Saving Forever - Part 1 (6 page)

She
laughed and tried to stop when he shot her a pretend dirty look. “Seriously? Come on. Maternity? You’re just making it too easy for me to tease you.”

He gave her a smug nod.
“You’re still treating, right? ‘Cause now I’m ordering appetizers, foreign bottled beer, the most expensive dinner on the menu, and a dessert I’m not even going to touch!”

She turned again and let her foot off the gas to slow slightly. She pointed out the passenger window
and her hand brushed across his chest. It sent a warm sensation back toward her. “That’s where we are going to have the gala.”

Elijah leaned forward to look out the window. “It looks closed.”

“It is right now. The guy who bought the place said it’ll be finished in about three months, four tops. We’ll be the first rental when it’s complete. Wait till you see it.”

“I’m looking forward to it. You
r father was quite adamant that you were going to do something special. Something one of a kind. He–”

“Seriously? He said that?” She cut him off
, surprised her father would actually say something nice about her to others.

“He did. Now everyone is volunteering to help out. Half the hospital didn’t even know Dr. Thompson had a daughter.”

“Did you know?”

He nodded. “You
r dad has a framed picture of the three of you on his desk.”

Charity stared at the road ahead. She hadn’t noticed the picture when she dropped the phone off. Then again, she hadn’t been looking for it. She wondered when the photo had been taken.

She parked the car and pointed just up the road on the other side of the street. “The place where we’re eating is a house turned into a restaurant. I think the owners live upstairs actually.”

“I’ve driven on this road a hundred times and never noticed
a restaurant sign.”

“Wait till you try the food. You’ll be ordering takeout once a week.”

Charity got out and walked around the car to the sidewalk. Elijah was waiting for her. They walked together and stopped at the intersection for the light to change.

“You’ve got to be joking,” Elijah muttered as he glared at the ground.

“What?” she asked, glancing around.

“To our left, about
to cross the street, is stalker-nurse.”

Charity looked and saw a pretty redhead coming towards them, a determined look on her face.
Charity didn’t want the night ruined. A crazy idea popped in her head. “You’re about to owe me dinner.” She stepped closer to Elijah just as his head came up. She leaned in, wrapping her arms around him and pressing her lips hard against his. Her eyes closed on instinct and her lips softened against his. He froze a moment before he started kissing her back.

His hands slipped inside her coat and their warmth seeped through her shirt and burned against her skin. Her lips parted and his tongue brushed against hers. It sent mixed signals to her brain.

She heard an angry harrumph behind her. Just to be safe she pressed closer to Elijah and kissed him harder. It took Charity a few moments longer than she thought it would to pull away. Slightly out of breath, she leaned her forehead against his and whispered, “Is she gone?”

Elijah’s shoulders rose and fell as his eyes searched
hers a moment before glancing behind her. “She’s stomping down the road.” He chuckled. “I mean it. She’s literally stomping her feet. I think she’s pretty pissed.”

Charity straightened and turned to watch the girl. “I don’t think she’s going to be bugging you anymore.
Just check your food and coffee for poison.”

Elijah pressed his fingers against his lips.
“That was pretty impressive.”

So are you.
She grinned at him, and tried to ignore her inner voice.

He stuffed his hands into his coat pockets. “Th-The idea, I mean. Smart thinking.”

She realized he was thanking her. “Then I believe you owe me dinner now.” She started walking to the restaurant, wishing the evening air would cool the heat off her face. “And I’m
starving
.”

Chapter 10

Charity spent the next day setting up the double conference room for the evening’s staff party. Last night’s dinner played over
in her mind again and again. She’d set her iPod on the docking station connected to the room’s sound system and tried to focus on the task at hand.

Except the fake kiss kept tempting her imagination of what it might be like if Elijah wanted to kiss her. She couldn’t deny he was good looking. The whole doctor thing was a turn on.

Stop it!
She rolled her eyes for the tenth time that hour. She needed people to come tonight, to relax and have a good time and want to be part of this gala. She moved another table to the wall perpendicular to the wet bar. Well, it wasn’t much of a bar until she had cases of beer, wine and several bottles of whiskey delivered. Then she had to have one of those cafeteria fridges with sliding doors brought up. She’d just finished stocking it when her father walked in.

She wiped her forehead with the back of her hand. It felt warm. She’d have to make sure the fans or A/C was on for the evening. Thank goodness the room had glass doors to a balcony that overlooked the city.

Her father cleared his throat. “The room looks different.”

Charity had the large conference table removed and put into the room across the hall. The room had loads of space now. She’d set tables and cushion
ed chairs throughout the room, covered the tables in white tablecloths with specks of silver sewn throughout. It gave the effect of glitter – like diamonds.

