3. Dragon
Chapter Three
DRAGON
The cab pulled up outside the hospital.
I took a deep breath in the cab before I climbed out after Minx in front of the tall, white building trimmed in hospital blue.
I’d be fine. Unless I wasn’t, and then I’d just go on a bender, waking up with some stranger and then going back to my usual life after a few days of self-loathing. At least the cause was good.
Minx looked at me hopefully, and I returned her smile before I strode towards the automatic doors. The sooner we got this over with, the better. We signed in at the front desk before the nurse ushered us back to the NICU, where Jezebel and Felicia were already waiting for us.
Jezebel was holding a baby out away from herself, staring at it like it was a deadly weapon of mass destruction.
It was kind of fun to see her terror when she was usually so entirely fearless.
The baby was a cute, red-faced thing with a plume of spiky dark hair and a scowl.
Its mouth rolled like it were about to start wailing.
“Hold it against your body,” the nurse said with a slight smile, trying to hide her amusement. “Then it will feel more secure.”
Jezebel looked appalled. “Against my body? What if he chokes on a sequin?”
Minx captured the baby and started making weird noises at it that my cousin Theresa made to her babies.
The baby transformed from an angsty gremlin into a burbling ball of happiness.
Minx had nine siblings, most of them younger than her, so she’d clearly mastered the art of mothering.
Too bad she couldn’t see that she was more than her mental health issues.
“Here,” Minx said as she transferred the baby back to Jezebel, bending her arms so the baby was tucked against her. “Now bounce a little bit and talk to him. Tell him all about your pets. He’ll hear the affection in your voice and internalize it.”
“This is Samantha,” the nurse said, handing another baby over to me.
I took it automatically, supporting the head and holding the little bundle of sweetness like I’d held so many cousins and nieces and nephews.
My mom had four kids, but most of her extended family lived in the same building.
It made holidays extra chaotic, but I wasn’t unfamiliar with kids.
It just hurt to know that I’d never have any of my own.
“Hi, Sammy,” I said, rocking slightly and smiling into the squashed face of the pale baby.
Her blonde hair was whisper-soft when it brushed my cheek.
So soft. So cute. The feelings welled underneath, but on top it was fine, at least until it wasn’t.
The feelings roared up in my chest: pain, guilt, and terror, like free-falling off a cliff.
I never should have driven so recklessly.
I shouldn’t have opened up and let heartbreak break me so literally.
“Here,” I said, handing the baby to the newly arrived Pinkie. She wore a pink sheath and looked like a classical cellist in spite of the pink hair. Maybe it was the perfect posture. She accepted the baby like it were a strangely adorable animal, but I didn’t stick around to see how she adjusted.
I broke into the outside hall, palms sweaty, heart rate escalated, like the adrenaline rush after a crash.
“Wait, Trixie!” Minx called, running after me.
I wanted to run, but I kept walking. Somehow, I didn’t break into a sprint. In my boots, I could probably outrun her, but that would be ridiculous. You didn’t run from feelings, you drowned them. You certainly didn’t run from a sniper.
I turned around and watched her catch up to me, cheeks rosy, eyes full of concern. “Where are you going?” she asked.
“A bar.”
Her eyes widened. “Oh. But…it’s Girl’s Night.”
I forced a smile. “I’m aware. That’s why I’m here. And now I’m going to a bar. There’s one across the street. I’ll be there when you’re all done here.”
Her brow wrinkled. “That’s a strip club. They treat their dancers horribly. I worked there for a few weeks before I was hired at the Dove’s.”
A strip club where they treated their dancers badly? That had some potential. I could break faces and get drunk. “Sounds perfect.”
“Minx? Is that you?” A low voice with a great timbre came from behind us.
Minx lit up and spun around, dragging me with her. “Hey Dr. Williams. This is my friend, the one I was talking to you about.” She dragged me towards the tall man in a white coat, like he could fix my broken leg. Except my leg wasn’t broken.
His eyes widened when he saw me, and then he shook my hand because it was out like that. He had a good grip, firm, probably because the doctor worked out. And he was taller than me by a good four inches. He could probably pick up my tires.
His voice was a delicious low rumble. “Hi. I’m Joshua. You’re Trixie Dragon O’Hara. When Minx said that she had a tall friend who had a hard time finding a guy who wasn’t intimidated by her height, I didn’t think she was talking about you.”
Minx told him that I was trying to find a guy? Well, that was beyond humiliating. I stared at him, completely at a loss for words until I realized that I was still holding his hand. Like shaking it. Only there was no shaking.
I quickly dropped his hand and took a hasty step back.
“Sorry. What? No, I’m not looking for a guy.
Except for sometimes, but that’s only temporary.
You seem very nice. And tall. And strong.
But you probably want five kids with an equally nice woman.
Probably someone exactly like Minx, which is why you’d listen to her talk about her friend, because you’re interested in her, which is awesome, because she’s genuinely sweet, and I’m sure she doesn’t intend for this entire situation to be incredibly humiliating for everyone. ”
That’s when I looked around and discovered that Minx had vanished.
She’d taken my moment of paralyzed humiliation to abandon me.
She would have to bake me so many cupcakes to make up for this.
First the babies, then a blind date? So blind I didn’t even see it coming.
That explained the dress. Like a blue dress would cover up my extremely loud reputation.
And my scars. She’d been trying to make me pretty and attractive to handsome men.
He laughed, a low rumble that was a good sound.
It reminded me of my dad and other manly men.
It reminded me of Horse. His whole tall, dark, blue-eyed thing reminded me of Horse and other men who had broken my heart a very long time ago.
Only this guy was also a doctor. A pediatrician instead of a fixer or a fighter.
And Minx had set me up with him. I needed to tell her about my issues so she never did this again, but I couldn’t talk about my feelings without needing to drown them, like I so desperately needed to drown them right that second.
The doctor’s smile was perfect. He clearly hadn’t been punched in the face very often.
He cleared his throat. “Sorry. I shouldn’t have said that about you looking for a guy.
I’m bad with words. My sister is always telling me that I’m not romantic enough with women.
It’s probably the amount of fractured bones I set.
How many bones have you broken?” he asked with a bright smile and then frowned.
“That also isn’t romantic enough. Sorry.
I think you’re really cool. I’d love to take you to dinner some time.
” He patted his pockets and pulled out a card, handing it over.
“They say that you’re an amazing mechanic.
My car is making this weird sound…” His face fell.
“Forget I said that last part. She’s absolutely right.
I am the least romantic person in the world. ”
I laughed and punched his shoulder a little too hard, but he didn’t seem to mind.
“Romance would be wasted on me.” I held the card between my fingers, staring at the clearly handsome, nice guy Minx had found that was tall and strong with a Horse vibe.
This was her caring. The fact that I wasn’t in the market for a nice guy, and never would be, wasn’t something she’d ever understand because I physically couldn’t tell her about it.
I’d pursued my career knowing that the whole family life wouldn’t work for me.
This guy had family written all over his unromantic yet hopeful face. Goofy, harmless, sincere.
I scribbled the number of the best mechanic in Vegas who didn’t gouge his customers on the back of the card and handed it back.
“For your car. I’m not looking for a nice guy.
I’m not looking for any guy. But thanks for thinking I’m cool.
I think you’re cool too. Fixing bones is the coolest. Twenty-seven.
Broken bones.” I turned and walked as fast as I could without it looking like I was running, and hit the crash bar hard on my way out.