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“Not good?” she asked.
Uncomfortable with the question, Miklo shifted position. “I don’t know how to answer that without sounding completely biased.” He picked up the sandwich again, but didn’t eat.
“Oh, do try,” she said with narrowed eyes that sparkled with mischief.
He sighed and leaned forward. “Okay, so I’m half Greek, half Mexican. My uncle owns the best restaurant in town. After eating that kind of food all of my life, a simple sandwich from the hospital grill just doesn’t cut it sometimes. Know what I mean?”
“I can appreciate your position, but as I’ve never eaten Greek food, I can’t pass judgment on you.” She took a bite of her sandwich, seemingly not bothered.
Miklo shot forward in his seat, incredulous. “Are you kidding? You’ve never eaten Greek food?” He leaned back and placed a hand over his eyes. “Woman, you have no idea what you are missing.” He shook his head in amazement.
“Well, maybe some day you can show me.” She laughed and took another bite.
“You’re on,” he said, just as his pager went off.
CHAPTER FOUR
“I THINK we’re due back in PACU. And Arlene will think I’ve kidnapped you or scared you off completely.”
“Oh, she knows it will take more than something like this to scare me off.” Jeannine walked beside him as they returned to the PACU.
“You’ve been a nurse for a while then?” he asked, and held open the door to the stairwell.
“Yes. I think I’ve worn out fourteen pairs of nursing shoes in the last ten years.”
“That’s a lot of miles.” He opened the doors to the PACU for her, his stride so long she had to lengthen hers to keep pace with him.
“I’ve heard someone say it’s not the miles but the mileage that gets to you.”
Startled by that insightful comment, Miklo sighed. “I’ll go along with that,” he said, thinking of the emotional mileage he’d incurred over the last few years.
“I’m sure you’ve put on a few miles yourself between medical school, residency and your hospital practice.”
“Yes. Seems like I’ve been walking the same one over and over sometimes.”
Before she could respond to that, they arrived at the PACU, and the friendly camaraderie between them faded a little. In this environment the expectations were different. She suddenly didn’t feel as open with him as she had in the canteen when it had just been the two of them at a small table. Oh, well. Not a time to get curious about the medical director.
Two hours passed before the anesthesiologist declared Roberto responsive enough to be transported to the pediatric ICU. Jeannine assisted the PACU nurse to hook up transport monitors and together they moved him upstairs. Although Roberto was not under the influence of the heavier medications any longer, Miklo’s instructions were to keep him slightly sedated.
Arlene appeared at the doorway of Roberto’s room. “Jeannine, are you okay?” she asked, concern in her voice.
“Oh, yes. This has been a fabulous experience,” she said, and placed a small blood-pressure cuff onto Roberto’s arm.
“I was going to get angry with Miklo if he scared you off on your second day on the job.” She moved closer and gave Jeannine a reassuring squeeze on the shoulder.
“You worry too much. Really. I sat through the operation and then had something to eat, so it’s been a surprisingly good day.”
“Good.” Arlene placed a hand on her chest in obvious relief.
“What’s good?” Miklo asked as he entered the small patient room. Everything in it was designed for children, and with Miklo’s large presence everything seemed to shrink even more.
“Jeannine was just telling me you hadn’t frightened her out of the job today, and I said that was good.”
“She’s been a trouper. But she kidnapped my patient,” he said, and faced Jeannine.
“I did not! Dr. Harrison said he was able to go to PICU, so the PACU nurse called—”
Miklo gave a quick laugh.
“Miklo, stop teasing,” Arlene said, and glanced at Jeannine. “You can sue him for harassment if you like. I’ll be a witness.” Arlene shook her head and left the room.
“You’re not very nice to tease me so many times in one day, Doctor.” Jeannine pulled out a clipboard with Roberto’s chart and began to record his vital signs.
“I have to. Once you’ve been here a while you’ll be too smart to fall for my little tricks.”
Jeannine double-checked Roberto’s IVs and the ventilator settings, made sure of the security of the tube in his mouth that assisted his breathing. Distracting herself from the appeal of Miklo was extremely important at the moment. Though she had recently suffered the biggest letdown of her life when her fiancé had deserted her, she suddenly found herself being pulled against her will toward Miklo. She mustn’t allow herself to be drawn to him. That path only led to self-destruction. Once was enough for her.
“Jeannine? You got very quiet there for a minute. I hope that I haven’t offended you with my comments.” Miklo took a step toward her, concern in his eyes. “I really was just teasing.”
Jeannine swallowed hard as he reached up and removed the cover from his hair, allowing it to fall back over his collar. The dark, luxurious locks fell down in disarray that didn’t impair his looks at all. The man was devastating to her senses, and he didn’t even know it.
