PRINCE CHARMING M.D. (7 page)

Dana wished there were a means for her to gracefully escape from the conversation, but she was trapped between Sally and Melba, with no way to tell them she wasn't interested in the object of their conversation. Worse, she was stuck waiting for him. He needed to talk about several changes in the current surgery schedule.

"Like I said, we went dancing," Sally repeated, speaking loudly so that Angie could hear. She tucked a strand of dark curly hair behind her ear. "Some of us don't believe in putting out on the first date. You know, some of us believe we're worth more and have some class."

Angie glanced over her shoulder and grinned. "Some of us got asked and some of us didn't." She rolled her eyes. "I'm so tired. I swear
,
I didn't get but a couple hours' sleep. I would blame him completely, but he kept telling me he was inspired."

Dana gritted her teeth. She told herself she was annoyed at being kept waiting, then shook off the thought. No point in lying to herself. She knew better. She was cranky because she'd actually started to believe Trevor's "I'm so alone" act. To think that she'd gone over and actually
helped
him unpack. He must have been laughing when she left. All that talk about his ex-wife and how he'd found her with another man.

She clutched her clipboard and wished she could toss it across the room. To make matters worse, she'd truly felt sorry for Trevor. Like an idiot, she'd assumed he'd spent Saturday night in. After all, she'd heard his television playing until nearly nine at night.

She turned to Sally. "I know that Trevor moved over the weekend," she said. "He must have been busy unpacking. What time did he pick you up?"

Sally looked surprised that Dana had joined the conversation, but she answered quickly enough. "Late. The club doesn't really get going until almost eleven."

There went that theory. By ten Dana had been reading in bed. She wouldn't have heard Trevor leaving the town house. Not that it was any of her business.

She knew that her irritation was fueled by the fact that she'd been so taken in by him, and had been feeling guilty for being slightly less than pleasant during their conversation. She'd seriously considered inviting him over for dinner on Sunday. Good thing she hadn't.

Never again, she told herself. She would do her best to avoid the man like the wart scum he was. The next time she saw him, she would—

The elevator doors opened and Trevor stepped out. All conversation ceased as the four women turned their attention to him,

"There you are," he said.

Dana blinked. He'd walked right past Angie and Sally with little more than a nod, but he was giving her one of his better smiles. That didn't make sense. How could he ignore those other women? He'd
dated
them. According to Angie, he and the pretty nurse had done the wild thing through most of the night.

"Dr. MacAllister," she said, ignoring the frenzy stirred up by her suddenly out-of-control hormones. Bad enough that he was a skirt chaser. Worse that her own body betrayed her by melting on command every time she saw him and he bestowed a smile on her. Why couldn't she grow up? A crush at fifteen was excusable. A crush at her age made her look really stupid.

"I'm sorry about having to make changes," he said, motioning for her to lead the way to her office.

She glanced back and saw the three nurses eyeing them. He still didn't acknowledge any of them. How strange.

"The schedule is more flexible than usual this week," she said. She entered her office and moved to sit behind her desk. Trevor took the chair across from her. He pulled a sheet of paper out of the front right pocket of his white coat.

She watched him as he read the sheet. "You look tired," she said. "Rough night?"

The words popped out without warning. When he glanced at her, she was determined to bluff her way through and tried to smile casually. She wasn't sure how it actually looked.

"I was up late unpacking," he said.

"You didn't have a date?" She heard the incredulity in her voice and wished she could call back the question.

"No. I stayed in. What about you? Anything fun over the weekend?"

Her social life was incredibly dismal, but he didn't need to know that. "I prefer to keep conversation strictly
business
."

"I see." Perfect eyebrows arched. "You
were
the one asking about my personal life."

"I know. I apologize. For a moment I forgot myself."

He leaned forward and rested his hands on her desk. "Forget away."

Her brain screamed at her to watch out. Trevor was lethal when he flirted. She'd already suffered once at his hands and didn't see any reason to do it a second time.

"This is none of my business," she said slowly. "But I want to remind you that hospitals are notorious for gossip. While there's no policy against staff members dating, it can create tension in the workplace. You might want to remind your dates that they should be discreet."

"My dates?" He studied her for a moment. "I see. How many did I have this past weekend?"

"Two that I heard about."

Hazel green eyes stared at a place over her left shoulder.

His facial expression didn't change, but suddenly she couldn't read what he was thinking. It was as though an invisible screen had fallen to shield him.

He handed her the piece of paper. "These are my changes in the surgery schedule. If there's a problem, I would appreciate you contacting my office."

He was gone before she could say anything else. Dana was left staring after him, wondering why on earth she felt as if she'd disappointed him.

Chapter Four

«
^
»

"
W
ho ordered this?" Lee Murphy asked as their waiter delivered a basket of steaming cheese garlic bread.

Dana shook her head. "Don't look at me. I wouldn't have ordered it, but I don't mind helping everyone eat it."

Katie Sheppard smiled. "You know they just bring it unless we tell them we don't want any. It's a tradition."

"Calories," Lee said, eyeing the basket,
then
grabbing a slice. "Unnecessary calories."

"But if we didn't actually order the food, the calories don't really count," Dana said.

