Chapter 2 #2
“No, I hinted at it. You’re the filthy minded one who figured it out.”
She held up her hands, her eyes sparkling. “I don’t know anything other than it exists. I don’t even know the name of it. But men like you probably aren’t welcome there anyway,” she spat, a playful smirk to her mouth.
“What’s that supposed to mean? Men like me?” Jesse’s voice cracked.
Liza rolled her eyes. “You’re a dog. And if there’s a dominant or submissive bone in your body, it’s fake. Although…” She tapped a finger to her chin as she eyed him. “Someone should probably take you in hand and put you to heel.”
“I might be into being tied up and used.” He shrugged, trying not to look too interested. But then his eyes roamed up and down the head nurse’s body way too slowly and she smirked.
“If I were into that stuff, I’d eat you alive, little boy. But I bet the nurses would all put cash into a pool to hire a Dominatrix for you so we could all watch her whip you into shape.”
“Hot damn, Liza! I think you’re more into this than you think.”
She snorted. “Because I want to see you punished?” She reached out to pat him on the head. “Honey, I’m sure everyone you’ve ever met would line up to see that, and trust me, we’re not all into it.”
“Not nice, Liza, not nice.” He shook a finger at her, but his expression remained good-natured.
She shrugged. “Remember when that couple came in who had the piercings…”
I tuned them out, turning my attention across the hall again.
Mira Wilcox was sitting vigil at her terminally ill mother’s bedside.
Her mother wasn’t actively dying, but it would happen sooner or later.
A few weeks, a few months, it was hard to tell when, since the woman had surprised her oncologist by still being alive more than three times longer than he’d told her she would.
Either way, her condition meant she was here often. And that meant Mira was too.
And having Mira here was a reminder that our experience two years prior had been much more monumental and memorable to me than it was to her.
I should have known though. We’d texted after I went home, and it was fairly regular considering I was putting in eighty-hour weeks.
Then one day she stopped replying to me.
Mira stood and it was the first time she’d moved in hours.
For a second I was ready to spring into action, thinking something might be wrong, but then she stretched.
It was almost lazy like a cat. She was thinner now, not underweight, just leaner.
I looked at Liza, about to ask if she’d seen Mira leave her mother’s side in the last eight hours because I hadn’t, only to find Liza was already talking to me. Or rather about me.
“I see it,” Liza said sizing me up and down. “Hot doctor. Nice, patient, and friendly. Cares a lot, but knows exactly when to get tough… that’s a killer combo for a Dom.”
I blinked at Liza and then narrowed my eyes on Jesse. Fuck. Why didn’t I stop this shit before it got out of hand. This was a small city, I didn’t need my personal like to be gossip in the break room.
“I wouldn’t know,” I answered, a muscle in my jaw ticking in annoyance.
“Shame,” she said with a shrug and a sigh. “I was willing to ask my friend for the info on that BDSM place. I was even willing to go along.” Her eyes slid to Jesse’s, a flirty smile on her lips.
“Christ.” Jesse looked down at his crotch. “I was going to take the stiff in seven, instead I’ve grown one.”
“We’re not interested in any clubs, Liza. Not dance clubs, sports clubs or BDSM clubs,” I said, irritated. But she didn’t buy it. She just glanced across the hall. My gut dropped as soon as her eyes landed on Mira, and she pressed her lips to hold back a secretive smile.
“You sure? According to her mother, she’s a hot mess. I bet she could use a Dom.”
My eyes followed Liza and my jaw shifted. “As unprofessional as the giant purple dildo is, Liza, it’s gallows humor and I can take a joke. But do you think talking about a patient’s daughter like that is appropriate?” I crossed my arms looking down at her with a frown.
She twisted her mouth, guilt shadowing her face. “No. You’re right. I apologize.”
“Good. Now, curtain twelve can be discharged.” I nodded in the direction. “I wrote his scripts twenty minutes ago.”
“Yes, Doctor,” she answered and went to do as I asked. Jesse watched, his eyes serious.
“If you didn’t want them to believe you were a Dom, maybe you shouldn’t have used your Dom voice and been such a hard ass. She was only having fun.”
“For fuck’s sake, Jesse.” I ran my hands over my face.
“Sorry, bruh… I got carried away.”
“Yeah, well…. Just go do your job and go home to your daughter.”
When Jesse left, and Liza was too busy to notice me, my eyes wandered back to Mira. This time the blonde was staring at the monitor hooked up to her mother, looking as if the weight of the world was on her shoulders. And I suppose it was—at least the weight of her world.
