Page 13 of True Blue

“Goodbye, Teddy,” I nod, awkwardly.

Teddy smiles, “See you, Indie.”

Hours later, I’m walking out the front door and swinging my bag over my shoulder to head home. The smell of wet pavement hits my nose, making me grin. The sky is still overcast, and the rain left the air feeling muggy.

“Fresh pack of Red Bulls in the fridge.”

Turning, I see Phoebe off to the side, toeing the line of the designated distance between the building and where she can smoke. Phoebe is a self-proclaimed habitual line stepper, but when it comes to patient care, there’s no better.

“Muffins will be in the break room,” I say, giving her a nod. “Pleasure doing business with you.”

Her scratchy laugh follows me out to the parking lot.

I’m about to cross the street when I hear a voice behind me.

“Indie?”

Freezing, I whip around and see Teddy walking toward me. Still in the same clothes as earlier, but now with a navy Williams Electric hoodie covering his arms.

Shame.

Those arms should never be covered.

“Teddy, hi...” I glance around, searching for Ellie. “Uh, is everything okay? Is Ellie⁠—”

“Yeah, everything’s good!” he says, putting his hands in his pockets and shrugging. “I was… around. One of my jobs was in the area, and I remember you saying you were done every day at 6, and I... just wanted to make sure you got to your car safely...”

He trails off, going to scratch the back of his head before he realizes he still has his hat on and almost pushes it off his head. His reflexes are good because he catches it and readjusts it with both hands, hiding his face as he looks down, but I can see him cringe and squeeze his eyes closed.

Affection hits me hard.

“Thank you,” I say, gesturing around. “But the center is pretty well secured. Security is always around, but… thank you...”

I’m a woman who’s lived on my own forever. Vigilance is one luxury I do splurge on, hence the pepper spray and taser in my bag.

“Right, I know—and I know you don’t need me to keep safe,” Teddy adds. “You just mean a lot to my Nana, and I really appreciate the way you care for her.”

“I’m a doctor,” I mutter, even though his words wrap around me like a heated blanket. I joke, “Caring is sort of in the job description.”

“No, it’s the way you do it,” Teddy says, stepping closer to me. I stay rooted to my spot, letting him come closer—wanting him to come closer. “Not just about my Nana, but I’ve seen it with other patients. You care.”

My head tilts back to meet his eyes as he now stands right in front of me. His gaze is soft, but intense, with a gentle smile on his lips. His eyes trail all over my face in a way that feels more like admiring than scrutinizing.

I swallow, my brain sputtering to a start.

“You realize this is a little creepy, right?” I tease, trying to break the tension and chuckling awkwardly. Too late, I realize the flat tone makes it land wrong because Teddy’s eyes widen and he pales.

“Oh, shit—did I make you uncomfortable? Shit—I’m sorry, Indie. I just... I don’t really know what I’m doing—I just... I really like you⁠—”

“I’m not uncomfortable!” I shout, before wincing and glancing around the parking lot. A couple of people glance over concerned, but I just give them a small wave, cringing at myself.

Taking a deep breath, I speak at a normal volume, though my babbling problem returns.

“You don’t make me uncomfortable, Teddy. Quite the opposite, actually. I’m very comfortable with you. And Ellie. You two are kind of the brightest part of my days. It was just a bad joke. I'm sorry.”

The horrified expression instantly melts from Teddy’s face and he grins.

“So... would you want to grab a cup of coffee?”