Forgot To Tell You Something: An Angsty, Later in Life Romance

There’s a reason I don’t date people at work. When it goes south, it’s painful.

With Owen, it’s the seventh circle of hell.

He’s been at Memorial a little over two weeks, but his reputation as a miracle worker is already secured. Even without robotics, his work in the cardiac cath lab is quickly becoming the stuff of legends.

No surprise there. I know firsthand how talented his digits are.

He also sets every tongue wagging when he strolls through the hospital with his confident swagger. There are rumors that Nicole is close to landing her prey, but I don’t investigate.

I don’t want to know.

I haven’t spoken to Owen since that evening in the emergency department when I watched him leave for drinks with another woman.

He has a new trick, sliding notes under my office door. I was tempted to toss them, but like everything else with the man, they’re endearing as hell.

Note, Day 1: Knock, knock.

Note, Day 2: The joke only works if you actually respond. 

Note, Day 3: I’m much better at card tricks, but for you, I’ll attempt comedy. 

Note, Day 4: I can’t believe I have to write out the entire joke. You’d better laugh. Knock, knock. Who’s there? (that’s your line). Sherwood. Sherwood who? (another one of your lines). Sherwood like to be your valentine!

Note, Day 5: Did you laugh? If you did, I have another one. If you didn’t, I have another ten. I’m going to assume you laughed because it was the epitome of comedic genius. So, here’s another one: What do squirrels give each other for Valentine’s Day? Wait for it…forget me nuts.

I chuckle, dropping the note with its counterparts into my desk drawer. If this whole interventional cardiology gig doesn’t work out, Owen definitely doesn’t have a future in stand-up.

I’m not sure how to interpret the notes. They’re cute and funny. Friendly, but with no overt romantic tones or sexual innuendos. I don’t know if this is what friendship with Dr. Stevens looks like, but I guess it could be worse.

However, the mental reel in my head of Owen screwing Nicole is the stuff of nightmares, and lucky me, I have it on permanent playback.

“Come on, Lu, we don’t want to miss the first round.” Stefani plops into my office chair, swiveling back and forth with an air of impatience.

Tonight is the unofficial welcome party for Owen. In other words, it’s the cool doctors and nurses on the unit hanging out, coupled with copious amounts of liquor and laughs. Normally, it’s right up my alley.

Not tonight. It’s bad enough that Owen and Nicole may or may not be involved. I don’t need a front-row seat. “You go ahead. Have a good time.”

“Don’t tell me you’re not coming.”

“Okay, I won’t tell you.”

“You always go to these get-togethers. How’s it going to look if you suddenly don’t attend?”

“It might look like I have work to do.”

“Which you don’t.”

I tap my pen against the desk, glaring at Stefani over my glasses. “They don’t know that.”

Stefani shoots me a knowing look. “This wouldn’t have anything to do with Dr. Nicole Hedges and her obvious infatuation with the man of the hour? I overheard her say she wants to carry his babies.”

“That bitch,” I mutter under my breath. I’m loath to admit how much I detest anyone looking at my man. Former man. I hate my life. “He’s probably eating up all the attention.”

“Owen isn’t interested in Dr. Hedges, and you know it.”

“I don’t know a damn thing anymore. Wait, that’s not true. I know he and Nicole had dinner and drinks together after he said he wouldn’t. I also know he claimed he wasn’t a doctor when he was. So, I know he’s a liar.”

“Have you asked Owen if anything is going on between them?”

I shake my head at Stefani’s idea. “Are you insane? It’s not my business.”

“Only because you won’t let him anywhere near you. Yes, he lied about being a top-notch cardiologist, but he did it because he didn’t want you walking away. He’s an amazing man, Lu.”

“Go for him. He’s newly single. Actually, I don’t know that. He and Nicole are likely screwing at this point. It has been almost a week.”

Stefani leans across the desk, grasping my forearms. “Stop that. You didn’t hear how Owen spoke about you that first night. You don’t see how looks at you.”

“Looked at me,” I correct.

“No, looks at you. Trust me, I’ve seen it numerous times. On the car ride home, he kept asking questions, wanting to know everything about you. He was so nervous about coming on too strong or scaring you away. It was the most real I’ve ever seen a man behave. And it was all for you. Doesn’t that mean anything?”

