Love Me (The Elites of Cheshire shore #2)

2. Florence

CHAPTER TWO

florence

T here is something so satisfying about finishing a five-hour surgery. Throwing my surgical scrubs into the bin outside the operating room I quickly wash up and make my way to my locker. Since I’m still in my residency, I get lumped with a lot of surgeries and the shit the more senior anesthesiologists don’t want. Finishing my second big surgery of the day, my schedule is clear—I haven’t been paged for any emergencies so far. I can thankfully go home, after I eat something first. All I’ve had to survive on today is my turmeric and ginger shot, mixed berry oatmeal, and one of my homemade ginger and honey lollipops. Not the best idea, but I didn’t exactly have time to eat between surgeries, and the adrenaline has kept me going. The first thing I do when I open my locker is grab my phone and scroll through the notifications, before quickly checking my socials—bad habit, I know. I scan over the messages in the group chat with the Venuccio boys and type my response to the message Luca left, not bothering to see if Dante and Rome reply. My stomach gives a growl. Locking my phone, I tuck it into my pocket. Post-surgery always makes me hungry, especially when they’re back-to-back. I close my locker and make my way to the cafeteria as my phone rings.

“Did anyone ever tell you long distance sucks?” I say by way of greeting. Most people talk about long-distance dating being difficult, but no one seems to mention how hard it is to have your best friend live far away. Sure, FaceTiming is a lifesaver, but it doesn’t really compare to the physical contact aspect of having them next to you. Now, just being able to go on spur-of-the-moment coffee dates or brunches is a luxury we cherish when Lottie is in town during the off-season. Oh, and time zones fucking suuccck.

“I guess that’s why most couples break up.” Lottie’s laugh floats down the line and I grunt. She’s too right.

“I watched you in the Dutch race,” I tell her. My best friend is none other than Charlotte Croft, the first female Formula One racer and driver for Croft Racing, along with her brother Duke. I watch every single one of her races. What kind of best friend would I be if I wasn’t cheering her and Duke on every race?

“Fucking Grange,” Lottie swears. The feeling is mutual, that asshole really knows how to box Lottie in. At this point, I think he’s doing it on purpose. Last year, Croft Racing won the championship, with Lottie beating Duke by a single point. Watching her lord that one over her older brother has been hilarious, but this year, the poor thing can’t seem to win a single race all because Grange St. Crowe is making it his mission to sabotage them all.

“Someone seriously needs to dick punch that guy.”

Lottie perks up. “Do you think we can convince Duke to?”

I snort. “No. Remember Duke is the sweet one? And we all know Henley is all about appearances. Totally, Everett would have dick punched him then gone for his throat and finished off with not one but two nipple twisters.”

“Yeah,” Lottie says on a sigh. “Ev always has been the troublemaker out of us.”

Worrying my lips together, I instantly regret bringing up her brother. The Crofts aren’t on speaking terms with their youngest brother, it also doesn’t help he is racing for their rival team. It’s not just a sore spot, it’s more like an infected, festering wound. I’ve just rounded the corner when I run smack bang into a hard chest. “Shit,” I squeak. Pinching my stinging nose, I blink away the tears filling my eyes. There is just something about being hit in the face that has my eyes instantly watering.

“Oh shit.” Pulling the phone away from my ear, I shake my head and look down at the person I ran into. “Oh fuck, Dr. Hottie,” the stupid nickname Lottie came up with slips from my lips. Our new resident orthopedic surgeon, Dr. Archer Calloway, is fuck level hot, complete with an Australian accent that just does things to me. He’s not Rome level hot, but above average for sure. And he has Doctor in front of his name—it adds a few points to his level of hotness.

“What?!” I hear Lottie shriek through the phone speaker. While my dating life is dry, Lottie’s is the Sahara Desert during a drought kind of dry. Not that anyone can blame her, she is so focused on her career and she travels a lot. Plus, there’s the whole she’s an F1 driver , which some men don’t find attractive, and others do for the complete wrong reasons. That leads me to Lottie living vicariously through my dating life. She totally has a crush on Dr. Hottie, even though she is yet to meet him.

