Doctor Charmer (Doctors of Eastport General)

14. Chapter Fourteen

Chapter Fourteen

Reggie

“ Y ou’re in good hands, Claudia.” I make strong eye contact and am rewarded with a quick smile from my latest patient this busy morning. She arrived an hour ago complaining of chest pains, but all the signs point to indigestion. “We’re glad you came in when you did. I’ll be back in a few with the results from the lab.”

I nod, and Nurse Jimenez follows me out of the exam room. “Page Dr. Baron for a cardio consult and keep an eye on her. Let me know when the labs are back.” My feet find their way toward the nurses’ station, and Nurse Reynolds gives me the all-clear sign.

It’s been hectic since I arrived, and this is the first chance for a break. Typically, I’d take a swing through the ER and grab a coffee in the lounge, but all morning, my thoughts were the same: sneak upstairs to spend thirty seconds with Ivy.

“Headed up to five,” I say to Nurse Reynolds, and she gives me a short smirk.

“Say hi to Ivy for me.” My actions aren’t fooling anyone, least of all Nurse Reynolds. It normally takes months for new people to penetrate the giant walls Nurse Reynolds keeps around her. But in a few short days, Ivy was given an all-access pass. I’m not the only one she spun her spell over.

Two minutes later, I’m pushing through the doors to the room like a kid rushing into the Apple Store launch day for their latest iPhone. The optimism I feel deflates when I see Griffin is the only one in the room.

He’s sitting on the side of his bed, his feet swung to the side, inches above the floor, his phone in his hand. “Hey, Doc, looking for Coach?”

Like I said, I’m not fooling anyone.

I let my raised brows respond for me.

“Chelsea was going a little stir-crazy. Coach took her for a spin in a wheelchair. Said something about giving her the hospital tour. Yeah, I think she might have mentioned going to see the Christmas tree.” Griffin waves. “Or something.”

I try to keep the disappointment from my voice. “Thanks.” I turn when Griffin calls out.

“Do you have a quick minute?”

I turn and approach his bed, my arms crossed, wondering if he’s in pain. “You feeling okay?”

He gives me another wave, placing his phone on the bed next to him. “It’s about”—he glances over my shoulder, and I suspect he’s checking to see if we’re alone—“me and Chelsea.”

I bite my tongue and try not to snicker. He is not about to ask me, of all people, for advice.

He lowers his gaze, avoiding my eyes. “My friends are immature jerks, so I thought…”

“You like her?” I rip off the Band-Aid.

He shrugs. “I guess… I kind of do. But she only sees me as a friend.”

“Did she tell you that?”

He nods. “Yeah. It was months ago. All the girls on the team were hitting on me.”

This line does cause me to laugh out loud. “I’m sure you strutting around without a T-shirt had nothing to do with it.”

He laughs. “Okay, maybe I feed it a bit. It makes me feel good, seeing them like that. But it’s just harmless flirting.”

I thought that once. But one person’s harmless flirting is another person’s dream of picking out a white dress. I step in front of him. “Before I give you any advice, how far did you take the flirting? Did you mislead any of these girls?” I’m in my forties. Everything the kids do today is more sophisticated, more advanced, more everything. What I may have defined as harmless flirting twenty years ago might differ greatly from what is accepted today.

To make sure he understands what I’m asking, I give him what I approximate is a disapproving father stare.

His head shakes, his eyes sincere. “Never. Nothing like that. Honest.” Hand to chest, he’s half-shocked and half-insulted by my question. Good. That’s what I wanted to see. “Lunch table flirting, letting them pass me around at a school dance. Nothing I couldn’t admit to in front of my mother. As much as I love the attention, I am looking for a connection.”

“Someone that sees the real you.” I complete his thought, and it’s like looking in a mirror.

“I knew you’d get it.” He presses his palms to the bed next to his hips and leans back. “And I think… after spending all this time with Chelsea, I may have missed the one who matters.”

“You say it like it’s already over.”

“She’s never been a fan of my reputation.”

This elicits a laugh from me. “There is a way to fix that, you know that, right?”

He nods. “Of course. But if I do that and get all serious and deep on her, won’t she call BS on me and feel like I’m just showing a different version of me to get with her?”

“That’s certainly possible. Do you feel you need to be someone else around her?”

He shakes his head. “It’s the opposite. When I’m around her, I’ve never felt more like myself. At first, I thought it was because I knew she only saw me as a friend, so I could be goofy and admit to things I would never tell the others. She was a safe space.”

“She’s a good listener?” I ask.

“Incredibly so. But more than that. She sees me. She gets me. And that’s powerful.”

I can’t believe Griffin is pouring his heart out to me. I can’t believe he trusts me with something so valuable. “The best.” I let him know I understand what he’s saying. “Do you do the same for her?”

“Do I see her?”

I nod.

“I think I do. I’m just getting to know her. These last few days have been eye-opening.” He props himself up on his elbows. “I can’t believe I didn’t see her before.”

“You do now.” I glance over my shoulder, and I get the sense they’re not coming back anytime soon. “Use this time wisely. Talk to her. Laugh with her. Ask her about her plans after college. About her family. What makes her laugh.” I must get back to the ER. “Then make her laugh.”

He snickers, and I take two steps backward toward the door. He lowers his feet to the floor and stands. “Should I tell Coach you stopped by?”

I shake my head. “I’m pretty sure she assumes I already have.” The glint in his eye confirms he understands my response.

He’s not the only one trying to navigate an attraction to a woman who has them questioning everything they’ve done up to now.