Jenna

jenna

J enna was fortunate to snag a reservation for four on Friday night at Stagioni, a quaint Italian restaurant known for its specialty pizzas. was thrilled to see Max and Asher warm to the handsome doctor and relieved when Gabe took their fawning in stride.

Gabe entertained them with gruesome yet oddly fascinating stories from his work in the emergency room. He recounted the time he removed a fishhook embedded in a fisherman’s eyebrow, described a particularly chaotic night involving a patient who accidentally super-glued his fingers together, and shared the story of a man who arrived with a live squirrel stuck in his coat.

“How did a squirrel get stuck in his coat?” Max asked, appalled.

Gabe leaned forward, a grin tugging at his lips. “So this guy comes in, sweating bullets, clutching his jacket closed like his life depends on it. Turns out, he’d been feeding peanuts to a squirrel in the park, and somehow it darted into his inside coat pocket. He panicked and zipped the jacket up to trap it, thinking he could rescue it by bringing it somewhere safe.”

“That’s the craziest thing I’ve ever heard,” Asher said.

“Right?” Max added. “I would’ve ditched that coat in a heartbeat, even if it were a Gucci design.”

“I bet the squirrel went nuts inside the coat. Pun intended,” said, bursting into a fit of giggles.

“For sure!” Gabe said. “By the time the man got to the ER, the squirrel had scratched the hell out of him trying to escape. We had to carefully unzip the coat and coax it out with food. The poor thing launched itself out of the coat like it was being shot from a cannon. One of our male nurses trapped it and wrestled it outside.”

“What about the guy?” Max asked, wide-eyed. “Was he okay?”

“He was fine, although he was terribly embarrassed,” Gabe said. “But we patched him up, gave him a tetanus shot, and sent him on his way.”

After dinner, the foursome headed to a trendy hotspot for more drinks. The line at the bar was long, and the music was deafening. They’d only been there a few minutes when and Gabe got separated from Max and Asher.

“I can’t hear myself think in this place,” Gabe yelled into her ear. “What say we go somewhere quieter?”

Nodding, gave him a thumbs up.

Taking her hand, he guided her through the throng of people and out onto the bustling sidewalk. Gabe pulled out his phone. “The night is still young. I’ll order an Uber. Do you wanna go to my place?”

“That depends. Where do you live?” asked, buying herself time to think. Going to his place implied a level of intimacy she wasn’t sure she was ready for. She wasn’t into hookups, but Gabe was a catch—funny, charming, and undeniably successful. What if this was her chance, and she let him slip away? Would he think she was a prude if she said no?

“Uptown,” Gabe said. “I bought a condo in a new high rise. The view is spectacular.”

“Uptown is out of the way,” said. “Why don’t we go to my apartment instead? I live closer, near the hospital in Dilworth.”

“That works for me.” Gabe handed her his phone. “Type in your address.”

The car arrived within minutes, and after settling into the backseat, asked, “Was the story about the squirrel true?”

Gabe raised an eyebrow, looking at her as though she’d lost her mind. “Seriously? You actually believed that?”

Her face warmed as she shook her head. “I wasn’t sure. You were so convincing.” An uneasy feeling crept over her. If he could spin such a compelling story about a squirrel, what else might he be lying about?

had envisioned them cozying up together on the sofa, getting to know each other better over a bottle of red wine. But from the minute they entered her apartment, Gabe made it clear he was only interested in getting her clothes off.

put up a fair fight, but she eventually succumbed to his persistence. Disappointment set in when no sparks flew. There was no magic—just a routine encounter that left her more deflated than fulfilled. To make matters worse, Gabe immediately fell asleep afterward, his snores echoing in the silence, leaving her lonelier than ever. Maybe she’d set her expectations too high. Maybe she was hoping for something unattainable. Or maybe it would be better next time. And since they were both off from work the next day, would make certain the next time happened on Saturday.

As she tossed and turned, she envisioned how they might spend the day together. They would lounge in bed, making love, eating breakfast, and catching up on social media. Later, they’d go out for lunch and take a long walk, followed by more time in bed and a candlelit dinner he would cook for her at his uptown condo.

Her fantasies eventually lulled to sleep. When she woke at daybreak, the bed was empty, the sheets cool to the touch. Sometime during the night, Gabe had slipped out of her apartment without a word.

spent the weekend moping around her apartment, waiting for Gabe to call. Aside from running a few errands on Saturday afternoon, she lay on the sofa binge-watching Game of Thrones for the fifth time while checking her phone every few minutes. When someone knocked on her door Sunday evening, she was certain it was Gabe. Rolling off the sofa to her feet, she ran her fingers through her mussed hair and smoothed out the wrinkles in her loungewear. When she opened the door, she tried to hide her disappointment at the sight of Max standing in the hall.

“This is a surprise,” she said, forcing a smile.

He lifted the plastic container in his hands. “I brought you some of Asher’s beef stew. His recipe makes enough for an army.”

She took the container from him. “You’re so kind. I’m sure it’s delicious. Be sure to thank him for me.”

