Chapter 5
CHAPTER 5
AZARA
I was cursed.
That was the only plausible explanation for crossing paths with this man now three times in the span of a couple weeks. Or perhaps I must have committed some terrible transgression in a past life that I’d earned this unfortunate fate.
Breathe, Azara.
I’d managed to spare a few minutes before my ward rounds, so I’d decided to stop by my dad’s office for a quick hello and to make sure he’d remembered to eat something before starting his day. He had a habit of forgetting, so I’d made it a part of my routine to come by his office at least once each shift before diving into my work day.
The last thing I had expected was this.
“Have you two met before?” my father asked, jolting me out of my thoughts. I hadn’t even noticed he was standing there.
I pushed the stranger—who I had the extreme urge to strangle—away and created a healthy distance between us before he broke my phone again or somehow materialized a hot drink to spill all over my scrubs.
“No,” I replied, at the same time he said, “Yes.”
My father’s brows knitted together in confusion.
“No, we haven’t,” I insisted, casting a brief threatening glare at the stranger before turning my attention to my father who still looked confused. “I was merely passing by to say hello before rounds.”
My dad joined me in the hallway outside of his office and placed a hand over my shoulder, giving it a gentle squeeze. He was rarely affectionate at work, especially in front of others, so this was about as close as he got.
He looked from me to the man who was becoming the bane of my existence. “Dr. Young, this is my daughter Dr. Ziani,” he introduced, then shifted his attention back to me. “Azara, this is our new lead consultant in the department.”
I knew my father would be meeting this Dr. Young at some point today, but when he’d mentioned I’d be closely working with a new surgeon, the infuriating stranger I’d had the displeasure of already meeting had been the last person I’d ever anticipated.
I can’t deny the temptation to look my future coworker up hadn’t crossed my mind, but each time I’d opened my search engine, my pride had taken over and I’d swiftly closed it. I didn’t want to give it any more energy than I’d needed to.
Now, I was regretting it.
“Seungwon Young, but you can call me Michael. It’s a pleasure to meet you,” the stranger said with a hint of flirtation lacing his tone as he extended his hand.
I eyed it for a moment; my instinct was to ignore it, but I could feel my father’s gaze burning the side of my head, his words from a few weeks ago echoing in my mind.
Be nice, Azara.
With a resigned sigh, I took his hand. I dismissed the jolt of electricity that shot up my spine at the contact and shook his hand briefly before withdrawing it. “Dr. Ziani. Welcome to the team, Dr. Young,” I said, ignoring his informality. We weren’t friends.
Dr. Young’s lips curved into a smirk at my brusqueness.
“Right, well… I should get to work, ” I said, and turned on my heel, desperate to escape.
I’d barely taken a step down the corridor when my father called after me, “Azara.”
I closed my eyes, cursing under my breath before glancing back over my shoulder
“Yes?”
“Just one moment,” he said, nodding at Dr. Young, who was watching me with an unsettling mix of curiosity and amusement. My father closed the small distance I’d managed to create between them and me. “I’ll have someone cover your rounds. I think you should show Dr. Young around the facility before you two head to Prime Minister Buxton’s room to check on him. Michael will be assisting you with the surgery.”
My eyes subtly widened in shock. I didn’t even know what to focus on. That I’d have to play tour guide or the fact that another surgeon would be helping me perform a surgery.
“With me?” I asked, because surely I must have misheard him. “What do you mean, with me ?”
“You know how important this case is for the hospital. Dr. Young will be your second pair of hands in the theater," he explained, a stern look on his face that left no room for arguments.
“Do you not trust me?” I asked, slightly stung that he might think I wouldn’t manage on my own or do a good enough job.
I hadn’t done this surgery a million times, but I’d done it enough to be confident in my skills. I knew I was one of the best surgeons at Amanar, and my father had never asked someone else to supervise, let alone assist me in surgeries.
He looked taken aback by my question. “I do trust you, Azara, and you’re a brilliant surgeon. But I need the hospital to present a united front. He’s your new consultant, and until you finish your hours, you’ll be reporting to him.”
