doubts about themselves, then I realize that I’m not so different.”
“Everyone feels shitty about themselves sometimes.”
“And that applies to you, too?”
“Of course.” He nodded.
“Not about your looks. I wouldn’t believe someone who looks like you would.”
“Are you flirting with me?”
Her eyes widened in surprise. “Am I? I never tried before. I didn’t think I knew how!”
He grinned at her again. He was doing that a lot tonight. He felt a little bit like an idiot, but it felt good. He needed any reason to feel good lately. Without the hospital he was feeling lost, empty. For the first time in his life he was idle, and he sure as hell didn’t like it. “If you weren’t flirting, what do you call it?”
“Being honest.” She took a long sip of her drink. “Maybe it’s this stuff that’s making me extra honest this evening.” They both heard the sound of heels clicking on the floor in the distance, and Elias knew that his conversation with this quirky woman was about to come to an end.
“I’ll leave you to enjoy your friend. It was nice speaking to you, Cricket.”
“I enjoyed speaking to you, too, Elias.”
He got up and walked back to his spot at the bar just as a woman rounded the corner. Cricket was right. Her friend was beautiful. She was tall, with caramel-colored skin and light eyes. Her body was toned, her hair long and ruthlessly straight, highlighted with different shades of blond. She was perfectly made-up and perfectly dressed. She was perfectly boring.
“Hey, Bug!” She smiled brightly. “It’s great to see you.”
“Hello, Giselle. How are you?”
“Great! Just great.” She hugged Cricket. “What a cute little dress you’re wearing. I could never pull it off, but you have never been afraid of wearing things you find in the thrift store.”
“I didn’t get this in a thrift store. I got this in a little boutique downtown. The one you’re always talking about.”
“Oh.” She took the seat across from Cricket. “Do they carry your size there? I didn’t think they carried anything over a size ten.”
“They do,” Cricket said, her nostrils flaring a bit.
“Good. You can carry the extra weight so much better than most people I know. I’m glad they have clothes for larger ladies.”
Elias felt his nostrils flaring a bit. He wanted Cricket to tell the woman to go to hell.
“Everyone deserves nice clothing,” Cricket responded cheerfully. “So what’s going on with you? I know there must be something if you wanted to see me.”
“I just wanted to catch up. You are one of my dearest friends.”
“Were you working late? That promotion you got must be keeping you busy. You were nearly a half hour behind schedule. But I know you must have been too busy to text me. Us career girls have to really put our noses to the grindstone to prove we’re just as good as the men, so I understand your tardiness.”
Elias wanted to applaud Cricket. She wasn’t a pushover. He liked that.
“I’m sorry about that. I was on a call.” She reached across the table and gave Cricket’s hand a light squeeze. “So, are you seeing anyone? I’m still with Arnold. It’s getting serious! But don’t worry, sweetie. You’ll find someone someday. Women can have children well into their late forties nowadays.”
That was it. Elias left his spot at the bar and walked back over to Cricket’s table. He didn’t spare a single look at her friend before he took Cricket’s chin between his fingers and kissed her full, pouty mouth. He wasn’t sure if that was the stupidest thing he had ever done or the best decision of his life, because he felt the immediate spark of sexual attraction in their kiss.
He lifted his head briefly, looked her in the eyes and kissed her again. This time she slid her hand up his jaw and kissed him back a little more deeply than he had kissed her.
“I’m sorry that took so long,” he said to her as he slipped into the chair next to her. “I got our dinner reservations moved back another half hour.”
“Dinner.” Cricket nodded, giving him a conspiratorial grin. “Can’t wait.”
“Um,” Giselle said. “Hello. I’m Giselle, and you are?”
“Elias.” He nodded his head but didn’t extend his hand to shake. “I’m Cricket’s boyfriend.”
“Isn’t he gorgeous?” Cricket laughed.
Giselle looked stunned. “Uh... I... I—I didn’t know you were seeing anyone.”
“Well, Elias walked up to me and introduced himself, and I’ve been taken with him ever since.”
“Oh, how sweet,” she said, looking and sounding disbelieving. “I’m happy for you.” Her eyes narrowed. “Tell me, Elias. What do you do for a living?”
“I’m a trauma surgeon.”
“Here on the island?”
“There are very few traumas here. I work at Miami Mercy. I’m on leave right now. I broke my wrist and haven’t been cleared to return yet.”
“My boyfriend is in pharmaceutical sales. He’s at your hospital a lot. Maybe you know him.”
“I don’t. I don’t ever speak to drug reps unless they are bleeding out on my table.”
“Where did you go to medical school?”
“Miller.”
“You got into one of the best hospitals in the country.” She nodded. “Did you meet Bug at a work function?”
“No. It was purely by chance, and I couldn’t seem to get her off my mind ever since.”
None of those things were lies. If it were any other day, he might not have been there. He might not have even given a second look to Cricket or cared that she was being disrespected by her rude friend. But it wasn’t any other night. Tonight he wanted something to take his mind off not being able to work, and he was glad that Cricket was that something.
“So, are you getting serious? Your mother will be pleased, I’m sure,” she said rather stiffly. “Who wouldn’t love another doctor in the family?”
Another doctor? She’d told him she wasn’t one, and he had believed her because he spent a lot of time around doctors and she seemed a little more free-spirited than most of them. But maybe he didn’t know as much as he thought he did.
“It doesn’t matter what my mother thinks. It only matters that I’m happy, and right this minute, I’m incredibly happy.”
Giselle frowned, almost like she
