Ellie is in her office when I turn the corner, dressed in the same royal blue scrubs as me, and her eyes widen when she gets a good look at my face. She slides her chair back and stands. “Has he not called you?”
I shake my head. “Has he called you?” I counter.
Her brows furrow. “No. I figured you two made up last night after I left.” She looks down at her phone. “Strange. Usually, he calls me back. I hope he’s okay.”
Now she has me worried. What if something happened to him? The front desk buzzes in my first patient so I back up toward my office which is right beside Ellie’s. “Keep calling him Ellie. I have to know he’s okay.”
She nods and I can see the concern on her face. “I will.”
I try to be optimistic about things, but I really am worried for Tanner. Please let him be okay. Once in my office, I put on a clean lab coat and wrap my ponytail into a neat bun. I look at the schedule on the computer and the day is full. My first patient is Marjorie Thatcher. She’s here for a temporary crown and is known to have a severe gag reflex.
Releasing a heavy sigh, I close my eyes. “Please don’t let her throw up on me.”
A knock sounds on my office door and I turn to see Lexi Hoffman with a big smile on her face. She’s twenty-four-years-old with bright blonde hair and wearing the usual royal blue scrubs like everyone else on Mondays. We all thought it’d be nice to color coordinate, so I let my assistants and hygienists come up with a schedule.
“Good morning, Lexi,” I say, returning her smile. “Did you have a good weekend?” She’s the best dental assistant I’ve ever worked with. That’s why I pay her top dollar to stay with me.
Lexi steps into my office. “Sure did. You?”
A laugh escapes my lips, but there’s no humor in it. The night I spent with Tanner was phenomenal, but it all went to shit with my stupidity. “Yes and no,” I reply. Her brows furrow with concern, but I wave her off. “I’m hoping things will get better though. Just waiting on someone to call me back.”
Lexi nods. “Okay. You had me worried there for a second.”
“Is Mrs. Thatcher ready to go?”
She nods again. “Yep. And I have the trash can close by in case she throws up her breakfast. She told me she had eggs, bacon, and three pancakes.”
The thought makes me cringe. I really don’t want to see all that come up. “Great,” I grumble, “just what I need.” I follow her into the hallway, and she turns into the first examination room. Before going inside, I glance over at Ellie’s office and lift my brows when she looks at me. She shrugs and shakes her head, mouthing the word nothing. I can tell she’s really starting to get worried. This isn’t how I wanted to start my day.
Well . . . it turns out I was able to get through Marjorie Thatcher’s crown appointment without her throwing up on me. She gagged a bunch and we had to take breaks, but we got it done. Thank God.
Throughout the morning during my breaks, I checked my phone but there was nothing from Tanner. Inside, I’m conflicted. On one hand, I’m worried something happened to him, especially since he hasn’t returned Ellie’s calls either, but on the other hand, I’m furious. If he really wanted to be with me like he says he does, then why would one misunderstanding turn him away? I just don’t get it.
Sitting in my office, I look up at the clock and it’s almost lunch time. All my morning appointments are done, and I just finished my last patient’s hygiene exam. On top of that, I did a total of six fillings, three extractions, and a crown. Not bad for a Monday morning.
“Sophie.” Ellie’s voice catches my attention and I turn around quickly. She nods toward the front of the office. “Since it’s almost lunch and everyone’s leaving, I’m going to run by Tanner’s house. This isn’t like him to ignore me.”
I want to join her, but I don’t think it’s a good idea. If Tanner listened to my message, he knows how I feel. The ball is in his court now. “Go,” I say. “And call me as soon as you find him.”
She’s already turning for the door. “I will.”
The office is quiet and most everyone has left except my two front desk ladies and Lexi. She walks quickly toward the sterilization room with a tray full of dirty instruments. Instead of going to the break room, I go into the examination room and glove up so I can help Lexi clean. I spray down the chair and all our equipment.