The Running Series Box Set: Books 1-3 Page 2

  “His mood is not about you, dear. It’s the patient who just left.” Pausing for a moment to think carefully about her words, she continued, “He takes everything so personally, as if these patients are family to him.” Her words were thick with emotion, and I noticed her eyes even began to look moist.

  Quietly, I uttered, “If only all of us could be so lucky…” I smiled sympathetically and left Dr. Brooks’ office.

  I sat in my car for a few minutes, trying to analyze exactly what had just happened. I wasn’t ready to be rejected so quickly by Dr. Brooks; because all raging hormones aside, I really did believe in my company’s product. It was my job—heck, I might even go so far as to call it my mission—to put these advancements in front of as many surgeons as possible.

  But something about his demeanor was so different than most physicians. It was as if he had his mind made up before I ever walked through the door and for a different reason that wasn’t related to the products or service. There was more to this than I could put my finger on, but in time, I was going to get the bottom of it. I refused to go down without even a product evaluation by Dr. Brooks. A lot of sales were won after demonstration, so I had every intention of making good on my promise to see him again and soon, I hoped.

  The only thing uglier than a morning commute fighting thousands of drivers who were late for work was a Friday evening rush hour of thousands of drivers who couldn’t wait to start the weekend. After a full day of client calls and product pitches, I actually enjoyed blocking out the torture of the drive by reminiscing about tall, dark, and handsome Dr. Brooks, so beautiful and yet so mysterious. He had to be at least 6’5”. His shoulders seemed to stretch out for miles. Best of all, I hadn’t see a wedding band or a tan line to indicate one either. However, that might not mean anything; with physicians washing their hands so much, many chose not to wear a ring most of the time.

  When I got to the apartment, I noticed Cooper had the bar covered in paperwork for the Texas real estate exam. I skimmed over his piles of application pages and saw there was even an application for FBI fingerprinting. It was great to see him so involved in moving forward with his license. I knew if he was going this far with the process, he had to be planning on staying with me in Texas for a while.

  Pouring myself a glass of wine, I heard Cooper come home from a run.

  “I may have to change my exercise routine. The heat is horrible this time of day. Geez, it’s freakin’ hot here!”

  I nodded while enjoying my first sip. I had already suffered the same fate and even found my morning run to be too hot sometimes.

  “I did happen to see a quaint little place called Sambuca’s that features live music every night. You wanna try it out for drinks later tonight? They’re featuring their sexy-sax night for musical entertainment. You game?”

  “Absolutely, sounds like fun. After the day I’ve had, I would love to unwind listening to… What did you call it, a sexy-sax night?” I replied, giving him a big smile. We both deserved a fun night out.

  Pulling the ingredients to make a salad out of the crisper drawer, I decided I’d had enough of these Manolo heels, and I chunked them off just as Cooper walked into my path.

  Dodging shoes, Cooper threw up his hands in retreat. “Hey, what gives? Whatever it is, I didn’t do it, I swear.” He continued to chuckle and duck.

  I didn’t realize I’d been so vigorous with my shoe-tossing exercise. However, what was obvious was that I was beginning to fume again about Dr. Brooks’ attitude today.

  “Oops. Sorry, Coop. I didn’t realize I was using you for target practice,” I giggled back at him, “but you have to admit I was dead on with my aim!” Still laughing at him, I reached for my wine.

  Coop didn’t miss a beat. “Hey, any news from your meeting with the mysterious doctor? Did you get to see his Batcave?”

  “Well, I did get past the terrifying Ms. Millie Watson, the cranky gatekeeper at his front desk. I even had a record-setting conversation with Dr. Brooks that lasted an entire two seconds, but you were wrong, he did say no to me today.” I took a self-pitying slurp from my wine glass before squaring my shoulders comically and throwing my head back, raising a fist in the air. “However, I will prevail in due time! And just so you know, I did give him the Alexandra Morrison wink when I left, putting him on notice that I would see him again soon!”

