Page 25 of Unhinged

ELEVEN

Hannah strode into the welcome air conditioning of the bistro, her gaze sweeping over the small room for a familiar face. Audrey sat tucked away in a corner booth, bright afternoon sunlight spilling over the table, glinting off her auburn hair.

Feeling eyes on her, Audrey looked up and waved. Her infectious smile was impossible not to return, and Hannah felt an answering grin tugging at her mouth as she wound her way through the tables.

Audrey pulled her into a hug as she approached. “Hey, I’m glad you could make it.”

Hannah squeezed her back, then slid into the booth across from her. “Me, too. It’s been a little crazy recently.”

Audrey’s expression turned serious. “So I heard. What happened?”

Hannah relayed the details of the past couple of weeks until the waiter stopped by. The bistro was a regular lunch spot for them, and he took their orders with a knowing smile before heading back to the kitchen.

“Anyway.” Hannah turned her attention back to Audrey. “Andrew brought up a good point. He suggested it might be a good idea to have some extra security at the health center until we figure out what’s going on. He even suggested I start dating again.”

“And, of course, Andrew thought it should be him,” Audrey interjected with a roll of her eyes.

“He just wants me to be safe.”

Audrey snorted. “Please.”

“He’s… protective,” Hannah hedged.

“Jealous.” Audrey raised an eyebrow, and Hannah sighed.

“He asked me again about joining his practice.”

Audrey’s eyes widened. “Please tell me you said no!”

“I told him I’d think about it.”

“Hannah…”

Hannah held up a palm. “I know what you’re going to say. I have no intention of joining with Andrew, either in my professional life or personal. But it shut him up for a while.”

Audrey studied her for a moment before heaving a sigh. “Look, Andrew seems nice enough, but he’s obviously infatuated with you. He follows you around like a puppy yearning for your approval.”

Andrew was always inviting Hannah to dinner, to the opera, or a new art exhibit. Which wasn’t a bad thing—if he could accept the fact that they’d only ever be friends. She was pretty certain, though, that he would be harder to dissuade than most. It bothered her sometimes that he thought he knew what was best for her. He was a nice person, and he was a great doctor, but she felt no intimate attraction to him.

“Why don’t you just tell him how you really feel and put the guy out of his misery?” Audrey asked. “Otherwise, he’s going to keep hoping that one day you’ll give in and finally go out with him.”

And therein lay the crux of the problem. “I’ve tried to tell him. Or, at least, I’ve dropped subtle hints about not dating friends and coworkers.”

“Men don’t do subtle. You’ll have to just come right out and say it. Or better yet”—Audrey raised her water glass in a kind of mock salute—“start dating someone else.”

Hannah picked up her own glass of sweet tea and drew little designs in the condensation coating the glass. Her fidgeting drew Audrey’s attention, and her eyes narrowed.

“Okay, spill. Something’s going on, I can tell.”

Hannah had known Audrey since their sophomore year of college, and Audrey knew every detail of her sordid past. She understood Hannah’s outlook on love and relationships, but she still encouraged her to get out and meet people.

Aside from her two semi-serious relationships in college, Hannah had only been on a handful of dates since opening her practice. The dates had felt stilted and awkward, and after the third dinner spent mostly in silence, she’d begun to think she’d never feel truly comfortable with a man. Until Luke.

“So, you know the new security guard that Raúl called in?”

“Oh, yes. That man is gorgeous.” Audrey’s eyes widened as she glanced across the table at Hannah. “Oh, my God! You like him, don’t you?”

Hannah opened her mouth just as the waiter stopped by the table to deliver their food. After he left, she speared a piece of lettuce and lifted it to her mouth. “Well, do you remember me telling you about Rachel?”