But if the police have arrested anyone, it doesn’t appear in any news stories.
Anyway, Detective Barber doesn’t show up at my office again. And no other letters mysteriously arrive from Aaron Nierling. I’m certain I must’ve accidentally dropped the letter on the kitchen floor. It’s the only thing that makes sense.
A few times, on the way home, I was very tempted to stop at Christopher’s for an Old Fashioned. But I couldn’t do that. I would end up running into Brady, and it would be awkward, considering I have no intention of seeing him again. I’ll have to look around for a new bar to frequent, although I hate to do it. I like Christopher’s. And I am nota big fan of change. I like my routine.
A week later, I arrive at the office bright and early, because I don’t have any surgeries scheduled for today. But when I get there, my heart sinks when I see Philip flirting with Harper.
Not that he doesn’t do that all the time. Philip flirts like breathing. He even flirts with Sheila, who is about twenty years his senior. He flirts withme, even though a snowball would have a better chance in hell. But for some reason, this particular interaction grates on my nerves. Because Harper just broke up with her long-term boyfriend. Her heart is broken, and she’s on the rebound.
I watch Philip perched on the edge of her desk, pontificating about who knows what. Harper is gazing up at him with her big blue eyes, like he’sGod. Which makes sense, because he sort of thinks he’s God.
“Hi, Dr. Davis,” Harper says cheerfully. “Sheila is doing the intake on your first patient.”
I look at Philip coolly. “Don’tyouhave any patients to see right now?”
“My first patient canceled.” He grins at me. “I was thinking about making a run to get some coffee for us.”
I can’t say I wouldn’t appreciate that. Especially since my coffee mug seems to have mysteriously disappeared. I secretly suspect Philip dropped it, tossed the pieces in the trash, and failed to mention it to me.
“You really don’t have to do that, Dr. Corey,” Harper says. At least she’s still calling him Dr. Corey. If she called him Philip, I would be really worried.
“I don’t mind.” He hops off her desk and stretchesenough to show off what are actually some pretty impressive biceps. When does Philip find time to work out? I certainly don’t have any. “What do you want, Nora? Black coffee?”
“Yep.”
Harper shudders. “I don’t know how you drink it that way, Dr. Davis. Black coffee tastes so bitter.”
“I got used to it in residency,” I say. They had a coffee pot always brewing in the resident room, but never any milk or cream or sugar. At first, it was almost undrinkable, but I forced myself because I was so tired. Now I’ve gotten used to it, and it tastes strange any other way but black.
“I drank it black in residency too,” Philip says. “But now that we can have it with cream and sugar, why wouldn’t you?”
I shoot him a look. “Are you going to get us coffee or criticize what I like to drink?”
Philip laughs. No matter what I say to him, he’s never offended. Sometimes I wonder if he takes me seriously. But he must. He went out of his way to recruit me to work here after I graduated. He wasn’t willing to take no for an answer.
Philip goes back to his office to grab his jacket. I follow him, even though I’m sure my patient is going to be annoyed that I’m keeping him waiting. But this is more important.
“What’s up, Nora?” he asks me.
I shoo him inside his office and close the door behind us. “Remember how I talked to you when Harper started working here, about not hitting on her? I need you to dothat now. Don’t hit on her.”
Philip rolls his eyes. “Nora…”
“I’m not joking.”
He pushes aside the stethoscope on his desk so he can sit down on the edge. “Harper has been working here for a year. Why are you freaking out about this now?”
“Because she just broke up with Sonny. And she’s vulnerable.”
“She’s not your daughter, Nora. You don’t have to worry so much about her.”
I am mildly offended that he is implying that a girl only ten years younger than I am is a daughter figure to me, although it’s possible he hit the nail on the head. Like I told Brady when I was in college, I never wanted to have kids. But I do feel some sort of maternal urge towards Harper. She has such a bright future ahead of her, and she’s not saddled with all the family history that I’ve had to deal with.
If Philip starts dating her, it’s not going to end well. She’s probably going to end up quitting—best-case scenario.
“Look,” I say to him, “you could have any woman you want…”
He looks amused. “Gee, thanks.”
