The Doctor's Fake Nanny(17)

She grinned and moved as if to remove her hand from mine but I wound my  fingers more tightly around hers. I didn't want to let her go. Not now  that I knew I had a chance to really have her. She cocked her head to  the side with an unspoken question on her face and I nodded, smiled and  motioned for her to open the door. We exited my office just like that,  still hand in hand.



And just like that, we were at the very beginning of something. It was  that amazing part of things where nothing bad had happened between us  and everything seemed like a possibility. I knew I was already getting  ahead of myself, but it felt like we were a couple. It felt like we  already belonged to each other. I hadn't realized how much I wanted that  feeling, but now that I had it I was overcome by the most amazing sense  of relief. I felt content, maybe for the first time in my whole life.



I could see that we were making quite an impression on the staff. Nurses  and patients alike were stopping in the hallways, looking at us with  mouths open before moving to whisper to one another. I had a reputation  for having a one track mind, and that track was for success. It was the  thing that had driven me for years. None of these people had ever  considered that I might be interested in another human being on any kind  of a personal level. I had almost given up on it myself.



"Maybe this isn't such a good idea," Kayla said, glancing at me uncomfortably. "Everyone is looking at us."



"So what? Let them look."                       
       
           



       



"But it will get back to your mother. You know you'll get an earful for that. I didn't exactly make a good impression on her."



"No," I laughed, "I guess you didn't. But guess what? I don't care."



She giggled, still looking around us nervously, and kept her hand in  mine. She looked so damned uncomfortable! Something about it struck me  as sweet. I wouldn't have expected her to be so concerned for my  reputation in the hospital. It surprised me to see that she was so aware  of our surroundings. How could she have such an intrinsic knowledge of  how the politics of this place worked?



"David! Is that you I see up there?"



Shit. I knew that voice very well and he was just about the last person I  felt like seeing. He wasn't a man I enjoyed seeing on your average day  and I particularly didn't want to have a run-in with him when I was in  such a good mood. Nor did I savor the idea of inflicting him upon Kayla.  He wasn't the most pleasant man to be around, and that was putting  things mildly.



I gritted my teeth, took one deep breath with my eyes closed, and  prepared myself. I could do this, even if I didn't want to. I could keep  things civil for Kayla's sake.



"Dr. Johnson, how can I help you today?"



I turned, as pleasant an expression as I could manage plastered across  my face, to greet the man with whom I had nothing but animosity. Let's  just say the two of us had never really gotten along. Even as I turned I  felt Kayla's fingers tighten in mine. Her whole body had gone rigid,  her breathing so quick I was a little bit worried she would make herself  hyperventilate if she didn't get it under control.



I was worried and a little bit confused as well. Was it that obvious  that Dr. Johnson and I didn't get along? Why was she so upset by the  sound of this man's voice when she had never even met him?



"Oh no, don't need any help. I was just on my way to make my rounds when  I noticed you there. I have to say, I haven't seen you like this at the  hospital. Who's your friend?"



I prickled at the way he said that last part but I held onto the little  voice in my head screaming at me to keep my cool. It would do a whole  lot to help his case if I totally lost my shit at George in the middle  of the hospital hallway.



I knew George Johnson much, much better than he thought I did. Or maybe  it would be more accurate to say I knew his type. George had worked at  the hospital before I ever got there. When I was first hired on he had  been up my ass all of the time, overly eager to get on my good side. I  didn't have to be a genius to know that he was hoping I would put in a  good word for him with my mother. Too bad for him he didn't realize that  my mom didn't put all that much stock in anyone's good word. Even mine.



Once George realized that I wasn't going to help propel him to the place  he wanted to be, things got a whole lot less friendly. He seemed to  hate me after that, and each year that passed made it worse. I knew he  thought I was getting special treatment for being my mother's son. Both  of us knew that I was the most likely candidate to replace my mother as  the next head of cardiology for the hospital. The only problem was that I  was the only one who knew it wasn't because of my mom. She really  wasn't the type to engage in nepotism.



"Kayla Banks, meet Dr. George Johnson. He's been here with us at the hospital since before I started."



I saw a slight wince from him at that statement. It was a dig in his  direction and I knew it, but I couldn't help myself. He just looked so  smug. He recovered quickly, though, and stuck one long hand out in  greeting. He had a smile on his face that didn't quite reach his eyes  and Kayla took a little involuntary step backwards from the gesture.  That also struck me as strange. It didn't seem like her to be so timid.



"Kayla, was it? Kayla Banks? What a pleasure to meet you."



"Hello," she said in a small voice that didn't sound like the woman I  knew. I glanced at her quickly, trying to figure out why this whole  situation felt so awkward. Okay, George was unlikable and arrogant, but  this was worse than I would have expected.



"What do you think of our humble hospital so far?"



"It's great."



Her tone sounded dull, slightly sarcastic, and I didn't know whether to  be concerned or impressed. As far as I was concerned this was just the  kind of reception Dr. Johnson deserved, so I was leaning more on the  side of impressed.



"It's funny," he said with a leering grin, "but I have the feeling we've already met. Have you been here before?"                       
       
           



       



Kayla shrunk back and I instinctively took a step in front of her. I didn't like the way he was talking to her. Not at all.



"People say that to her a lot. She just has the kind of face people feel comfortable with. It makes them think they know her."



"Is that what it is?"



"Yes," she said shakily from behind me, "I guess it is."



"Alright, if you say so. Anyway, I've got to be on my way. Not all of us  have time to skip through the hallways holding hands. Besides, I think I  see you daughter torturing a nurse at her station. You may want to take  care of that."



I waited until I heard the sound of his pompous shoes clicking on the floor fade and then turned to Kayla.



"You okay?"



"Sure, of course. Sorry about that."



"You don't have anything to apologize for. Trust me, he's no friend of mine."



"I just didn't like him, that's all. I got a weird feeling."



"Well, as far as I'm concerned you never have to see him again, so I  wouldn't worry about it. He did say one thing I have to agree with,  though."



"He did?"



The disbelief in her voice made me laugh and I squeezed her hand one more time before reluctantly letting it go.



"Yes, he did. Sophie is indeed making life very difficult for our nurses  at this very moment. Now that she's feeling better I think she's had  all she can take of the hospital. Do you think you could take her on  home? I'll be there as soon as I can. I just have a few more patients to  check on."



Sophie nodded, the color returning to her face, and her pretty green  eyes flashed at me in a way that made me want to scoop her right back  into my arms. It didn't take a lot to make me feel that way.



"Sounds good. And David?"



"Yes, ma'am?"



"I'll see you when you get home."





Chapter Eleven


Kayla



Oh god. It was all I could do not to collapse on the ground right there  in the hospital. While it would be an awfully convenient place to get  knocked unconscious, it would not help my current situation. I watched  David as he went back towards his office and willed myself not to bend  over and put my hands on my knees. I knew I needed to get it together,  go grab Sophie like he had asked me to, but I felt dangerously close to  throwing up. I really, really didn't want to make that kind of a scene.



"Excuse me, can you tell me where your restroom is?"



I stopped a passing nurse who looked more than a little worried about me  to ask the question. I didn't like drawing further attention to myself  and I was terrified that somebody was really going to recognize me any  second, but I needed to splash some water on my face or something. To  put it simply, I needed to get my shit together.