Page 16 of The One Where They Fall in Love

Meanwhile, Sophia never had to contend with any expectations. At least, not to my knowledge. She was always bright in school, but there was never any pressure on her to carry on as my dad did. I got a C in Organic Chemistry sophomore year, and I had the fear of God put in me, but Sophia graduated and wanted to “see the world,”and my parents didn’t bat an eye. I would love for someone to explain these double standards to me, truly.

It’s almost nine, and I’m counting down the hours until I can go home and faceplant into my bed. Well, Sophia’s too-small-for-my-long-ass-legs bed. Which will be replaced as soon as I have a spare moment to drag myself to the store. I walk past the nurses’ station at the entrance to the department and file some manila folders I’ve been carrying. I eye up an empty chair behind the desk and consider that maybe, just maybe, I’ll get to sit in it, but my attention is drawn elsewhere. When the Emergency Department doors open behind me for a brief moment, I overhear a conversation—aloudone—going on in the waiting room.

“Please explain to me how this is my fault,” I hear a feminine voice say.

“You called my name, I turned, I fell.Yourfault.”

“I didn’tcallyour name. I asked Elle, ‘Where’s Anne?’ That’s not calling your name.”

My head snaps around at the mention of her name.

Instead of plopping in the uncomfortable swivel chair, I take a few steps backwards towards the double swinging doors that mark the entrance to the emergency room. I linger for a moment, trying to catch a glimpse of the waiting room without being too conspicuous. It doesn’t take me long to find the source of the squabble. I see Elle’s big, curly blonde hair bouncing up and down as she paces past two women sitting in waiting room chairs. One of them is older, with dark hair and glasses that only accentuate the scowl on her face. The other is younger, with longer brown hair, and appears to be trying to comfort the older one.

And then there’s Elle.

Holy shit,Elle.

She’s wearing a dress that hugs every inch of her curvy body—her breasts, herhips—and exposes her legs, her muscles working with every step she takes in her boots. She flips her hair, revealing her bare shoulder where her dress cuts out.

I shake my head to divert my thoughts. This is Elle. Nosy, pushy Elle who lives downstairs and is annoying as hell. She just happens to be wearing a flattering dress. That’s all.

I walk out into the waiting room and approach them with caution. Elle seems to sense me immediately, because her pacing stops as I approach. When she sees me, what appears to be joy spreads across her face for just a moment before she catches herself.

“Anne, you cannot sue me for workers’ comp. That’s not how it works. I don’t even work for you anymore—” The brunette cuts her sentence short when she sees where Elle’s attention has gone, and the expression on her face when she sees me is comical. Her jaw drops and her eyes practically bulge out of her head, like a cartoon.

“Elle—” she starts, clearing her throat.

“Elle,” I repeat with a welcome nod to both her and her companions.

“Oliver,” she says on an exhale.

“That’s Oliver?” the brunette says a bit too loudly, considering I’m standing right here.

“Lucy!” Elle whispers harshly. She turns her attention back to me and gives me a half-hearted smile. “Oliver, this is my friend Lucy and my boss, Anne.” She gestures to each of the women. Lucy still seems a bit lost in wonder when I shake her hand.

Anne, on the other hand, is laying back in the chair with her hand over her face. “I’d shake your hand, whoever you are, but I’m dying over here, which no one seems to care about—”

“Anne, you’re not dying,” Elle corrects, crossing her arms.

“I’m in a hospital,Eloise, people rarely come here when they arewell!” Anne replies forcefully.

“Eloise?” I ask Elle with a questioning gaze.

“It’s not really my name. Lucy calls me that when she’s pissed, and now Anne has picked up on it. Super fun.” Elle pinches the bridge of her nose, taking a deep breath. “Anyway, Oliver, maybe you can help us.”

“I’m sure he can, given he’s adoctor,” Lucy mumbles, pursing her lips at me. She eyes me up and down like she’s evaluating me. She gives a satisfied nod. “Afinedoctor.”

Elle widens her eyes and shakes her head quickly, seemingly trying to regain some control over the situation.

“I’m guessing your event didn’t go well then?” I ask, raising my brows.

“Given there was an assassination attempt on my life, I would say no,” Anne interjects. Lucy smacks her palm to her forehead, defeated.

“Anne fell off of the stage,accidentally. She hit her head and seems to have twisted her ankle,” Elle explains. “The cops at the event suggested we bring her in to make sure she doesn’t have a concussion.”

“Cops?”What kind of book event has cops?

“It was a book signing for a pretty famous author. There were a few patrol cars outside for extra security,” she explains.