Page 3 of Strictly Against Policy

“I understand, and I apologize for my actions. It won’t happen again.”

The front door chimed as several patients came in. Sheryl welcomed them as she stepped up to the window. Meanwhile, Carmen continued counting pills.

One of Jonathan’s dark brows rose. “Please make sure that it doesn’t.”

“Yes, of course.” I nodded.

“Good.” His gaze swept over me, lingering on the shirt I was wearing—or, more specifically, his shirt. The corner of his lips quirked a mere centimeter in agitation. “Now that you’re here, I can finally give you a quick tour of the pharmacy.”

He drew out a long huff as he led me to the break room, away from patients’ eyes. “Since you had experience at a big chain pharmacy before, please let me know if you have any suggestions about our efficiency,” he continued.

His large back was rigid as he glanced over his shoulder and down at me, still wearing his furrowed brows. Despite what he said, he didn’t look like he’d welcome any comments I might offer. “We get busy here despite being a small, independent pharmacy, Dr. Lee. I trust John made that clear during your interview, and when he hired you. I advise you to be on top of your responsibilities so we can deliver the best services to our patients without any interruptions or mishaps.”

My cheeks burned hotly, stung by the thinly veiled insult embedded in his words. Yet, I didn’t look away. I held my head up high and looked straight into his fiery eyes. “I’m sorry, sir. It was an honest mistake, and I’ll do well to prevent that from happening again.”

Jonathan didn’t acknowledge my apology. He continued with the orientation as if I hadn’t even talked at all. “As you can see, this is our break room. Coffee, tea, and water are provided by the pharmacy. Anything else you want to bring, like snacks or lunch, can be stored in your designated shelf in the cabinets here,” he explained nonchalantly.

Once I was shown where everything was, I stepped in to counsel patients in between reviewing drug interactions dinged by the system. I merely blinked, and it was already lunch break.

“Lunch time!” announced Grace after one of my calls, glancing at the watch on her wrist.

She was quick to walk out and lock the front doors, putting up a sign indicating when we’d be back. Jonathan was nowhere in sight, so it was just me and the techs.

“Always on the dot,” laughed Sheryl, shaking her head.

“What can I say? I want my lunch break! It’s been a busy morning, kids,” she joked from the waiting room. “There were three patients waiting before we were even open!”

My cheeks heated up again due to guilt. If I had arrived on time, then maybe they wouldn’t have been overwhelmed.

“Busy days are the best because the day goes by faster,” Carmen mentioned as we walked off the floor and out to the break room. Her high, black ponytail swung in an adorable manner. “Right, Lina?”

I nodded awkwardly. I meant to reply to her when Jonathan came into my line of sight. He was standing by the table and rolling up his sleeves. His corded arms were a testament to how much time had passed since we’d last seen each other.

This was the first time I had truly taken him in, observing how he had matured since high school. He used to be a lean and lanky kid with long legs. Now, he’d gotten a wider frame, with thick arms and even thicker and stronger legs—looking more like a man instead of the boy I remembered.

And yet, he was still somehow similar to the teenager he used to be. Mature in looks, yes. However, I wasn’t sure about his personality. Had he always been this . . . prickly? I could’ve sworn he was warm and friendly back in high school.

“Yes, we get pizza today!” cheered Sheryl, gesturing to the table where the two pizzas were, along with cups of coffee from a popular café nearby. “Thanks for treating us to lunch, doc!”

“You know, you didn’t have to get each of us coffee as well,” mentioned Carmen. “I know you want an excuse to top up on your addiction, but really?”

Jonathan shook his head at their statements, a wide and genuine grin on his face. Before he could answer, Grace chimed in, “You know how he gets with his withdrawals.”

All the technicians laughed as I grabbed my jacket and purse. I didn’t have time to pack lunch earlier, so grabbing a bite at one of the mom-and-pop restaurants nearby was my best choice. There was a Vietnamese phở shop conveniently located at the corner or, if I were up for a walk down the street, I could get some pupusas for lunch instead.

“Dr. Lee, why don’t you have lunch with us?” asked Jonathan.

I stared at him. Was he actually inviting me to eat with them? From his flat and uninterested tone, I knew he didn’t want me there. The grin he wore earlier faded into a thinly pursed, plastered-on smile. The techs glanced back between us when my silence stretched too long.

“No,” I quipped without thinking. My voice was much harsher and firmer than I intended. “You should enjoy your lunch together without me.”

To my confusion, his brows formed a divot, like he was displeased with my answer. Wasn’t this what he wanted?

Grace quickly spoke up in his place. “Please have lunch with us, Lina. Jonathan bought enough for everyone, just a casual way to celebrate a new team member signing on,” she beamed. “Come and join us!”

“Yeah, join us!” added Sheryl.

“We promise we don’t bite,” Carmen laughed, grabbing a coffee off the table and drinking it.