“No.” She offered him a smile that was extremely lame. “I’m fine. Just been a long day, you know? Been a long day for you, too, I’m sure. Have anything fun planned for the weekend?” Jeannine asked and busied her fingers writing down vital signs she didn’t really need.
“Me?” Miklo snorted. “Hardly.” He held his hands out, indicating the area around them. “This is my life. Fun doesn’t enter into it.” Taking the stethoscope from around his neck, he listened to Roberto’s lungs.
“I have a hard time believing that you don’t have anything better to do than to hang around here all weekend. Don’t have you have anything to keep you busy?” she asked. She had noticed the absence of a wedding band, but these days that didn’t mean much.
“No.” Now was not the time to tell her he’d given up his life for his family, entirely too late. “How about you?”
“I might get out and take a hike or go to an art show or exhibition. There’s a bunch of stuff going on this weekend. You should try it.”
“Thanks, but I’m more of a museum kind of guy.”
“Really? Why is that?” Jeannine asked. He looked more like a museum guy than a craft show kind of person, but you never knew from looking at a person what they were like inside.
“You can sit in a museum and look at things that don’t talk back to you and rarely have a crisis,” he said, and picked up Roberto’s chart.
“That’s true, but I like being around people, too.” Jeannine wasn’t convinced by his philosophy. Sometimes people needed to interact with each other, rather than just watching life go by. Being alone for too long had made her desperate for company over the last six months.
Miklo rubbed the day-long growth on his face. He smiled a little crookedly in a gesture she was beginning to associate with him. His full mouth moved slightly to one side, but failed to form a complete smile. “My day doesn’t end when the surgery does. There is always much more to do before I leave.” Again he looked around them at the PICU.
“You’d rather go home and have a cold beer, right?” she asked.
Miklo laughed out loud. “You are exactly right. For tonight, though, I’ll turn things over to the intensivist on call.” He grabbed his labcoat from the back of the chair and headed toward the door. “Are you ready to go, too?” he asked, and paused at the doorway.
“Yes. I just need to give the night nurse report on what I’ve done, then I’ll head out. Have a good night and it was a pleasure working with you today.”
“Same here.”
Jeannine gathered the chart and headed to the nurses’ report room.
Just as she left, several family members came in to see Roberto. Miklo explained how the surgery had gone and what the boy’s condition was. By the time he was through answering their questions, Jeannine had returned to the room. She gave Roberto’s face one last stroke. “I’ll be back in the morning,” she said.
“Aren’t you off tomorrow?” he asked, surprised that she would be working her first weekend on the job.
“I am, but I want to come in to see him anyway.” She shrugged and looked away from his vibrant eyes. They saw way too much of the things she carefully guarded. Things that no one here knew about her.
“I’ll walk you out, then,” he said, and slowed his long stride to match hers.
They approached the front door of the hospital and emerged into the early evening twilight. The sun setting over the west mesa cast a muted peach glow low on the horizon. Not a cloud marred the distant sky for miles. Purple hues blended atop the other colors and melded into the approaching evening.
Jeannine cleared her throat and shifted her weight from one foot to another. “Well, good night, Doctor.”
“Miklo, remember?”
“Yes. It’s just hard to get used to change isn’t it? I’m so used to addressing physicians by their titles.”
“I wasn’t always a doctor. Sometimes when I’m addressed as Dr. Kyriakides, I think people are talking to my father.”
“Does your father practice here in Albuquerque?” she asked.
“Yes, but he’s partially retired. Somehow he found the right balance between the obsession of medicine and having a life outside his work.”
“But you haven’t?” she asked, somehow feeling brave enough to ask the question of him.
“No,” he said, and looked away from her. “I haven’t.”
“I’m sorry if I’ve probed too far, Miklo.” She sighed, hoping she hadn’t just ruined her work relationship with him by asking one question too many.
“It’s okay.” He turned to face her again, took a step forward, but hesitated. “You wouldn’t want to go have that beer with me tonight, would you?” he asked, uncertainty in his eyes.
Surprised, Jeannine could hardly believe she heard him correctly. “Sorry?”
“I asked if you wanted to grab a beer with me. You’re off tomorrow, I’m off duty now, and we could both use the break after the day we’ve had.”
It was a reasonable suggestion, wasn’t it? Just two co-workers relaxing together. “Sure, why not?” Jeannine said. The words were out of her mouth before she had time to think.
“How about Olympia’s? It’s my uncle’s place and it’s close.”
“Sure. You know I’ve never been there, so I’m open to another new adventure today.” There wasn’t time to get used to one thing before she had another new thing in front of her today. But, then, there was no time to be scared or say no, was there?
