Romance: Trysts No. 1 - Dr. Carter & Mrs. Sinn

Dr. Carter & Mrs. Sinn

on the drab white hospital gown, with the opening in the front, as she'd been told. The cardiologist's office looked like any other doctor's office, she told herself. The subspecialty didn't matter. All offices had the same things: a table streaked with a roll of paper that was changed out for each new patient, a stool for the doctor, a desk for the doctor's things, a sink to wash hands in, and a few dog-eared magazines to keep you occupied while you waited.

Of course you always had to wait for the doctor. Someone was going to be the person who had to wait. It was unlikely they'd both show up at the exact same moment, so it made sense that it was the patient who waited. Still, Marissa had never been good at waiting. She stood on the floor, tapping her foot as she pivoted on her four-inch heels.

She felt a breeze blow through the gown's flap, which she was just holding together. She hadn't felt the need to tie the gown with those flimsy straps, because the doctor would need access to her chest. That's why it had to be tied in the front, rather than the back. The gown she'd received seemed the same size as any hospital gown she'd worn. She wondered if they came in any other sizes. Marissa was of average height at 5 feet, 4 inches. She had a well-toned body that she kept that way through yoga classes and a gym membership. She'd been going extra hard the past couple of weeks so she could look good in a bikini in just a month or so. It was already May, and she wasn't going to have things plopping out the side of her swimsuit, or blubbery thighs. Extending her leg at an angle, she smiled down as she admired how sleek it looked after her weeks of workouts. She raised her leg so her knee touched her chest and her foot was near her ear. Damn, she was flexible, thanks to all that yoga.

There was a knock on the door, so Marissa lowered her leg, walked over to the patient table, sat down, and called out, "Come in."

In walked the Dr. Carter. He was a handsome man: almost six feet tall, chestnut brown hair, freckles, broad strong shoulders and a powerful gait. He was wearing a stethoscope around his neck, but no white coat, like she had expected. In his left hand, he held a manila file folder.

"Mrs. Sinn," the doctor said, extending his right hand to her and flashing a brilliant smile of gleaming white teeth. "I'm Dr. James Carter, your cardiologist."

"Where's your white coat?" she asked.

He chuckled, revealing the dimple in his left cheek. "You're the last patient of the day. I told Becky I'd squeeze you in. Normally, she'd do some of the advance stuff like taking your pulse and blood pressure, but she got a call about her son being sick and had to leave early. Don't worry. I'll take care of you."

Marissa grinned at him, liking the sound of that. His build was muscular and sculpted, his beefy chest hugging his polo shirt. She was absolutely certain he could take care of her every need.

Dr. Carter opened the file in his hand and glanced at its contents. Then he set it on the desk and took a couple of steps toward her, so he stood next to the padded table she was sitting on. "You're 35, so still quite young, and you look in pretty good shape," he said, his eyes roving her body. "What brings you to a cardiologist?"

Marissa turned to the doctor, licked her lower lip, and then began. "Well, Doctor, I've been having these palpitations," she said, a quiver in her voice. "They occur fairly regularly, and they frighten me. I don't want to suddenly keel over."

"Palpitations?" The doctor stared at Marissa's red shoulder-length hair. It was cut in a bob and seemed to fascinate him. "Umm, are there any other symptoms when you have these palpitations — sweating, shortness of breath, fatigue?"

Marissa nodded, the red hair bobbing as she did. "Yes," she whispered. "All of those things."

Dr. Carter put a hand to his chin. "How often do these incidents occur?"