“There’s going to be quite a few people coming in and out tonight.”
From the emails replies, there would be at least fifty.

“What should I wear?”

The question took her by surprise. The man always wore a suit or something dressy. She doubted he owned a pair of jeans. “Just wear dress pants and a button up. You can wear a suit if you want but this room’s pretty warm. You’ll be ditching the jacket before you finish your first conversation.”

“Noted. Do I need to make some sort of speech?”

“Do you want to?”

“No.”

“Then you don’t have to. Just mingle around the room and introduce yourself to whoever’s here.”

“Everyone knows who I am.”

Did the man always have to be so confident? It made him a great doctor but it also made him frustratingly annoying. “I’m sure they do, Dad, but you don’t know everyone here and people like to feel special if you make a point to talk with them or say hello or even ask their name.”

He opened his mouth, bu
t then closed it and didn’t say anything.

“You’ll enjoy yourself. Be here by seven at the very latest. People will start showing up around six and want to eat.
The food’s coming around seven and if people start eating before you’re here, they won’t wait around. They’ll leave.”

“Okay. I’ll be on time.”

“Thank you.”

He walked out of the room without a goodbye or a see you later.

She let out the breath she didn’t even know she had been holding. Did he talk to his patients the same way? His bedside manner could probably use some work.

The clock above the door showed it was nearly four. She needed to get back to the hotel to shower and get ready herself. She did one more walk around the room and counted to sixty. That would give her father enough time to get to the elevator and be gone so she wouldn’t have to see him again
until later on. She grabbed her stuff and dashed out the door, opting for the staircase just to be on the safe side.

After racing home,
Charity showered, straightened her hair and did her makeup. She stood in front of the hotel bed trying to choose between the two dresses she had brought. One was a just above the knee black designer dress with a gold buckle where the v-cut centre met. The other had a long skirt dress and the top neatly twisted so the material pulled to the side right by her hip.

She tried the first on and posed in front of the mirror. Classy but it would make the corners of her father’s mouth pull down. Off it went and the charcoal long dress traded places. 
This one.
She liked it because it made her small breasts appear larger and her waist tighter. Classy but relaxed.

Good to go. She drove back to the hospital and made a mental note to ask her father for a parking permit. The walk from
the visitor parking lot wasn’t the issue, but constantly carrying boxes would be easier. Tonight’s box weighed about twenty pounds. She had gone to the printer’s down in Atlanta this week and ordered an invitation with information about the gala six months away. Reading material and something for the hospital staff to mark their calendars and remember. The sheets had been done like a wedding invitation in heavy paper with gilded gold and sparkles to look like diamonds. They’d turned out really beautiful.

Half
way to the hospital entrance, a male voice called from a parked car in the doctor’s reserved area. “Need some help?”

Simon! Charity smiled at her best friend’s husband. He waved and walked around to the passenger side to let Julie out. Charity waited for them.

“Here, let me carry that.” Tall Simon easily took the box from her arms and carried it. “You look gorgeous, Charity.” He kissed her on the cheek before planting a kiss on his wife’s lips. “You’re looking particularly hot tonight as well, wifey.”

“You’re so cheesy.” Julie shook her head. “He’s only coming because I promised him you’d have beer and wine.”

Charity smiled. “There’s whiskey too. And rum.”

“Ahhh, a girl after my own heart. Why didn’t I meet you before Juls?”

Julie playfully punched him in the arm. “You did! You asked her out and she turned you down.”

“I did? I don’t remember that.” Simon quickened his step at the same time opening the hospital
’s sliding automatic door.

“That’s ‘cause you try to pretend it never happened.” Julie shook her head, winking at Charity.

“For the record,” Charity said grinning, “I didn’t turn you down because I wasn’t interested, I had some major test I needed to study for.”

Simon dramatically dropped his head. “And to think I had a chance.”

Julie snorted. “You never had a chance.”

Charity hit the elevator button. “I think you guys did pretty good finding each other. At least you’re not thirty and still waiting to get married.”

Simon let the girls onto the elevator first. “In some countries a man is allowed to have more than one wife.”

“It’s not going to happen, Simon. Not going to happen.” Julie waved her index finger at him.

Charity laughed. She loved their banter and how easy they got along. “I’ve missed you guys.”

“Well don’t avoid coming to
New York.” Julie pretended to scold her. “Move back here so you can hang with us all the time.”

“Except don’t plan too many of these mandatory hospital functions.” Tim stepped forward to make sure the elevator door would close on them. “People’ll start to realize I’m not so cool out of hospital gear.”