I quickly recover, putting my professional facade up. “I’m sorry, I didn’t see you there, Dr. Calloway.”

An easy smile graces his full lips, giving just a peak of his perfectly straight teeth. He is all surfer boy–like, with his piercing green-blue eyes that set off his golden hair with natural highlights that he ties half up in a man bun to keep out of his eyes. He’s different from the other doctors in the hospital who wear their straitlaced cold personalities like a name badge hanging off their coat. Archer Calloway is more laid back; I guess it’s the Australian in him.

“Florence, I was just looking for you.” He smiles, making the dimple pop in the corner of his cheek.

“Oh.” I cock my head to the side, well aware my friend is still listening to this whole conversation. Dr. Calloway hasn’t been working here long, and I’ve only been in the operating room with him a handful of times, it seems weird he would be looking for me.

“Do you need me to scrub in for surgery?” I ask. Usually when I’m needed for an emergency surgery it gets announced over the PA system. The surgeon doesn’t come and find you. But hey, there is a first time for everything, am I right?

“No.” He shakes his head, leaning casually against the wall. “I was wondering if you were free Friday night?”

“YESSSS SHE IS. SHE’S FREE EVERY FRIDAY NIGHT,” comes Lottie’s yell through the speaker of the phone. Way to make me sound like a cat lady. I regret not hanging up on her earlier.

“Oh, sorry.” Archer’s smile stays firmly in place, but a touch of amusement crosses his face. “I didn’t know you were on the phone.”

“It’s okay, I was just about to hang up.” My lips pull into a devilish smile knowing Lottie can hear every word I’m saying.

“Nooooo, don’t hang?—”

Silencing Lottie, I end the call, pocket my phone, and look back at Dr. Hottie, I mean, Archer.

“Ah, if it isn’t our very own Dr. Liu-Savino.” Dr. Moore appears behind Dr. Calloway. Just what I fucking needed today. My supervisor, who is pretty much the hospital bully, and enjoys intimidating me. Go figure, his job is to help teach inexperienced doctors, but somehow he finds breaking their spirits much more uplifting.

“Dr. Moore.” I nod to the chief of my department, also a complete and utter dickbag. He seems to be extra hard on me, before my mom decided on a career change, she was a general surgeon—that was how she met Dad, interning at the hospital. Too bad, Mom was already going out with Dick, when she met Dad. She came to her good loving sense and left Dr. Dick and married my dad, I guess I can’t really blame the guy for still being bitter. I just wish he would let up when it comes to me. I didn’t become a doctor because of my parents, I became one in spite of them. Certain personalities at the hospital think otherwise.

“I’m sorry, I thought this was a hospital, not a speed dating app you young people are so fond of.” Dr. Moore’s eyes bore into mine, intent on making me squirm, but I don’t flinch under his stare. A-hole. Dr. Dick Moore—yes, that is his actual name, it’s on the plaque on his door and all. Ever since I started interning and made my thoracic anesthetics major clear—Dr. Moore has had it in for me. Something about the fact he hated my dad, and thinks I don’t deserve my place in the residency program. Even though the degree hung in my apartment says otherwise.

“Oh, sorry, sir.” Dr. Calloway straightens, tucking his hand into the pocket of his scrubs. “Were you more of a fan of the old-fashioned introduction setup? Or have you been partial to the good ole swipe?”

I bite the inside of my cheek, my eyes flicking between the two men.

Dr. Moore swings his gaze to Dr. Calloway’s. “My private life doesn’t really matter to you, and these hospital hallways aren’t the place to gossip like we aren’t professionals who have a job to do.” He cuts a glare at me. “Don’t you have more surgeries to assist with?”

