Playing Doctor

Chapter Thirteen

mate [meyt] - noun

1. a spouse.

2. a helper or aide.

- verb

1. to bring together for breeding purposes.

By mid afternoon I'd convinced myself that I needed to go to the children's clinic again. Just to talk to Dee about Gray and make sure he was a decent doctor. I was ninety-nine point nine percent sure that his comment about the trocar was simply meant to bait me and not a reflection of ignorance on his part, but that point one percent niggled at me.

This was not an excuse to see Gray. Nor was it an excuse to spend time at the clinic. I just wanted to set my mind at ease.

Really.

"Excuse me, miss. Are you open?"

I wanted to ask him if he thought I'd stand here behind the counter otherwise, but that probably wasn't the "kick ass customer service" Walter was always talking about. So I smiled and said, "Yes. Can I help you?"

He pushed a movie toward me. "I'd like to rent this."

The Wedding Crashers. I glanced at the man. He didn't look like he'd be interested in films about marriage. "Your phone number please."

I typed it in as he recited it and his account popped up on the computer scene before me. It wasn't his perfect rental record that caught my eye but his perfect name: Charles Brown.

Looking up, I studied him more closely. Plain brown hair, unremarkable dark eyes, pleasant smile, no wedding ring. And if the Brown Plumbing emblem on his shirt was any indication, he was a plumber by trade. Definitely mate potential.

Gray's handsome face flashed before my eyes, and I felt a flash of guilt.

Then I got angry. I owed nothing to Gray. It wasn't my fault that he kept hovering around me. We weren't dating, so it wasn't like I was cheating if I wanted to ask another man on a date. I surely didn't ask him to kiss me. Not that a couple innocent kisses meant anything.

Fine-maybe they weren't all that innocent. My cheeks flamed with what I'm positive was embarrassment as I remembered the way I'd melted just moments ago.

Sigh.

"Is there a problem?" he asked.

"Not at all." I tried to smile. As I finished the transaction, I'd made a decision. I waited until he walked out the door before I wrote down all his pertinent information, including his work phone number. I needed to keep my options open.

The door swung open and Griffin shuffled in. When he saw me, he raised a fist in the air. "Yo dude."

I ignored the impulse to correct his posture and just nodded at him.

"What's the word?" he asked as he shrugged his coat off and let it fall onto the floor.

Clenching my hands, I ignored that too. "Are you on duty? Because I'd like to take a break."

"Well, I don't start for another two minutes-"

"Great." I smiled winsomely and stepped around the counter. "I'll just let Walter know."

Before Griffin could say a word, I hurried to Walter's hovel and knocked on the door. A muffled reply a moment later bade me to come in.

Pushing open the door, I stuck my head in. "I need to step out a second. But I'll be back in a few minutes."