Chapter 4 Aliza
Aliza
Aliza watched as the sexy doctor walked away, his tuxedo hugging his ass like a glove.
Yeah, maybe raising her paddle to bid on him wasn’t an “accident” as she claimed.
She could blame it on brain fog or being caught up in the moment, but she found Elias to be the sexiest man she had seen in a long time, and maybe she just wanted a night out with a hot man.
Dani cornered her the second that Elias walked away, and Aliza knew that her friend wasn’t finished trying to get her to back out of the date.
She didn’t want to, though, and telling her friend that wouldn’t go over well.
Aliza barely had time to process the fact that she’d just bid on a man—an actual human being, before Dani grabbed her wrist and dragged her toward the ladies’ room like they were fleeing a crime scene.
Dani checked each bathroom stall as though looking for anyone who might witness their “top secret” discussion.
“What did you do?” Dani hissed the moment the door shut behind them.
Aliza winced as Dani spun her around. “I made a bid at the hospital’s charity auction,” she said weakly. “I thought that was why you brought me here.”
“No,” Dani said, eyes wide and wild. “You bought a cardiologist. A hot, sexy doctor who is old enough to be your father, and all of my coworkers are talking about it. I’ll never hear the end of how my friend bought Doctor Daddy.”
“Doctor Daddy,” Aliza muttered. “Who calls him that? And why does any of this matter? Who cares if I donated money to have dinner with the man—it’s just dinner.”
“That man is my boss’s, boss’s, boss,” Dani shot back. “Do you have any idea how messy this could get for me?”
Aliza leaned back against the counter, staring at her reflection. Her cheeks were flushed from all of the excitement of the last hour. She looked like someone who had made a questionable choice and was only just realizing that it would have repercussions—not only for her but also for her friend.
“I didn’t even mean to bid,” she said quietly. “It just happened. And I certainly didn’t mean to cause you any trouble, Dani. I’d never want to do that.”
Dani groaned, scrubbing a hand over her face. “Of course, it just happened. Because God forbid you ever make a calm, rational decision when an emotionally unavailable silver fox is involved.”
“That’s not fair,” Aliza said, though she didn’t have a strong argument against it. Her friend knew her well, and her ability to make solid decisions had been off for a damn long time now. It’s why her life was so up in the air, while Dani seemed to have hers all together.
Dani softened, her voice dropping. “Aliza, you don’t do spontaneous. You hate being put on the spot. You overthink ordering coffee every morning, yet end up getting the same thing every single day. This—” She gestured vaguely toward the ballroom. “This is not you.”
“I know,” Aliza said. That was the problem.
She knew that bidding on another person was out of character for her, but Dani got one thing right when she said that he was a silver fox, even though she hated that saying.
Whether or not he was emotionally unavailable wasn’t something that she cared to know or planned to figure out.
She wasn’t kidding when she said that they were just going to have dinner and then part ways.
Aliza had no plans on getting to know the sexy doctor or figuring out why the other nurses call him Doctor Daddy.
Dani studied her for a long moment, then sighed. “You could back out. I’ll help you. We’ll say you got sick. Or that you had an emergency. Or that you’re allergic to doctors.”
Aliza huffed out a small laugh. “That might actually be true.”
“Aliza,” Dani pressed, stepping closer. “You don’t owe him anything. And I really don’t want you doing this just because you feel awkward or trapped.” Aliza met her friend’s gaze in the mirror. Dani wasn’t teasing now. She looked as worried as Aliza felt.
“I’m not doing it because I feel trapped,” Aliza said slowly. “I’m doing it because for once I don’t feel that way.” Dani blinked.
“Most men look at me like I’m a conquest, but he didn’t look at me like I’m a prize,” Aliza continued. “Or like he expected something from me. He looked relieved. Like I was doing him a favor by bidding on him.”
“A grateful man,” Dani groaned again. “That is the most dangerous kind of man.”
“Probably,” Aliza agreed. “But I want to go out to dinner with him. That’s all this is—just dinner and then, we’ll shake hands and go our separate ways.” Silence stretched between them.
