Chapter 2
CHAPTER TWO
Eloise
“Thank you again for coming with me, Elodie.”
I glance to my left, where Penny, the woman who was on a blind date, is sitting next to me. “It’s Eloise, and you don’t have to thank me.”
She doesn’t.
I should be the one thanking her.
I was on a date, too, at Atlas 22 when Daxton collapsed. There was nothing blind about it. It was our third date, and judging by Philip’s reaction to the life-and-death situation that transpired two tables away from us, tonight was our last date.
As soon as Daxton crumpled to the floor, Philip was on his phone, recording the entire thing.
I rushed to help, but two of the wait staff beat me to it.
While they unsuccessfully tried to revive Daxton, I kept my eyes on his date. She was shaking, and when I spotted Dr. Morgan sprinting toward us, I was stunned.
I wouldn’t be surprised if my mouth was hanging open while Penny answered his questions about the unconscious man.
It was only when the restaurant manager was talking to Dr. Morgan that I finally piped up. I blurted out Dr. Morgan’s name because the man saved a life.
I could tell that he didn’t appreciate my butting into that conversation.
I have no idea why he wanted to keep his identity under wraps.
“I’m glad your cousin was there to save Daxton.” Penny squeezes my hand.
“He’s not my cousin,” I correct her, but I don’t blame her for not having any of the facts of the night straight.
The man she was meeting almost died before they even sat down at their table.
“Oh.” She skims both her palms over the front of the skirt she’s wearing. “I thought he was since I heard you say something at the restaurant about cousins, and you brought his takeout here for him.”
I wasn’t going to do that, but the restaurant’s manager shoved the bag into my hand as I was leaving Atlas 22.
I assumed that Philip would accompany me to the hospital after he heard me offer to tagalong with Penny, but Philip’s phone rang and, as usual, his boss lured him back to his Wall Street office with the promise of a possible future promotion.
Either way, our dinner would have been interrupted.
“How are you doing?” I lightly touch Penny’s wrist.
She has my hand firmly gripped in hers before I realize what’s happening. “I’m okay, Eloise.”
I smile slightly when I hear her say my name.
“I’ve never seen anyone fall over like that before,” she goes on, tucking a lock of her red hair behind her ear. “It felt life-changing to me.”
I know it was definitely life-changing for Daxton.
I’m not sure if he would be alive if Dr. Morgan hadn’t been at the restaurant.
“I should check with that woman at the desk again.” Penny points toward the reception desk that we bolted to when our Uber dropped us off at the doors to the emergency department.
I tug my hand from hers because I’m reasonably sure my fingers are turning blue from lack of blood flow. Penny’s death grip is a solid ten out of ten.
Shaking my head, I adjust the takeout bag in my lap. “She said she’d let Dr. Morgan know that we’re here. Did you get ahold of the friend who fixed you up with Daxton? Were they able to contact his family to let them know what’s happening?”
She looks to where her phone is poking out from the clutch purse in her right hand. “No response yet.”
“I’m sure they’ve tracked down someone from the ID in his wallet,” I say. “I think we’ll hear something soon.”
Nodding, she glances at me. “Is that guy you were with at the restaurant your boyfriend?”
I haven’t stuck a label on what exactly is happening between Philip and me, so I shrug. “Not really. It was our third date.”
“Do you want there to be a fourth date?”
I study her face, drawn to the tiny flecks of gold in her green eyes. “I don’t think there’s a spark there.”
“I get that.” She nods. “This is going to sound silly, but there was a spark between Daxton and me. In that split second before he keeled over, I felt something. I felt it here.”
I watch as she slowly taps the center of her chest over the dark green blouse she’s wearing.
“How old are you?” she asks before I can respond to her last admission.
“Twenty-three. My birthday was last month,” I say. “You?”
“Same, but mine was seven months ago.” She smiles for the first time since we met. “Dating in Manhattan is something, isn’t it?”
I laugh. “It’s a whole thing.”
“Don’t I know it?” She lets out a long-winded sigh. “If you want to take off, I can give Dr. Morgan his food. I’m going to hang around until I can see Daxton. I don’t want him to wake up and be all alone.”
For some reason, I don’t want that for her either, so I reach for her hand again, even though I know she’ll probably put mine back in a death grip. “I’ll stay. We’re in this together.”
Surprisingly, she squeezes my hand briefly before holding it gently. “Thanks for staying.”
