Chapter 10
Offer
Grace finished attaching the ID bracelet around the man’s wrist and handed him his papers.
“Here you go, Mr. Ito. If you’ll return now to the waiting area and take a seat, a lab assistant will be with you shortly.
” She added a warm smile as the man thanked her before he got his feet and left the cubicle.
She turned back to the computer when Susan stuck her head around the corner.
“Psst! Grace, someone’s asking for you by name at the front desk.”
Grace’s thoughts immediately went to the man who worked at the amusement center. He was back, and knowing he’d deliberately sought her out this time almost made her giddy. Pasting a bigger smile on her face, she went to greet him.
“Hello.”
She abruptly stopped to stare at the man waiting for her. He wasn’t the guy from the dollar store. He was the one she’d knocked into the cases of water at the supermarket.
“How did…”
He tapped his upper left chest, then pointed to her. Glancing down, she saw her nametag.
Harbor County Hospital
G LOCKHART
She then remembered him calling her by her last name right before he walked away.
He continued to smile at her. “Forgive me if I’m interrupting you at work.”
Something about the man was…off. Maybe she felt that way because he wasn’t the person she’d hoped he’d be. Despite her irritation, she pasted her professional smile back onto her face.
“How can I help you, Mister…”
“Roebuck. Welsh Roebuck. But I’d prefer you call me Welsh.” He held out a hand. Grace glanced at it but declined the offer.
“Mr. Roebuck, are you needing to check in? Are you needing medical attention?” She hoped that was the case, and the reason he’d requested her by name was because he wanted her personal attention.
“No, I’m not needing any medical attention.”
“Then why are you here?” Another thought hit her.
One that sent a small chill through her.
“Mr. Roebuck, if you’re here to demand I pay you some kind of monetary recompense because of that incident at the grocery store, I beg you to reconsider.
I’m not wealthy, and I can’t afford an attorney.
” Yes, her voice quivered slightly, damn her, but it couldn’t be helped. This man was beginning to frighten her.
Mr. Roebuck slowly shook his head. “I’m not here to threaten legal action, Miss Lockhart. It is Miss Lockhart, right? Not Mrs.?”
His reassurance was somewhat heartening, but that still didn’t explain why he was at the hospital.
She ignored his question. “What can I help you with, Mr. Roebuck?”
A middle-aged woman with two teenage girls came up behind the man to wait. Grace directed them to the Turn-o-Matic at the end of the aisle.
“Please take a number and have a seat. Someone will be with you shortly. Thank you.” Looking back at the man, she realized their conversation needed to be taken somewhere more private. Yet, at the same time, offer her a way out…just in case.
She waved in the direction of the check-in booths. “Let’s take this to a more private location. My office is the second door to the left.”
Roebuck nodded and went to find the cubicle.
Stepping into the inner office, Grace snagged Susan’s sleeve. “That guy is someone whom I had a small accident with at the grocery store yesterday. I don’t know why he’s here, but I have a bad feeling about this.”
Susan eyed her coworker. “Want me to call security?”
“No, no. But I’m leaving the inner door open. If you hear me yell…”
Her friend patted her hand. “Don’t worry. I got your back.”
Bracing herself, Grace left for her cubicle as Susan went to check in the woman with the two kids.
The man was already sitting inside when she entered. Making sure to leave the door open behind her, she took her seat behind the desk.
“All right, Mr. Roebuck, if you’re not here to threaten legal action, or to check yourself in for medical care, why are you here?”
“I wanted to see you again,” he bluntly told her.
Well, duh! But there had to be more.
“Why?” She persisted, forcing a grin on her face as she recalled his parting words from yesterday. “Because I smell good?”
He responded by leaning forward and taking a deep, loud sniff. Although his actions didn’t surprise her, it certainly creeped her out.
“And you still do,” he answered, then thankfully leaned back in his chair.
It was time to end this little interrogation. Placing her hands on her desk, she slid away from him. “Mr. Roebuck, if you’re not going to be honest with me and tell me the real reason why you came here—”
“I want to ask you out.”
That was the last thing she expected to hear.
