CHAPTER THREE - GAVIN
“What were you doing back there?” I asked as soon as I sat down at my desk.
“What do you mean?”
She stared at me with those large, green eyes, and looked thoroughly confused. Not that I could blame her. I knew I was overreacting, but didn't really care. She needed to learn her place.
“It's your first day here, and this is a client I've been working with for months,” I said. “You waltzed in and tried to take over, which is not something I appreciate. Not at all. It undermines me. I don't like being cut off at the knees like that.”
“I didn't mean to undermine you,” she said. “He just looked scared. I wanted to make sure his questions were answered. That's all.”
“I had it under control,” I said.
“Sorry, it just looked like you were in a hurry and I – ”
“You thought you knew more than me about my own patient.”
Morgan crossed her arms in front of her chest and paced the room.
“Will you have a seat, please?” I asked.
She stopped pacing, but she didn't sit.
“Listen, Dr. Pierce, maybe I shouldn't have said anything, you're right. It's my first day. I'm sorry about that,” she said. “But you couldn’t even be bothered to answer his questions or try to make him a little less nervous. I mean, the guy is going under the knife the next time you see him. He was scared and I wanted to help ease his concerns – like a doctor should.”
“We'd already been over everything before, several times,” I said. “This was just a routine checkup, and had you not swooped in, I would have spent more time with him. But I was just so angry – ”
“And that's an excuse?” she said, biting her lip and staring down at me with an irritated look on her face. “You're a professional. You're a surgeon, one of the best in the field. If a woman being in the room with you, engaging with your patient, is going to be enough to throw you off your game, I seriously underestimated your abilities, Dr. Pierce.”
“Please leave,” I said.
She didn't hesitate. “You don't have to ask me twice.”
Morgan turned and left my office. She didn't slam the door or throw a fit, she merely walked out with her head held high and her tight little ass swishing as she walked. Damn, why did she have to be so sexy? No, she didn't deserve all that I'd just laid on her, but she was a distraction. It was hard to focus with someone so attractive in the room. And knowing that much, I knew that there was no way I could handle performing surgery with her nearby.
Yes, I handled my last appointment with Tyler McAdams poorly, but had Morgan not been there, everything would have been fine. That was why I didn't hire attractive women to work for me in the first place. Even Lila, as sweet as she was, was older than me and more like a mother than a potential date. I never had to worry about her distracting me. That relationship worked.
But Morgan Brooks – well, having her around would be a problem.
It was probably a good idea that she quit and let me be, honestly.
As shitty as that sounded, it was probably for the best.
***
Lila poked her head in my office a few minutes later.
“Where did Dr. Brooks run off to?” she asked.
“Hell if I know,” I said with a shrug.
“Do you know when she will be back?”
I shrugged. “Maybe never?”
“Well, that would be a shame,” Lila said, shaking her head. “Because Tyler McAdams is asking for her.”
“Of course he is,” I muttered under my breath. “Send him in.”
Lila nodded and went on her way like the obedient employee she was. A few seconds later, there was a knock on my door and in stepped Tyler McAdams, hobbling along on his crutches.
“Where's Dr. Brooks?” he asked.
“She stepped out,” I lied. “Have a seat.”
“I was really hoping I could speak to – ”
“I'm sorry, she's not here right now,” I said, massaging my temples – a headache was coming on from dealing with it all. Just fucking great. “I may not be as pretty as she is, but I promise, I have more experience and knowledge of medicine than she does. If you have any questions, I can answer them for you.”
Sure, maybe that was a bit rude, but it was the truth. Tyler frowned at me.
“It's not about how she looks, I'm married.”
Not for much longer, I thought as I remembered my morning with his wife, Tracy.
“It's just – I don't want to bother you with all my silly questions,” he said. “I know you do this every single day and it's easy for you. But this is my first surgery, ever, and I was hoping Dr. Brooks could ease my mind a bit, ya know?”
With a deep sigh, I nodded. I hated to admit it, but my bedside manner wasn't always the best. I got the job done, I made sure the athletes got to play again, but I wasn't the warm, cuddly type. “When she gets back in, I'll have her give you a call.”
“Thanks,” he said with a crooked smile. “And just so you know, I think it's awesome that you have her working with you now. I know you're a busy man, but having someone available to answer the mundane questions can be useful. I know a few guys who went elsewhere because of your tight schedule. But I think bringing Dr. Brooks in will help a lot. I'll send guys your way from now on.”
Yeah. Great. Except I wasn't sure Morgan would come back to work for me.