Mine at Last (8 page)

“Except one last thing—how was he?” Pearl smiled eagerly.

“You did not just ask me that question,” Shauna said.

“Come on, spill. I know exactly who you’re talking about. We’ve met on a few occasions. He’s a very intense man with a quiet and powerful presence. When he and his brother walk into a room, the women can’t help but stare. He’s a puzzle, though. I’ve never been able to see through his armor. It’s interesting to know that you’ve at least glimpsed a crack in it.”

“What do you mean?”

“I mean Dr. Coles is built and he’s gorgeous and as sexy as hell. And it’s a good thing I’m not a cougar or I’d go after him myself. And let’s face it, Shauna, you haven’t had a hookup in about three years. You’re due for a little L and L.”

“What are ‘L and L’?”

“Lust and love,” she said. “So, let’s hear details.”

“Seriously, I cannot believe you’re asking me this. It was just a kiss. It was quick and over with,” she said. She looked at Pearl, who was steadily shaking her head, not believing a word. “Okay, okay, it was without words. I swear my heart stopped beating the whole time. My toes curled and I wanted it to go on forever.”

Pearl nodded. “That’s more like it.”

“And that said, I’m gonna end this conversation and grab some more dessert before I head back to the hotel.” Shauna stood to go back inside.

“You know, I was just thinking,” Pearl began as she followed behind Shauna, “while you’re down here, and seeing as how you know the good doctor and haven’t had your toes curled since the turn of the last century, why don’t you and he...”

“Do not finish that sentence,” Shauna warned jokingly.

Pearl laughed. “It was only a thought, a hopeful suggestion. Are you going back to the E.R. tonight?”

“I don’t know. Probably. I don’t want to go back, but I know I have to. I don’t have a choice.”

“You’re right. You do have to go back. It’s your job and you can do this,” Pearl said. “Get yourself right back up on the horse. That’s what I like to hear. And speaking of going back, I presume you received your Key West High School alumni emailed newsletter?”

Shauna shrugged and nodded. “I unsubscribed years ago, but it still comes and goes directly to my spam filter.”

Pearl shook her head. “Well, you need to get it out of the spam filter and read it. Your class is having a high school reunion in two weeks. I hear it’s gonna be nice.”

“Yeah, I heard.”

“As long as you’re gonna still be here, why don’t you think of attending this year? You didn’t go to your prom. You haven’t been back in fifteen years. It might be a nice evening out. So, what do you have planned for tomorrow?” Pearl asked Shauna, completely changing the subject.

“Nothing much. I’ll get some work done, of course.”

“Nonsense, you can work Monday. See, that was my big mistake—I worked all the time. My life just passed me by and all I did was work. Then what are you left with? Nothing. Tomorrow you can come volunteering with me. And don’t give me that ‘I don’t have time.’ You make time.”

Shauna smiled. “Volunteering. What kind of volunteering? Do you mean feeding the hungry?”

“There are all kinds of volunteering with so many in need and never enough people to help out. I usually put in hours with the senior citizens at the center, but tomorrow I’ll be hanging out with a couple of dear old ladies.”

“Okay, what do I have to do?” Shauna asked.

“Nothing much. Just smile, be pleasant, help them in and out of the car and with their purchases. Most seniors don’t drive, so going to the store, going out to run errands or to the clinic is a major hardship. They have no way to get around. That’s where I come in.”

“So, you just play chauffeur all day.”

“Sometimes, but it’s mainly just being there with them. Most of them are alone. They don’t have any family, or if they do, they don’t see them much.”

Shauna nodded. It sounded good. She always wanted to volunteer but never found she had time. Pearl was right. You don’t find time—you make time. “Okay, that sounds great. I’ll do it.”

“Good.”

“Good,” Shauna repeated. Then they laughed and Pearl began telling her about the books she’d downloaded and the one she was currently reading. Shauna responded and commented when necessary, but her mind was on Pearl’s last comment about Dominik. It would be tempting to finally fulfill her teenage fantasy of being with him. She smiled to herself. Never in a million years would she have guessed her day would end like this.