  Changing the subject from Dr. Cranky, I called out to where Cooper had his head stuck in the fridge, getting a bottle of water. “Hey, Mr. Stylist, what do you say after dinner we go to my closet and pick out what I can wear tonight that’s not brown!” I shared a laugh at my own expense with my live-in fashion guru.

  I heard a muffled word that sounded dangerously close to, “Finally.”

  I finished the chicken Caesar salad and poured a glass of wine for Cooper as he cleared off his paperwork, so we could eat at the bar.

  “So, you’re really ready to do this? We’re neck deep in all of your real estate info, Coop. Looks like making it official is the last hurdle. First, you start selling property, and next thing you know, you’ll be sporting a Cowboys bumper sticker. You’re diving head first into becoming a real Texan!”

  Coop just glared at me, or at least he glared as long as he could before cracking a wicked smile. He’d told me before he would always be a Bears fan, none of this Dallas Cowboys business. Thank goodness he was already barefoot, or I might have a shoe war on my hands.

  I went into the bathroom to get ready for going out and became fixated on my memories.

  Cooper was just the cutest guy and always so playful, turning almost any situation into a full-on comedy act. His dark hair was down to his neck with longer layers, very wavy and always had that messed up, just-had-sex look. He shaved almost every morning, but his perfectly yummy chin always had a day-old scruffiness to it by mid-afternoon.

  I’d noticed early on Cooper was different. It didn’t take a really strong gaydar to figure him out. He had a ton of female friends, but he never went out with anyone specific. It wasn’t until my freshman year in college that he’d told me he was gay. By that point, his ultra-religious family had disowned him, and it was so painful for him to admit it, but when I told him I had kind of known it all along and loved him anyway, he never looked back. He’s still a total chick magnet, but like me, hasn’t been lucky in the love department with the fellas. I secretly wished the move would be good for both of us.

  Our first hurdle in relocating had been finding a place to live we both could agree on. We fell in love with this one strictly because of its dual master suites, which meant there wouldn’t be any fighting over who got the bigger bathroom.

  Cooper had always been good with his money, so he had savings to tide him over until he passed the real estate exam. Plus, he’d been picking up modeling gigs here and there. The agent who helped us relocate had a few connections in the local modeling industry. My ability to save money was less stellar. It was difficult to put anything away while trying to repay my student loans.

  The hard thing was it would take one simple phone call to solve any money problem I had, but I refused to take any money from my father. He’d been furious when I hadn’t applied to any of the schools he had hand-picked for me, so there had gone any hope of his paying my tuition. But I didn’t care. I had made my own choices for the first time in my life, and I didn’t regret it for a second, even while working part-time shifts as a barista and juggling a full course load. I had plowed headfirst into becoming my own person.

  Dad and I never saw eye-to-eye on my choices, since he always wanted me to follow his path, which meant working for him and walking into a hand-picked position at his publishing company. Of course, there were tons of options for me there, but everyone would know I had waltzed into a role instead of earned it, and I wanted to earn being my own person. My strong-willed streak led to lots of disagreements between us and more than a few tears, which usually ended with me walking away from him rather than standing up to him. When I turned eighteen
, I moved in with Cooper and started at Northwestern, putting myself through school and doing it my way.

  “Hey, did you drown in there?” Coop yelled through the bathroom door.

  “No, I’m fine. I was just finishing the final touches on my hair, but I’m still not happy with it.”

  He opened the door and I noticed his eyes first, they were as big as golf balls, but he wasn’t smiling.

  I blurted out, “Oh shit, do I look that bad?”

  “Alex, you look amazing! You’re a tall drink of water in those tight-ass low-riders!”

  “Really, Coop. You’re just proud of your stylist handiwork, and you have me blinging from here to the moon. You’ve got me in more jewelry than I wear all month, but I’m wearing it all at once! I feel like I’m playing with somebody’s jewelry box. And this? A ruffled top! Ruffled? Coop, you know I hate ruffles. I don’t know why I let you talk me in to this blouse and all this jewelry. I feel like a mannequin that a five-year-old is playing dress up with.”

