Chapter Sixteen
“There you are.” Spying Ethan seated among the bank of sofas near the lobby, Bethany made her way over and plopped down next to him. He looked up from his phone and blinked in surprise.
They had both arrived in San Francisco earlier that week for the annual conference and had been going non-stop. She wished she’d had more time to do sightseeing, but she hadn’t seen the outside of the hotel since she’d checked into the Marriott.
“Oh. Are you done for the day?” He politely put his phone away and gave her his full attention. Always the gentleman.
“Yeah. My last panel finished up fifteen minutes ago. I’m ready for some food and alcohol. I’m starving and it’s been a long day.” Then she noticed the look he was giving her. “What?” she asked a bit defensively.
He shook his head. “Apologies. Just not used to seeing you like this. Usually you’re in scrubs or wearing casual clothes. I’ll adjust.”
Bethany looked down at her plain black sheath dress with matching blazer and low sensible pumps. “What’s wrong with my outfit?” she demanded. Did the pearl studs and necklace make her look like Barbara Bush? She’d been assured by Jaya and others that this was perfectly fine for a work conference.
“Nothing,” he replied immediately. “No need to get defensive. It just seems a bit boring, very unlike you.”
Before she could demand he explain what he meant by that, he continued. “How did your workshop go?”
At that she perked up. She had been on a panel with other female physicians talking about the unique challenges women faced in the profession. “It was good. Really good. Kinda cathartic in a way. It was affirming to know we aren’t crazy thinking that if we had a penis some of the stuff we have to deal with wouldn’t happen.”
He gave her a look. “You mean like that patient’s husband who thought you were a nurse?”
“Exactly. Fiona Erwin from Boston General asked how many of us had been mistaken for a nurse even if we had on our lab coats or name tags with our full title on it or asked to get a male and or ‘real’ doctor. Every one of us raised their hand. Depressing and infuriating but somehow knowing we aren’t alone helps.”
“Well, I’m happy to hear it went well,” he said with a small smile.
“How about you? Did you go to the ‘improve your bedside manner’ workshop? Hope you picked up some good tips.”
“Very funny. By the way, I received a text about Charlie from Ash earlier this afternoon. I thought you’d want to know.”
Bethany’s eyes lit up and she turned towards him eagerly. “Oh absolutely. How’s he doing?” It had been two weeks since Charlie came into the ER and for obvious reasons, they were both keeping tabs.
“He had a call from Olivia. Charlie’s being his usual gruff cranky self, but she and Maddie can handle it.”
“That sounds about right,” Bethany chuckled.
“Anyway, Charlie is fine. There doesn’t appear to be any permanent damage and they’re working on a med regimen. He’ll have regular appointments with Olivia so they can keep on top of it.”
Just then, an attractive redhead with a slick ponytail, tailored blouse, pencil skirt, and sky-high heels walked by and gave Ethan a long slow smile.
“Dr. Gardner,” he responded with a nod of acknowledgment. The other woman answered with a slight pout and sashayed her way over to them and sat without invitation.
“I told you, it’s Esme. Why so formal?”
“Have you met my colleague Dr. Lee from Whitford Nash Memorial?” Ethan was ever polite, observing the formalities by making introductions.
“Bethany,” she replied, sticking out her hand out of habit, which Esme took gingerly. And turned her attention right back to her target.
“I so enjoyed your talk about ER medicine in urban areas versus rural. It was fascinating,” Esme gushed.
“I’m happy to hear you found it useful. But the credit goes to Dr. Ortega from the clinic where I volunteer. And Dr. Widdicome who organized the workshop.” He turned to Bethany. “Max is from Iowa. Do you know his hospital is the only one with an ER in a hundred-mile radius? It’s outrageous.”
“Awful,” Bethany agreed. One of her classmates from Johns Hopkins practiced in West Tennessee and was facing similar problems. The combination of lack of resources and investment due to poverty, the brain drain, and lack of access was a perfect storm and there were no easy solutions.
“I am so happy I ran into you,” Esme interrupted, clearly put out at being left out. She put her hand on Ethan’s arm for emphasis. “Any chance I could lure you to join me for drinks or dinner? I’d love to pick your brain and discuss this further.”
With an inward snicker, Bethany’s eyes danced as she watched the display. The naked invitation in Esme’s eyes was so blatant it was bordering on embarrassing.
