The flash of panic in Andrew’s eyes said it all. He had a thing for Cassidy, but had obviously held it at bay in respect for her relationship with Eli.
That was when Emily Jacobs caught Eli’s eye.
Emily Jacobs. As in the person his texter had thought he was the night before. Was the woman sitting across the cafeteria table from her his mysterious texter?
Dark hair, light colored eyes, although he couldn’t make out their exact blue-green color, creamy complexion with a spattering of freckles across her face. Naturally pretty. Somewhat familiar.
She worked in ICU. He recalled seeing her there, although usually only glimpses here and there. Odd really when he thought about it. He was in the ICU a lot. How come his path rarely crossed this woman’s—Beth something—in the ICU?
Unless she purposely avoided him.
Why would she do that?
Unless she was the texter and because of her attraction to him she’d purposely steered clear.
It was a possibility. One he wanted to put to the test.
“Excuse me,” he said to the man lost in his thoughts sitting across from him, and pulled out his cellular phone. He opened his text messages from the night before and glanced at the number. Was it hers? Beth’s from ICU? Logic said it was, but he wanted proof, to know for sure. He hit the telephone icon button that would dial her number and watched her closely.
When she set her fork down on her plate and reached into her scrub pocket to pull out her phone, answering without looking at the number, Eli smiled.
Bingo.
His smile widened. Although he didn’t quite understand, an excitement filled him that he hadn’t felt in years … maybe ever.
Maybe he wasn’t ready to settle down with Cassidy, maybe there was something wrong with him that was holding him back, but at the moment, he wasn’t going to worry about those things. For now he was going to quit stressing about the future and his expectations, his parents’ expectations, the fact he’d chosen to become single rather than marry the “perfect” woman. He was going to enjoy life, to have fun, and not take everything so seriously. Something he’d just realized that he’d forgotten to do over the past few years.
“Hello?” Beth answered, expecting to hear her nurse supervisor’s voice telling her that they needed her back on the floor. Rarely did she make it through a full lunch without an interruption from a patient or one of her coworkers, which was why she usually just ate in the ICU break room. Today she’d wanted to pick Emily’s brain.
Instead of Ruth telling her to come back to ICU, she heard a resounding click.
Pulling the phone away from her ear, she looked at the number.
Aiiiiggghhhhh!
“What?” Emily asked, making Beth wonder if she’d just screamed out loud or if it was the way all the blood in her body had drained that had clued her friend in that something was wrong.
“It’s …” Her voice choked up.
“Come on,” her friend encouraged. “Spit it out. You look like you just got news your best friend died and I know that didn’t happen because I’m sitting right here.”
Beth closed her eyes then held the phone out toward her friend so she could see the screen.
“What? It’s clicked off. Tell me.”
“It was the number.”
“The number?”
“The number.” She put great emphasis on her words.
“The number you thought was me?”
Wondering if one could hyperventilate to death in a hospital cafeteria, Beth nodded and struggled to get air into her vice-gripped lungs.
“What did they say?”
“Nothing.”
“Nothing?” Emily looked bamfoozled.
Beth shook her head, feeling a bit bamfoozled herself. Breathe, Beth, breathe.
“Then why did whoever it was call you?”
She shrugged, took a deep breath, then another. “Maybe they’re going to harass me.”
“About what? You didn’t do anything wrong.”
“Nothing wrong per se, but … I might have mentioned wanting to tie up and lick a certain doctor all over.”
Emily’s eyes widened and then she burst out laughing. “You didn’t?”
Beth grimaced at her friend’s mirth and at her own foolishness. “I told you that I revealed my fascination with the man.”
“That isn’t the same thing as saying you want to tie up the man and for your tongue to get up close and personal with his personables.”
Her friend had a point. Unfortunately.
“What else did you say?”
Beth gave a pained look. “I don’t remember exactly. Something about wanting our bodies slick with sweat and gliding together.”
“Oh, baby.” Emily’s eyes danced with delight. “I wish I had been pulling your leg and sending those messages. Sounds like some hot reading and you know I love a steamy read.”
Feeling a fool, Beth nodded. “I was tired and you’d promised retribution. If I’d been thinking clearly I’d never have sent those messages.”
“Like I said before, so what that you did. So what that someone knows you think Dr. Randolph’s hot. What does it matter in the grand scheme of life?”
“I don’t want him to find out.”
“Hello.” Emily snapped her fingers in front of her face again. “We’ve already had this conversation. You do want him to find out that you’re interested in him. You need to let him know. Up close and personal.” Emily waggled her brows, then added mischievously, “With your tongue. And his personables.”
Fighting the panicky feeling still welling within her, Beth rolled her eyes. “You really aren’t my best friend, you know. You’re just some freak with great hair I tolerate because we work together.”
Patting her pulled up dyed bright red locks, which matched her personality much more than any natural shade could, Emily leaned back in her chair and grinned. “You love me and we both know it.”
“Sad, but true.”
“Just as we both know I’m not going to let you sit on your butt while your dream man is single and needs consoling.”
Beth’s eyes widened. “You wouldn’t.”
“I would.” Emily’s eyes sparkled with mischief. “You make a move or Dr. Randolph and I will be having a very interesting conversation.”
“You wouldn’t,” she repeated.
“Wanna bet on that?”
No, she didn’t, because if Emily believed she was doing what was best for Beth she wouldn’t hesitate to spill the beans to Eli.
Which meant that she would have to make a move herself. Otherwise there was no telling what her friend would say to him.
Taking a deep breath, she glanced toward his table. Her gaze collided with his. The air caught in her lungs and threatened to burst them.
He was looking straight at her!
He didn’t look away when their eyes met.
Instead, he grinned.
Grinned.
At