“Dr. Lake, MVA just arrived,” Carrie, another nurse, said heading swiftly toward the ambulance bay.
“Too many motor vehicle accidents lately. Right behind you.”
When my shift ended eight hours later and I was just finishing up some charting, Mira came to the desk.
The first time I’d seen her a few months ago, her mom had been in distress so there hadn’t been time to acknowledge our previous relationship, but I’d been sure we’d catch up later. When later came, though, and I’d tried to ask her how she’d been, she stopped me.
“I’m not the same person as I was back then and I’d rather not relive that time in my life.”
I’d nodded, and since I didn’t have a choice, we became strangers.
Now I’d grown accustomed to acting like we’d never spent two spectacular weeks together, and that I hadn’t developed serious feelings for her.
“Everything okay?” I asked, instantly concerned at the faraway expression she wore on her pale face. There were faint bruise-like shadows under her big brown eyes, and her cheekbones had become more defined since I’d last seen her. Even still, she was beautiful.
“Oh. Yeah.” She glanced behind her pointing at the empty bed.
“Mom’s okay. Thank you for getting her admitted.
They just brought her upstairs.” She swayed as she turned back to me, not really focusing on my face.
Both worried me, so I stood and walked around the desk to guide her to one of the random chairs in the hallway.
“Sit,” I ordered, and she obeyed without so much as a second thought.
“You look like you’re about to collapse,” I said, more to myself in assessment than to her.
“What can I do for you, honey?” I almost winced at the familiarity of my endearment, but she actually did, and the hurt in that wince was like a GSW to the chest. It only took one blink though, and it was gone.
“Oh, I don’t need anything,” she replied sounding falsely aloof. “I’m heading out to grab some coffee while Mom gets settled in her room, and I thought I’d ask if you guys wanted anything.” She looked around. “Where is Liza?”
I glanced at my watch, frowning. “Gone home,” I said. “Mira, you’ve already been here for twelve hours. I’m about to go myself. Your mom’s admitted, in a room, on a fully staffed floor, she’s good for the night. You should go home.”
Her eyes found mine and I saw a flicker of challenge.
“It’s almost midnight,” I said, a little thrown by her defiant look. Her eyes widened.
“Oh?” Her brow furrowed. “Twelve?” She yawned then, trying to cover it with her arm.
“We don’t enforce visiting hours in the ER but they will upstairs if they need to.” Mira’s eyes snapped to mine at the word enforce and this time it wasn’t defiance I saw.
“I see you so often, I’m starting to think you work here, Mir.” I wanted to know more about her. Was she still painting?
Her eyes on mine, didn’t move. “Nope, the healthcare trenches aren’t for me.” She stood then, likely to shut down any follow-up questions I had, but as soon as she did, she started swaying like a tree in a storm.
“Have you eaten?” I reached out steadying her and guided her back into the chair.
“You sound like my mother. She’s been trying to kick me out and make me eat since noon.” A flash of guilt crossed her face, but she looked away quickly. Maybe there was more of the old Mira in there than I thought.
“You’re no good to her if you collapse. You need rest too.” I darted behind the nurse’s station where we kept a mini fridge with sandwiches, ginger ale, and small snacks for the patients. I snagged a mini pack of crackers.
“Here.” I handed it to her.
She took it and looked up at me. Fiddling with the packet, she said. “Thanks. I probably do need food. But I’ve been sitting on my butt all day, how much more rest can I get?”
She rolled her eyes and something inside me tightened. It was an old reflex, as familiar as breathing, but this was a hospital, not Rawhide, and she wasn’t my sub… anymore.
Another memory flashed in my mind.
We were in our suite at the Ranch and she’d just rolled her eyes at me when I pushed her to eat more of the dinner I’d ordered for her.
I’d tossed her over the arm of the sofa so swiftly, she’d yelped in alarm.
She knew how I felt about eye rolling, so I’d spanked her hard with my palm.
Clap after clap echoed until my hand stung too.
And then I’d forbidden her from moving from the spot on the sofa, and I’d stormed to the armoire where I’d found a wooden spoon.
“Don’t you dare move, Mira. This is a punishment.”
She’d gasped at that. “I’m sorry,” she’d blurted, and she sounded it. Her eyes even teared up as if disappointing me was far worse than the hand spanking I’d just given her. “I shouldn’t have rolled my eyes. Please forgive me.”