9. Scarlett

Scarlett supposed she shouldn't have been surprised that her mother would pull a stunt like trick her into having dinner with Dr. Thomas. Ever since she had mentioned the available cardiology head position, her mother had made it her life's mission to ensure Scarlett secured it. It wasn't that Dr. Thomas wasn't perfectly nice to chat with or that they didn't get along well. It just felt blatantly transparent and unethical. It wasn't the kind of thing she did—she had always been perfectly happy for her accomplishments and achievements to speak for themselves and abhorred the idea of schmoozing for a promotion. Sure, dinner was lovely, and Dr. Thomas and her mother spent it laughing and reminiscing about their med school days, but the whole time, she sat there with this guilty, uncomfortable weight in the pit of her stomach.

Worse, Gianna had been there. And she had looked furious. The dazzling smile hadn't reached her eyes, and she'd kept staring at Scarlett like she was the snake in the grass she felt like. Despite everything, Scarlett respected Gianna's talents as a surgeon immensely and had no desire to get a leg up through unethical means. Yes, Scarlett wanted to win—she had been there much longer and was an absolutely stellar surgeon—but not because her mother happened to know the hospital director. That wasn't the way she operated.

It frustrated her all weekend and made her feel guilty and ashamed. Now a new week was afoot, however, and it was time to get her head back in the game. She decided to focus her restless energy into physical exertion, pulling on workout clothes and making her way to the hospital staff gym at the crack of dawn to get a proper strength workout in before the shift started.

It felt good to get her muscles burning. She could already feel the stress melting away as she lifted weights, then moved on to squats and deadlifts. After ten minutes at a brisk walking pace on the treadmill to cool off, she wiped her forehead with a towel and headed for the showers. The locker room was mostly empty at this time of day, and she took a minute to just breathe, centering herself in the moment and letting the anxiety bleed away.

The door swung open as she sat and practiced her mental mindfulness routine. Her head darted up to look at the newcomer, and immediately, her mouth went dry. There stood Gianna, dressed in yoga pants, sneakers, and a tight tank top, her glossy black hair tied back in a high ponytail. Dressed like this, it was impossible to ignore the perfectly toned curves and endless legs. The brunette looked dewy and fresh-faced without any makeup on.

It took a moment for Gianna to notice that she wasn't alone in the locker room as she dropped her bag onto the bench to get changed. After a second, though, her gaze flickered to Scarlett, and her mouth pursed in a thin line. Scarlett became painfully aware that she'd been ogling at the other woman for too long, her lips parted slightly. She scrambled to gather herself, wiping off her face with a nearby towel and averting her eyes awkwardly.

"Uh, hi, good morning. You're here early," Scarlett said, doing her best to sound chirpy and casual.

"Later than you, apparently. Guess you beat me today," Gianna commented dryly, arching one eyebrow and bending down to touch her toes with grace and ease. "Figured you'd be too tired from spending the whole weekend drinking celebratory martinis with the boss to hit the gym."

Scarlett's head jerked back, momentarily stunned by the venom dripping from the brunette's voice. For the last few weeks, they'd been getting along so well. Well, not exactly well, maybe, but at least on neutral ground and without any fighting. It didn't surprise her that Gianna was a little upset, but there was more vitriol there than Scarlett expected.

"Look, I just thought I was meeting my mother. She's... a lot sometimes," Scarlett sighed. "She completely blindsided me by inviting Doctor Thomas. I wasn't trying to play politics. I respect our profession too much to sink to that level. And you, for that matter."

"Right," Gianna scoffed, rolling her eyes and stretching her arms behind her back. "Sounds really convenient."

Scarlett didn't know how to respond to that. She especially didn't know what to say when Gianna pulled off her tank top without a second of hesitation and casually removed her bra to get into her sports top for the workout. Oh. Wow. Scarlett tore her gaze away quickly and felt heat creeping up into her cheeks, staring intently down at the floor, but she couldn't help sneaking glances at Gianna's voluptuous, feminine figure out of the corner of her eye. Did people really have hourglass shapes like that in real life? Every inch of her body was smooth and flawless, every curve perfectly in place, like something straight out of a pinup poster. Scarlett was transfixed.

If Gianna noticed, it didn't show. The woman stripped down to her underwear without a single trace of self-consciousness, then rummaged around her workout bag for something or other. It gave Scarlett ample opportunity to stare unabashedly at her, drinking it all in, studying every part of the stunning sight in front of her. Her gaze was drawn to those long, firm legs.

