Playing Doctor: A Central West End Story (2 page)

“Appreciation, that’s much better than silence.” Sara squeezed his side. “You know Mom and Dad are proud of you. All I hear about now is their son, the doctor.”

“They’re proud of you too.”

“Yeah but saying your daughter’s a preschool teacher just doesn’t get the respect at the country club lunches like a doctor or even a bottom feeding lawyer does.” Sara stopped in front of the apartment door. 

“Here it is,” Gretchen held the door open. “I’m going to make a quick call home and I’ll be right in. Have to see if the husband fed the rug rats yet.”

“I’m sorry we’re keeping you so late,” Troy said.

“No problem, I’ll come in a little later tomorrow. Gives me an excuse to sleep in.” Gretchen turned around, her cell phone already dialed and at her ear.

Lucky you
. Troy ambled into the apartment, taken back by the large living room with hardwood floors. He relaxed as he let the atmosphere greet him, imagining filling the room with a large comfortable couch and of course, the mandatory flat screen. The kitchen had all stainless steel appliances and granite countertops. Modern yet a hint of traditional somehow came through.

“Nice, huh?” Sara pulled him down the hall. “Wait until you see the bath. It’s heaven with a walk in shower, heated towel racks, and a jetted tub. Two bedrooms. One can be your office.”

The apartment was much more than he needed, but he loved it. Maybe a little too much. “What’s the damage?”

Sara looked confused. “Damage? Oh, you mean the rent?” Her voice dropped to a whisper, “Don’t let Gretchen know but it’s the best place I’ve found and the cheapest building around here, including the underground parking.” She recited off the monthly charge.

Troy did the math in his head. With his student loans and the money he’d saved from working during school breaks, he’d be able to make the rent and still have money left in savings to furnish the place. As long as Sara didn’t go crazy tomorrow when he sent her to buy furniture. He walked over to the window and looked out on the park across the street. “You did good, little sister. Real good.”

He watched a blonde walk down the street toward the building. Something about the way she walked reminded him of someone. He leaned closer to take a second look.

“How’d you like the apartment?” Gretchen’s voice jerked his attention away from the woman and back into the room.

“I believe we have a deal. Can you go over deposit requirements and utility costs?”

“It’s a great Central West End location, I’m sure you’ll love it here.” Gretchen beamed. Troy got the feeling that not all of her long days turned out as positive. “Let’s go down to my office. I have some information there.”

The three took the elevator to the bottom floor. When the doors opened, a woman stood in the lobby, obviously waiting for someone. When she turned toward the elevator, Troy realized it was the woman from the street. She was even more striking up close sans makeup. He’d always been a sucker for the natural look. No caked on foundation or black as coal eyeliner for this woman.

“Good evening, may I help you?” Gretchen greeted the woman.

“I’m here to meet with Robert. I’m signing a lease on 401 tonight.” The woman almost bounced with excitement.

401?
Troy looked at Sara. Wasn’t that the apartment he’d just been shown?

Gretchen looked flustered. “I’m sorry, Robert didn’t say anything. When did you meet with him?”

“This morning? I had to go to work after he showed me but he said he could meet me here at seven.” The woman glanced at Gretchen and then to Troy and Sara, a frown crossing her face. “Is he not here? I went to dinner first because he said he couldn’t be here until seven.”

Troy could hear the woman’s tension rising with her voice. Gretchen was trying to move them into her office and separate the potential renters. Who would win was anyone’s guess but he wasn’t just going to let anyone walk away with
his
apartment.

A man hurried into the lobby. “Annie, I’m sorry I was a little late. Is Gretchen helping you out?”

“Actually, I just got here.” Annie’s shoulders dropped, visibly relaxing as the man came closer.

“Robert, we need to talk.” Gretchen walked over and dragged the recent arrival to the other side of the lobby.

Troy couldn’t hear the conversation, but he could tell by the tone of their voices that neither was giving in. He looked at the young woman next to him, dressed in scrubs, which told him she worked at the hospital too. In fact, she looked familiar, but lately with all the hours, anyone looked kind of familiar.

“I think I just rented the apartment you were shown this morning.” He held his hand out. “Troy Saunders. I’m an intern over at the hospital. You work there?”

The woman took his hand but Troy could tell she was hesitant. “Annie. Annie Baxter. I’m a nurse.” She glanced over at the two leasing consultants. “I was here first.”

