Chapter 25

Connor

My stomach sank as the elevator rose. It was the day after the debacle at the party and the board had called an emergency meeting.

I shook my head as I recalled the remainder of the previous night. Once Alice had burst from the apartment, it was just me, Lillian, and everyone else who’d walked in on the compromising scene. Lillian hopped off my lap as the guests stared at me with expressions of total shock, and she strode out of the room like nothing had happened.

A few excuses managed to sputter out of my mouth as I squirmed through the party and out the front door, the feel of every set of eyes in the place so intense that it felt like a hole was being burned into my back.

Alice didn’t respond to any of my texts and calls, of course. Part of me had hoped I’d come home and see her there seated on the balcony, that I’d be able to explain all of this to her, to let her know that she’d walked in on the exact moment that she shouldn’t have.

But I had no such luck. She wasn’t there. Alice had left her few things at my place and fled. I knew that I had to make that situation right, but for now, I had a meeting to contend with—a meeting that I knew was going to be as rough as they came.

I took a long, deep breath as I stood in front of the conference room doors. Steeling myself, I gave them a knock.

“Come in.”

The stern faces of the board greeted me as I stepped in. Lionel, Earl, and Wendy were all seated at the table. Not one of them even bothered with anything even resembling a pleasantry.

“Have a seat, Dr. Rex,” said Lionel.

I slipped into the chair across from the three and waited for the ax to drop.

“Quite a little show you put on last night,” said Lionel.

“Listen,” I said. “You all have to believe that it—”

“‘Wasn’t what it looked like’?” asked Wendy, raising her eyebrows with incredulity. “You’re really going to lay that old excuse on us?”

“Don’t insult our intelligence,” said Earl.

“But it’s the God’s-honest truth,” I said. “I went into your office, Lionel, to make a call. And as I was in there, Lillian came in and…made a move. And I was trying to leave, but she wouldn’t let me go.”

Lionel scoffed.

“Are you trying to tell us that a one hundred-and-ten pound nurse somehow prevented you from leaving?”

“What,” asked Wendy. “Did she pin you down with her cleavage?”

I opened my mouth to speak, but realized that there wasn’t a thing I could say that would get me out of this. They’d walked on me in the most compromising position imaginable, and trying to talk my way out of it would likely only make things words.

“As a senior member of the staff, you have a responsibility to act in a mature manner,” said Lionel. “And screwing around with nurses fresh out of school is the exact opposite of that.”

“And on the day of your going-away party,” said Earl. “What’s the matter with you? Do you just wander off in whatever direction your cock takes you?”

That was pretty salty language for a board meeting.

“It…It wasn’t that,” I said. “She came onto me, and I was doing all I could short of tying her up.”

“Everything short of leaving,” said Lionel. “Everything short of having some damned respect for your fiancée.”

Lionel’s words cut to the core. Was there truth to what he’d said? Sure, I resisted Lillian, but was there part of me that was intrigued by her little offer? I looked down for a moment and considered the matter.

No. Alice was on my mind the entire time.

“While it’s not against hospital policy to police personal behavior,” said Lionel, “I’m sure you’d agree that this sort of…nonsense is hardly becoming of the sort of doctor that we’re going to send across the country to represent our staff.”

“Does that mean I’m not going to LA?” I asked.

“No,” said Earl. “You’re going to go. But after some discussion, we’ve made the decision that you’re not quite ready for the responsibility of heading an entire cardiac unit.”

“After all,” said Wendy, “if you’d behave so egregiously with your family, what does that say about your potential in a position of such responsibility?”

“Perhaps I was wrong about you,” said Lionel, a sadness to his tone. “Maybe I got so drunk on the idea of you being some kind of wunderkind that I looked past red flags flapping right in front of my face. Maybe I was seeing things that weren’t really there.”

I felt like the bottom had dropped out from under me. And on top of everything else, this was all because of something that I didn’t even do.

Then again, did I really think I was going to put this lie past everyone and get out scot-free? Maybe this was the universe’s way of righting things.

“So,” I said. “Where does that leave me?”

“As we said, you’re still going to LA,” said Lionel. “But instead of being the head of the cardiac ward, you’re going to be there at a much lower position. Less responsibility and less pay. But it’s a level that you’ve proven yourself to be worthy of.”

I said nothing, the words hanging in the air.

