“I take it that meets your approval?” Sam asked.
“It does.”
“Come on or we’ll be late for our reservations.”
They dashed across West Fifty-Seventh Street, dodging cars and taxi cabs. The door was opened for them by the doorman, who doffed his hat as they entered the exquisite entrance of the world-famous Russian Tea Room.
“Wow,” Mindy whispered, as she pulled off her knitted hat. She’d seen pictures of it, heard about it and knew it was featured in several famous television shows, but standing in the lushly red decorated Russian Tea Room in person, well, she realized pictures and television didn’t do it justice. The dark green walls, with gold imperial eagles emblazoned on them, gave the room a vibe of decadence and mystery.
Sam spoke to the host and they were escorted to a corner booth, which was offset and away from some other afternoon diners. They settled into the booth.
“I thought it would be busier,” Mindy said, shrugging out of her jacket.
“We missed the lunch crowd, it’s time for early tea.”
“Tea?”
“Well, I do come from Scotland. We do have tea and I frankly haven’t had a proper tea in a long time.”
Mindy leaned on her elbow. “You know, the more you use the word ‘tea,’ the more it loses its meaning.”
“Tea, tea, tea.” Sam opened the menu. “How adventurous are you when it comes to cuisine? I mean, you did tell me your favorite food was pizza.”
“I think I’m pretty adventurous, but I draw the line at blood sausage. I know exactly what that is and I’m not interested.”
“Oh, come on, it’s not that…you’re right, but it sounds worse than it is. Black pudding is more English than Russian, though.”
“So what do you want me to try?”
“How about caviar?” Sam asked. “It’s been a while since I had some.”
“Are you serious?”
“Very.” He cocked his head to one side. “Does the idea of caviar gross you out?”
“No it doesn’t gross me out. I’m willing to try anything. Once.”
Sam grinned and when the waiter came he ordered a royal afternoon tea for two. When Mindy glanced at the menu she had no idea where she was going to put all that food. She was hungry, but blinis, assorted sandwiches and caviar sounded a little rich.
As she watched Sam conversing in a friendly way with the waiter, she smiled. She couldn’t help herself. When she and Dean had gone out to dinner, he had treated the wait staff, or anyone in the service industry, with disdain, like they were beneath him, no better than the dirt under his shoe. It had got to the stage that Mindy hadn’t actually liked going out with Dean half the time. Even after the awkward relationship with their waiter there hadn’t been much to talk about. They’d just eaten, possibly talked about cases.
There had been no spark.
She was spending the day with Sam and not once had she thought about when it would end. It was easy being with him. So easy.
Too easy.
No, she’d sworn now was the time she was going to focus on herself. She was going to find herself again.
They could only be friends. Nothing more.
It was a nice thought to entertain, because that’s all it could be. Just a fantasy.
Sam was totally relaxed for the first time in…well, he couldn’t remember when. Mindy, when she wasn’t Dr. Walker, was a vivacious and funny woman to be around. The more time he spent with her the more he wanted to be with her.
“You’re lonely. You need to find someone.”
Kimberlyn’s words seemed to strike a chord with him once again. Maybe she was right after all. Settling down, having someone had never been on his radar. At least, not until after he had his career set, but even then he wasn’t sure if he could give his all to his career and a family.
He hadn’t had the best role model when it came to surgeons and families.
Then again, he knew colleagues who made it work.
All he had to do was start by looking at his roommates. Especially Enzo and Kimberlyn. A relationship that had started with them being competitors. Then they’d both turned down a fellowship with Dr. Ootaka in favor of the other getting it. Now, that was love. And those two were joined at the hip.
Maybe I can have it all?
He shook that thought out of his head as fast as he could.
No. He couldn’t have it all. At least, not with Mindy. It was bad enough that his mother’s reputation could ruin him if people found out he was her son, but to start up a relationship with an attending when that surgeon was responsible for deciding if he got a fellowship or not could not happen.
He would not have that haunting his career.
The waiter brought their tea and set down two glass tea cups that had ornate pewter handles and delicate pewter carving wrapped all around them.
“Oh! So pretty,” Mindy gushed, and then set the cup down to let the waiter pour her tea.
Sam couldn’t help but smile as he watched her.
Dammit. Why her?
Why had she had to walk into that bar that night? Why had he gone with her back up to her apartment? Why did he have to want the one woman he couldn’t have?
“You never do things the easy way, son. You always take the hardest road to hoe.”
Sam took a sip of his tea, mulling over his father’s words. It was true. Nothing ever came very easily for him. He had to work hard for things, but it made him appreciate it all the more when he achieved his goal.
Sure, he could’ve done his fellowship at his mother’s hospital. He could’ve had his surgical training handed to him on a silver platter. Lord knew, he knew enough children of physicians who did just that, but he hadn’t wanted his training to be handed to him.
And he most definitely didn’t want to work with his mother or be under her thumb.
“This is really great,” Mindy said with a contented sigh. “It almost makes me not want to go into work tomorrow. Almost.”
“Really? I didn’t think tea would have that effect on you.”
“I have a busy caseload tomorrow. I have a mother being transported in from upstate. She’s pregnant with quintuplets.”
Sam raised his eyebrows. “Quints? Do you need a resident tomorrow?”
“I