I collapse my head into my hands. Her words are cutting serious chinks into my armor. “I believed him. Every word, I believed. When Owen told me he loved me and wanted a life with me, I knew it was the truth. I saw it in his eyes.” I toss my pen down, groaning at the ceiling. “Deep down, I knew he was a doctor. There were too many coincidences, and honestly, if he’d come clean when I asked him, I would have accepted it. I gave that man every chance to tell the truth, but he still lied.”

“Look at the reason why Owen lied. It’s actually adorable.”

“He’s an adorable liar. Now I’ve heard everything.”

“He lied because he’s in love. I think that’s pretty damn adorable. Come on, everyone is waiting for you. I know you want to see Owen, even if you won’t admit it.”

“That’s just it, Stefani. I don’t want to see him because it’s too painful right now. It’s too raw.” I shoot her a smile. It’s fake, but this once, I hope it will suffice. “Go have double the amount of fun for me.”

“Buzzkill,” she whispers, dropping a kiss on my head before heading out the door.

I sit at my desk for another fifteen minutes, waging an internal war with my psyche. I’m desperate to see Owen. But what if Nicole is there? There’s no way I can sit through a dinner of them canoodling, but I also can’t storm out if they’re dining together.

That would make me feel more foolish than I already do, and trust me, I have straight A’s in that department.

My phone buzzes. It’s Dr. Jessop, my resident drinking buddy. ‘Lu, get your ass over here right now. I’m not above coming to fetch you. Come on, kid, drinks are on me.’

I huff out a groan, earning a quizzical look from one of the night nurses.

Trust me, sweetheart, I don’t get me either.

I can ignore Dr. Jessop, but he’s not lying. He will drive all the way to my house and drag me, kicking and screaming, to whatever pub they’re frequenting. I don’t stand a chance when I’m right across the street from the group.

With a sigh, I head for the locker room to change into my street clothes—a fitted t-shirt, jeans, and chucks. Aren’t I the picture of glamour? A fedora and my tortoiseshell glasses finish the look. While I won’t be winning any beauty pageants, I’m at least rocking my element.

Hey, I’ll take what I can get.

I cross the street as the dread and anticipation battle for control of my brain. But, as I pull open the door to the bar, the anxiety wins out. I don’t know if I can do this.

My false bravado works with everyone but Owen. He can, and will, see right through any mask.

Damn him for knowing me so well.

“Look who decided to show up,” Ken Jessop exclaims with a wink.

“Who turns down free alcohol?” I counter, avoiding any glances in Owen’s direction. “Will you order me a whiskey? I’m running to the ladies’ room.”

Not two minutes after arriving, I dash into the bathroom. I must look like a maniac. On a positive note, Nicole is nowhere to be found. On a negative note, I’m so nervous, I can’t breathe.

I will my heart rate down, taking deep breaths, and examining my reflection for clues. Why can’t they install wine coolers in bar bathrooms? There’s a need for that sort of thing.

After realizing I will eventually have to face the crowd of my co-workers, I push open the bathroom door, my heart leaping in my chest. Owen leans against the corridor wall, arms crossed over his chest, those thundering gray eyes daring me to avoid him again.

“Hi.” Aren’t I the eloquent one this evening?

“I like the hat.”

It hurts to look at him. Every cell in my body screams out for this man, but I remain rooted to the spot. “Thanks.”

Owen caves first, scrubbing his face with his hands. “Can we take down the damn wall, Tally? I hate this distance.”

I drop my gaze from those stormy eyes to the floor. “I hate it, too.”

“Can we stop?”

I still don’t know if Owen is dating/sleeping/screwing the lights out of Nicole. But in the grand scheme of things—and excluding the status of my heart—it doesn’t matter. Work colleagues need to get along. Our jobs are hard enough.

I offer him a small smile and nod. “Sure.” I take a step toward the main restaurant, but Owen isn’t moving. Wonderful. Don’t tell me he’s about to drop a Nicole Hedges bombshell. There isn’t enough booze in the entire bar to soothe that level of pain. “Anything else I can do for you, Dr. Stevens?”

He rolls his eyes. “Tally, if you call me Dr. Stevens one more time.”

“You’ll what?” At least my sarcasm is on-point.

