Justice(34)
“Still.”
We get off a few seconds later. Just as we pass reception, a woman calls my name. Rebecca, dressed in purple scrubs and white lab coat, runs over to us with that perpetual sweet smile on her face. Just what I need.
“I heard you were here,” she says as she reaches us.
“Lucky me,” I say with a fake smile.
“It really is lucky! I just got done assisting on a five-hour surgery when one of the nurses told me she saw you.” Five hours of surgery and her make-up and hair are still flawless, where as I resemble a three-day piece of road kill. She holds out her hand to Cam. “Hi. You must be Joanna’s partner, Cam. It is so nice to finally meet you.”
“Cam, this is Rebecca Thornton, Justin’s fiancée,” I say.
They shake hands. “I’ve heard a lot about you,” Cam says. And he has. I try to keep my thoughts about my private life to myself, but I sometimes spend sixty hours a week with the man. Things slip. Okay, a lot of things slip.
“Me too,” Rebecca says. “So, you two are here to interview that poor guard?”
“Yeah,” I say, “but he’s in no shape to talk.”
“I heard it was ghastly.”
“It wasn’t pretty.”
“So, are you heading back to the station now? Because I sort of had an ulterior motive for coming down here,” she says sweetly, her nose crinkling and shoulders rising.
“You did?” I ask.
“Everyone I normally have lunch with is busy, and I hate going to the cafeteria alone. People always come up to me with questions. I can’t finish my meal.”
“Um—”
“You have time,” Cam interrupts. The traitor. “You’re technically not on the clock.”
“But you drove me here,” I say with a fake sweet smile
“Take the Metro. You need to eat, don’t you?”
Rebecca’s smile stretches from cheek to cheek. “Oh, please? Please?”
Lack of sleep and yes, nourishment have made the lying part of my brain go on the fritz. I’m sure when she’s babbling on about the honeymoon or china patterns, a trillion will come to mind. But not right now. Now, I’m screwed.
“I can’t think of a reason why not,” I say.
If at all possible her smile grows. “Wonderful! I’m starving.” She wraps her arm around mine and pulls me away. Cam has a huge grin on his face. So much for my brother in blue.
CHAPTER SEVEN
GIRLFRIENDS
This is the only hospital in the country that has gourmet chefs on the payroll and a ballroom. Since Rebecca’s paying I load up with scallops, pork chops, and chocolate mousse. She just orders the watercress soup and Caesar salad. “Must fit into my wedding dress,” she chirps with a broad smile. Rebecca looks so beautiful it almost hurts my eyes. Plus she saves people, whereas I arrest them. Whenever I’m around her I leave little drops of self-esteem in my wake. I really have to stop that or I’ll have none left.
All the other doctors grin and wave as she passes and a few patients’ families do as well. I’ll lay even odds she was popular in high school too. Voted “Most Likely to Succeed” and prom queen. The only people I was popular with were the truant officers. I trail behind her like her shorter, less attractive shadow. We find an empty table next to a window, and I can see The Falls in the distance across the river. I love looking at it. The waterfall, a quarter mile wide, cascades off black rock. That white water over black onyx always draws a crowd.
“I am starving,” she says as she takes a baby bite of her salad.
“Me too,” I mutter with a good helping of pork chop in my mouth.
“But I have to lose five pounds before the wedding. I just had to choose satin. It leaves nothing to the imagination. Have I shown you a picture of the dress yet?”
Only half a dozen freaking times. “Yeah. It’s beautiful.” And it is. Sleek ivory satin, sleeveless, with crystals and tiny pearls swirling around. Only ten grand for something she’ll wear once. Okay, I have to stop thinking like this. She’s wonderful. Justin is the happiest he’s ever been. I have an awesome boyfriend. I’m a lucky girl. If I just keep telling myself these things, maybe I’ll start believing them.
“I can’t wait to show it to you on,” she says with another bite of lettuce. “Will you still have time on Saturday to meet us at the dress shop? They really need to fit your dress. I finally decided on sky blue to match your eyes. You are going to look gorgeous! I’m dying for you to see it. I have the whole day planned. The shop, then lunch, then I was thinking we could go for pedicures. Mom’s never had one before.”