Tanya
met another doctor at the hospital. He's handsome and charming, with
a beautiful smile and a great tan.
She
stood, intending to leave the room in a huff, but the walls spun as
the floor and ceiling suddenly switched places. Disoriented, she fell
like a load of wet sand. Strong arms caught her before her head hit
the coffee table, easing her back into the chair she'd risen from.
She felt fingers on her pulse and the cold of a stethoscope on her
chest. He checked her pupils next, flashing his light in her eyes.
The bright beam made her eyes water.
Voices
echoed down the hall, congregating outside the lounge. The chatter
faded as three other doctors crowded into the room, gathering around
Tanya and her tormentor. Two of them she recognized, the third was
slightly familiar. All three started talking at once, asking the man
what had happened, completely ignoring Tanya.
"She
fell, I think she may have fainted. She didn't hit her head, I caught
her before she collided with the table." He was making her sound
like a fading flower, or something else, patently ridiculous.
"If
it's all right with the rest of you," she said in her haughtiest
tone. "I do think I'll go home now!" The haughtiness
diminished somewhat by the fact she was whispering.
"I'll
drive you," her friend Davida said. "I'm off shift now, and
I'll take you home."
"I
need my car for the morning, D. I can't just leave it here."
"I'll
drive her," the new doctor said. "You bring her car."
He and Davida had the situation in hand.
"Does
anyone want my opinion?" Tanya sounded childish and huffy even
to herself, but wouldn't have admitted it for anything.
"No,"
Davida told her with a smile. "I'll grab my purse. Where's
yours, in your locker?"
Tanya
nodded slowly, but that brought on another wave of dizziness, so she
stopped. Davida shoved Tanya's purse into her hands. A ten minute
debate followed whether Tanya needed to be taken to the parking lot
in a wheelchair.
"No!
I refuse to be treated like an invalid. I can walk. Just—don't
touch me," she slapped away several pairs of well-intentioned
hands. "I'm not sick, I'm just tired."
Entourage
in tow, she walked slowly, with as much dignity as she could muster,
to the elevator. It felt like it would never reach the bottom.
The
doors slid open on the ground floor lobby and she made her way slowly
to the parking lot. Davida insisted on waiting with her while the man
got his car. Tanya gave her keys to Davida and sat on the bench near
the door.
"I
really am fine, Davi. You don't need to drive my car home."
"I
saw you when I walked in that door, girl. I'm not gonna let you
drive, and that's final. When your face is as white as your lab coat,
it's time to let someone take care of you. Now shut up and tell me
who the hunk is."
Tanya
looked up at her friend, uncomprehending. "Hunk?"
"The
guy with the great teeth and the tight ass! Where did you find him?"
"I
don't know, D. He was in the lounge when I got there. We got talking,
then I passed out. I don't know who he is."
"Ooh,
I love a mystery! Well, if you play your cards right, maybe he'll
stay a while."
"I
don't want him to stay a while. I want to go home and go to bed."
"Girl,
you want it so bad, you don't even know it," Davida said,
tossing her long, curly hair over her shoulder.
"I
don't want anything but a good night's sleep."
"Uh
huh...." When Davida used that tone, the conversation was over.
A
few moments later, the mystery man drove up in a silver, vintage
Mercedes. It was just old enough to be considered collectible. He
stopped the car, hopped out and dashed around to open Tanya's door.
She let him treat her like a child for a few moments, then leaned
back in the seat with a resigned expression. Tanya could hear Davida
trying to give instructions to her home, but like usual, Davida was
getting the streets mixed up and leaving out turns.
"Hey!"
Tanya whistled piercingly at the others. "I'm still capable of
giving him directions, if he can follow them." She proceeded to
tell her personal driver how to find her place, then leaned back
again, closing her eyes.
The
car rumbled to life, vibrating the seats. The Hunk gunned the motor
and took off faster than she would have. Tanya was a very cautious
driver. She heard her car behind them and smiled. Davida loved
driving her car, a sleek Grand Prix in pearly white. It was her one
luxury. She'd bought it with some of the money her grandmother left
her.
"Morgan
Fellowes," he said suddenly as he took a sharp left.
Tanya
looked at him in slight confusion until it dawned on her that he had
just introduced himself.
"Tanya
O'Toole," she said, gripping the seat in both hands as he took
another hard corner. "Do you always drive this fast?" She
was getting dizzy again. Each corner he took made her want to vomit.
"Sorry,"
he grinned, glancing at her slyly. "The car's new, well at least
to me. My uncle gave it to me a few months ago. We just finished
fixing it up." He slowed slightly as he took the next turn.
"It's
a very pretty car," she said, finally taking in details.
The
dash was burl walnut, finished to a sleek shine. The instruments were
all trimmed in brass that glittered in the streetlights. The dove
gray leather seat was so soft, it caressed her fingers when she
gripped it.
Morgan
chuckled, winking at her from the corner of his eye. "Thanks.
She should be, she's cost me enough. This car has been the only woman
in my life for the last six months. She's cost me so much, I haven't
had money to date." He stroked the dashboard lovingly. "She's
all fixed up now, so...."
©
2020 Dellani Oakes
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