I expect Archer to be a bit angry over Dr. Dick’s scathing reply, but the guy just keeps smiling. It must be part of his laid-back charm, nothing affects him.

“Yeah, I’m pretty sure you’d break the age limit on those apps anyway,” I say so quietly so that only Archer can hear. He snickers, causing my lips to twitch, and I lift my chin to face Dr. Moore. “I’m finished for the day, I was just heading to the cafeteria to get something to eat.”

“Hospitals don’t keep working unless there are doctors to man them, we can’t all have our parents be benefactors.” He sneers and I resist the urge to block my nose—someone ate onion for lunch and needs a breath mint ASAP. It’s on the tip of my tongue to tell him that hospitals also don’t keep working without wealthy benefactors to pay his wage! But I know it will just make him come down on me harder, and I also don’t want to stoop to his level. With his last condescending remark, Dr. Moore turns on his heel. “Dr. Calloway.” He nods and leaves.

“Dr. Moore,” Archer replies before turning his attention back on me. “So Friday night?” Archer asks again. I blink at him.

“Let me check my calendar and get back to you.” I leave Dr. Hottie, and make my way to the cafeteria, my appetite significantly lessened. I don’t do relationships beyond dating the stage, and even then I tend to get bored really easily. I need to focus on my career and being in a relationship will get in the way of that. Besides, I like having control, and I can control my career, but I can’t control a relationship. It’s not like I don’t date, I’ve had my fair share of insignificant boyfriends and flings over these past few years. My longest relationship was four months, a feat I’m still proud of. But dating isn’t easy with my schedule, and the moment an I love you is exchanged, I know it’s time to leave. My phone rings and I answer, already knowing who it is.

Lottie doesn’t even bother to take a breath. “Please tell me you’re going to wear that purple dress, the one that makes your boobs look fantastic.”

“What would I be wearing the purple dress for? But thanks for telling me about the boob thing, I’ll remember to wear it next time I need a good boob dress,” I mumble, grabbing a sandwich from the cold cabinet and swiping my meal card. “We wouldn’t want my boobs to ever look anything but fantastic.” Mental note: definitely not wearing the purple dress on my hypothetical date.

“I know that tone,” she groans. “You turned him down, didn’t you?”

“I didn’t turn him down per se, I just told him I would check my schedule and get back to him.”

I make my way back to the staff locker rooms, I prefer to eat in the quiet of our staff locker room than in the busy cafeteria. I sit heavily down on the wooden bench in the center of the lockers.

“Whhhyyyyyy,” she whines as I pull off the film covering my sandwich.

“Because I’m not really looking for someone right now,” I say around my bite of chicken and avocado, pretty sure I have a dollop of mayo smeared over my cheek.

“He isn’t asking if you want kids and a white picket fence, he just wants to take you out on a date, maybe give you a kiss. If you’re lucky, fuck you too.”

I almost snort. If I’m lucky. My vibrator ensures that I get lucky nearly every day. I didn’t realize how hungry I was. I’m already halfway through the second half of my sandwich when I reply, “Yeah, I know. Besides, I’m spending Friday night with Nanai. We have movie plans. I guess it just wasn’t meant to be this weekend anyway.” We didn’t really, but we do now. I need to end this call, talking about my lack of a dating life always put me in a shitty mood. My grandmother, who I affectionately call, Nanai, is more like an older best friend. We do everything together, and I wouldn’t have it any other way. I love spending time with her, and Lottie and Luca do too. She has that effect on people.

Pulling into the driveway of my childhood home, I park the car, making sure to have the passenger’s side as close to the front door as possible. It’s the little things that show my nanai how much I care about her. Well, that and I’m making sure she doesn’t get her newly blow-dried hair wet too. Lifting my coat over my head, I round my car, jumping as gracefully as I can up the wet stairs without spraining my ankle or tripping over and breaking my nose, and ring the doorbell. Precisely three seconds later, my mom answers the door.

