“You don’t know her,” I say defensively.
I’m not ready to let her go. We haven’t even kissed, and that’s goal number one. No one should say I don’t have goals and aspirations.
“And you do?” Sanford finally joins the conversation.
Everyone turns to look at me. I bet they think I’ve already fucked her.
“I just met her.”
“She won’t last,” Lang claims.
“I’ll convince her to stay,” I assure him.
He scoffs. “You’re the reason she’s going to run.”
“We’re cool. She’s warming up to me. Just this morning—”
“He’s already annoying the fuck out of her. I can feel it,” Beacon interrupts me.
“You’re not here. You don’t have a say.” I glare at him.
“Ha! Are you still mad because you can’t find your car?”
Last Saturday, my car disappeared. He hired someone to help him. I just need to figure out who, so I can take care of their car. In the meantime, I have big plans for Beacon.
“You asshole, wait until you see what happens to your bike,” I threaten him.
He leans closer to the camera. “Don’t mess with Becca.”
I grin. “Well, you should’ve thought about that before you hid my car.”
I haven’t done anything to Becca, yet, but I think just the idea of doing something to his custom motorcycle is torture enough.
“Can we stop with the pranks?” Lang asks like an annoyed father who can’t control his children.
I shrug as if saying there-is-nothing-else-to-do-in-this-godforsaken-town.
Lang shakes his head and tries to continue the meeting. Except Beacon talks about Grace’s tour with the Vienna Philharmonic, and we even discuss Mane's life. He wants us everyone out of the farmhouse because he and Nydia want to start a family.
“Can we focus?” Lang asks. “I don’t care about everyone’s current life situation. We can talk about that in the group chat or whenever. We should jump on a call with Hayes Aldridge.”
“What do you want with my brother, Lang?” Beacon grunts.
“He can help us hire a doctor since he is one.”
“Nathalie is not going anywhere,” I repeat, annoyed that he’s ignoring me.
Lang glares at me. “You’re on a first-name basis with her, Fish?”
“He’s interested.” Manelik pushes me under the rhetorical bus.
Thank you, friend.
“Stay away from her,” Lang warns me.
“No one is getting close to the good doctor. I’m just being neighborly. The woman is stubborn. She can’t understand that the area upstairs is not an apartment. Someone has to feed her, you know.”
“Why can’t she rent a house?” Sanford asks.
“She doesn’t have the money,” Lang explains.
“Let me guess, you already ran a background check,” I groan.
“As one should do when you have her living under your roof,” he justifies himself. “Her parents and brothers are doctors too. Her mother comes from old money. They’re one of those crazy families who can trace their lives all the way to the Mayflower days. Her father was born in Luna Harbor. He’s a prestigious neurosurgeon. Her mother is a cardiologist, her fa—”
He stops mid-sentence, looking at his tablet
“What were you going to say?” I ask.
He sighs, almost exasperated. “Their family is complex, like many wealthy American families. Her parents are snobbish, and I got the feeling they expect nothing but perfection from their children. Which makes me believe they’ll ask their child to reconsider and she’ll move back to the city.”
Lang would know. His parents are just like that. I wonder if Nathalie’s family is formed by a bunch of assholes like the Langdons. No wonder she ran away from New York and is hiding in the middle of nowhere. Will she go back?
“The father is in his mid-eighties. The mother is almost eighty. Her brothers are in their fifties,” Lang continues.
Sanford frowns, staring at me, almost horrified. “So, she’s an old lady? That’s creepy even for you, Fish.”
I stare at him, mouth agape.
“Dude, she’s almost your mother’s age.”
I slap him on the back of his head. “She’s not that old.”
“She’s in her late twenties,” Lang ignores us. “She worked for an ER up until last week. She’s good at what she does. We don’t have a fast-paced environment. I give her a month.”
“Maybe she’s looking for something different,” I argue.
He shakes his head but lets it go. “Anything else we need to discuss?”
Mane’s siblings leave the meeting. We have a few matters to discuss about The Organization. Sanford is heading to Seattle to get ready for a mission. It’s weird to know he’s going without us, but that’s the way things are. He’s one of the best snipers in The Organization. I understand why they’re willing to break one of the cardinal rules. No one works with another team.
“Well, gentlemen. We’re set. Next Wednesday, two chefs are going to visit the town. They’ll be cooking for Fish. Whoever he likes will be staying in Luna Harbor.” I almost hug him. He’s getting me more people. But then he goes and ruins everything. “Fish, keep your dick and tongue to yourself.”
“Why must you always wound me? I’m a saint.”
He glares at me.
I’m not a saint, but I don’t fuck around carelessly. Just because I come on strong doesn’t mean I sleep with every single person I flirt with. Plus, I’m saving myself for the new doctor.
Chapter Eight
Nathalie
A blast from the past.
This can’t be happening.
I’m ready to leave this town—forever.
Not that I would. If anything, I need to show Amber that I can do something for myself. This might be a crazy plan, but at least it’s for me.
Nothing is what I expected, including my new, shiny workplace. The three times I had been in the medical practice, I entered through the back to go to the bathroom that's right by the door. There’s a nice shower that I can use anytime I want, but I didn’t take a good look at the place. I should have before Fisher was kind enough to return the U-Haul.
Go back home, Nathalie.
It looks the same as it did twenty-some years ago. The place has flowery wallpaper, almost like how Grampa used to have it back when I visited. Even then, it was really old. How they preserved the seventies look is beyond my comprehension.
The burnt orange carpet makes me cringe. This is ugly.
Dr. Westbrook mentioned the landlords rebuilt the practice.
That’s a big lie.
The equipment is old too. I hope the nurse knows how to use the baumanometer. I haven’t used one of those since…my first year of med school? Probably not that long ago, but I’m used to the electronic blood pressure monitors we use in the hospital. Well, the nurses are the ones who check the vitals, not me. Nurses are miracle workers. They’re guardian angels for patients and doctors. I hope the one who works for us is just like Noreen. Actually, I wish I had the money so I could’ve brought her with me.