  “Alex, it’s only one light ruffle at the neckline, and the blouse looks fantastic tucked in the low-riders. I even let you keep your signature brown with that belt! Now, go get those Manolos you used for target practice and let’s get moving. There is fun out there to be had tonight!” he boasted, dragging me out of the bathroom by one of the stomach-length necklaces.

  Sambuca’s was a happening place. The music was fantastic, and the ambience was both sophisticated and eclectic. The décor was dedicated to beautiful European details of rich colors and ironworks, with a side order of energy. It was in full throttle as we made our way to a table in the outdoor lounge area.

  We still had a good view of the stage, and the sax player was playing one of my favorite songs by Dave Koz, Start All Over Again. As if the song was an epiphany, that was exactly what Cooper and I were doing, starting our lives over. Okay, maybe that was stretching it, but at least we were starting the next chapter.

  Cooper must have noticed the importance of the song too because he took my hand and had me dancing before I knew it. The patrons around us must have thought we were a couple, but neither of us cared. At that moment, we were the only ones dancing and giggling and generally just enjoying the moment. We even received a round of applause when the song finished.

  The restaurant and bar were really noisy, and I thought I heard my phone ring, but I missed the call. I didn’t recognize the number, so I waited for the voicemail; it seemed to take forever to deliver. Finally, a voicemail alert appeared.

  “Alexandra, this is Grayson Brooks. I wanted to apologize for my behavior today in the office and would like to make it up to you. I have surgeries scheduled on Monday and would like for you to accompany me in the operating room with your equipment. If you could please call Millie at the office first thing Monday morning, she will get you squared away with all the details. Enjoy your weekend, and I will see you soon.”

  “Yes!” I yelled unexpectedly, mentally high-fiving myself. “It worked! Today was my lucky day after all!”

  Cooper just stared at me, confused, the drinks already helping him shrug off the day we’d both had.

  “Holy crap, Coop! That was Dr. Brooks apologizing for his behavior today and inviting me to do surgeries with him on Monday!” I gasped, feeling like the air had disappeared right out of me. My body immediately filled with an all-over, full-body tingle. “Order us a couple of crantinis. We must celebrate!”

  “You must have given that doc a real sex-me-up look, Alex. Did you leave him getting a jump-starter in his pants on your way out the door?”

  “Cooper Roberts, I can’t believe you just said that. Get a hold of yourself!” I squealed. He never failed to surprise me with whatever he had to say in a situation. “You know I did no such thing. I told you it was merely a see-ya-later wink. And only a wink!” But I could feel the heat of my blush, and he knew what I had done. I had flirted with the doctor. I didn’t feel even a tiny bit apologetic for it, either; I was actually attracted to Dr. Brooks. Who wouldn’t be? He was sexy, smart, and gorgeous. Besides, his chosen practice was special to me. If it weren’t a matter of doing my job, I would have loved to see what more we had in common.

  I couldn’t shut my brain down for the rest of the evening. My imagination was busy role-playing how Monday would go down. Typical Alexandra Elise Morrison mental behavior. I was a compulsive planner, a forecaster. It was a good thing I had something to occupy myself with, since Cooper was suddenly enthralled with a cute fella next to us in the lounge.

  He made sure he danced with me to keep me entertained, but Cooper spent most of his conversation time with his new found friend, Mark, who happened to live in our same apartment complex.

  I was happy to see him make a new friend and who knew? Maybe there was a new friend out there for me too.

  It was late when we finally made our way home, but we were both full of conversation about the evening.

  CHAPTER THREE

  “Good morning, Ms. Millie, it’s Alex Morrison calling. Dr. Brooks left a message asking me to phone you this morning about his case today.”

  “Ah, yes, Alexandra, he asked that you meet him in the OR lounge at nine-thirty, and he would take you back and get you all settled with the staff, if that works for you? He said he left you his cell number in case you have any questions.” Millie was still as friendly as she had been on Friday, so maybe she hadn’t got into too much trouble for sneaking a rep into the office.