Later that evening, after long hugs goodbye, Shauna went back to the hotel. It had been an arduous day, but still she was wide-awake. She didn’t want to go back to the hotel room and be alone, but she did. Pearl was right—being alone was the worst.

She sat down at the small desk and pulled out her computer pad and laptop. She transferred updates and synchronized the data between computers. She preferred to work primarily on her laptop for the majority of her work, but used her lighter computer tablet for taking notes and general information gathering.

Now that the laptop was up-to-date, she reached into her briefcase to get her flash drives. She pulled one out, then opened the case wider to retrieve the second one. It wasn’t there. She started digging and rifling through each compartment more thoroughly, pulling everything out. The case was completely empty. She looked again and again. She grabbed the case and nearly turned it inside out. Then she stopped and looked around the empty room. “Oh, no, this isn’t happening,” she muttered to herself.

The missing drive, although password protected, had a number of very sensitive files on it that related to her work and the Cura Group. Losing that flash drive wouldn’t hinder her job or performance, but it would make it take longer. And even though the same basic program was also on her laptop, she’d already begun singling out specific files to be examined more closely. She’d have to do that part all over again.

She had to find it. She began searching her briefcase again and then her purse and her suitcase. It was nowhere in sight. She sat down on the side of the bed and tried to remember the last time she used it. It was at her last job, but she knew she had it when she came here. Then it hit her. It might have fallen out when she dropped her briefcase on the floor in the E.R. waiting area earlier that morning. She needed to go back to the E.R. She grabbed her purse and keys and hurried out to the car.

Leaving anything behind was a huge misstep, something she’d never done. Leaving a very key component of her job because she was mesmerized by Dominik looking at her was an unforgivable breach in conduct. She’d never been so reckless before. She never allowed her emotions to get in the way of her job or get the best of her. But once was already once too many times. She knew she’d have to shield and protect herself more than ever now.

Chapter 7

There were only a few people waiting in the open area. This wasn’t about checking out the staff and procedures. Shauna stepped up to the nurse’s check-in desk. “Hi, I lost something here earlier. Is there someone I can speak with?”

“Sure. I’ll call for security.”

“It was this morning. Maybe housekeeping picked it up?”

“If they did, it still has to be handled through security.”

Shauna nodded, hoping that the same guards who’d escorted her out earlier weren’t on duty this evening. She was dressed in the same outfit and heels from this afternoon. Still, it was possible they could confuse her for a reporter again. A few minutes later a guard came out through the security doors. He was thin and tall, well over six feet and probably weighed no more than one hundred pounds. “Hi, can I help you?” he asked.

“Yes, I hope so. I was here earlier this morning and I think I accidently dropped a flash drive on the floor in the waiting room. Did anyone turn it in?”

The guard shook his head. “Not to my knowledge. If they did, it would be in Lost and Found, but it’s closed right now. You can come back Monday morning at nine o’clock.”

Shauna frowned. This wasn’t good enough. She needed that flash drive. “Okay, here’s the thing. I need the flash drive tonight and this weekend. Is there any way you can just check? It’s really important.”

“Sorry, I wish I could help. That’s hospital policy. Lost and Found is in the hospital-services department. Their department’s closed on the weekends. No one gets in after hours. It’s for security.”

Shauna understood, of course, but that didn’t make it any easier for her. “Well, what if something is found in the middle of the night, like right now? Where does it go?”

“We hold it here in the back until the Lost and Found opens.”

“Can you check to see if someone turned in a flash drive?”

“Yeah, sure, I can do that,” he said. “I’ll check the daily write-up reports, as well. Flash drives would fall into the expensive and secure item category.”

“Thank you so much,” she said.

He disappeared through the security doors. Shauna waited impatiently a few minutes, then she glanced at her watch. It was just before midnight. She looked around the waiting area and decided to walk over and check herself. No one was sitting in the chair she’d sat in earlier that morning. She looked under, around and behind the seats, then moved the cushion. She went back to the security desk just as the guard was returning. He shook his head. “Sorry, ma’am. We have sunglasses, a book and a kid’s toy. No flash drive.”

“Okay, thanks,” Shauna said, obviously disappointed.

