Total pages in book: 77
Estimated words: 75640 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 378(@200wpm)___ 303(@250wpm)___ 252(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 75640 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 378(@200wpm)___ 303(@250wpm)___ 252(@300wpm)
Swallowing my snickers is almost impossible. “I’d love some water.”
“Coming right up!”
To my surprise, Ali’s exit doesn’t just allow for Slater to return to my bedside – where he immediately un-fluffs to aggressively re-fluff my pillow – but it also allows for my youngest brother – who is just two years older than me – to come barging in. “Arlez, you okay?!”
“Terence,” exasperation at my best friend can’t be contained. “You called Terence?”
“Of course, Wahl called me!” A defeated hand toss is wedged between sentences. “Why wouldn’t you want him to call?!”
“I didn’t say I didn’t want him to call.”
“Kinda sounded like that, Angel Cake.”
“Right?!” T gestures his large, dark palm Slater’s direction. “You heard it!”
“This,” my hands wave through the air, “is what I didn’t want!”
“See, I knew you didn’t want him to call me.”
“And who are you, if you don’t mind me asking?” Harv cautiously inquires, shoulders pushing themselves back to lengthen his spine.
“You don’t know her brother T?” Slater’s perplexity is unmistakable and swiftly redirected to me. “How does he not know your brother?”
“He never met him.” Assuming where the line of questioning is headed next prompts me to add, “Any of them.”
“Should he have?” T quirks a curious eyebrow. “Am I missing something?”
“Sounds like we both are,” sighs the southern accented man determined to make my headache worse.
“Terence meet our boss Harvey Lenkov. Harvey Lenkov meet my youngest big brother, Terence.”
The two shake hands at the same time T compliments, “It’s nice to know you care so much about your employees.”
Before Harv can imply we are anything else, Slater smoothly echoes, “It’s really nice to know he cares this much about his employees.”
Momentarily shutting my eyes is attached to a heavy inward sigh.
Any chance I could convince that sweet little thing to bring me a shot of tequila instead?
Tequila really does make everything better.
“What exactly happened?” T resumes speaking to me shifting my stare back to his. “All Wahl said was that there was an incident at work that he would be looking into and that you had been rushed here because of a concussion.”
“Possible concussion,” Harv attempts to amend.
“No, she has a concussion,” the unrequited love of my life immediately argues. “It’s just a matter of if it’s minor or major.”
T tosses Slater an inquisitive look. “They order a CT scan?”
“It’s been mentioned and will be mentioned again when her doc arrives.”
“Who is it?”
“Kurtzman.”
“Not a total tool.”
“But enough of one to insist she needs more than a band-aid and an icepack?”
“Oh, fuck yeah.”
“And this,” my finger wiggles between the two of them, “this is the other thing I didn’t want. I have a doctor to look after me, Dr. Carmichael. I didn’t need another.”
“You’re a doctor?” Harv immediately ponders out loud.
“A hepatobiliary surgeon to be exact while our oldest brother Monte is a hepatologist, one of the best in the country. We’re actually partners in the practice together. Pretty sure his fascination with the liver is to blame for mine.”
“I wasn’t aware you had two brothers.”
“She has three,” Slater cockily chastises.
“And is the third a doctor as well?”
“Medical malpractice attorney,” the other two men in the room state in tandem.
“You’re the only one who didn’t end up tied to the medical field?” My ex asks at the same time he drops his gaze down to me.
“Correct.”
“Interesting.” All of a sudden, Harv’s hand lands on top of mine. “I look forward to learning more about why-”
“She likes behaviors more than blood tests,” Slater declares for me.
“And sociology more than biology,” T casually announces.
He nods at the two of them prior to locking eyes with me. “I would love to know more of why that is from you directly. Maybe over dinner later this week?”
Displeased rumbles unexpectedly rattle my bed preventing me from responding.
Fuck. Me.
Can I get like a thirty second timeout?!
They at least get that in my favorite sport!
“This incident,” Terence loudly begins again, pulling everyone’s attention thankfully away from me, “was it an accident or an attack?”
“Attack,” Slater immediately replies.
“Who would wanna attack her?”
“Not a fuckin’ clue,” my best friend unhappily grumbles.
“I might have an idea,” Harv offhandedly claims, collecting all of our gazes.
In spite of the interrogation, I know that’s about to leave Cowboy’s mouth, I beat him to the punch. “Why would someone wanna hurt me?”
“It could have something to do with that email you sent me.”
“What. Email?” Slater aggressively bites.
“Arlette – I’m sorry – Arley,” he begins, words taking an unusual lighter shade, “sent me an email before she left for the night about some discrepancies. I haven’t had a chance to review it yet because I was on a call-”
“Which was why I walked to my car alone!” I excitedly recall. “I remember now! You asked me could you walk me to my car, I agreed, but then you never showed up-”