Max tilted his head, his eyes narrowing as they focused on her face. “Something’s wrong. Someone stole your sunshine.”

’s throat tightened. “I really screwed up. I slept with Gabe.”

Max sucked in a breath, feigning horror. “You slut!” he teased.

Tears welled in her eyes. “It’s not funny, Max! I don’t do casual sex. But I really wanted Gabe to like me. He’s the total package, and I’m such a loser.”

“You are not a loser, . You’re just feeling sorry for yourself. We need tea,” Max said, brushing past her into the apartment.

He sifted through the tea bags in her caddy as she filled the kettle and placed it on the stove. They sat down together at the counter, two cups of chamomile tea steaming in front of them.

Max sipped his tea before lacing his fingers together on the counter. “Guys appreciate girls who play hard to get.”

let out an exasperated sigh, slumping forward in her chair. “If I wanted a lecture, I would’ve called my mother.”

Max chuckled. “I’m not lecturing you, . I just didn’t phrase that very well. What I meant was, it’s not too late to play hard to get. So you slept with him on the first date. Did you show him a good time?”

scoffed. “I can’t believe you just asked me that.”

“Well? Did you?”

“I think so—not that it’s any of your business.”

“Then he’ll be back for more. Next time, turn him down.”

returned her gaze to her teacup. “That’s the problem. I don’t think he’s coming back for more. I haven’t heard from him all weekend.”

“He’s probably busy. Maybe he’s working. When he calls, tell him you’re not into one-night stands—that you got caught up in the moment. Leave it at that. Act aloof, like you don’t care whether he asks you out again.”

“But I do care,” mumbled to herself—more than she should, more than she wanted to. “What if he doesn’t call?”

“Then he’s not the guy for you. Believe it or not, you’ll survive.”

But wasn’t at all sure she would survive. She really had it bad for Dr. Gabriel Kane, her Mr. Right.

Much to her disappointment, Gabe didn’t work on Monday or Tuesday. When she finally saw him again on Wednesday, he seemed to go out of his way to avoid her. At least she thought he was ignoring her. Maybe it was her imagination. The emergency room was more hectic than usual, with patients suffering from a recent outbreak of the flu.

Later that day, when she noticed him standing alone at the nurses’ station typing on his tablet, she eased up beside him and cleared her throat. “About Friday night . . . Just so you know, I never sleep with a guy on the first date. But I enjoyed your company, and I got caught up in the moment.”

“Don’t sweat it. And it wasn’t a date,” he said, his eyes fixed on his tablet screen.

Tears stung ’s eyes. “I don’t understand. You asked me out.”

Raising his gaze, he spoke in a low voice, his expression tight. “As friends, a local showing a newcomer the town. I’m sure you’re aware of the hospital’s rules about workplace relationships.”

flicked her wrist at him, dismissing his concern. “Oh. If that’s what you’re worried about . . . No one pays attention to those rules. We’re all adults here.”

His dark eyes locked on hers. “Even so, I don’t want to step on anyone’s toes.”

A flash of anger surged through her. How could she have misinterpreted his intentions? She chose her words carefully. “I get it. You want to make a good impression,” said, walking away with her head held high.

The days dragged by, each one marked by ’s anxious glances at her phone. But no messages came. She didn’t expect him to call, but she couldn’t help hoping he would. She threw herself into work, trying to convince herself she didn’t care whether or not she heard from Gabe again. Yet, he lingered in her thoughts—the first guy in a long time who seemed to check all the boxes.

An ice storm slammed into the state on Friday around noon, wreaking havoc on local roads. The ER staff worked late into the night tending to patients injured in automobile accidents caused by the treacherous conditions.

and Gabe were among the last of the ER staff to leave the hospital around nine o’clock. When someone in the group suggested heading to the Recovery Room across the street, the idea was met with a chorus of cheers. Upon entering the tavern, made a quick pit stop in the restroom. When she joined the others at their table, the only vacant seat was next to Gabe.

Over several rounds of drinks and a smorgasbord of shared appetizers, the doctors and nurses swapped gruesome stories about the patients they had tended to that day. She noticed Gabe said little and drank more than his share. When one of the other docs asked what was bothering him, he simply responded that he was tired.

After closing the tavern at eleven, was climbing into her Uber when Gabe slid into the backseat beside her. “Can I come over? I lost a patient today, and I don’t really want to be alone.”

No wonder he’d seemed out of sorts, thought. “That’s tough. I’m sorry. If you need to talk, I’m happy to listen, but an ear is all I have to offer tonight.”

He placed a hand on his chest. “I promise, . Talking is all I have in mind.”

Once they were settled on the sofa, Gabe opened up. “The patient was so young,” he said, his voice breaking. “He was my first death. I keep wondering if I could’ve done more—if I missed something.”

’s heart ached at the raw compassion in his words, and she was flattered that he’d chosen to confide in her. He seemed so tough on the outside, but deep down, she sensed a gentle giant—a man who cared deeply, perhaps too deeply, for the people around him.

Much to his credit, Gabe didn’t make a move on her. They fell asleep cuddled together on the sofa. When she woke on Saturday morning, he was gone.