Her two friends laughed. When the waiter reappeared, they gave him their order,
then
settled in for a chatty lunch. Dana sipped her diet soda and listened while Katie talked about her wedding plans. The affair would be simple, with only family and close friends.

"I'm not going to have a maid of honor," Katie said, her brown eyes crinkling as she smiled. "I want the two of you to be my attendants, though. Just like we promised in high school."

Dana looked at Lee. "I can't believe I'm about to get all teary."

Lee grimaced. "Terrible, isn't it? We should be annoyed because she broke the pact. Next thing you know we'll be planning a wedding shower."

Dana shrugged. "I was thinking about a brunch."

"Me, too," Lee admitted,
then
laughed. "We're hopeless."

Katie addressed them both. "So you're really all right with this? I know we promised, but…" She smiled. "I can't help it. I love him."

"We understand," Lee told her. "What's a little promise among friends?"

Katie picked up a piece of garlic bread. "I feel badly about that. Really I do. Does it help to remind you two that I really meant it at the time?"

Lee touched Katie's arm. "You don't have to explain. Dana and I aren't mad at you. Why would we be? You've found a wonderful man who loves you, and you're going to spend the rest of your life with him. We'd be pretty crummy friends to want to stand in the way."

"She's right," Dana added. "Be happy, Katie. That's what this time is all about."

"Thank you." Katie reached down and pulled a magazine out of her oversized purse. "I was hoping you'd say that. So I brought a copy of a bridal magazine. There are a few dresses I think you'll like."

Lee and Dana groaned in unison. "Nothing with ruffles," Lee said. "I mean that, Katie. No cute bows, no little capes on the shoulders and definitely no trains."

Katie held up her hands in mock surrender. "That was never my plan. I was thinking more along the lines of simple and elegant."

She opened the magazine and angled it toward Lee. Dana glanced at the picture, but found her attention drifting from the conversation of dress styles and colors.
Not that she wasn't interested in her friend's wedding.
She was still adjusting to the fact that Katie was marrying a doctor.

Years ago, after graduating from nursing school, the three lifelong friends had signed a pact swearing none of them would ever marry a doctor. They all had their reasons. Katie's doctor father had always been available to everyone but his family. Lee's father, also a doctor, had gotten Lee's mother pregnant, then left her with an illegitimate baby. Dana's father had also left. She had watched her mother wasting her life, waiting for a man to come rescue her after her divorce. Her fantasy had always been to marry a doctor, and she'd refused to go out with several honest, decent men simply because they didn't fit her preconceived notion of what she wanted.

Until a few months ago, the three friends had kept their promise. Then Katie had gotten involved with her close friend Mike Brennan. Dana couldn't blame her. Mike was one of the good guys and wildly in love with Katie. Marriage was the next obvious step in their relationship. Turning her back on a very special life of love would be as foolish as Dana's mother's insistence on holding out for a white knight,
who
never showed up.

But… Dana bit back a sigh. She hated to admit it, even to herself, but at times she was envious of her friend. She didn't want to get involved with a doctor, but she did want to find someone she could care about. Someone who would care back. Like most women, she wanted a family—including children and a husband. Focusing on her career hadn't left her much opportunity to socialize. Maybe now that she'd received her promotion she could start taking care of her personal life.

"So what do you think?" Katie asked, turning the magazine so Dana could see the photograph of the bridesmaids' dress.

The dark-green gown had a boat neck and long sleeves. The simple bodice set off the floor-length, tulip skirt.

"This part comes off," Katie said, pointing to the skirt. "See the knee-length panel underneath? It's really a shorter skirt, so you can wear the dress again, to a party or something." She chewed on her lower lip. "Do you like it?"

Dana glanced at Lee and nodded. Her friend smiled. "We love it. No frills, no ruffles and no bows, which pleases me. But this is your wedding, Katie. Are you happy with it?"

"Yes. I looked when I went shopping for my dress, and I really like this one best. We need to arrange a time to go order them."

Before they could continue, their waiter returned with their food. All three had ordered grilled-chicken salads. Dana thought about all the lunches they'd shared since graduating from nursing school. By now they should have their own table at the restaurant. Or at least a plaque on the wall, commemorating their patronage. The thought made her chuckle.

An hour later, she and Lee started across the street toward the hospital, while Katie got into her car to make a quick trip home to check on her father. He was doing better, but was still not as strong as before his heart attack.

"You were quiet at lunch," Lee said. "Is everything all right?"

"Fine," Dana told her. "I was just thinking about things. Katie marrying Mike. I'm really happy for her, but it's strange."

"To think about her marrying a doctor?" Lee asked. "But if it makes her happy, that's what counts." She glanced at Dana. "It's none of my business, but how are you doing, now that Trevor's back in town?"

"Tough question," Dana admitted. "I'd feel better if we weren't neighbors." She'd already filled both women in on that particular detail. "As far as dealing with him at the hospital … I guess I'm doing as well as can be expected. Nothing has changed. The nurses are lining up to date him. He's already been out with two that I know about. At least I don't have to worry about having a crush on him."

Lee stiffened slightly. "A crush wouldn't be so bad."

"It would for me. I gave Trevor my heart once and he trampled all over it."