But part of her was also a bit insulted. She and Ethan had obviously been talking. Did it never occur to the other woman she was intruding? Was she that easily dismissed as competition?
The very thought rankled every inch of her competitive soul.
Not that she was actually interested in the man. It was the principle of the thing.
“I appreciate the kind offer,” Ethan replied politely. “But Dr. Lee and I already have plans for the evening.”
Well, that was news to her. The look on Ethan’s face begged her to go along with the ruse.
Very well. Another opportunity to bank a future favor, always a win according to The Bethany Way. More than fine with her.
But Esme was not to be that easily dissuaded. She finally deigned to turn to Bethany and address her. “You don’t mind if I borrow your colleague tonight, do you?”
Bethany slid a glance at Ethan, briefly toyed with the idea of letting him dangle but thought better of it. At this point, this favor had turned into a mission of mercy, and her humanitarian instincts were kicking in.
“I’m afraid I made reservations to have dinner with my family who live nearby,” she said with all the sham apology she could muster. And she wasn’t lying. Jeffrey and CeeCee had to cancel at the last minute because Cecily had come down with a horrible cold and Jeffrey was taking excellent care of his wife. And Ethan hadn’t been invited.
Details. Mere technicalities.
“What a shame,” she added with a syrupy smile for good measure.
The other woman’s smile disappeared, her shoulders visibility slumped, her disappointment palpable.
Ethan cleared his throat and made a point of checking his watch. “Speaking of which, shouldn’t we be on our way?” he hinted strongly.
“Yes, you’re probably right. Have a good night, Dr. Gardner.” Bethany waved goodbye as the two of them walked out of the hotel.
“Thank you,” Ethan murmured.
“I’d watch my back if I were you. I wouldn’t be surprised if she sets up camp here and tries to ambush you for a breakfast or coffee date tomorrow.”
He frowned. “Wouldn’t that constitute stalking?”
“How would I know? I’ll ask CeeCee for you once she feels better.” Tongue in cheek, she slid him a look. “Any reason why you weren’t interested in her? I mean, no judgment here—conference hookups happen all the time and what happens in San Fran stays in San Fran.”
“First of all, I believe locals hate it when you refer to their city as San Fran. And second, no I’m not interested.”
“Willing, available women aren’t your type?” Despite herself, Bethany couldn’t help push the issue. For reasons she still couldn’t understand or explain.
“Very funny.” He gave a thoughtful frown. “Where should we go?”
“Are we actually going somewhere? I just assumed we were only throwing her off the scent.”
“You’re the one who suggested we’re dealing with a potential stalker.”
“So now it’s my fault? You should be thanking me for saving your ass, and you’re accusing me.”
“Better safe than sorry. And dinner’s on me. Least I could do as a thank-you.”
Mollified, Bethany nodded. A free meal was always a win. Then she looked down and quickly took her badge off, stuck it in her purse, and signaled for him to do the same.
“What?”
“Badge off.”
“I’ll just tuck it under my shirt.”
“No,” she insisted. “It’s safer to not wear it outside the hotel. No need to broadcast your name. Trust me.
“Wearing this is a safety issue?”
She couldn’t help rolling her eyes at his baffled tone. Men. “If you were a woman, you wouldn’t be asking. Just humor me, okay? As a matter of fact, give me the badge. I’ll keep it in my purse for you.”
With an eye roll of his own, he complied. “So where should we eat?”
Bethany whipped out her phone to find some options. Then her phone pinged with a calendar reminder.
“Oh shit.”
“What?”
“Karaoke at Soaring Melodies. One of the conference organizers posted about it and I wanted to go. Never mind, we can head over after dinner. We should find a restaurant near the place.
He shook his head vehemently. “No way. Absolutely not.”
She pouted slightly. “Come on, you owe me. Besides, it’ll be fun. I thought we were working on getting that stick out of your butt.”
“Not happening.”
Bethany stuck her phone out at him. “Look, there’s a Mexican place near the bar. Menu looks fantastic, and they have tables open. They’re even known for their chips and guac. We’ll have some tacos and margaritas and fresh guacamole, then pop over to Soaring Melodies and sing some songs, bond with other conference attendees. What could be better?”
“I could order room service and have a nice quiet night in my hotel room,” he grumbled.