None of his explanations made sense. Amanar was the best hospital in the city; I would venture to say it was the best in the country. Why did my father feel the need for us to show a united front when we already did?
But for now, none of that mattered.
I let out a resigned sigh and gave him a curt nod of understanding.
“Good,” he said before I steeled myself and began walking away. When I realized my new boss wasn’t following me, I turned back.
“Well, are you coming? I don’t have all day,” I said curtly, a brow raised.
Dr. Young gave my father a charming smile, telling him they’d talk later before he walked over to me, the smile never leaving his lips.
Which only fueled my annoyance even more.
I subtly rolled my eyes as he came to stand next to me. My gaze roamed up and down his figure, assessing him.
He leaned his body slightly closer to mine. “Like what you see,” he said, his voice smooth and slightly teasing.
I took a step back and checked that my father was back in his office. Once I made sure the coast was clear, I glared at who I’d unfortunately have to report to for the next year. He towered over my five foot six, but I didn’t let it deter me from what I needed to tell him.
“Listen, I’m not buying or interested in your charming boy next door tactics,” I said, waving my hand in front of me. “I don’t care that you’re technically my boss, I’ve been at this hospital for a decade and I won’t let anyone, let alone you of all people, tell me what to do or how to run this department.”
I waited for him to nod in agreement before I had to take him through this tour and how I’d envisioned today’s procedure. But instead of giving me the reaction I’d expected, he erased the remaining distance between our bodies and leaned his head down.
“I think you’d like being told what to do,” he murmured.
My mind raced with a mix of frustration and disbelief. And unfortunately for me, a hint of arousal. I wanted to ignore what he said or how it sent goosebumps erupting across my entire body, but I wouldn’t let him have the upper hand.
So instead, I quickly scanned our surroundings to make sure no one was around before I leaned closer, our lips almost touching.
I locked my gaze with his and whispered, “Wouldn’t you like to know?”
Then, I left him standing there, stunned, and set off down the corridor.
“I’m thinking of leaving Eddy,” I heard Hazel say and my head immediately snapped to where she was sitting.
“You’re what?” I asked, a mix of shock and worry filling me. Hazel had been with Eddy for three years now and they were getting married next September. They were so in love with each other, it was sickening. So for her to even think about leaving was unfathomable. “What happened? What did he do? Because if he hurt you, I swear?—”
“So now you’re listening?” Hazel said, her eyes narrowed.
“I was listening,” I lied, hoping she couldn’t tell.
“Yeah?” Nakia asked with a brow raised.
I maintained a neutral expression, sitting straighter and hoping my stance would convey confidence because I had no idea what or who they’d been discussing.
Nakia, Hazel, and I were at Rubis Rouge, our favorite local pub, for one of our girls’ nights. We were all busy with our jobs, but we’d always made sure to see each other in person at least once a month. Nakia and Hazel both had more flexible schedules, so they’d often followed mine and since this was my only weekend off in January, we’d decided to jump on the occasion.
And I desperately needed the distraction.
“Then tell us what I just said,” Hazel added, crossing her arms over her chest and looking at me with the same skeptical look Nakia was giving me. Or at least, she was trying to.
“Yeah, okay. I wasn’t listening,” I said, relenting.
“Is this about that hot new doctor?” Hazel said, and I shot her a pointed look.
Nakia glanced back and forth between us, unsure what Hazel was referring to. I’d made the mistake of slipping up and mentioning Michael’s name over the phone last night as I’d driven home after my horrible shift with him.
I hadn’t told her much before ending the call, but for the little bits I had told her, she’d sworn on Blue’s life—her frenchie mix she’d rescued a few months ago after seeing it at a shelter and deciding she needed to have it immediately—she wouldn’t say anything to Nakia.
Guess that was all in vain now but I should have known better. It wasn’t like Hazel was known for her secret-keeping skills.
“What hot doctor? Are you two keeping something from me?”
