CHAPTER FOUR - MORGAN
I hadn't ventured very far after storming out. I knew I couldn't just quit – not like that. I needed that internship and I would need to suck it up and apologize to Gavin. As much as it killed me to even think about doing so, I knew what I had to do. I'd come too far to give it all up now.
No, instead of going home to sulk, I just went down the street to the coffee house at the corner. I stared at my green tea and contemplated how I could go about doing apologizing to that pig without sacrificing my values.
As I pondered how to do what needed to be done, my phone buzzed in my pocket. I pulled it out, half expecting it to be Dr. Pierce firing me. With a groan, I answered.
“Yes?” I said, hoping for the first time in my life that it was a telemarketer.
But of course, I couldn't be that lucky. I could never be that lucky.
“Morgan? It's Gavin Pierce.”
Ah, so the man actually had some balls on him. Taking a deep breath, I prepared myself for the argument.
“Listen, Dr. Pierce, I'm sorry – ”
But he spoke at the same time, speaking over me. “Morgan, I know I screwed up and I'm sorry – ”
We both stopped.
“What?” I said.
“What were you saying?” he asked me.
“No, what were you saying?” Did he really apologize did me? Did I actually hear him right?
Of course, if I wanted him to say those words again, I knew I would probably be waiting a long damn time. Especially since I started off with an apology – and likely an admission of guilt in his mind.
“I was just wondering when you'd be back in,” he said. “Tyler McAdams had a few questions and wanted to talk to you specifically, so if you wouldn't mind – ”
That was his way of asking me to come back, of maybe even admitting that he needed me. With a smile on my face, I decided maybe I wouldn't have to sacrifice my values or get down on my knees and plead for my job back after all.
“Yeah, sure. I'd be happy to speak with him,” I said. “I'll be right there. I just needed some fresh air.”
“That's fine,” he said, sounding so much more pleasant than he had before. “See you when you get back.”
We hung up the phone, and even though it had gone so smoothly, I knew Gavin Pierce had struggled to make that call. I knew he hadn't wanted to admit it, but he needed me. I would use that to my advantage.
I could only hope he wouldn't be such a dick to me upon my return.
“Welcome back, Dr. Brooks,” Lila said to me sweetly.
She pushed back her glasses and smiled at me. How could someone so sweet and personable work for such a misogynistic pig? Hopefully Gavin didn't talk to sweet, old Lila the way he talked to me. That would make him an even bigger dick than I already thought he was.
“Thank you, Lila,” I said with a smile as I walked to the back.
Lila motioned for me to come closer to her, which caught me off-guard but I recovered quickly. I walked into her tiny little reception area and waited for her as she looked around and then leaned a little closer to me.
“I know Dr. Pierce can be hard to work with,” she said, her voice soft. “You're not the first intern he's had a problem with. He has a very large ego, that one. Don't take it personally, dear.”
“I'll try not to,” I said.
I had to wonder how many of his other interns had been female. Based on how he'd spoken to me earlier, I would probably have guessed none. And he probably would have kept that no-woman streak alive if it hadn't been for my unisex name.
“Thanks for the chat, Lila,” I said. “And the warning.”
“We women have to look out for each other,” she said with a wink. “I'm always here for you, and I don't take any crap from him or anyone else.”
The idea of this sweet, older woman standing up to the egotistical doctor put a smile on my face. She had some spunk to her that I appreciated. Maybe I'd be lucky enough to see her put him in his place one day.
Speaking of the devil – Gavin's voice called out to me from his office. “Dr. Brooks? Is that you?”
With a sigh, I smiled at Lila before walking down to Gavin's office.
“Yes, I'm back and ready to get to work,” I said with a friendly smile.
“Good,” he said, motioning for me to step inside. “Have a seat. I'm afraid we got off to a bad start.”
You think? I knew he was trying to be nice, and I could see how much it killed him. But at least he was trying. And considering I was stuck working for him for a while, I needed to do my best to play nice as well. I sat down across from him, hands clasped on my lap.
If I wanted an apology, I wasn't about to get one. Instead, he started talking about our next patient – a college basketball player named Michael Greene who recently broke an ankle. Dr. Pierce went straight into business, not so much mentioning what happened earlier.
I smiled and nodded, listened and took notes. Through clenched teeth, I even agreed to stand back and listen – instead of talking – during the consult with Michael.
I was there to help kids like Michael, athletes who had a dream just like my dad had. If it meant putting up with Dr. Pierce, then so be it. I'd do what I had to do, learn from him and move on from this experience being better for it.