“No problem. Check back Monday morning at nine o’clock. Have a good night.” He paused, then spoke again. “See ya, Doc. Have a good night.”

Shauna turned around. Dominik was standing right behind her. She looked surprised and then looked away, shaking her head.

He smiled at her and then glanced up and answered the security guard. “Thanks, Rodney. You have a good night, too.” Then he focused his attention on Shauna. “Good morning, Ms. Banks.”

She glanced at the clock above the check-in desk. He was right. It was exactly midnight. “Good morning, Dr. Coles.”

“So, am I going to find you hanging out here most nights?”

“No, not anymore.”

“Don’t tell me you’re not going to be spying on us anymore.”

“I don’t spy,” she said quickly. “And as I said, I won’t be doing that anymore.”

He looked at her and could tell that she was serious. Apparently she meant it when she said she intended to excuse herself from continuing the job. “You’re dropping the job. I told you the kiss was...”

She looked at him sharply. “That’s not what I meant,” she said, lowering her voice and moving closer to him.

“What do you mean?” he asked, enjoying her sweet perfumed skin. This was the scent he remembered from before. It was floral and intoxicating. He realized he hadn’t gotten enough.

“I believe my cover has been blown. I think I’ve been found out. The whole idea of coming here on off-hours was to be inconspicuous, to blend in and watch how the staff works in real situations. I have a feeling that’s not going to work anymore.” She looked over at the check-in desk, noticing the nurse and security guard watching them intently. The broad smile on their faces and the whispers between them told her coming here to observe wasn’t going to be as easy as before.

Dominik followed her line of vision. “Yeah, I guess you have at that. So, what happens now?”

“Now I go to work as planned. The documents and files requested from Cura have been pulled. Monday morning I get to go through them to find out if this hospital is a viable institution worth pursuing financially.”

He shook his head. “That’s pretty cold. In other words, you’re here to find out if this place is a viable commodity. Of course it’s viable. We’re a hospital. We service the public. The Cura Medical Group doesn’t have a clue about what’s involved in running this place. It’s all about the bottom line for them and for you. You’re the typical corporate raider—cold, emotionless, compassionless, with a massive chip on your shoulder. There’s no way you’re gonna judge this hospital fairly. You see numbers and spreadsheets, not people.”

“You make a lot of speeches, but as usual you forgot the facts. Someone needs to look at the bottom line. Obviously no one here has. That’s why the place is a mess,” she said. “In medical terms, this place is hemorrhaging money. My job is to find the weaknesses and develop workable solutions.”

“Even if it means closing it down,” he said. She didn’t respond. Dominik shook his head. “Question—what about the people who do need us? Do you know how many people need this medical center to be open? How many walk through these doors every day? Do you have a clue how many patients we’ve treated and saved here?”

“I know one patient you didn’t,” she snapped quickly. It was pure emotion and it instantly stopped them both.

He looked at her. His eyes narrowed. “What exactly does that mean?” he asked pointedly.

She shook her head. The kiss was bad enough, but to imply that she knew someone who died at the medical center was a huge mistake. Of course he picked up on it. “This is getting to be a habit, isn’t it?”

“What?”

“You and I arguing constantly, like oil and water.”

“Yeah, I guess so. Do you want to answer my question now? What exactly does that comment mean?”

Shauna took a deep breath and looked away. The intensity of his stare made her insides sizzle and burn. “Meaning, I do know. I know exactly how many patients come here every day. It’s my job to know. Cura did the audit and I read the report.”

“No, that was a personal comment,” he quickly surmised.

“I have no idea what you’re talking about,” she said, stepping back. “At this point of my review, I’ll be focusing on the E.R. department. Because Dr. Bowman’s records are spotty, to say the least, I’ll need your assistance to wade through them and get a basic understanding of his procedures. If you can...”

He shook his head. “Who died here?” he asked.

She ignored his questions. “I’ll probably have some questions for you. Dr. Gilman said that you’d be my contact, so to speak.”

He nodded. “No problem. It will be my pleasure. I’ll be available anytime you want me. Did you want me tonight?” he asked. His voice softened seductively.