needed to be by myself this weekend.”
“A young, beautiful girl in New York City alone isn’t safe, Ella.”
“You act like I’ve never been here before. I know the city, Dad.”
“How did the lecture go?” he asked.
“It went great.”
“Hi, sweetheart.” My mom’s smiling face appeared on the screen.
“Hi, Mom. I love you both, but I’m really tired. Grandma took me shopping all day, and I have to be up early.”
“Okay. Get some sleep, and good luck tomorrow,” my dad said. “I love you.”
“I love you too.”
It was Saturday morning. I got up early, put on my running clothes, and went for a run in Central Park. My grandma was meeting a friend for breakfast, which made me happy because I got to spend the time alone I craved.
After running for a while, I sat on the bench to catch my breath. A man jogged by me, then stopped and turned around.
“You’re the girl who tried to buy the tuna fish sandwich at the hospital cafeteria.” He grinned.
“Dr. Malone.” I smiled.
“I don’t think it’s fair that you know my name, and I don’t know yours.”
“Ella.”
“Beautiful name for a beautiful woman. Do you mind?” He pointed to the bench.
“Not at all.” I smiled.
“Graham.” He extended his hand.
“It’s nice to meet you, Graham.” I placed my hand in his as my belly fluttered.
I thought he was sexy in his hospital scrubs, but seeing him in jogging pants and a tight t-shirt took his sexiness to a whole new level.
“So, Ella. Did you like the ham and cheese sandwich?”
“I did. Thank you for the suggestion.”
“You’re welcome. I try to save whoever I can from the nasty tuna fish the hospital provides.” A handsome smirk crossed his lips.
I laughed. “It’s that bad?”
“It’s that bad.” He grinned. “Were you visiting someone there?”
“Uh, yeah,” I lied.
I didn’t want to tell him who I really was and why I was there because, for once, I just wanted to be Ella Kind and not twenty-two-year-old Dr. Ella Kind. I’d never see him again, so telling a little white lie was safe. Guys had been a problem for me since I was old enough to start dating because they were always intimidated. Besides, I couldn’t stop thinking about what Landon said about me being too much.
“I hope whoever you were visiting is okay,” Graham said.
“Yeah, she is. It was just a friend who had minor surgery.” I smiled.
“Are you finished running? If not, maybe we could finish together,” Graham said.
I stared into his smoldering blue eyes. He was hot, and the fluttering in my belly wouldn’t cease.
“I’d like that.” I smiled.
“Great. Let’s go.” He extended his hand and helped me up.
“So, what kind of doctor are you?” I asked as we began jogging.
“Pediatrics. What do you do? Are you in college?”
Shit. I had to think of something fast.
“Yeah. I go to NYU.”
“What are you studying?” He glanced at me.
“Art.”
“Really? Are you an artist or something?”
“I love to paint,” I said, smiling.
“That’s cool. You look like an artist.”
“I do?”
“Yeah. You do.” He winked.
We reached the park’s entrance, and he glanced at his watch.
“It was nice to meet you, Ella. I have to get home and shower before my shift at the hospital, but tomorrow is my day off. Have dinner with me.”
Shit. I was leaving tomorrow.
“Thanks for the invite, but I’m having dinner with my grandmother.”
“Breakfast?” He smiled.
“I can’t. I’m sorry.”
“Okay,” he spoke with disappointment. “It was nice meeting you.”
“You too, Dr. Malone.”
He went left, and I went right. Jogging back to the hotel, I couldn’t stop thinking about his six-foot-three-inch stature, brown hair that was short on the sides with a longer wavy top, blue eyes, and a sexy five-o’clock shadow that graced his masculine jawline. He was older—I’d say in his late twenties or early thirties. What made him even more sexy was that he was a pediatrician, which meant he liked kids. He was all kinds of sexiness bundled into one package. I would've had dinner with him if I weren’t leaving New York tomorrow. But then again, I would’ve had to keep the lie going about myself, and I was uncomfortable doing that as it was.
Grandma Barb and I spent the day visiting the museums, having lunch and a wonderful dinner, and then it was time to head back to our rooms.
“I’ll see you in the morning, Grandma.” I kissed her cheek before stepping off the elevator.
“Sweet dreams, darling.” She smiled.