Parker glanced at his watch. It was quitting time.
He had enjoyed working the night shift with Sebrina and another doctor named Carla Burns. The three of them had been kept busy, but thankfully, there had only been one emergency to resolve. Other than that, the night had gone smoothly.
Parker liked Ravene—she was highly efficient. But then, he’d found that to be a common attribute among all the nurses he had been blessed to work with over the years. And that was why, when Rosemary Nestor had complained about the nurses at the hospital, he had set her straight.
“Ready?”
The corners of his lips curved into a smile when he turned and saw Sebrina. His gaze took her in, from head to toe. Even in a lab coat, she was beautiful. It had only taken one night of working with her to know what Mr. Miller and her cousin Rae’jean had said was true. She was an exceptional doctor. She had a way with her patients that was seldom seen among doctors of her caliber. And he noticed everyone she worked with treated her with the utmost respect. She never talked down to anyone, no matter who that person was. He’d even witnessed her getting a smile from the night janitor. Parker believed you could tell a lot about a person’s character by the respect they received.
It was quite obvious that like Parker, she loved being a doctor…and was very good at it.
“Yes, I’m ready. I’m also hungry. What about you?” he asked, walking beside her toward the elevator. It was the changing of the shifts and they were getting attention. He didn’t mind, and it seemed she didn’t either.
“I’ve never had what one would consider a hearty appetite,” she said. “Except for when it comes to ice cream.”
He grinned as they stepped on the elevator and was glad it was empty. “Is that why the freezer is loaded with butter-pecan ice cream?”
“Guilty as charged. I know you went grocery shopping. Between the ice cream and microwave dinners, I apologize for taking up so much of the freezer space. I can rearrange things.”
“No problem. I managed to get all my stuff in.” When the elevator came to the ground floor, they stepped out, and he turned to her. “I wanted to tell you how much I enjoyed working with your crew last night.”
“And we enjoyed having you.”
“Thanks.”
They had just walked out the building when he heard his name being called. He cringed, recognizing that annoying voice. But good manners insisted he acknowledge her, even if he didn’t want to. “Good morning, Rosemary.”
“Good morning, Parker. You’re headed the wrong way, aren’t you?”
Before he could response, Sebrina added, “Good morning, Rosemary.”
Parker figured Sebrina was showing she had class, even if Rosemary didn’t. It hadn’t gone unnoticed that Rosemary hadn’t acknowledged her presence.
“Good morning, Dr. Bennett,” she said, then quickly returned her full attention to Parker.
Parker couldn’t help noticing that although Sebrina had referred to Rosemary by her given name, the other woman had referred to Sebrina by her professional one. Why? Had she done it to make a point, as if she preferred for them not to be on a first name basis? And if so, why? The thought bothered him. “And what makes you think I’m headed the wrong way?” he asked her.
She glanced at her watch and then smiled up at him. “We’re on duty in a little bit.”
“Not today, I’m not. I covered for another doctor last night, so I have the rest of the day off,” he said. Not that it was any of her business.
“Oh. I didn’t know that.”
He held back from asking her why she’d think she’d know anything about his schedule but instead, said, “If you don’t mind, Sebrina and I are going out for breakfast, then we’re headed home.”
“Oh,” she said the word again, looking at Sebrina then back at him. “You said that as if the two of you are going home together.”
“We are,” Parker said.
The brazen woman actually seemed shocked. “You are?”
“Yes.”
“But how? Why?” she asked, like she had every right to know.
“Because we share the same address. Sebrina is my housemate.”
“Your housemate?”
“Yes. Now if you’ll excuse us, it was a long night and I’m starving.” Then he and Sebrina walked off, leaving an open-mouthed Rosemary staring after them.
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
“I HOPE I WASN’T out of line when I mentioned to Rosemary that we’re housemates.”
Sebrina shook her head. She and Parker were now seated at a table in the café and were waiting for the waitress to take their order. “It was bound to get out. I assumed Rosemary knew since the two of you are dating. She hadn’t said anything about it to others, so I figured you preferred keeping it a secret that we’re housemates.”
“Rosemary and I aren’t dating. And there’s no reason to keep the fact that we’re housemates a secret. Why should we? We’re adults, Sebrina.”
“I agree,” she said.
What she decided not to point out was that Dr. Nestor could be a problem, regardless of whether she and Parker were an item or not. Although Rosemary was a colleague, Sebrina had never worked closely with the woman. However, she’d heard from others that Rosemary thought a lot of herself and had a bit of an entitlement complex. Whatever, or whoever, she felt she deserved, she expected to get. And apparently, she’d set her sights on Parker.
“So, you’re having the pancakes,” she said, deciding to change the subject.
“Only because you’ve convinced me how good they are.”
“You won’t be disappointed, trust me.”
“I believe you.”
As they waited on their meal in silence, she tried to think of something else to say, something to break the web of lust winding around them. She could feel the sexual energy flowing between them, even more powerful now than the day they’d met. That was not good.
Gossip flew through the hospital faster than any virus. And now that Rosemary knew she and Parker were housemates, everyone else would know as well.
Sebrina could just imagine the scrutiny they’d receive, with everybody watching to see if anything romantic developed between them. And if someone picked up on the sexual chemistry they seemed to generate, they’d never get any work done. Ravene had already noticed and had called her on it.
“Have you heard from your sister since she left?”
Sebrina appreciated him bringing an end to the awkward silence. “I’ve spoken with her a couple of times.”
“Is she enjoying the cruise?”
“Yes, even though, for her, it isn’t a pleasure cruise. She’s working, putting together a review on the ship, and the trip in general, for the newspaper she works for. But I’m sure Monica is finding time to have some fun as well.”
“Australia is a great place.”
“You’ve been there?”
“My parents and I lived in Sydney for a year while I was in elementary school. Then we moved to Spain for a few years before finally landing in Paris.”
“Sounds like you and your family moved around a lot.”