But I couldn’t do that. “We’ve got to make it happen.”
Without complaint, she nodded. “I admire your dedication, Dex. I just wish there were more hours in a day, or that we lived longer or maybe could manipulate time so you could help every single person who needs it.”
“That makes two of us.”
“And maybe you need two assistants since you work just as much as two full-time people at once.”
I shook my head and stabbed my fork into the Caesar salad. “No. I just want you.”
She stilled at my words, her eyes focused on me, and slowly one corner of her mouth rose in a smile before she dropped her gaze back to her tablet, a beautiful color filling her cheeks like my feedback meant the world to her.
I continued to eat as I watched her, and she continued to keep her head down as she worked. Time passed that way, the two of us comfortable in the silence, existing in mutual peace.
I walked into the restaurant and found Natalia sitting alone at a table, snacking on the chips and guac in front of her. Her eyes were down, so she didn’t notice me, too busy sliding the chip through the green mixture.
“Long time no see.” I reached the table just as she finished chewing.
Her eyes lit up at the sight of me, and she got to her feet to wrap her arms around me in a deep embrace. She was in high-waisted jeans with a black blouse tucked in behind a black and silver belt, boots on her feet, her blond hair long and curled. She had to be in her midforties, but being on her feet all day opening people up kept her in shape, not to mention all the skincare she spent her millions on. “Dex, it’s so nice to see you.” She gave me a deep squeeze and let the affection linger before she pulled away. “Wow, you’re much fitter than you were in residency.”
“Well, I actually have time to work out now.”
She chuckled then patted me on the bicep.
“And I can afford a gym membership.”
She laughed again then returned to her seat.
I sat across from her and ordered a margarita when the waiter came over.
“Wow, and you drink too.”
“I always drank,” I said with a chuckle. “Just not around you.” I grabbed a couple chips and dunked them into the salsa before dropping them into my mouth. “So, how are you? How’s Hopkins?”
We got to talking about medicine, new residents, her research, all that good stuff. She’d always been my mentor, the kind of surgeon I aspired to be, a badass who didn’t miss anything. This woman didn’t make mistakes, handling surgery almost robotically, but she managed to care for her patients with her whole heart.
We ordered a couple tacos and ate as we got to reminiscing about her mentorship, some of the other residents in my class, the surgeries I’d done after graduating. It was nice to talk to someone who knew me from that time period, who could compare who I was now to who I used to be.
“So…I heard about the break you took.” She held the taco between her fingertips and craned her neck to take a bite, leaving the statement casual so I could choose to respond to it if I wished.
“Yeah. It was a long year.”
“I hope you weren’t sick or anything.”
“No, nothing like that. I just…I just needed to take a break.”
She nodded like she understood. “I’m glad you’re back. I’m sure your appointment sheet is filling up fast.”
“I’m already booked for the next three months.”
She gave a special smile that was filled with pride, like she still saw me as her prodigy even though other residents had come and gone since I left. “You’re teaching residents as well?”
“At Columbia. After all the help you’ve given me, I wanted to pay that forward.”
“That’s sweet.”
A couple moved across the restaurant to one of the tables on the other side of the large room, and the only reason I stared was because I was pretty sure the woman was my sister. She was in a tight black dress and heels, like she was definitely on a date. The guy with her was the same guy I saw in her apartment a couple months ago.
So, she was still seeing him.
The guy sat across from her, wearing a long-sleeved shirt that was tight over his muscles, and there was a smile in his eyes that was also a little arrogant. He was a good-looking dude, a guy who could get any woman he wanted, and since my sister was the best, it was no wonder he wanted to spend time with her.
Natalia caught my distracted gaze. “See someone you know?”
“My sister.” I shifted my eyes back to her. “Sorry.”
“No, it’s fine. Why don’t you say hello?”