Finally, Dani held up her hands in surrender. “Okay. Fine. But if he breaks your heart, I’m poisoning his coffee at work.”
“Spoken like a true friend.” Aliza smiled. “You have a deal.”
Aliza walked back out to the ballroom and looked around, not sure if she was hoping to find Elias or hoping that he skipped out on their date.
She wasn’t lying when she told Dani that she just wanted a night out with the sexy doctor.
The question was, did she want more than what she admitted to her friend?
No one would be able to fault her for wanting more with the hot doctor.
Sure, he was probably about her father’s age, but there was something about him that seemed to draw her to him.
He walked back into the room, and she let out the breath she didn’t know she had been holding. It was still up in the air whether she was relieved to see him or if she knew that she was making the biggest mistake of her life.
“Hey,” he said, crossing the room to her.
She looked around, half expecting to find someone else that he was talking to, but she was the only other person in the room with him.
“Hey,” she breathed. Aliza had expected to feel awkward.
Hell, awkward was her middle name, but she wasn’t sure how she was going to get through the evening and make intelligent conversation.
She had nothing in common with a doctor—well, other than the fact that she had been to one before when she was sick.
She’d prepared herself for the awkwardness the moment she’d raised her paddle, really.
She knew to expect stiff conversation, forced smiles, and the quiet regret of realizing she’d spent an obscene amount of money on a man she had nothing in common with.
She’d braced for the kind of evening that turned into a funny story later, one she’d tell Dani over wine while swearing she’d never do anything like that again.
He walked beside her as they exited the banquet room, his presence solid and unhurried, like he wasn’t trying to impress her or escape her.
The noise of the hospital faded behind them, replaced by softer music and the low hum of the city outside.
Aliza became painfully aware of her heels, the way her dress hugged her curves, and the fact that she’d willingly agreed to dinner with a man who looked like he had his entire life together.
Had she known that she was going to end her evening on a dinner date, she would have picked out a different outfit or maybe spent some extra time on her hair and makeup.
She was not putting her best foot forward, and that had her feeling extremely self-conscious.
“Are you okay?” he asked as they stepped onto the sidewalk.
She blinked up at him, realizing she had slowed her pace. “Yeah. Sorry. These shoes are a hate crime, and my feet are their victims.”
He smiled, and she realized it was a bit crooked.
She liked it because it made him seem a little less perfect.
“Say the word, and we’ll find somewhere close.
I promise, there is no suffering required for our dinner date tonight.
” That simple consideration loosened something in her chest, making her feel a bit more relaxed about their date.
“That would be great, thank you,” she breathed.
He nodded, “I know just the place,” he offered, holding out his hand to her.
She looked it over, trying to decide if she should take it or not, and decided that it was just a kind offer.
Aliza reached for his hand, and he linked their fingers together.
She wasn’t sure why that simple gesture made her entire body tingle, but it did.
They ended up at a quiet bistro a few blocks away, tucked between a bookstore and a closed flower shop.
Candlelight flickered between them as they slid into a booth in the back of the restaurant, and for a moment, Aliza didn’t know what to do with her hands.
She began fidgeting with the silverware and dropped the spoon on the floor.
Having half the restaurant turn around to find out who made such a racket was beyond embarrassing.
She was blowing the whole night, but that shouldn’t surprise her.
“So,” she said finally, exhaling as she willed herself to leave the rest of her flatware alone. “I should probably tell you I don’t usually bid on men.”
“I’ll admit,” he said dryly, “that’s a relief.
” She laughed and found herself relaxing a bit.
He wasn’t interrogating her as most of her dates did.
As soon as the guys who took her out sat down across from her, they’d start questioning her as though she were on a job interview.
He wasn’t posturing. He just looked curious, like he genuinely wanted to know her.
Conversation came easier than it had any right to.
They talked about safe things at first—food, the absurdity of the auction, and Dani’s excitement about her new job.