“And I’m a doctor.” Troy countered. The words were out of his mouth before he could think about the effect. Had he really just pulled the doctor card? He’d been on the floor way too long this week, his nerves were shot.

“Seriously? You’re pulling rank?” She rolled her eyes. “Sorry dude, but your medical degree doesn’t decide who gets to move in to the apartment.”

“I want that apartment.” Troy thought about the ease of getting into the hospital from here for on call nights. This location was perfect.

“I need the apartment. I just sold my car.” Annie shook her head. “Besides, I was here this morning.”

“You should have signed papers then. Or at least wrote a check for a deposit. Being wishy-washy doesn’t get you anywhere.” Troy glanced at his sister. “Did Gretchen mention someone else was looking at the apartment?”

Sara glanced between the two. “Leave me out of this. I’m going to go talk to Gretchen. Maybe there is another apartment.”

“I want that apartment,” Troy called after his sister. Annie stared at him, hatred flaring in her eyes.

“Just because you’re a doctor and you think I’m beneath you, I’m not giving in here. This isn’t the hospital and I don’t have to do what you say.” She caught herself before she stomped her foot to emphasize her words, but Troy had seen the slight movement.

Gretchen, Robert, and Sara walked back to them. Troy turned his head to keep Annie from seeing the grin he was trying to keep off his face. “So, what’s the story?”

Gretchen glanced from him to Annie. “We only have the one apartment. I have a lease coming open in three months, but right now, the best I could do is offer one of you a unit in the Garden Suites units over on Hanley.”

“How far away from the hospital is it?” Annie’s eyes filled with hope.

“Ten, fifteen miles.”

Troy watched the fight drain out of her. He needed a win-win solution. He wanted the apartment and so did she. If he left the decision to the leasing agents, they would do the right thing and giving the apartment to Annie who
had
been there first. He only had one chance at a solution where both of them would win, hopefully she’d bite, or he’d be driving to work and fighting parking.

He could do anything for three months to avoid that.

“What if we share the apartment?” His words flew out of his mouth before he could rethink the saneness of the offer.

Annie took a step backwards, staring at him.

He hurried to explain. “Just until the second one comes available. Then I’ll move and you’ll have the apartment to yourself. It has two bedrooms. We both work long hours and neither one of us will be there much anyway.”

Annie slowly nodded her head, her eyes narrowed in thought as she worried her lip. He could tell she was considering the offer. 

Gretchen spoke up. “And we’ll waive the deposit for both apartments because of the mix-up.”

“Sounds fair.” Troy focused back on Annie who still hadn’t said anything. “Thoughts?”

“This won’t make us friends.” Annie glared at him. “All you’re getting is a roommate. No funny business.”

“I don’t need more friends. I need an apartment.” Troy held his breath. He hadn’t been joking with Sara when he said the apartment was perfect. He wanted this unit.

Annie nodded. “We put the lease in my name. You send your half of the rent directly to Gretchen so if your overdue, she kicks you out, not me. And you pay half the utilities.”

Gretchen nodded to Robert. “We’ll get the paperwork started.”

Troy relaxed. He had a place to stay. At least three months. Then he’d have his own apartment. 

He could ignore the spitfire blonde that would be sleeping in the next room for that long. No problem—at least he hoped. He had too much riding on the next few years to be distracted by a woman. Any woman.

Ninety days and he’d be in his own place.

A row of treadmills and elliptical machines ran down one side of the building’s gym. The sheer number of pieces of cardio equipment had been one of the selling points during Robert’s walk through. Although if she was honest with herself, the proximity to the park was the one factor that had really sold her on the place. Twenty minutes into her run on the treadmill, she was lost in a daydream. She imagined herself outside in the park, the trees beginning to bud, the birds singing their morning wake up arias, the feel of the path under her feet.

The sound of a new runner broke her concentration. She glanced to her left, following the rhythmic thump-thump, and almost missed a step. Tall, dark, and all that. A man she could adore from afar. He was gorgeous. And she lived with him.

They’d been sharing the apartment for the last week and this was the first she’d seen him since the night when they first agreed to share the place. She’d seen his sister every day, stocking the fridge, supervising the movers, handling all her brother’s business. They’d had coffee together two mornings ago before she’d left for the hospital. She liked Sara. She hoped Troy appreciated her.

He glanced over at her and nodded hello. Smiling back, she noticed he was plugged into his iPod like her, rather than listening to the morning news shows. News programs seemed to focus on the bad side of living in a large city: the murders, robberies, and other crimes. For once, Annie would like to hear about the kids' club who cleaned up the park last weekend or the quilt show coming up at the fairgrounds. Two months into big city life and a part of her was already yearning for home. Or at least something smaller than this. She shook her head. Winter doldrums, that’s all it was.