He crosses the small space, caging me between the wall and his body. “Either spank your sweet ass or kiss every inch of you. Likely both. Actually, please call me Dr. Stevens again.”

So much for presenting a strong front. His words, coupled with the heat radiating between us, light me up like a fireworks display, and the man isn’t even touching me. Time to segue to safer topics, before I rip his clothes off in the middle of the pub. “I wasn’t sure if you’d want me to come. It is your welcome party.”

Owen slides his fingers through my hair, setting off a shower of sparks. “Tally, you’d better believe I want you to come. Several times to make up for all the nights I’ve been without you.”

Is it legal to have sex in a bar? Asking for a friend.

“I got your notes.” I’m determined to stay on neutral topics, no matter how much this hot hunk of a doctor is trying to lure me into a night of sin.

Owen chuckles. “I wondered how many terrible jokes I’d have to tell before you broke.”

“Ten. You were halfway there.”

“You caved?”

“I told you. My pussy has no control around you.” So much for a platonic conversation. In my defense, Owen started it. Now, I just pray he makes good on his promise.

“It won’t later. I’m tying your sweet ass up and taking back what’s mine.”

Stefani rounds the corner, her face lighting up when she spots us. “I knew I’d find you two together. You know, they make bedrooms for this sort of thing.”

I flip my friend the bird as my face flames. Owen, for his part, hasn’t moved an inch. He’s still pinning me to the wall in a very unprofessional and hot as hell manner.

“I’m giving you fair warning that Jessop has made it his personal mission to eat all the artichoke dip. The man is shoveling it into his gullet. But it seems like you two are otherwise engaged. Hey, there’s an idea.” With a wink, Stefani squeezes past us into the bathroom.

My face was flaming. After my best friend’s observation, it’s at volcanic temperatures. “We’d better get back,” I mumble, adjusting my glasses.

“What happens when we go back out there?”

I shoot him a curious look. “Eating. Drinking. Normal dinner type stuff. Surely they do this in San Francisco.”

“I mean with us.” Suddenly the joking manner is gone, replaced by uncertainty. He holds out his hand.

I want to take it so badly, slide my fingers against his, and let the world know that he’s mine. But his betrayal, and most importantly, his time with Nicole, stops me. “What about Dr. Hedges?”

Owen’s eyes widen in surprise. “What about her? You don’t think—”

He doesn’t finish the statement. He doesn’t have to. We both know exactly what I’m thinking. Now, the question is whether I’m right.

“Wow. You do think something is going on.”

I focus on the carpet, worn in the middle from countless steps. “To be honest, I don’t want to know. I’d like to enjoy a dinner with my friends. Can we do that?”

Owen runs his hand over his scalp, finally relenting with a smile. “We can enjoy dinner, so long as you remember that I’m so much more than your friend.” He holds up his hand in the direction of the table, and we stroll back to the party.

“Where am I sitting?” I ask, looking around the table for an empty seat.

“Sit here, Lu,” Jessop pats the seat next to him, directly across the table from Owen.

I plop down, accepting my whiskey and some chips with a grateful smile. I need this release, far more than I’m willing to admit.

When you work in a high-stress environment, you develop a dark and twisted sense of humor. That, and alcohol loosens the lips. Within twenty minutes, our band of merry medical workers is regaling Owen with all types of tales.

The best part? I’m having fun. That, and every time I glance across the table, Owen is watching me, the corners of his mouth pulled up in a smile, reminding me that his focus is on something far more carnal.

Maybe we aren’t a lost cause.

“So, Owen, what’s going on with you and the illustrious Dr. Hedges?” Dr. Jessop inquires.

Mayday, mayday, this ship is sinking.

Owen’s brows shoot skyward. “Me and Nicole?”

“Yes. She’s a hot ticket,” my colleague adds. What a pal. I’d like to punch him, but he speaks the truth.

“She’s not that great,” Stefani interjects. I’m hugging that woman something fierce later.

“Nothing is going on. Nicole isn’t my type.” Owen catches my gaze, nodding at the plate of shrimp in front of me. “Tally, can you pass me the shrimp, Darlin?”

My body warms at his pet name, but then I wonder how many other women have earned that personal moniker. “Sure,” I reply, passing over the tray, his fingers sliding against mine.

