Second Time Around. Carol Steward

look. “How are you, Kevin?”

      “From the sounds of your message, maybe I’d better let you tell me. That was your charming voice on my answering machine, wasn’t it?”

      She walked into a cubicle with her name on the door, and he paused to examine the nameplate: Emily Berthoff, M.D.

      Her answer was interrupted by the phone.

      Taking the opportunity to collect information, he tapped on the wall, pretending to examine the structure. Her office was filled with books, books and more books. Same old Emily. Only difference was the titles. He could still picture her with her nose in those college textbooks. Heaven knows, he’d done his best to take her mind off her studies…. It hadn’t worked then, and if he was smart, he wouldn’t bother trying now.

      The wallpaper here was outdated, even by his standards. There wasn’t a plant, flower or photograph in sight. Nothing to indicate a family or a life beyond her career—

      She ended the phone call and looked at him expectantly.

      “I don’t think I’ve had the chance to congratulate you, Doctor.”

      “Congratulate me?”

      “On your degree.” Kevin touched the rounded desk corner sticking out from under the stacks of books, files and journals.

      “Oh.” Her green eyes opened wide with surprise. “I never know whether to take you seriously or not.”

      Blast it, lady, don’t look at me like that. I’m trying to be nice. How could one sentence throw him all the way back to the day she’d walked out of his life?

      Emily walked back to the door and closed it. “The last time we discussed my career choice, you were less than encouraging.”

      And now she was back, he thought. Every work-day for the next six months. He had to keep peace between them.

      “Whether or not I liked your decision is no longer an issue. I said ‘congratulations,’ and I meant it. It took a lot of work, and you deserve credit for it.”

      Obviously confused, she said merely, “Thank you.” Emily put her hands in the pockets of her yellow blazer and took a deep breath. “Why, Kevin?”

      Same Emily. Right to the point. “Why? I thought the message said, ‘How could you?’” He smiled. “Don’t I get some sort of congratulations for accomplishing my goals?”

      “The way I remember it, your plan was to run your father’s business. In fact, as I recall, that’s why you stayed—and I left. Alone.”

      “Things changed. I have my own company now, which just happens to have landed a terrific deal.” The elation inside was fading fast. He hadn’t expected a red-carpet celebration, but even a halfhearted welcome would have been appreciated.

      “So I figured out. Which was the meaning of my message last night. How could you bid on our project?” She stepped around the desk and looked him in the eye, as if trying to intimidate him. “Why this job? Why not some other building project?” she asked with more than a hint of disapproval.

      “It was purely a business decision,” he said, meeting her challenging gaze. Two can play this game, Doc.

      “A business decision?” Her voice caught.

      “That’s right, strictly business. Relax. It had nothing to do with you.” He stuffed his hands in his pockets and jingled the change against his truck keys. He wasn’t about to tell her how many times he had almost turned away because of her.

      She ran her fingers through her hair, lifting it away from her face, and he felt his heart skip a beat. Don’t do this, buddy. She’s off-limits. Business and pleasure don’t mix. Remember that, whatever you do!

      “Surely there’s another opportunity that would bring in a better profit than ours. As long as this is ‘strictly business,’ that is,” she said tartly. Reaching for the desk, she closed a thick book and placed it on the jam-packed shelves. “How could you do this?”

      Kevin crossed his arms and took a deep breath. “I could do it for the same reason you went across the country to your prestigious medical school. It was the best option available at the time.”

      She stared, a cold look that could build walls in an instant. Her phone rang, and she answered, still holding his gaze. “I’ll be right there,” she said into the receiver. Her eyes left his and she stepped around the desk. “I have an emergency.”

      He nodded, then opened the door and waited for her to go ahead. “Let’s make a deal, Doc. I won’t practice medicine, and you don’t tell me how to run my business. Okay?”

      Without responding, Emily rushed out of her office, and Kevin followed. Down the corridor, he saw a petite woman struggle to keep a stocky teenager, who’d obviously met up with someone’s fist, on his feet. From the lobby, he heard the receptionist trying to get the woman to wait for a wheelchair.

      “Here, let me get him.” Kevin wrapped his arm behind the boy’s back and followed Emily’s directions. Once the patient was secure on an examination table, Emily put on gloves and began to clean his cuts. Kevin backed through the door, right into the doctor Emily had brushed off earlier. Through the opening, Kevin heard Emily tell the nurse to bring in novocaine and a suture kit, then turn to soothe the upset mother.

      “Looks like Dr. Emily has it under control. Guess I’ll go grab some lunch by myself,” said the other doctor as he removed his stark-white lab coat and headed out the back door.

      Kevin looked back at Emily, then walked down the long hall to the lobby. “If nothing else, this should be an interesting few months,” Kevin muttered as he headed to his truck.

      The remainder of the morning was a chaotic combination of reviewing applicants’ resumes and ordering supplies. Always in the back of his mind was Emily, and the anger he’d seen in her expression when she saw him in the hallway.

      But there was no room for second thoughts. He’d just landed the deal that could make or break his business. Emily had already met her goals, despite what they had cost her personally. He had let her go then, determined he wouldn’t stand in her way.

      Now, he’d be certain she didn’t stand in his.

      After getting his day back under control, Kevin called Bryan to tell him the news.

      His friend bolstered his enthusiasm. “Told you they’d jump on your offer.”

      Kevin swallowed a lump of pent-up apprehension and felt a wave of relief, content that he’d done the right thing. “Yeah. They’re having some publicity shindig Friday night to get the deal moving. As a partner in the business, you’re obligated to attend, and bring your lovely wife.”

      “Sounds great.” Bryan paused. “Hey, friend, don’t forget, you’re expected to bring a date, too.”

      A date. Sure, why not. After all, this is a reason to celebrate.

      Emily zipped the crushed-velvet evening dress, then stepped into her black pumps just as the doorbell rang. “I can’t believe I have to go to this reception for Kevin.” She grumbled all the way to the front door. She tried to steel herself for a miserable night. Adding insult to injury, her car had had a flat tire when she’d left the office, and the first person to the rescue happened to be Bob Walker—Dr. Casanova.

      She opened the door and met him on the porch. “Hi, Bob. I appreciate the lift.”

      “If I’d known a flat tire was all it would take to change your mind…” He smiled suggestively and lifted her hand to kiss it.

      Emily pushed him away, amazed that a man with such a brilliant mind could be such a loser. “I don’t want to go through this all evening. I won’t. If I had any choice in the matter, I wouldn’t even be going tonight.”

      “I wish you’d change your mind, Emily. All I ask for is a few minutes to explain.”