  “Yes, that’s perfect. Can I ask you something, Ms. Millie?”

  “Of course.”

  “Why did you let me in to see him this time and never before?”

  “Because I thought it was time to push him out of his shell a little.”

  “O-kaay, thank you, Ms. Millie.” I wondered what exactly she meant by that. “I hope he wasn’t upset with you on Friday after I left.” I tried hard to keep the peace with the gatekeeper, since everyone knew it was the office managers who really ran the show when it came to medical practices, but I was also a little curious about Dr. Brooks’ disposition afterwards.

  “Oh, dearie, you know how men are sometimes. They often react too quickly, while all along they’re simply trying to hide their emotions. Dr. Brooks really felt badly he took such a tone with you, but I think it was more about his patient than anything to do with you, per se. Just be patient with him. He’s still trying to adjust to life in private practice. It’s a big change from the structured environment of military medicine. Good luck today, and I’ll talk with you soon.” Ms. Millie hung up so quickly it seemed almost like she was worried she may have spoken out of turn, but at least I had a better understanding of what she meant about pushing him out of his shell.

  The rules of the surgical environment were strict where medical reps are concerned. In order to meet up with Dr. Brooks, I actually had to play his voicemail for the bitch-on-a-power-trip at the control desk to get the process started. I admit it could have had something to do with the fact he had been so stern about not letting reps in to view his procedures.

  I changed into scrubs, so I could meet him in the physician’s lounge as he requested. When he walked in, I had to take a stealthy deep breath. Getting a glimpse of Dr. Brooks in his scrubs took the wind right out of me. He practically oozed a sexy, but humble, confidence that did nothing to calm my racing heartbeat. Oh, sweet jeez, I felt warm all over just drinking him in. I have met a few cute doctors in the time I’ve worked for PMC, but all I could think about while I was this close to him was getting to know him more.

  His most attractive feature might be something that couldn’t be seen. Besides his good looks, he really cared about his patients, as Millie had told me. He had to be a compassionate man to leave the Army and pick a specialty like breast cancer to focus his practice on.

  “Good morning, Dr. Brooks. I’m really grateful you extended the invitation for today. Please let me know when you have a few minutes, so we can discuss the case.”

  I realized we were now alone in
the lounge.

  Dr. Brooks eagerly took my extended hand. This time, our handshake was brief, but he smiled very warmly. Again, I felt the tingling sensation I had the first time we met. He must have felt it too because he pulled his hand back quickly.

  “Good morning, Ms. Morrison. When the patient is fully asleep, we can go over the steps of your equipment again, to make sure I have them in correct order. Once I am scrubbed in sterile, I assume you will operate the equipment?” His eyes became so stern I felt them begin to burn into my own.

  “Yes, sir. I will follow your lead.”

  Dr. Brooks took me to the first patient’s room and introduced me to her and the family as a colleague.

  Noteworthy. I watched him intently as he discussed her procedure and prognosis, then reassuringly answered their questions. I was amazed at his bedside manner and the way he was so endearing to the frightened patient and her husband. His professionalism impressed me, but his ability to put them at ease was so wonderful to watch. I wished right then for that kind of attitude and care for every patient who had to undergo surgery and treatment for breast cancer.

  As we made our way to the operating room, I got a chance to slyly soak in his beautiful physique, so muscular and toned, the scrub pants sitting low on his hips. He walked with quite a strut, filled with confidence all the way down to his tennis shoes. Following him to the room, we joined all the masked strangers that seemed to glide around the room in a choreographed dance, so very much in sync.

  I noticed a couple of people gaze my way then look quickly back to Dr. Brooks, but no one on the team questioned my attending the procedure. After a few moments, there was room for me to bring in my equipment and get set up.

  The nurse came over and retrieved my information for the patient record and asked me a few questions about my equipment. I was practically euphoric at the opportunity to bring new technology to the market, and it was very fulfilling to know I was providing shorter procedures for the patients and improving the process.