“Why don’t I drive and you can relax on the way over?” he asked, and led her to his car. It was a sleek, silver Jaguar convertible.
Jeannine stopped short. “I don’t think I can relax in a car like that.”
“Come on, it’s just a car,” he said, and opened the door for her. But as she sank into the soft leather seat, she knew it was far from it. This was luxury like she’d never known or ever thought to indulge in. When Miklo folded himself into the vehicle, she shrank back a little, not accustomed to being so close to a man. Not for a long time. And not with someone as vibrant and alive as Miklo was. He breathed energy and life into everything he did. Being so close to someone who exuded that kind of energy was almost intoxicating.
He started the powerful engine and let it idle a moment before shifting into gear. They remained silent as Miklo maneuvered the car through the university area and found a parking place about a block away from Olympia’s.
Jeannine stayed close to Miklo in the near dark of the street until they were in front of the Greek restaurant. “Ready?” Miklo asked.
Jeannine nodded.
He opened the door and allowed her to enter ahead of him. Somehow a table had been crammed into every available spot, but with enough room left for the troupe of dancers working their way around the room.
“Oh, my!” Jeannine said, and turned back to Miklo. His presence so close unnerved her, but she didn’t know where to go inside. “I’ve never seen so many people in one place before,” she said, practically shouting over the boisterous music and conversations. “This isn’t against the fire code, is it?”
“Come on.” Miklo grinned and took her hand in his as they worked their way through the crowd. “I forgot this is Greek Week at the university. It’s absolute madness,” he said close to her ear, and she shivered as his lips touched her skin. “Plus, it’s Friday night. We’ll find a spot, though.”
Jeannine nodded as they plowed their way through the throng of people. She clasped Miklo’s hand tightly, not wanting to lose him in the crowd. And she liked the feel of his hand tight around hers, the feel of his long fingers wrapped around her hand. A man hadn’t held her hand in a very long time, and the gesture of Miklo keeping her close made her remember things long ago and best forgotten.
“Miklo! Over here!” An older gentleman wearing a white apron and waving a bar towel gestured them toward the bar. “How are you, nephew?” he asked, kissing Miklo on both cheeks and giving him a hearty hug. “You’ve waited too long to come and see me. Your auntie misses you, too.”
“Yes, Uncle Seferino,” he said. “But how could you have missed me with all of these people to keep you busy?” Miklo embraced the man with great enthusiasm.
“Oh, the heart knows, my boy. The heart knows,” he said with a slight nod, and then his focus changed to Jeannine. Miklo introduced them. After welcoming Jeannine to his establishment, Seferino led them to the bar and squished two stools together. “Make room for my famous nephew, the surgeon,” he said, and waved his hands to move people out of the way.
Though crowded, space opened up. Miklo assisted Jeannine onto a barstool and took the one beside her. He stiffened slightly as he brushed by her, and her fragrance filled his mind. Though the end of the workday, she smelled clean and fresh and very appealing. Squelching the sudden heat of desire down, he took a gulp of iced water that his uncle placed in front of him.
Uncle Seferino leaned over the bar. “What will you have, my dear?” he asked.
Jeannine glanced at Miklo. “We just came in for a beer.”
“Bah! You can’t survive on that, not with all the hard work you do,” he said, and reached beneath the bar and pulled out two long-necks anyway. “Christo!” he yelled in the general direction of the kitchen. “We need food for your cousin Miklo and his nurse. Make them something.”
Wide eyed, Jeannine reached for the beer and took a sip. Miklo reached for his as well, needing the refreshment the cold drink offered. “Don’t worry. He’s always like that.” Speaking conversationally over the noise and music was impossible, and Miklo leaned closer to Jeannine to hear her response.
“I haven’t been in this sort of crowd since college. I’d kind of forgotten how loud a place like this can be.”
“Did you go to school here?” he asked.
“Yes, but I lived off campus. It was better that way. Not tempted to engage in much socializing.”
“I didn’t think that was possible in the first two years of college,” he said.
“Well, I was very shy and very serious back then.” She shook her head. It seemed like a lifetime ago.
“But not any more?” His gleaming eyes told her that he’d already formed an opinion about that.
“I’ve sort of…come out of my shell in the last year or so.” Had been forced to was more like it.
Miklo glanced from her face down her body and then back up again. “You have a very nice shell.”
CHAPTER FIVE
A SLOW heat burned inside her. Echoes of the past whispered through her, and she struggled to ignore them. Sudden tears formed in her eyes, and she blinked quickly, hoping that Miklo didn’t see.
“I’ve offended you, haven’t I?” he asked, and placed his warm hand on her arm.