“Boring. Besides it’s too late,” she tapped a couple more times on her phone. “I already made an online reservation. You should order us an Uber.” Seeing the look on Ethan’s face, she relented. “If you really don’t want to do karaoke, we don’t have to. But it will be fun. I do a mean Celine Dion. You should see my ‘It’s All Coming Back to Me Now.’”
A slight smile cracked his face. “I would actually pay to see that.”
She beamed. “There. You see? And if you’re too embarrassed by your awful voice you can just sit in the corner and order snacks. Not your fault if you’re tone-deaf.”
As expected, Ethan took the bait. “I took piano lessons until I went to college. And I can do a very impressive Billy Joel.”
“We’ll see. We could do a duet. I love ‘I’ve Had the Time of My Life.’ Though obviously you could never be as cool as Patrick Swayze. I promise I won’t even make you dance or do a lift.” Her eyes danced.
His response was also vintage Ethan. “Over my dead body.”
“The night is young. We can discuss options over dinner. Maybe ‘You’re the One that I Want’ from Grease.”
He just groaned.
“Order the Uber.”
“I’m serious,” Ethan insisted. “No way in hell I’m doing a cheesy duet.”
“We’ll see.”
*
Feeling good andloosened up by a night of good food, booze, and karaoke, Bethany stuck her arm through Ethan’s as they walked back into the lobby of their hotel.
“That was unbelievable,” she said, shaking her head in admiration. “I honestly didn’t know you had it in you. Respect.”
“You underestimated me,” Ethan responded, his cheeks slightly red.
“Obviously. I had no idea you could do such a mean rendition of ‘My Way.’ You did Sinatra proud. Who knew some margaritas would unleash your inner Rat Pack? If only we could’ve gotten you a fedora to complete the look. Is this why you always wear a suit?”
“Don’t be ridiculous,” he scoffed.”
“I only wish I’d remembered to take video. That way everyone at Whitford Nash could see your epic performance.”
“What happens at Soaring Melodies stays at Soaring Melodies.” And now his ears were beet red.
“Come on, you had fun—admit it,” Bethany cajoled.
He remained stubbornly silent.
Two ortho bros who’d been at karaoke with them walked by them and stopped Ethan for a high five.
“Way to go, Pavarotti,” Ortho Bro 1 said. “Never seen a performance like that.”
Bethany had to agree. She’d been flush with victory after kicking ass with “Material Girl.” And as promised, her Celine Dion performance had been a hit.
Then Ethan had taken the mic and had the group in the palm of his hand with “My Way,” then shut everyone up with a Josh Groban song in Italian. She’d had no idea he’d had that in him. To her, he’d always seemed all business, someone not particularly in touch with their emotions. She’d seen glimpses of moments of a softer side to him, a sense of humor even, but nothing that would indicate the depth of passion and emotion she’d seen while he sang tonight. She hadn’t been able to keep her eyes off him.
Only because she’d been so surprised. Which also explained why her palms had been sweating. And her heart rate had only picked up because of the excitement and adrenaline. In addition to the two mango margaritas she’d had at dinner. She hadn’t been impressed.
“I suppose most people don’t choose arias while singing karaoke,” Ethan acknowledged.
“I’ll say. I thought my Bon Jovi was solid, but Italian?” Ortho Bro 2 shook his head. “Dude, you could see all the women there swoon.”
“Panties were def melting,” Ortho Bro 1 confirmed.
“You’re exaggerating.” Why did she find Ethan’s sudden awkwardness endearing?
The ortho bros turned their attention to her, and suddenly Bethany’s feel-good buzz completely disappeared.
“Dr. Lee right?”
“Yes,” she answered cautiously.
“As a chick can you confirm that you women go gaga over that sort of thing?”
“I can only speak for myself,” she said, desperately stalling. “But yes, I can’t deny your performance was impressive.”
Ethan gave her a speaking look. “Knowing you, I can only imagine how hard that was for you to admit. Well, done.”
“Always facing the truth head on is The Bethany Way,” she tossed back, with her brows raised. Being back on more familiar ground was a relief. Her shoulders lowered and her buzz kicked back in.
“You guys heading for the bar?” one of the bros asked.
“I think I’m done for the night. My body is still on East Coast time.” Bethany grimaced. It had always been a sore point that she was the worst with jet lag. So not The Bethany Way.