“You could have worn your scrubs.” Charity unlocked the boardroom door and flipped the lights on.

“See, Juls! Charity wouldn’t have minded.” He gave her a smug look. “I told you so.”

“Go ahead and change, but don’t blame me when your pillow is on the couch tonight instead of the bed.” Julie glanced around the room. “It looks fab, Charity.”

“Thanks. I really didn’t do much.” She walked behind the wet bar. “Do you want a beer, Simon?”

“I thought you’d never ask.”

Charity handed him a bottle and poured a glass of red wine for Julie. She wanted to wait
until later.

Staff started to arrive and Charity stood between the door and the bar. She introduced herself and let them know the bar was self serve. The room filled with doctors, nurses and everything in between. Charity tried to make mental notes for everyone she spoke to. At ten to seven the pizza driver arrived with pizzas stacked on a gurney. She asked the delivery guy to set the pizza on the wall across from the large windows. As she grabbed her purse to tip the guy, she heard her father’s voice
:

“…the
bi-cusped valve isn’t where I want it to be. We will need to monitor for the next few days.”

“I’ve already put that in his
charts and spoke to the nurses. They’ll let me know if there are any changes.”

Elijah’s accent couldn’t be missed. Charity tipped the pizza boy and turned to greet the doctors. “Hi.” She smiled at her dad and let her eyes linger a moment longer than necessary on Elijah.  He
’d spiked the front part of his hair with some gel and the five o’clock shadow made him beyond sexy. He wore a light blue button up shirt and dark dress pants that fit just tight enough to show off his physique but still completely professional. Classy and sexy. Her mind raced back to the kiss from last night. She stared at his mouth and then nearly died when she realized she’d just traced her lower lip with her finger.

“
If you’ll excuse me.” Her father stepped between them. “Dr. Skyrt is here. I haven’t seen him in ages!” Charity’s father walked over to the man and shook his hand, leaving her alone with Elijah.

“How was your day?”
Professional Charity, be professional.

“Interesting.” His fingers ran lightly over his chin. “I have to tell you something.” He leaned slightly closer to her.

“What is it?” she whispered in a quiet airy voice. Her entire body was tuned into his. She could feel goose bumps start to rise on her bare arm.

“
Last night…”

“Yes?”
Her breath quickened.

“Th
at place. That food was amazing! I ordered it again for lunch.”

She straightened. “Seriously?”

“Yeah.” His head tilted to the side. “What did you think I was going to say?”

“Nothing.” She waved her hand, wondering if other people noticed the room had grown warm. “I had no idea.”

“Charity!” Her father motioned her to come over. “Come meet Dr. Skyrt. He’s very interested in helping with the fundraiser gala.”

She nodded in his direction and gave one last glance at Elijah. “Duty calls.”

Her father introduced her to the older English doctor. He was witty and charming, but best of all, wanted to put money towards the hospital. Charity gave him her business card and promised to be in touch.

She glanced around the room. Most people were on their second, or even third drink, and chatting amongst themselves. She cleared her throat and raised her voice
. “Everyone, help yourself to pizza and there are platters of snack foods on the table over there.” She pointed to the far wall. “I should probably introduce myself. I’m Charity Thompson, and yes, my father is Dr. Thompson.” She smiled at her dad, playing the part of the good daughter. It only had to be believable.

“Some of you may already know, Dr. Thompson is turning sixty-five…”
She glanced at her dad and winked. “Am I allowed to tell them your age?”

He smiled and nodded, playing the part of the loving father.

“Yes, so with that milestone, instead of retiring my father would like to throw a massive party to raise money for the hospital.” A question crossed her mind. “Do you have an intention on where you plan to use the monies raised?”

“I do. The oncology floor needs new equipment
and whatever else we can do.”

A couple of groups cheered when he said that. Charity, for a moment, was at a loss for words. Then she realized his
edge – he wanted to put it towards the floor her mother had lost her battle with cancer on so it would make him look good.  Own the hospital and look like the guy who had lost his one true love. Either that, or he felt incredible guilty and wanted to try and make up for it.

Everyone stood quiet, waiting for her to speak. She realized the silence in the room was because of her. “Fantastic.” The word sounded forced. “While you grab food, please check over the printed brochure. It’s a summary of what we plan to do. To make this evening a massive success, we are going to need volunteers and ideas and word of mouth. If you want to help or have an idea to share or anything, you can email or call me. My information is on the back. I hope to get a chance to chat with a number of you this evening.” There. Her speech to get the ball rolling was done. The rest of the evening would consist of cruising the room and chatting. Having a laugh and making sure everyone was enjoying themselves. “Now who wants a beer? And who wants pizza?”