Time for Change(24)

After dealing with so much loss in her life, hospitals didn’t always offer her that much hope.

She tapped her fingers on his desk waiting for him to get back. There was no sex at work. She’d drawn the line when the head of the hospital had almost walked in on them having sex.

God, Chris was taking over her life all the time. In most aspects she didn’t mind. He took care of her job and dealing with her landlord, which she was thankful for. At first she thought working with him would help their relationship. Instead she’d heard the nurses whispering. They thought she was a mid-life crisis for him and that it wouldn’t last. Her age, the fact she was his dead wife’s sister, and also his playboy status had them convinced. She’d even seen the bet they had going on for how long they’d last.

On the one hand, she knew he was never going to cheat on her at work, but on the other, she got to see all the women he’d slept with. Most of the women in the hospital had slept with him.

Rachel also struggled to make friends. It was something she’d always struggled with even through college. The hospital was no different.

Staring down at her resignation letter, she felt her heart pounding inside her chest. In the last two weeks she’d found a couple of things she hated about their arrangement. The time spent with him was not an issue. In fact, out of everything, being with him was the best part of her day.

When she lay in bed at night, she thought about all the women who’d come before. She’d moved in with him in his apartment that was no better than a bachelor fuck place. Staring into the mirror, brushing her teeth she had to wonder how many other women had stood in that same place brushing their teeth.

The door to his office opened, startling her. “Baby, I’m sorry I can’t stay. There’s some emergency in the ER. I’m needed there right away. I can eat this stuff cold.” He dropped some wrapped food onto the table, on top of her letter. Chris leaned down, kissing her lips then disappeared.

“Hi, honey, I can’t work with you anymore. Here is my letter of resignation. It’s not you, it’s me, but you don’t really care.” She spoke to the empty room. The scent of the food drove her crazy. She was so hungry. “Yeah, Rachel, being with the man you love was a great idea. Working with him every day would ease your mind.”

All it had done was torture her little by little.

Shaking her head, she pulled out the pulled pork sandwich he’d bought her. She ate it while looking at the letter. It was perfectly worded, and when he got to his office she wasn’t going to be there to see his reaction.

His telephone rang on the desk, and once again she ignored it. This place wasn’t for her. When did anyone ever hear of a woman with no medical knowledge working for a doctor? It was pitiful of her to even keep trying.

“No, I’m not going to try. I’m going to pretend I don’t care about the fact that Chris has slept with most of the women who work here. I also think he slept with the gynecologist, which is just freaky. And great, I’m now talking to myself for amusement.” Shaking her head once again, she finished her sandwich.

Clearing everything away, she left her note for him to see on the front of his desk. “This is not who I am, Chris. I love you more than anything, but this is so not me.” Grabbing a coat from next to his, she left the hospital. Putting her arms in her coat, she ignored the blatant stares from the staff. Her heels clicked on the tile floor on her way out, each click reminding her of how many women he’d slept with. Some of the women smirked and nudged their friend.

They were not pushing her out of Chris’s life, and if it was the last thing she did, she was going to believe that he wasn’t sleeping with any of them.

“Where are you going?” Tammy asked. She was a nurse and had been working in the hospital for a couple of years. From the look in her eye, Rachel knew Tammy had slept with Chris at some point.

Not that she blamed any of the women. Chris was a big catch and knowing he had money, it made him more of a catch. Part of her wished she could just see the money aspect of his attraction rather than the whole package.

“I’m leaving for the day. I’m sure you’ll find someone to take my place.” She brushed past the other woman, trying to get away without another word said between them.

“You’re not right for him, you know?” Tammy said, drawing her back into the conversation.

Turning around she looked at the women. “And you are?”

“Your age doesn’t help you, honey. Chris needs a real woman to keep him satisfied.” Tammy’s hand rested on her hip, and the tilt of her lips made her look every inch the seductress even in the nurse scrubs she was wearing.