Chapter 12

Aiden

My head was still in the clouds by Wednesday, and I was grateful that Elizabeth had spent most of the day before in a training. We'd only gotten to see each other for a few minutes to talk about prepping for a closed observation surgery I had most of the morning. She would be working with a couple of other doctors on our floor while I was busy.

Her relief told me that she was struggling with our arrangement as well. I wanted to comfort her, but I could do that later. She needed reassurance as well. She was an intellectual, and yet she craved physical touch just as much as the rest of us did. I could almost see the battle raging behind her pretty brown eyes while she nodded and took notes as I barked out instructions for the day.

I made sure to soften my tone as we wrapped up the instructional part of our conversation. "So just shadow this morning, but don't let them intimidate you. Ask any questions that you need to ask. You want to not only show them that you're interested, but also get something out of your time with these guys."

She smiled and nodded. "Got it. I'll see you this afternoon?"

"Yes. Did you bring your clothes here for the event tonight?" I crossed my arms over my chest as we stood in the hall just outside of my office. I ignored the stares we got as a handful of residents passed by. I was her mentor. I had nothing to hide from that angle, and, in all actuality, we'd not overstepped any boundaries yet. I would talk to her, and if she wanted to back out, I wouldn't hold it against her.

"I have them in the locker room, though it's going to be weird getting dressed in there." She glanced to her left and waved as a few people from the group called out her name.

"We'll just go back to my place." I glanced down at my watch. "Let's see... we need to be there at six tonight to take our seats. Let's leave here around three-thirty and you can change at my place. You comfortable with that?"

"Yes." Her voice lost a little bit of steam as she licked at her lips subtly.

"Good. I'll see you back here around that time. If you need me, you've got my number." I winked at her and turned, making a trip to see H.R. before heading to my scheduled appointment.

"Dr. Crawford." She walked toward me as I paused and looked back at her. "You're okay with me, right? I didn't lose your respect the other day?"

I smiled and moved back toward her to reach out and squeeze her shoulder tightly. "No. Not at all. I don't think of this like you do, but if you're rethinking things and-"

"No. I'm good. I just wanted to make sure that you didn't see me differently." She moved back, and I let my hand drop. "Three-thirty."

"Yes, and Elizabeth, just think of this as a future investment. We're clearing the path today to make room for growth in your future." I turned and continued my trek down the hall as my mind buzzed through the various things I wanted to do to the beautiful girl who had captivated me. She had no clue just how taken I was with her, but I would make sure later that night to show her.

I knocked on Julia's door, who was the head of our Human Resources Department. She was rail-thin and bossy as hell. No one liked her, and she almost seemed to prefer it remain that way.

"Come in," she called out from inside the office, and I walked in and gave her a tight smile.

"Julia." I sat down and leaned back before clasping my hands over my chest. "I need your help with something."

"Doctor Crawford. Of course. What can I do for you?" Her fuzzy blond hair was pulled away from her face, making her appear more bird-like than usual.

"My resident is going to be quite an asset to this hospital. She's at the top of her class, and was at NYU as well." I sucked my bottom lip into my mouth, pausing as she watched me closely.

"And?"

"And I want to know more about her. She's got some struggles, from what I can tell. We should help. A lot of doctors come out of their M.D. programs with hundreds of thousands of dollars in debt." I crossed my ankles and tilted my head. "Pull her file and give me a few details that might help me understand if she truly needs financial assistance. If she does, I'll talk to Peter about helping her."

"Did Elizabeth ask for help?" Julie lifted her eyebrow as she started to bang away on her computer.

"No. Never. She's far too proud for that." I leaned forward as she turned the screen toward me.

"You know that this is highly confidential. I'm only showing you because the girl basically belongs to you through this process. Don't tell anyone that I helped. I don't want a line of do-gooders like yourself piled up outside of my office."

"I understand." I hovered over her desk and ran through the address for Elizabeth’s mother, realizing how deep in the bad part of town not only her mom was, but she and Stephanie were too. That had to change. I was willing to help with her bills or anything else she needed, but my first move would be to talk her into moving into another apartment. It was ballsy and perhaps a little controlling, but I didn't care. She was mine to take care of, and whether or not there was the promise of being intimate together, I was going to make sure she was okay, as was her mother.

"No father. He died when she was-" Julia started, but I cut her off.

"That's okay. I don't want her history. Just wanted to better understand the level of poverty the girl was dealing with." I stood and walked to the door. "I'll talk with Peter soon, but don't mention this. It was just a necessary precaution to ensure that her story was valid."

"I understand. She's lucky to have you." Julia shrugged and went back to typing on her keyboard. "Good day."

I walked out and headed down the hall, having a whole new level of respect for the pretty girl who would be my date for the evening. Parks was going to be at the event, which didn't sit right with me, but there was little I could do about it. I was nothing more than her mentor, which wasn't changing too drastically. If she had feelings for the younger doctor, then I would release her from our agreement. I just prayed like hell that wasn't the case, though I knew he was crazy about her.

"I understand all too well." I walked into the O.R. and let all my thoughts go. I could deal with my feelings and the related drama later that night. There was nothing I could about it right then.