“Thank you.”

“Someone better let Nicole know nothing is going on,” Jessop persists, grabbing the plate of shrimp from Owen.

“Turn a fire hose on her if she can’t take the hint.” Stefani sends me a smirk. God, I love this woman.

“You know, you could sleep with her, and let us know.”

I pivot in my seat, scalding my cardiology friend with my glare. Jessop, either you shut up, or I’m lacing your coffee with a laxative. 

Owen chokes on his food, earning a pat on the back from Stefani. “I have no interest in sleeping with her, Ken. But thanks for making me the sacrificial lamb.”

“Wait,” Dr. Jessop wags his finger in Owen’s direction. “There’s a reason you’re not keen to Dr. Hedges’s offer. You’re dating someone, aren’t you?”

Those gray eyes connect with mine, holding my gaze for a few moments. “I was, but I fucked it up. Now, I’m paying the price. I’m fighting to get her back, though.”

Oh, my heart, you don’t stand a chance.

Thankfully, for both of us, the conversation veers into medical territory. Blood and guts are a far safer environment than love. For the first time since Owen’s arrival, I listen to him discuss the latest cath lab procedures and treatments. He’s a genius, that much is apparent, but he lacks the bravado typical of a man with such an illustrious work history.

His humility only makes him that much more delicious.

I raise my glass, nodding in Owen’s direction. “I know it’s a couple of weeks late, but welcome to Memorial. We are damn lucky to have you amongst our ranks. Few people can do what you do.”

A tender heat lines his face. “I think we toast you, instead, Tally. Not only are you a top-notch cardiac nurse and manager, but you’re an assault nurse examiner and a victim advocate. For such a tiny woman, you have more strength than all us men combined. To you.”

There are several other people at the table, but I only see Owen. Everything, and everyone else, falls away.

Stefani cuts into our moment, raising her glass between the two of us. Unlike me, Stefani has a working filter. She knows how to keep her mouth shut and toe the line—unless she’s drinking. Then, all bets are off as to what might flow from her lips.

Right now, she’s three drinks in. This should be interesting.

“You know, you two are both absolutely adorable.”

Oh, Christ, she’s still hung up on that word from earlier. The best part? She’s not done.

“I think you two should get together, have a baby or something.” She shrugs at my astonished expression. “What? I said it.”

I bury my face in my hands. I’ll never live down the ribbing from my co-workers. That, and Owen will probably never speak to me again. “I’m going to the bathroom,” I mumble, sliding out of my seat.

“Again?” Stefani asks, and I flip her the bird. Is it childish? Yes, but it’s all I can manage.

This time, Owen is not waiting for me outside the door. Yep, that comment pushed his ass right over the edge.

I return to the table to find the doctors splitting the bill and dig into my purse to contribute. I know they earn six times my meager salary. That’s not the point. I’ve always paid my own way.

But this time, I’m going to have to fight Owen on the subject.

“Here, let me give you some cash.” I open my wallet, but his hand descends on mine.

“Don’t even try it.”

“Come on, Lu. Party is just starting.” Dr. Jessop divorced his wife six months ago when he discovered she was having an affair with their maid. She took him for half of everything they owned, even though she never worked a day in her life. Before the ink was dry on the paperwork, Ken made it his personal mission to bag as many eligible beauties as possible. With his good looks and pedigree, it’s easy.

Usually, I’m up for a bit of fun with my friends. Not tonight. I have somewhere else to be. “You guys go ahead. I’ll bail you out, should the need arise again.” It’s a joke, although I damn near had to post their bail a few years back. Even doctors aren’t immune to the dark side of alcohol.

“Suit yourself. You ready, Owen?”

Owen shakes his head, his focus on me. “I’m walking Tally to her car.”

“Right,” Dr. Jessop drawls, a knowing look on his face. “Now I know the situation you’re trying to repair. I approve.” He waves us off, stumbling to the bar down the street.

Owen and I step out into the night air. It’s clear and cool, with a hint of the ocean on the breeze. I’m so glad the relentless Florida heat is finally backing off.

“You don’t have to walk me back, Owen. You can catch up with them.”

“I don’t want to catch up with them,” he replies, intertwining his fingers with mine. “I want to catch up with you.”