“And I need some peace and quiet,” Ethan concurred.
“Okay we’ll see you both tomorrow,” the bros said cheerfully. But then the blonde one pointed at Ethan. “Seriously, bro. If someone uploaded a video of you tonight, you would a thousand percent go viral. You’d be the new American Idol.”
“I appreciate the kind words but I’m happy with my career as is,” Ethan said dryly. With that the bros said their goodbyes and made a beeline toward the bar.
Meanwhile they both made their way to the elevators, with Bethany reminding herself of something she’d meant to bring up earlier.
“I should be mad at you, you know,” she said.
“For what?”
“Where were you hiding those singing skills? How is this the first I’m hearing of it, literally?”
“Not sure how or when the subject would have come up,” he pointed out.
“If I had known this was what it’d take to get that stick out of your ass, I’d have dragged you to a karaoke bar ages ago. You were holding out on me and that’s not cool.”
“Thank you as always for that appetizing visual.”
She decided to ignore that poor excuse of an attempt at snark. “Did you take lessons as a kid?”
“No. Music is something I’ve always turned to for relaxation. Fun hobby, nothing more.”
“That makes sense. Even workaholics like you need a release valve. Makes you seem more human, like us mere mortals.” The two of them were so absorbed with their conversation that they totally missed the elevators and just stood there in the corridor.
“I thought we’d already established I’m all too human.” And suddenly the memory of the incredible kiss they’d share at the Mid-Autumn Festival came rushing back. Try as she might, Bethany couldn’t stop her cheeks from heating.
We both agreed that kiss was a one-time fluke and to pretend like it never happened.
“I’m just saying it’s good to have some balance in your life. We all know how hard and stressful medicine is as a profession. Looking out for our mental health is essential and if letting loose with some karaoke helps you unwind, more power to you.”
She hadn’t been kidding when she said if margaritas could bring this out in him, he should do it more often. For sure. She liked this relaxed, in-the-moment Ethan.
As long as he wasn’t singing in Italian.
A girl had her limits after all.
“What other secrets are you keeping from me?” she demanded.
“You make it sound so nefarious. But if you insist…” He paused with a thoughtful frown. “When I was thirteen I got a private tour of Buckingham Palace. My tutor Poppy is a distant relative of Queen Elizabeth II so she was able to arrange the entire visit with a staff member.”
She hated to admit it, but that was pretty damn cool. “Nice,” she conceded begrudgingly.
“It was. But the highlight was having tea with Her Majesty. Quite an experience. Did you know she prefers jam first, then cream? Would get her in trouble in Devon, so mum’s the word.” Bethany’s jaw dropped. Then her eyes narrowed as she saw the corner of his mouth quirk.
“You’re screwing with me, aren’t you?”
“About Devonians taking their cream teas seriously? No indeed.” He rolled his eyes. “Of course, I never met the queen. I am not as fancy as you make me out to be.”
“Were you ever in London?”
“That part was true. I told you, my tutor Poppy was from Britain. I spent two weeks in London the summer I turned thirteen.”
She raised a brow. “Your parents let you spend two weeks alone in a foreign country?”
“They trusted Poppy by that point, and I had a cousin at Oxford who joined us so it was fine.”
“Of course you did.” Alcohol really did loosen tongues. Bethany was pretty sure this was the most he’d voluntarily shared about his past. “Sounds like you had fun.”
“It was. We did a lot of walking tours with London Walks. Poppy believed in a daily dose of fresh air and exercise.”
“Let me guess—her last name was Poppins.”
“No, Harrington.”
“Never mind.”
“I still remember the walking tour at the British Museum. Our guide was fun and informative. Even did a bit on the Elgin Marbles. Though he did make a point of saying the museum was never giving the marbles back.”
“Colonialism and imperialism ruin everything.”
“No argument here.”
Bethany tried to stifle a yawn, loath to end the night.
But Ethan noticed and rose. “We really should head up.”
“Come to my room with me,” she offered. Normally, she would have fallen victim to jet lag and been in her pajamas hours ago. But she’d seen this new side to Ethan, and she was hungry for more. Maybe it was because she was one of the very few people who had ever seen this side of him. And suddenly she was feeling a second wind.
At his look she flushed. “Not like that,” she protested. “Just walk me to my room and I can protect you from Esme.”
