And Call Me in the Morning (9 page)

But how did you manage not to do that? Teeth were there, right next to a man's lips, and from what he'd gauged, Zane wasn't exactly small. Eli doubted he could fit that into his mouth, period—and whoa, that thought made Eli stumble half a step.

Give
a blowjob? This was never going to stop being bizarre. Maybe even more so because, despite the rush of alarm, the rush of desire was equally strong.

Eli waited for the momentary wave of shock to pass before he walked on, reasonably proud of how he wasn't letting any of this maelstrom show on the surface. He hoped.

What he could use right now, really use, was someone's advice, and wasn't that a hell of a kicker? Eli considered reading up on it. He'd gotten damn good at cracking the books in recent years. Somehow, though, that didn't seem quite right. He knew from experience that he could memorize the procedure for, say, setting femoral swans, but when a doctor had his hands on living flesh and someone was counting on him…whole different ballgame.

Who could he talk to, though? Diana? Eli snorted. Diana would never let him hear the end of it, and by the end of the day, everyone
else
would know too. Not going to happen. Same with Holly. She'd psychoanalyze him to death, and he'd end up trying to convince her that a cigar really was just a cigar when actually, it wasn't. Made Eli's head hurt just thinking about it.

Wait
. There was one person he could talk to. Not just about technique. Maybe about the rest of it too.

Eli hesitated, not totally on board with his forming plan. It chafed at his nerves to think about going to anyone, but when it came down to brass tacks, there was
one
for whom the barn door had long been left open, the bag had been emptied of cats, and the ship had sailed away. Plus, this person did have a way of pouring oil on troubled waters. Not something to be sneered at.

Still bugged him.

Bite the bullet, Eli
. Fine. Needs must when the devil drove. Eli tossed back the last of his coffee, crumpled the cup into a ball to squeeze out the last of his tension—
ha
—straightened his shoulders, and went in search of his apparent new confidante.

Maybe, if he could get their ear, they might have some insight into what Eli suspected was going to be a real problem. Zane was right. Wasn't just Eli's business any longer.

He just hoped like hell that Taye was working today.

Eli sat on the edge of the nurse's station, paging through the schedule. Interns, interns everywhere, but nary a Taye to be found. Someone had drawn a line through his name. Strange. Not a little worrying.

“Drat it.” Out of the corner of his eye, Eli saw a woman standing on tiptoe, trying to reach the highest shelf of charts behind the station. She clicked her tongue at the inaccessible heights.

“Holly,” Eli greeted her, nodding. “Problems?”

“Someone's absconded with the stepladder, I think.” She pressed her hand to her forehead. “Not that I enjoy playing the helpless female card, but could you give me a hand?” She pointed at the one she wanted, the edges hanging off the shelf but still out of her reach.

“Strawberry shortcake.” Eli tipped it off without effort.

“We can't all be giants and Amazons, Eli,” Holly rebuked mildly, already paging through the chart. She paused long enough to give him an arch sideways look. “Besides, I've been told by reliable sources that I'm much more of a Very Berry Surprise.”

“Somehow, that fails to shock me.” Eli took his seat again. Huh. Now that he could put a name to the face and Taye had become recognizable, Eli realized he usually followed Holly around like a lost puppy. Perfect opportunity. “Where's the boy toy?”

“If you mean Taye, say so. He called in,” Holly said, on the surface appearing to be lost in her chart. Eli saw the slight worry lines on her face and knew differently.

Mild concern arose. “He okay?”

Holly stopped pretending to read her patient's history. “I'm not sure.”

Eli didn't like the sound of that. “He knows it's not a smooth move for an intern to duck out for the sniffles, right?”

“Eli, don't be an ass.” Holly sighed. “I'm worried. If you happen to hear from him, would you update me?”

“Sure,” Eli agreed reflexively. Then—“Wait. Why would I hear from him before you?”

“I'd thought the two of you were hitting it off.”

“Uh-huh.”

Holly dimpled at him. Mischief. Great. “Did you know that the two of you are very much alike?”

“What?” Of that Eli had his doubts, and they must have shown because Holly's amusement at his expense grew exponentially. “Not so.”

“Quite so.” Holly held the chart close to her chest. “The difference being that he's what you could have been if you'd learned how to access your emotions more than your machismo.”

“Funny lady. See if I help you reach the high shelves next time.”

“I'm serious, Eli.” Holly laid her hand on his arm. Some women were born to stay calm under any stress. Eli doubted you could ruffle Holly's composure with a wood chipper. Add a doctorate in psychology on top of that, and
bam
. Powerhouse. She studied him, observing something—who knew what. “Look for yourself the next chance you get.”

“I'd have thought Zane and I were the Doublemint Twins around here.”

She didn't tease him when Zane's name came up. Points for her. “Not so,” she said, mimicking his lower bass. Okay, she didn't tease him in a way he
objected
to. Yet. “You're opposites in almost every way.”

Unexpected, that. “Seriously?”

“Without a doubt.”

Huh
. Eli shifted and made room for Holly to pass. An impulse struck him, acted upon without thought. “Do you have Taye's cell number?” He growled and went red at her knowing look. “I just want to check on the kid.”

Holly rotated her hip at Eli. He could see her day planner in the pocket. Old-fashioned, she kept one on paper. “Help yourself. And Eli?” She winked. “It'll be our little secret. Although I do think it's sweet.”