“Excuse me?”
Like a man removing a mask, his entire demeanor changed.
“Miss Lockhart… First off, tell me if you’re already taken and I’ll escort myself off these premises.
But after I tended to my bruised ego, I realized what a remarkable person you were.
That’s when I decided I wanted to get to know you better. ”
“Despite our initial encounter?”
“I know you’re kind. You’re considerate. And you’re honest. Frankly, Miss Lockhart, finding even those three attributes in a woman these days is…rare.”
“Are you sure you didn’t hit your head when you fell?” She meant the question to be a serious one. Unfortunately, it sounded just the opposite.
The man pointed to the small notepad on her desk. “May I?”
Figuring it wouldn’t hurt, she shoved it in his direction.
Pulling it toward himself, he took the pen lying next to her hand and jotted something down. When he was done, he pushed the pad back to her.
“That’s my number. If you have a change of heart, call me.
I work at the Cormorand Packaging plant, but today’s my day off.
We don’t have to go anywhere specifically, if you prefer not to.
Or if you do, just name the place and time.
Or, if you’d rather not leave these premises for safety’s sake, we could stay right here at the hospital and chat over a cup of coffee. I saw you have a Stokin’ Joe on site.”
At that moment, Grace had an odd premonition. If she said yes, could their get-together be a one-and-done? Or, if she said no, would he stalk her until she relented?
Or would he stalk her regardless of whatever decision she made?
He noticed her indecision and, to her relief, didn’t press the issue. Instead, he sighed. “Look. I’m sorry if you feel like I’m pressuring you. I’ll let you go. But if you change your mind…” He indicated the notepad.
Grace felt her smile return to her face. “Thank you.”
The man looked down to see he was still holding the pen.
“Here.” Grace reached for it. Simultaneously, Roebuck moved to place the pen back on the desk himself.
Their hands met, almost repeating their collision the previous day.
Except this time, Grace gave a soft cry of pain and snatched her hand back to stare at the line of blood welling between her thumb and forefinger.
Roebuck gasped. “Are you all right? I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to scratch you like that.” If he didn’t sound so sincere, she’d almost believe he did it on purpose.
She answered with a soft chuckle. “Thank goodness I work at a hospital, right?” Getting up from her seat, Grace gestured toward door. “Now, if you don’t mind, I need to get a bandaid and get back to doing my job before my boss comes looking for me.”
Roebuck smiled and stood. “Thank you again for allowing me to speak with you. I hope you change your mind and at least agree to have some coffee together.” Bobbing his head, he left the cubicle and vanished around the corner as he headed for the front of the hospital and parking lot.
Grace took a deep breath to steady herself. “Just your luck,” she murmured. “You don’t get the guy you were hoping for, and attracted one you have no interest in.”
She examined the thin cut on her hand that had to have been from one of his fingernails.
A little blood was smeared across her skin, and the fresh tiny bubbles rising from the cut were already starting to harden.
Even so, she went to find the hydrogen peroxide and a bandaid from the back room to clean and cover the scratch.
“Can’t be contaminating any paperwork or surfaces now, can we?
Let’s hope the guy isn’t carrying around any dangerous germs.” She chuckled at the lame joke as she tore the top sheet off the notepad and dropped it into the trash.
Dismissing the guy, she left to tend to her wound.
* * *
Welsh waited until he was outside the hospital before stopping on the sidewalk. Lifting his hand to his face, he briefly stared at the smear of red on his fingertips and under his nails. Her blood.
He sniffed his fingers, and that sweet, sweet aroma that had haunted him from the moment he’d first met her filled his lungs.
“Oh, yeah. This alone makes that confrontation worth the effort,” he whispered and placed his fingers in his mouth to suck every molecule of hemoglobin from his skin.
The taste was unlike anything he’d ever experienced, and he closed his eyes to savor it as long as he could.
“I don’t know why she tastes like this, but I gotta have more,” he vowed. “Let’s hope she agrees to meet me again, or else I might have to take more drastic actions.”
Chuckling, he continued on his way to the parking lot with her essence dancing on his tongue.