“Hi, Momma.” I dot my mom’s cheek with a kiss and squeeze past her.

“Florence, what are you doing here?” She eyes my outfit up and down, clearly unimpressed with my laid-back yoga pants and sweater ensemble. It’s like sixty degrees outside and has been raining all week, which only makes it feel even colder; fall is truly making herself known. There is no way I want to put stiff jeans on just to go to the movies.

“I’m taking Nanai to the movies, didn’t she tell you?” My eyes dart around the room, trying to find her.

“She did not.”

“Yes, I did,” Nanai announces, slowly walking into the foyer. I quickly run up and take her handbag from her and nearly fall over. The thing has to weigh a couple of pounds. “What the heck do you keep in here, bricks?”

She shrugs. “Just the important stuff.”

I stare at her, wondering what the heck constitutes as the important stuff. All she needs is her phone and a very small purse, not a chest with her fine bone china. I don’t bother questioning it; I just throw the weightlifting bag over my shoulder and smile at my grandmother. Blowing my mom a kiss, I usher Nanai out the door.

“Sorry, Mom, we gotta go, you know how Nanai gets when she doesn’t watch those opening credits.”

“Very grumpy,” Nanai calls and we both giggle.

“Love you,” we both singsong as I close the front door behind us.

After getting my nanai seated in my car, I click her safety belt in place. “Maybe we should have invited her.” The corners of my lips draw down in a small frown, suddenly feeling bad that we left my mom home alone on a Friday night as I recall the hurt in her eyes.

Nanai nods, her face sharing my forlorn look, before she breaks out in a grin. “Nahhh, she wouldn’t like how scandalous the movie is. Besides, I want me some juicy butt cheek to talk to my mahjong ladies about.”

A mixture of a snort and laughter bursts from my pursed lips. Trust Nanai to say the most outrageous shit. She has even less of a filter than Luca, and his is pretty nonexistent. Besides, she is actually the one who chose this movie. From the trailer, it looks like it will give that mafia movie 365 Days a run for its money. “You’re right.” I shake my head, starting the car. Mom would totally not approve of our choice of movie.”

“Wanna, tell me who you blew off to be with me tonight?” Nanai breaks through the silence in the car as we wait for the light to change. It’s really hard to get anything past this woman. For a second I wonder if Lottie has ratted me out. The only person who loves living vicariously through my dating life more than Lottie is Nanai. They talk to each other almost as much as Lottie and I do.

“ Nanai .” I mock outrage, eyeing my grandmother out of the corner of my eye. “I don’t blow anyone; I am an innocent young lady.”

“Innocent. My dear, I love you but”—Nanai tsks—“you do remember you shared your Kindle password with me because you are a kind and generous granddaughter who doesn’t want her Nanai to miss out on anything. But it also means the books you download automatically download onto my Kindle too?”

Oh fuck . My heart pauses for a beat as my cheeks heat. My nanai’s lips split in a smug grin. My use of a diversion just blew up in my face. Well fuck.

“We are going to watch that movie next time,” she mentions offhandedly.

My eyebrows pull down in a frown. “Which one?” I ask but instantly regret the question, the current series I’m reading is incredibly spicy, to say the least.

“The one about the powerful CEO with his dick pierced and he falls in love with his childhood best friend. Do you think they will show it on camera?”

My mouth falls open as the car behind me honks. “I think Passionflix does a lot of romances, we should get a subscription.” I purposely skip over the whole dick-piercing-on-camera thing. I don’t think I’m ready to have that conversation with my nanai, and she really shouldn’t have any clue what the heck that is. If I get her a Passionflix subscription, I can quietly take her off my Kindle and we won’t have to talk about my reading choices ever again. Nanai goes silent, mulling over my proposition, and I feel my tense muscles start to relax.

Then my nanai says, “I googled it you know.”

Ahhh fuck . Maybe going on the date was a better choice after all.