Chapter 13

Connor

“Dr. Rex?” called out the receptionist as I strode through the lobby of the clinic floor.

“Let me guess,” I said. “The board wants to see me?”

The nurse flashed me a knowing look as I turned around on my heels and headed back to the elevator.

Once on the way up, I found myself wondering if the performance last night did the trick. True, Alice did get a little…carried away when the subject of our past was brought up, but the more I thought about it, the more I realized that this likely made the whole thing easier to swallow. After all, we did have a history, so it’s not as though she and I had to do much pretending.

But this brought its own problems, ones that would have to be addressed.

The doors slid open and moments later I stepped through the doors leading to the boardroom. Lionel, Earl, and Wendy were seated on one side of the table, and to my chagrin, Richter was seated on the other side.

“Morning, all,” I said, playing it as cool I could, despite realizing that this meeting likely involved a decision that they’d made regarding the promotion.

Sliding into the high-backed chair across from the board and next to Richter, I knew that I was about to get some very good news, or some very bad.

“Richter,” I said, giving my competition a little nod.

“Connor,” he said, his voice prim as he looked straight ahead.

“Everyone’s here,” said Lionel, folding his hands on the lacquered surface of the table. “Good. First of all, I’d like to thank you, Connor, for inviting us over for such a lovely evening. It was wonderful to meet your fiancée. She struck us all as a lovely young woman.”

“And so pretty!” said Wendy.

Earl added a nod.

Relief blossomed out from my stomach. This meant that they’d bought the lie. Good.

“As you both have likely guessed, we’ve brought you both here today to let you know that we’ve reached a decision regarding the promotion.”

I couldn’t help but lean forward in my chair.

“And…we’ve decided to go with Dr. Rex.”

It took all the restraint I had not to fist pump right then and there.

“What?” shot out Richter. “He puts a ring on some girl and now he’s qualified to be the head of a surgery unit?”

“That…had nothing to do with our decision,” said Wendy. “As pleasing as it is to see Dr. Rex finally settle down.”

Little did she know, I thought, my eyes flicking to Lionel for a brief moment.

“He’s simply the one we most easily see in the role,” said Earl. “But that doesn’t mean your future here isn’t going to continue to be bright, Dr. Delahunt.”

Richter glowered, seemingly unaware that his sour attitude likely wasn’t endearing him to the board. He’d always had a hot temper and the bad kind of competitive streak—two qualities that don’t exactly make one a good fit for a position as lead cardiac surgeon.

“But,” said Lionel. “There’s a little more to the job, as we just found out.”

I raised an eyebrow.

“What do you mean?” I asked. “You going to put me in charge of the ENT wing too?”

The scowl I spotted on Richter’s face made it clear he didn’t think that my joke was particularly funny.

“No,” said Lionel. “We’ve actually been in touch with Evergreen Sinai Hospital in Los Angeles regarding a possible exchange program between the two facilities.”

“A what?” I asked.

“Something to bring fresh blood into our two hospitals—so to speak,” said Earl. “In short, we’re looking to send them one of our best surgeons to head up their cardiac unit for a time, and they’re going to be doing the same for us.”

It began to dawn on me just what this meant.

“So…you’re going to be sending me to LA?” I asked.

“That’s the plan,” said Wendy. “We all think it’s be a lovely idea. You’ll have a chance to make a fresh start in a new city with your new wife.”

“But I don’t want to make a fresh start,” I said. “I’m perfectly happy here in New York.”

“Well, to put it bluntly,” said Lionel. “You’re getting to be too prestigious, not to mention expensive, of a talent for us to keep on board here. They’re not just sending us one doctor in your place, but two. Between them and Dr. Delahunt, they’ll be heading up the cardiac unit here.”

“But none of us will be the official head of the department?” asked Richter.

“That’s right,” said Earl. “Cost-cutting measures, you see.”

Richter clearly wasn’t happy about this.

As for me, the news of my being transferred went off like a bomb. I couldn’t believe that I was expected up and move, just like that.

“You’ll be well-compensated for your trouble, of course, Dr. Rex,” said Earl. “You’ll find that once you’re settled in, this will have been more than worth it.”

“A whole new city to conquer,” said Lionel. “This time with a loving wife at your side.”

“Not to mention that I’m sure she’ll vastly prefer the sun of California to the gray and grime of New York,” said Wendy, a bland smile on her face.

I wanted to argue, I wanted to make it clear just how unhappy I was about all of this. But I’d gotten what I wanted—I was going to be the new head of the cardiac unit. Just not at my hospital, and not in the town that I’d called home for nearly a decade.

“When does this all go down?” I asked.

“You have a month to get your affairs in order and to prepare to hand things off to Dr. Delahunt and the rest of the staff.”

A month, I thought. I took a deep breath and held in my protests.

“Will that be all?” I asked.

“That will be all,” said Lionel. “And congratulations.”

I thanked the board and hurried out of the room.

“The golden boy wins again.”

I turned around and there was Richter, staring at me with those slivered eyes set deep in his gaunt face.

“Doesn’t feel like much of a win to me,” I said, letting my guard down for a brief, regrettable moment.

Richter rolled his eyes, making it clear just how much sympathy he had for me.

“Sorry that your promotion isn’t what you hoped it would be,” he said as the two of us made our way back to the elevator. “I can only hope that the increased salary will provide you with some cash you can use to dry your tears.”

“Green’s not a good color for you, buddy,” I said as we stepped into the elevator.

Richter ignored my barb as the elevator doors shut.

“It was a pleasure meeting your fiancée last night,” he said. “You two seem to have quite the history together.”

“She’s a great girl,” I said.

“She must be,” said Richer, “if you proposed to her so soon after happening to meet her again. Though, I did seem to notice that your recollections of how that particular meeting took place were a little…fuzzy.”

“It’s just been a crazy month or so,” I said, keeping my tone calm and cool.

“I bet it has,” said Richter. “And I couldn’t help but notice how quickly Lionel was to name you for the promotion as soon as he found out you were engaged. Old-fashioned guy like him probably feels a lot better with a family man for a job like that, I’d imagine.”

I wanted to scowl, but I kept my face as impassive as possible. Richter may have been a prick, but he wasn’t stupid.

“Who knows?” I said. “Just happy that things turned out the way they did.”

“I’m sure you are,” said Richter as the doors slid open. “Let’s hope that things continue to turn out so fruitfully for you.”

With that, he stepped out into the lobby, leaving me wondering just what he knew, and what, exactly, he was planning to do with that information.