One Hot Doctor by Sarah J. Brooks
Chapter 33
Thomas
I’m reading an online medical journal when my laptop beeps with a new email. I click on it, and my heart beats faster when I see that it’s from the recruitment agency.
“Yes!” My voice echoes in the living room as I read the email letting me know that I am the top candidate for the position at Mercy Hospital.
I’m beyond thrilled. I’m ecstatic. I shoot them an email to formally accept the position and shut down my laptop. It’s been months of grueling interviews, and sometimes I’d lost hope that I would get it. I feel as if I’ve run a marathon and I’ve just crossed the finish line.
I glance at the time. It’s four. Cora has two more hours on her shift. I’m too jittery to wait until she gets home to share the news with her. I’ll go and have a drink at The Caroline to celebrate.
I sprint upstairs and swap my shorts for a pair of denim trousers. My black T-shirt is decent, and after grabbing my car keys, I head out. I take the long route to avoid traffic. It takes me by Cora’s apartment building, and as I drive by, I’m surprised and worried to see how fast they’re moving. Everything looks perfect from the outside. There’s no sign there had been a fire only months ago. In fact, it looks ready for people to move back in. I try to imagine Cora not in my house, and a sick feeling comes over me. I’ve gotten used to having her around, and when she leaves, it’ll take time, but I’ll get used to not having her around.
At The Caroline, I park next to Cora’s car and make my way to the front entrance. The air is buzzing with conversation, and the bar is already three-quarters full. Every time I’ve come for a drink, it’s been like that. Ian and Caroline hit the jackpot with the location and ambiance of the bar. It’s patronized by professionals like me looking for a nice classy joint to have a drink and a conversation.
I don’t see Cora when I enter, but as soon as I slide onto a barstool, I see her walking from the kitchen carrying a bowl. It’s as though she senses my presence because she glances to the right, and our gazes meet. A look of joy flits across her face. I grin like an idiot and blow her a discreet kiss.
“Hey, Thomas,” Tom, the giant of a bartender says. “Nice to see you. What can I get you?”
“Hi, I’ll have a cold beer, please.”
I swirl my chair around and watch Cora as she goes to another table with four men. She takes their order and laughs a lot as she does so. I can tell they are flirting with her, and a sharp stab of jealousy goes through me. I swirl my chair back to find Tom holding my beer and staring at me. Embarrassment washes over me.
“My girlfriend is a bartender too,” he says as he places my beer on a coaster in front of me. “I make a point of never having a drink in the bar where she works if I can help it.” He winks at me and then leaves to serve someone else.
I feel like an idiot and resist the urge to follow Cora with my gaze. I realize that it’s creepy and might result in me being banned from the bar.
Soft hands go around my shoulders, and I know immediately that it’s Cora. She kisses my cheek and walks around my stool.
“What a nice surprise,” she says, smiling at me.
“Yeah, I got an email that made me want to celebrate with you.”
Her eyes widen. “You got the job.”
“I did.”
“Congratulations,” Cora shrieks.
“What are we celebrating,” Caroline says, leaning on the counter. “Hi, Thomas.”
“Thomas applied for an opening at Mercy Hospital in the obstetrics and gynecology department, and he just got it,” Cora says.
Caroline grins. “Congratulations. That’s a huge deal. I’ll be able to boast to my friends that my son-in-law is a top guy at the hospital.”
“Mom, Thomas is not your son-in-law,” Cora says.
“Not yet.” She winks and leaves.
“Forget about her,” Cora says. “I have to go. Will you wait till the end of my shift?”
“That’s the plan,” I tell her.
Tom serves me another beer, and as I sit there enjoying my drink and the atmosphere, my thoughts return to Cora and the day she’ll move out. It’s approaching very fast. Soon she’ll get a letter telling her that it’s safe to move back into the building. Will she be comfortable with moving back into her building? I know I won’t, which is irrational thinking as they’ll have done all the checks to ensure that it’s fit to be lived in.
If she moves back to her apartment, who will be there to take her to the hospital when it’s baby time? Yes, I know she’ll have her phone, and she can call me or an ambulance when the contractions start to come. Unexpected things happen, though, and babies have been known to make their way out of their mothers without warning. Cora could be one of those women. I need to be close by to ensure that everything goes smoothly.
Then there’s also the issue of taking care of a newborn while she’s healing from the birthing process. She’ll need help, and I know how to take care of a baby. By my sixth glass of beer, I’m a hundred percent sure that Cora staying with me is the best idea.
I also suspect that I might have celebrated too hard and drunk more than I should have.
“I’m done,” Cora says, coming to stand by me clad in her street clothes.
I swirl around. “I’m ready.” My voice is slurring. I stand and follow Cora out.
As we walk to the car, she looks at me and laughs. “Are you drunk?”
An avalanche of emotion comes over me, and I lunge for her and pull her to me. The wave of emotion I feel makes me want to hold her as tightly as I can, but there’s the baby to think about.
Cora laughs and tries to push me away. “Let’s get in my car. We’ll leave yours here and get it tomorrow. You’re in no state to drive, Doctor Clarkson.”
I’m not going to argue about that. In the car, I fasten my seat belt and then turn to Cora. “Stay with me.”
She looks at me quizzically. “I am staying with you.”
“I drove by your building.” I’m struggling to get the right words out. Fuck. I’m a lot drunker than I thought. “The building is almost ready to be occupied again.”
What I want to say is important, and I don’t want to fuck it up. I gather my thoughts before speaking again. “What I mean is that you could stay with me until after the baby is born. I’m good with babies, and you’ll need more space than you have in your apartment.”
She raises an eyebrow. “How much space can a baby take, honestly? If your worry is space, don’t worry about it, we’ll be fine.” She turns the ignition key and reverses the car out of the parking slot.
“It’s not just the lack of space.” Nobody has ever accused me of lacking persistence. “It’s also about having someone to help you with the baby. Babies are deceiving. They look very tiny and peaceful, but the little rascals are a lot of work.”
She laughs, giving me hope that there’s a chance she might say yes.
“Let’s talk about it tomorrow when you’re less inebriated,” she says instead.
“Isn’t it easier to say drunk?” I ask her.
“Maybe, but it sounds nicer. Drunk sounds common, and if there’s one thing you’re not, it’s common,” Cora says with a laugh.
“I have no idea what you’re talking about, mother of my baby.”
We get home, and getting myself to move from the car to the house is a bit of a struggle. I stagger toward the living room, but before I get to the couch, Cora grabs my arm.
“I think it’s better if you go straight upstairs,” Cora says.
My male senses perk up. I encircle her waist. “Just what I need. I can’t wait to get you naked and make you scream.”
“You’re not going to make anyone scream tonight,” she mutters as we climb the stairs one at a time.
It’s slow progress, but somehow, I can’t make my feet move faster. I use the wall for support and make my way to our bedroom.
I collapse heavily on the bed and sit down at the edge.
“I’ll get your shoes off,” Cora says and kneels in front of me.
“I can do it myself.” I make a move to bend forward, but I guess the wiring in my brain is messed up because I flop down the opposite way and land on the bed facing up.
Cora giggles. “You’re funny when you’re drunk.” She lifts my legs and swings them to the bed. “Your legs are dead weight.”
Her voice sounds like it’s coming from very far. I raise my hands in a gesture that she should get on top of me.