“You might be able to make things right, Connor,” said Lionel. “But you’ve got a long climb ahead of you. During these last few weeks, I strongly suggest that you keep your head down and finish getting your affairs in order as smoothly as you can. That will be all.”

Part of me still wanted to say something, anything in my defense. But I knew it would be pointless. Defeated, I heaved myself up from my chair and left the office the way I came. Soon, I was back on my floor. The staff there shot my furtive glances as I walked past—none of them seemed to be sure of just how to interact with me.

On the way there, I passed Lillian. She regarded me with a cool expression, as if I were someone she’d never met before.

Once in my office, I whittled away the next few hours getting appointments for my patients. The morning shifted into the afternoon, and soon I was feeling the need to stretch my legs. I stepped into the break room and laid eyes on the last man that I wanted to see: Richter Delahunt. He was alone, seated at one of the tables, a cup of coffee in front of him.

“Afternoon, Connor,” he said, a pleased little smile on his face that I had to use every bit of restraint not to smack off.

“Afternoon, Richter.”

“I heard that you had a little meeting with the board this morning. All went well, I hope?”

He was pleased as goddamn punch and eager to rub my face in what had happened.

“That’s very sweet of you to be concerned about my future, Richter, but you can spare me.”

A look flashed on his face, as though he were considering his next words carefully.

“That Lillian’s a lovely girl. I don’t blame you for indulging in your…baser instincts. Back when I was her instructor at nursing school I’d be lying if I said that I wasn’t a little tempted from time to time.”

I raised an eyebrow at this.

“Wait a minute,” I said. “You know Lillian?”

Richter’s eyes widened. I could tell instantly that he realized that he’d said too much.

“I mean, yes, I knew her from back when.”

I walked slowly across the room, closing in on Richter.

“You knew this nurse who just happened to be partnered with me for orientation, who just happened to flirt with me like a horny fucking teenager from the moment she saw me, who just happened to put me in a compromising position at just the right moment to totally screw me over. Tell me, Richter, just why did everyone decide to come into the office at that exact moment?”

Richter’s eyes shot around the room, as if looking for someone who could help him out of his current predicament. But it was just the two of us.

“Come on, buddy,” I said. “You and I know that bullshit-weaving isn’t your strong suit. Lay it out for me—what the hell did you do?”

Now I was mere feet away from Richter. A worried expression painted his gaunt features and he formed his mouth into a tight, hard line, as if trying to block up a flow of words.

Finally, he burst.

“I was making things right!” he said. “You were about to get away with the lie of the goddamn century and get the position that I deserved!”

I snorted, pleased to hear the confession right from the source.

“So, you decided to enlist your little pal Lillian to frame me up, to make me look like a cheating piece of shit in front of everyone.”

“That’s right,” said Richter. “And truth be told, I thought it would be easier. I know the man you are—I figured I’d just need to dangle that piece of tail in front of you and you’d trip over your own goddamn feet to satisfy your…baser urges. We had to get creative, and it worked.”

I scoffed, my face now so close to Richter’s that I could feel his hot, nervous breath on my skin.

“Maybe you should’ve considered whether or not you’d have the balls to go through with this before you decided on this backhanded bullshit.”

I stepped back, my eyes narrowed into menacing slivers.

“What…what the hell are you going to do now?”

At that moment, two very distinct emotions ran through me: One of pure, controlled calm, the other the raging urge to clock Richter as hard as I could. I took a moment and let the latter pass.

“The real question is just what the hell you’re going to do, buddy,” I said, allowing myself a small smile. “You’re found out. You’re fucked. And I’m willing to bet if this is how easy you crack under the pressure, then your little redhead femme fatale isn’t going to do much better.”

“Then we call it even,” said Richter.

“Fat fucking chance,” I said, scoffing. “You cost me my promotion and you made me look like a shithead in front of the board and Alice. This isn’t going to be square until you come clean.”

I glanced away for a moment to collect my thoughts.

“So, here’s what we’re going to do: I’m gonna do some damage control with Alice. And in the meantime, you’re going to figure out just how you’re going to let the board know that you set me up. Got it?”

Richter mumbled something under his breath.

“Didn’t catch that,” I said. “Care to repeat it?”

“Fine,” said Richter, his eyes downcast.

“Good talk, champ,” I said. “See you again before too long.”

I gave him a wink as he looked up and I took off out of the break room. Back in my office I sat down in front of the computer. With a few quick keystrokes, I pulled up the local directory for Hemswood.

I had work to do.