“She may start to get the wrong idea about us,” Ethan said, lips twitching, “but I’ll take you up on your offer of protection.”
As they got on the elevator and headed to her room on the twenty-second floor, she shot him a look.
“What?” he asked, brows furrowed.
“Two things.” Bethany dug into her bag and handed Ethan back his badge.
“Thank you. What else?”
“I was just thinking the Josh Groban and Sinatra really suit you. Like they’re your signature songs.”
“Same with you. The next time I hear Celine Dion or Madonna, I’ll think of you.”
“What other songs make you think of me?” she teased as they got off and walked down the corridor to her room.
Ethan remained suspiciously silent.
“Come on, now you have to tell me,” she wheedled. “It can’t be anything embarrassing so what is it? It’s not like you’re going to tell me it’s ‘Baby Got Back.’” Alas, to her regret she had never been particularly blessed in that area.
Still no answer.
Before she could think better of it, she swiped her key card and dragged him into her room.
She threw her purse on the desk and whirled around to face him. “Spill.”
Ethan took a deep breath, took out his phone and pulled up a song on his Spotify. And suddenly the room filled with the sounds of sultry brass and the smooth tones of Michael Bublé.
This song made him think of her? She was gobsmacked. But before Bethany could wrap her head around what was happening, Ethan took her head and pulled her to him so that they were flush up against each other. And suddenly she was as hot and bothered as she was a few hours ago at karaoke.
Then he led her in a dance. As the rhythm and lyrics washed over them, the two of them gave themselves over to the music and Bethany lost herself to the moment.
It felt so good to let loose for once, and not have to think about anything but moving to the rhythm of the music.
It was no surprise Ethan danced as well as he seemed to do everything else. They didn’t speak, letting the music wash over them. And never took their eyes off each other.
As the song came to a close, he dipped her then brought her close to him and for the first time Bethany realized how perfectly they fit together. Everything lined up as if they were two puzzle pieces snapped back into place.
Ethan reached for his phone to turn off the music, but Bethany took it out of his hand and replayed “Sway.”
“What are we doing?” he whispered.
Shaking her head Bethany framed his face with her hands.
For years, she had been so focused on her goals, clearing the next hurdle. She couldn’t remember the last time she’d let go. Of the worry and stress and about tomorrow. Maybe this once she could just focus on today. Treat herself. She always worked so hard and went above and beyond. Didn’t she deserve a break?
One night away from it all?
A temporary escape where she could indulge herself and not worry about the consequences. Just focus on satisfying her wants and desires.
And it seemed what she wanted was this man. Perhaps underneath the surface animosity and incessant competition, she’d always been attracted to him and wanted him. Seeing him seduce a crowd at karaoke and now with Michael Bublé proved too much for her to resist. He’d been more than she’d originally assumed, and she wanted him.
Desperately. She was practically melting.
Maybe tonight was the night. It didn’t have to mean more than that. They were away from New York, their work, the Fellowship, the real world. What happened in San Francisco stayed in San Francisco. When they went back to New York, the rules would come back into place. What was the harm of throwing caution to the wind and enjoying herself?
Decision made, she wrapped herself around him, scooted up and kissed him for all she was worth. And the song kept playing, revving her up even further.
When they came up for air, Bethany was pleased to see that his eyes were as dazed as hers and his desire was evident.
“What do you want?” he asked, his voice gravelly with want.
She kissed him again, did her best to lead them toward her bed, and let that be her answer. She shook out her ponytail, let her hair fall loose, and trailed hot kisses down his neck. Then nibbled on his lips.
That had to be enough to get the message across.
But apparently, Ethan was a man who needed everything laid out. He shook his head as she tried to unbutton his shirt.
“I need to know this is what you really want,” he insisted.
Fine. If that was how he wanted to play it. But first things first.
“Turn off the music, then I want us to spend the rest of the night having multiple rounds of sex. I’m warning you now if you have any attachment to that shirt you should take it off because otherwise, I’m ripping it off. I swear, if you don’t get inside me soon, I may burst.”
She couldn’t possibly be any clearer than that.
Thankfully that was enough for Ethan, and he did exactly as she asked. He took off his shirt and helped her remove her dress.
This was actually happening. Giddy with desire and anticipation as he picked her up and laid her on the bed, she finally let go.