I open my mouth to tell her it’s not a problem, but I slam it shut as soon as I catch a glimpse of who is headed straight toward us.
Now dressed in dark blue scrubs under a white coat that easily identifies him as a member of the medical staff of this hospital, Dr. Morgan has his eyes trained on me.
I manage a small smile as I hold up the takeout bag but his gaze never leaves my face. His stoic expression makes my stomach drop like a lead balloon.
“No, “ I whisper, bracing myself for bad news. “Please no.”
“What?” Penny glances at me. “What’s wrong?”
I push to my feet as Dr. Morgan closes the distance between us with measured steps.
Penny follows my lead, searching for my hand with hers. I take it.
I should have insisted she call someone to sit with her. I barely know her. I’m not equipped to hold her up if she emotionally collapses.
“Please let him be all right,” she whispers as he slows to a stop.
He scans the waiting area. It’s bustling but I sense that it almost always is.
“I was told by reception that you two are waiting to see me.” His gaze runs over my face. “Daxton gave me permission to share an update with his date.”
“That’s me,” Penny says, patting her hand in the center of her chest. “She was on a date with someone else. I’m the one who was on a date with Daxton. I’m Penny.”
He shifts his focus to her. “Was he feeling any tightness in his chest before he collapsed? Any discomfort at all?”
She shrugs a shoulder. “He was leaning in for a hug, and then, boom, down he went.”
Dr. Morgan nods. “Daxton has a rare genetic heart condition. He’s going to require a procedure.”
“What?” Penny’s voice carries over the low hum of the chatter in this crowded waiting room. “What does that mean? Is he going to make it?”
“His mother is flying to New York in the morning from Indiana.” He glances at the watch on his wrist. “She’ll be in a position to share the details with you.”
“You can’t tell me more because I barely know him? It wasn’t just a random blind date. There was a spark.” Disappointment laces her tone as she shifts her gaze to me. “ I just told you that, didn’t I?”
I nod softly. “You did, Penny, but I think it’s wise to wait until his mom is here. You can come back in the morning if you want and introduce yourself to her.”
She lets out an audible sigh. “I guess I can do that. What’s his last name again?”
The corners of Dr. Morgan’s lips edge up toward a smile but he halts that quickly. “Robinson. I’ll tell Mrs. Robinson to be on the lookout for you, Penny.”
“My full name is Penny Hartigan,” she tells him. “Can you tell her that for me so she knows who I am?”
“Penny Hartigan,” he repeats her name. “I suggest you head home now.”
“Home?” Her chest heaves. “I should stay for Daxton, shouldn’t I?”
“He’s being transferred to the coronary care unit,” he explains. “The only visitors permitted at this point are immediate family.”
“So, not me?”
“I’m afraid not.” He shakes his head. “Go home and get some sleep.”
“I’ll be back bright and early tomorrow waiting to speak to Mrs. Robinson,” she announces loud enough that the woman at the reception desk glances at us.
“Noon would be a good time to circle back here.” Dr. Morgan changes her plans for her.
“Noon it is.” She tugs on my hand. “Do you want to share another Uber, Elodie?”
“It’s Eloise,” Dr. Morgan corrects her before I can. “Eloise Rehn.”
I smile, suddenly remembering the bag in my hand. “Oh, Dr. Morgan. I brought your dinner. It’s the takeout you ordered from Atlas 22 before everything happened. The manager asked me to give it to you since we kind of know each other through Astrid and Berk.”
“We do kind of know each other.” He studies my face. “I suspect the tuna is past its prime so I’ll toss this.”
“You’re throwing away the tuna from Atlas 22?” Penny’s voice once again carries throughout the waiting room. “That costs a pretty penny. If I were you, I’d bite the bullet and tempt fate. You are in a hospital, after all, if something goes wrong.”
He tugs the bag from my hand, not bothering to acknowledge Penny’s advice.
“Thank you for the update, Dr. Morgan,” I say to move this along because I still haven’t eaten dinner and I’m about to race home to the leftover pizza that has been lounging in my fridge for the past two days. “We’ll be going now.”
“I’ll see you tomorrow,” Penny reminds him. “I’ll be here at noon sharp.”
“That’s fine. I need to get back to work.” He turns so he’s facing me directly. “Take care of yourself, Eloise.”
“I will,” I assure him. “It was good to finally meet you.”
“It was good to meet you both,” he says before he walks away, tossing the bag in his hand in the nearest wastebasket before he steals one last glance over his shoulder at the two of us.