As she scanned the length of Gianna's golden thighs, she landed on a familiar set of colorful wings spread across the bronze skin. A butterfly emerging from vibrant, multi-colored petals, its pattern distinct and unmistakable. Scarlett's blood ran cold. A memory flashed through her brain, of a photo shared on an anonymous chat site that seemed almost unreal in this context. She had spent an embarrassing amount of time staring at that tattoo on the gorgeous thigh in front of her, wondering what it meant to the person attached to it, fantasizing about tracing it with her fingertips.

Oh. Oh, no.

"You know, I don't mind an audience, but just so you know, I do see you staring," Gianna's teasing voice snapped Scarlett out of her thoughts.

Scarlett blushed furiously, snapping up to meet Gianna's knowing smirk and one eyebrow raised suggestively. Normally, that would have either pissed her off or made her furiously flustered, but right now, all she could think about was the realization sinking in.

"Is that—I mean, your tattoo—the butterfly?" she sputtered stupidly, gesturing vaguely.

"Yes?" Gianna replied, rolling her eyes. "Obviously?"

"You're—" Scarlett stammered, eyes wide in shock. "You're EmergencyKisses."

Gianna's posture suddenly stiffened. She spun on one heel to face Scarlett full-on, folding her arms over her chest protectively and searching Scarlett's gaze like a wild animal deciding whether to flee or fight.

"How do you know that?" she demanded sharply.

"I'm..." Scarlett trailed off, opening and closing her mouth as her jaw worked futilely. "Uh, we've been... talking."

It took Gianna a second to process the words. First, she looked surprised and confused. Then, she grimaced, her face contorting like she had just tasted something incredibly sour. Finally, the tension lifted, replaced by a look of absolute bewilderment, and she let out a loud, hysterical giggle.

"Wait, what, are you for real?" the brunette blurted out incredulously. "Oh, wow, really? No? Wow. That's crazy!"

Scarlett stared blankly at the gorgeous brunette. Which part of this was funny, exactly? This was a total and complete disaster. For months, she'd been sharing her deepest, most intimate thoughts with this stranger, feeling a connection with her in a way she'd never managed to form with anyone else in her life. She had fantasized about kissing her. About sleeping with her. About what it might be like to date someone like her, hold hands, watch movies together on the couch. This was her worst nightmare.

"Oh, this is funny to you?" she shot back defensively, sitting up straight on the wooden bench as indignation coursed through her veins. "What are you, what, playing games with me? Am I some kind of joke to you?"

Gianna's laughter died instantly, replaced by confusion.

"What? Excuse me?" Gianna shot back, holding a hand up. "No, what? It's just—that's such an insane coincidence. I mean, right? So many people on that site, and I just so happen to connect with you? I—"

"You lied to me," Scarlett accused icily, feeling rage bubbling up in her. "You knew, didn't you? You knew who I was, and that's why you—why we—"

"What? No, of course I didn't," Gianna protested angrily, shaking her head vehemently. "How would I—what?"

"Oh, please. Stop pretending. Of course you did," Scarlett insisted. "This is exactly the kind of thing you would do. Make me think I can trust you and that I'm safe to confide in you, only to turn it all against me later. It's all just one big joke to you, isn't it? Like everything in life."

Gianna's mouth fell open in shock, looking like Scarlett had just slapped her in the face. After a second, though, the astonishment faded, and she squared her shoulders, glaring back at the redhead with blazing anger in her amber eyes.

"You have lost your damn mind," Gianna declared coldly. "I asked to meet you! I wasn't trying to hide who I am. I was clear about wanting to take things in real life. You're the one who refused. Why would I do that if I was trying to trick you?"

"Oh, I don't know, so you could laugh in my face?" Scarlett spat back. "So you could humiliate me in front of everyone?"

"What the hell?" the brunette replied, throwing her arms up in the air with exasperation. "Are you actually serious right now? I wouldn't do that. Never. I'm not—this isn't a joke to me. I opened up to you about so many personal things. I had no idea it was even remotely connected to you until just now!"

"Oh, spare me," Scarlett spat back, jumping to her feet. "I hope this was fun for you, Gianna. Go to hell."

With that, she grabbed her bag and stormed out of the changing room, heart hammering in her chest. God, this was a disaster. All the things she'd said and done and shared, all the moments where she'd lowered her guard and gotten close to another woman for the first time in her life. The whole time, it had been Gianna, probably laughing at her, enjoying seeing her vulnerable and exposed, falling into the trap she set. Now her perfect image and reputation were at stake, all because she had been stupid and desperate enough to share her feelings and desires with a stranger.

Everything was going to fall apart, and it was all Gianna's fault.