“Sweet?” Eli raised an eyebrow at her as he retrieved the book.

“You're a wonderful doctor. Smart, insightful, skilled. But you never reach out to people. Usually. This gives me hope, Eli.” Holly patted him on the knee and was gone, calling over her shoulder, “I'll need that back by the end of the day!”

Eli waved her on, already in the T's and running his finger down the page. So he was worried. Sue him.

* * * * *

No answer. Eli tapped his cell phone against his leg, beating out a quiet
rat-a-tat
syncopation of concern. Troubling. Who else could he ask? Technically not allowed but he'd bet it could happen. Gossip flew as thick and fast around here as rice at a wedding. Doctors, nurses, interns—everyone used the station as a perch, a watering hole, and an oasis for breather-or-breakdown moments.

As such, Eli found himself perfectly placed to overhear his name mentioned in conversation.

“Dr. Jameson?” An internal medicine specialist Eli didn't know leaned on her elbow and spoke to another woman, somebody Eli only vaguely recognized. “Taken, I think.”

“I didn't see a wedding ring.”

“He's not married. Divorced, maybe? But he's not the social type. Either he's involved, gay, or wed to his job. Not the best kind of guy to set your sights on.”

Amen to that, sister
. She had savvy. Eli listened more closely, despite knowing full well that eavesdroppers never heard anything good about themselves.

“He
is
a cutie,” the internist allowed. “For a guy his age.”

Ouch
. Eli revised his opinion of her.

“He's a great doctor. And he's not that old,” the second woman said. A nurse practitioner, Eli thought. Pretty enough, with soft brown hair that curled around her face and smooth pale skin. Her eyes were brown, though, not gray like Zane's.

Huh. Eli smiled a private smile. Interesting, that. Zane was his go-to standard now. He thought he might like that.

“Dr. Jameson's old enough that he's off my radar,” said the internist. “You want someone young, hung, who knows how to work it, and can go all night.” She patted the nurse practitioner's shoulder. The way they interacted reminded Eli of himself and Zane. “Are we still on for going through that stack of journals tonight? I'm so far behind on my reading it's pitiful, and I need to get back in mental shape.”

Maybe the nurse practitioner was still smarting under the sting of aspersions cast. “The competition for that position at Duke is going to be tough. Are you sure you want to apply?”

Meow
. Eli hid his broadening smile. Also, his curiosity. What position was up for competition at his alma mater?

The internist shrugged, transparently pretending to be supremely unconcerned. “I could have a snowflake's chance in hell for all I care. For a shot at Duke, even a teaching position, losing a few nights' worth of sleep to work on my pitch isn't even a blip on the radar.” Her touch gentled. “Don't get pissy over Dr. Jameson, okay? Men aren't worth it.”

And back to
ouch
. With it came the customary sense of annoyance that went hand in hand with people who didn't know Eli chattering on about him. Eli slid off the counter, still unnoticed, and eased down the hall. A small comfort to have other things to occupy his mind.

An opportunity to get on the faculty at Duke. Be damned. Eli tugged at the ends of his stethoscope. Talk about the opportunity of a lifetime. Not that he'd actually ever leave Chicago and head back south. The four years he'd spent away at med school in North Carolina had been enough to make him want to put down roots when he came back home.

Still, what an opportunity. Only the best of the best dared hope for a prayer. Eli wondered for a second, just wondered—would he have a shot if he tried?

Something to think about, anyway.

* * * * *

“You'll notice that I'm not talking about Zane.” Diana tossed her coat on the lounge table across from Eli and sat heavily, thumping her head on her arms. “Mostly because I've had the day from hell. You?”

“Hello to you too, Diana.” Eli flipped over his stack of printed articles on the position recently opened at Duke Medical School. On paper, he made a good candidate. Tempting, if only just to see if he could do it.

“Is there any coffee in the pot?” Diana asked, muffled by her arms.

“There's something in the decanter. I wouldn't call it coffee, per se.”

“I don't even care. I need a jolt.” Diana popped up but didn't make it so far as her feet, rubbing the bridge of her nose instead. Looked like she had a headache.

“Allow me.” Eli made quick work of fetching her a cup, though he didn't think she'd thank him for it after she'd tried a sip. Still, what were friends for?

“You're an angel. Or a devil.” Diana sniffed the coffee and made a wry face. “Possibly both. Please take note that I'm still not talking about Zane.”

Eli had to laugh. “And yet you've mentioned his name twice.”

“Fine. I'm not talking about the doc with the crazy eyes. Better?”

At least she was smiling now. Eli decided that was a fair trade. “Noted, and thank you.”

Though…come to think of it, he wouldn't have minded a mention of Zane. The day had passed in a blur of patients and bleating pagers. Eli would never regret choosing the path of a hospitalist, but when the pace heated up, whew. He'd barely had a chance to breathe today, much less catch up with the man in question.

“I'm sure I'll regret asking this, but why aren't you talking about Zane?”

Diana snorted over her coffee. Indelicate, but that was Diana. “Don't give me the innocent act. I'd bet my sex drive you've got a certain apology text from me saved on your phone with no plans of deleting it while I'm still alive. I'm on my best behavior.”

Eli had more pressing concerns. “You honestly don't look good, Diana.”

She shrugged and swirled the coffee in her cup. No zinger of a comeback about how much prettier she was than him? All was not well. “Told you, rough day. Most of it spent dealing with all the shit that rained downwards after some administrative bitch-slaps.”