Elias didn’t ask where Aliza worked and questioned her as though she were on trial.
When she mentioned school, he didn’t make a joke about it, as most people did.
“That takes guts,” he said when she explained about going back for her graduate degree.
“Knowing you’re not ready to go into the workforce, and doing something about it instead of forcing yourself into a life that doesn’t fit.
” Her throat tightened. No one had ever framed it like that before.
He made her life feel valid with just a few sentences, and for that, she was thankful.
As dinner stretched on, the questions deepened—favorite books, late-night habits, and things that kept them up when the world went quiet.
Aliza found herself admitting things she usually kept locked away.
Things like the fact that she felt behind when it came to living her life because she was afraid of choosing wrong and waking up ten years from now, resentful and stuck in a life she didn’t want.
Elias listened, really listened. He didn’t offer her advice with quick fixes or judge her in any way.
When he spoke about his work, it wasn’t with arrogance.
He told her about the long hours and the stress of his responsibilities.
He even told her about the rule he’d made for himself about not dating anyone at the hospital because lines blurred too easily.
“I don’t want to be someone’s fantasy,” he said quietly. “I want to be me.” Something warm spread through her chest. Aliza had expected awkwardness, sure, but what she was surprised by was the easy conversation they had instead.
“Yeah, I heard that the nurses call you Doctor Daddy,” she said. His face turned bright red, and she wasn’t sure if she wanted to laugh or feel bad for even bringing up his nickname.
“Yeah, I’ve heard about that. I hate the nickname, but if I make a fuss, they just say it more, so I try to ignore it.
That name is one of the main reasons why I don’t date hospital employees,” he admitted.
She wanted to say that it was a good thing that she wasn’t a hospital employee, but she refrained from saying those words out loud.
By the time dessert arrived—shared, because neither of them could decide on just one—Aliza realized she didn’t want the night to end, and that scared her more than the auction had.
She had promised Dani that tonight was just going to be dinner and them parting ways, but a part of her hoped that wasn’t how things were going to play out.
Outside, the air was cold and sobering in the best way.
They walked the few blocks back to the hospital, and Elias walked her to her car, stopping just close enough that she could feel the heat from him.
She realized that her hand was still in his, and she pulled hers free to fish through her purse for her keys, trying to give herself something to do other than think about him kissing her.
“So,” he said, slipping his hands into his pockets. “This part is usually awkward.”
She smiled softly. “Usually, but it doesn’t have to be since this was just dinner for a good cause.”
“What if I wanted it to be more?” he asked. “I’d like to see you again,” he continued. Her heart kicked hard against her ribs as she overthought what she should say next.
“I’d like that,” she finally said, surprising herself with how sure she sounded. He hesitated—just a second—then leaned in, pressing a gentle kiss to her cheek. It was respectful, controlled, and somehow more intimate than anything she had ever experienced.
“Can I call you?” he asked.
“Um, yes,” she said. “Give me your phone,” she ordered, holding out her hand. He smiled, pulled his cell out of his jacket pocket, and handed it over to her. She put her information into his contacts and handed it back to him. Elias pushed the call button, and her phone rang in her purse.
“Just checking,” he said.
“You thought that I’d give you fake information?” she asked.
He shrugged, “It’s happened,” he admitted.
“I’ll give you a call in a day or so. I have a long shift tomorrow, but maybe we could do something this weekend, if you’re free.
” She had no real plans, besides studying, but she wasn’t going to admit that to him.
Aliza didn’t want to seem desperate, even if she was.
As she drove home later, Aliza replayed the night in her mind, a mix of disbelief and quiet excitement humming through her veins.
She had good dates before, but this one was more than that.
She never really bothered with serious boyfriends because she was too busy with school.
Besides, most guys only wanted one thing from her, and she wasn’t ready to give that to anyone—not yet, at least.
She hadn’t planned on any of this though. She hadn’t planned on him. But for the first time in a long while, the uncertainty didn’t feel like something she needed to run from. It felt like a possibility—a good one.