In a few weeks she’d be out on the miles of running paths in St. Louis’s Forest Park. Circling the duck pond, or the zoo, or even jogging the hill to the art museum, she craved the diversity the park offered. Honestly, the location of the hospital to the park across the street was a major factor in why she chose to accept this job offer rather than the one from a competing hospital. The other offer had been a little more money and she would have been assigned a department immediately. But in the end, the proximity of the park had won her over. Then to find an apartment this close to the hospital and the park? Now that was luck that she could believe in.

Even if it did mean she had to share it with Troy. She smiled as she ran. Some would tell her living with a hot doctor made her lucky too. However, sometimes, like right now, it just made her sweat. His sister thought the guy walked on water. She glanced over at Troy. He was hot enough to make her rethink her plan to stay away from men, at least for another three years until she finished her advanced degree. Almost. She punched up the speed on the machine. She could run off her frustrations. It had always worked in the past.

The timer on the treadmill beeped. Thirty minutes done. Annie glanced around the gym but besides the hot Greek god running next to her, no one was in the room or waiting for her machine. She punched another thirty minutes into the timer and focused on the Broadway songs blaring in her ear. She didn’t have to report to her new boss until nine, so she had plenty of time.

Ten minutes later, Annie was lost in thought when a burst of air hit her face. The large floor fan was rotating and Troy was doing his best to move it away from her. Pausing the treadmill, she hopped off to help.

“The button’s right here.” Annie crouched down beside him, and stopped the fan’s rotation. 

“Sorry for interrupting you.” Troy stood back, watching her with the fan. 

“No worries. I have some time before I have to report today. I finally got my permanent assignment.” Annie frowned; why was she telling him this?

“Cool. Where will you be working?” Troy pulled the ear buds out of his ears and walked back to his treadmill.

She was just about to answer when Gretchen popped her head into the room. “My two newest and favorite residents.”

“Gretchen, so nice to see you. How’s your day starting?” Troy turned up the speed, obviously not concerned about Gretchen’s answer.

“Not as energetic as the two of you.” Gretchen watched Annie start up her treadmill again. “Everything working out with the apartment?”

“Fine and dandy. All we have to do is not kill each other for ninety days.” Troy flashed Annie a smile. 

Gretchen’s eyes widened and she took a quick glance at Annie. She saw Gretchen drop her shoulders in relief when she realized Troy was kidding her.

“Everything’s fine, Gretchen,” Annie called out. 

“Let me know if you need anything,” Gretchen called back as she skittered out of the room. 

“She probably lives under the assumption that if she didn’t hear anything, it’s not real.”

Annie shook her finger at the man running next to her. “You almost gave the poor lady a heart attack. I don’t think Gretchen knows funny.”

“That’s what makes it even funnier.” 

“Did you get the pile of marketing brochures to give our co-workers?” Annie pumped up the speed on her machine.

“Yes. Although, why she’s marketing without any open apartments doesn’t make sense.” Troy notched his machine up to meet her pace.

“I asked her that. She just smiled and said it’s better when you have a waiting list. I think she gets some sort of cut when she refers people to that other building too.” Annie brushed her hair out of her eyes. “I’m planning on avoiding her for the next few months. She’s a bulldog sometimes.”

“Since I work at the hospital too, maybe she’ll leave you alone and focus on my friends.” Troy turned his gaze on her, his green eyes full of mischief.

“If you can pull that miracle off, I’ll bake you a batch of my cheesecake brownies.” Annie glanced at the timer. Twenty minutes. She wasn’t going to let anything get in the way of finishing, not today.

“Which will put me back on the treadmill to work the calories off. It’s a vicious cycle.” Troy shook his head. “It’s an easy bet, she’ll keep pushing me. Doctors give the place more credibility so you’ll be off the hook.”

What an arrogant thing to say. Annie closed her eyes, trying to calm herself. How did he know she wasn’t planning to be a doctor? Instead, he had classified her to the working class that served the ones who knew everything. Doctors. Annie opened her eyes and put in her ear buds, staring at her timer. Eighteen more minutes. She upped the speed again, trying to burn out the anger she felt and the words she wanted to say. 

“Bite your lip, Annie,” she whispered to herself. How in the heck had she ever even thought he was date material? One night stand, maybe. Living together stomped that idea into the ground. No way could she look at him every day knowing they’d slept together.