Hazel held her hands up. “I don’t know much either,” she said, in her defense. “Our Azara over here pretended her phone died last night when I started asking too many questions.”
“Hazel,” I muttered under my breath, closing my eyes and groaning in exasperation.
I’d said yes to tonight because this was exactly what I’d needed a distraction from, but I should have known better. Hazel loved anything that was related to love, and Nakia, well, she loved making fun of my predicaments.
“Now, I need you to tell me everything,” the latter insisted, waving at our server for another round, before she leaned back into her high chair and crossed one leg over the other, her intertwined manicured fingers resting against her lap.
Why did I say yes to going out tonight?
“Are you guys really teaming up on me?” I said with a hint of mock hurt in my tone, trying to divert the attention away from me.
Hazel’s stance softened, and she reached over to place a hand over mine. “No, we would n—” She started, but Nakia interrupted her.
Fuck, it almost worked.
“Hazel, don’t fall for her theatrics, she’s just distracting us,” Nakia said, firm on needing me to confess.
“Me?” I said, clutching my chest. “Why would you accuse me of such?—”
She raised her brow, and I sighed heavily, knowing I’d lost this battle the moment Hazel said the words “hot doctor.”
“Fine,” I finally said, downing the rest of my glass of red Bordeaux.
I then proceed to tell them everything that had happened yesterday. I’d hoped after I’d left Dr. Young in front of my father’s office, he’d give up and leave me alone for the rest of the day. That he’d ask my father to just watch the procedure and that he’d operate another day.
Unfortunately for me, as it seemed to be the case every time he and I crossed paths, he’d followed me and asked more questions than necessary through each department I’d shown him.
I’d had to bite my tongue and suppress the urge to roll my eyes after every word he’d said. He’d been even more insufferable when we’d walked in the Prime Minister’s private suite, acting like he’d been his patient.
And Buxton fell for Dr. Young’s charms.
Why was everyone so enamored by this man?
It had taken everything in me not to break my oath in that room. If only a scalped had been nearby, I could have?—
“You should fuck him,” Nakia said, interrupting my train of thought.
I snapped my gaze toward where she sat across from me. “I’m sorry, I should what? Because surely I misheard you.”
“No, you heard me perfectly well. Sleeping with him would solve all of your problems,” she explained, like it was a logical proposal.
“I’ll be doing no such thing,”
“Why? Hate is a powerful source for great orgasms.”
I groaned. “My goal is to avoid him, not spend more time with him.”
“I didn’t say spend time with him, I said f?—”
I reached over the table and placed a hand over her mouth, the rest of her sentence muffled under my palm. “Nakia, please stop.”
That earned me a laugh from Hazel who was sitting on my right. I shot her a glare and she cleared her throat. “Sorry,” she signed.
I rolled my eyes and turned my attention back on Nakia. “I’m going to take my hand away, but before I do, you have to solemnly swear that you will never put the concept of the hot doctor and me fucking him in the same sentence again.”
She waited a few minutes before she nodded her head. I slowly withdrew my hand, and regretted it almost instantly, because the moment I did, Nakia said, “So you do think he’s hot,” her eyes sparkling with mischief.
“I did no such thing,” I scoffed. “I merely used Hazel’s own words.”
They both burst out laughing. “Keep telling yourself that.”
Aretha Franklin’s “Think” first notes boomed through the speakers, distracting Nakia and Hazel as they began belting the notes. I would have joined them since it was one for my favorite songs, but my mind was preoccupied with other things.
I let out a frustrated sigh, but beneath it all, I couldn’t help the flood of images of Dr. Young’s chiseled face swarming my mind. Aside from the fact that I hated the man, I couldn’t deny how gorgeous he was.
Or how his calloused hands felt over my body, the brush of his fingers against my bare skin, my imagination wondering how…
Azara, stop.
That man was an arsehole.
Thinking of him in any other capacity than him being my boss and coworker who I couldn’t stand would be strictly prohibited from now.
If only it were that easy.