Annie snuck a glance at the muscular man next to her. When he didn’t talk, he appeared perfect. Great form, enjoyed running, green eyes deep enough to fall into, and employed. Not like the losers she attracted like flies when she and Pam went out dancing. Too bad he was a jerk.

It wasn’t like she was looking for someone anyway. Most of the women in Annie’s class had started planning their white picket fence house during their last year of college. Annie wanted more. She had at least a year before she’d saved up enough money to apply for graduate school.

Troy Saunders was just one more doctor who wanted to be coddled and worshiped. And she wasn’t here to be a doctor groupie. Even if the perfect man did sleep in her apartment.

***

Troy watched the petite blond as she exited the gym. He’d felt her anger seething even though she hadn’t said another word after the marketing discussion. She’d given a dismissive wave of the hand when he’d called out, “Have a nice day.”

What had he done to cause that kind of reaction? He liked the girl. He loved teasing her. And what was the problem with a little flirting? You’d think he asked her to sleep with him. He thought of the way she looked walking away, her strong legs making him wonder what it might be like to have them wrapped around his own body. So they had to play house for three months. No one said they had to be more than platonic. But they could at least be civil to each other.

Women. He’d never understand them. Sara had been his translator for female speak in high school. He knew from the time he had been eight that he would be a doctor. And then when Grans had died, the path for his life had been sealed. Dating wasn’t in the cards, not even a casual relationship. She could put up her walls, but he’d be damned if he and Annie treated each other like strangers. He shook his head and focused on the run. 

His mind wandered to the day ahead and his patients waiting for news about their conditions. Good or bad, they waited. Hope bubbled out of them as soon as he walked through the door. Sometimes, he got to say the good things. But too often, he would sit on the side of their bed, holding their hand as he told them the worst. That they had lost the roulette spin. And when the day ended, it was those conversations that brought him back to the treadmill. Running to get their emotions out of his body. Empty his soul so he could start another day. Another day with hope.

He walked for a few minutes, cooling down and drinking water, then wiped the sweat from his face and the machine. He headed up to the apartment. Maybe she’d already be gone. A shower, then he was off to the hospital to slay demons. He prayed today he’d win a few battles.

* * *

“I do not tolerate chattiness. You aren’t here to find out hospital gossip, you’re here to work. And as the two newest members of our team, you’ll have a lot to learn. We’re a special place, here at Memorial Oncology, and you have to prove you’re worthy of our trust.” The charge nurse took her training seriously. Annie had to give her that.

Of all the departments, Annie wound up in the one she didn’t want, oncology. Pam wasn’t even there anymore; she’d been moved to intensive care and was certain she would be assigned her permanent slot soon. But her boss was right, work was work. As soon as Annie got her masters degree, she could pick her assignment rather than the assignment picking her.

Annie realized that Nurse Abbott was staring at her. She looked at the other new nurse Bess who stared as well.

“I’m sorry, did you say something?” Annie blurted out. She’d been caught daydreaming.

Abbott shook her head, her tight chignon not moving an inch on her head. “I asked if you knew the fraternization policy, Miss ….” The woman looked down on a sheet of paper.

“Baxter. And I didn’t realize the hospital had a fraternization policy.” Annie had heard about those things in one of her medical history classes. Surely, Memorial wasn’t that backwards to implement one here. Not that she was looking for a doctor to sweep her away.

“The hospital has a clear sexual harassment policy. In my ward, that means no fraternization between you and the doctors. Especially the interns. This is their classroom and they don’t need the distraction of some ditzy blonde trying to land a husband.” Abbott stared at her. 

Well, that shot was directed straight at her since her co-worker was African American with black cornrows. “I assure you, Nurse Abbott, I’m here to work, not troll for dates.” Annie stood taller in her scrubs and held eye contact with the witch that now owned eight hours or more of her daily life.

The woman broke eye contact first. “I hope so. Now come this way and I’ll give you a tour of the floor.”

The two young women followed their trainer down the hall. When she stopped and went into a room to correct an aide who was changing sheets improperly, Bess, leaned into Annie.

“You sure are a bee in her bonnet.”

“Yeah, I noticed that.”

“What did you do to make her so mad?” Bess stood up straighter and smiled as Abbott came back into the hallway and glared at the two women.

And that was the question. How did Annie, the perfect student, wind up being on the watch list with her new boss the first day on her new job?