Hard Luck (4 page)

With Brady’s out ending the inning, Chicago’s players leave the loaded bases and return to the dugout—all except Brady.

Taylor tugs on my arm to get me to sit down, but I stay standing, frozen in place as I watch Brady move to the right of the plate and hit the ground with his bat, making divots so large, I can see the bare dirt.

“Shit,” I say loud and clear. Taylor tries to get me to sit down again, but I pull on her arm for her to stand up with me, needing someone else to witness Brady’s breakdown. Being the good friend she is, she gives in. “What’s the matter with him?”

“He’s losing his shit,” Taylor says, sighing.

The home plate umpire removes his gear and runs closer to my wild man. Well, he’s not mine, but he has gone wild. The way he’s swinging his bat is too dangerous for the ump to get right up next to him, but he shouts at Brady, his face beet red.

The third base umpire rushes to the plate, along with Chicago’s coach. Before they arrive, Brady hits the ground one last time and lets the bat fly out of his hands, landing against the wall not too far from the opposing team’s dugout.

“He’s outta the game,” a dude says from somewhere behind me.

“Do you think so?” I ask, turning to Taylor. When I see the defeated look on her face, I know the answer.

“Maybe even a week or two suspension. That bat is like a deadly weapon. The commissioner isn’t going to like this.”

The umpire continues to shout, but gives the you’re-out-of-the-game sign. The entire crowd explodes like a firecracker, shouts turning to boos. I want to go around and slap the booing jerks. Brady doesn’t deserve this kind of abuse.

Chicago’s coach grabs Brady by the shoulders when he shifts to charge at the umpire and moves in front of him, creating a barrier.

Brady throws up his hands and starts shouting right in the face of his coach, anger pouring from him in streams. While focused on Brady and his coach, I didn’t notice two of his teammates coming to stand next to him. One on each side, they grab him by the arms and drag him off the field.

“Listen to them,” I scream in frustration while turning around to face the assholes shouting. “Are they booing Brady or the umpire?”

“Who knows? Haters gonna hate,” Taylor says with a shrug as she sits back down. Worried sick about Brady and defeated by the entire scenario, I join her.

“What’s happened to Brady? It’s like the wheels have fallen off.” I direct my comment to Taylor, but the blue-capped old man sitting in front of me spins around. He pinpoints his beady eyes at me and I sit back like I’ve been struck.

“He better get those wheels back on. They’re paying him fifteen million a year to hit that damn ball.” The old man’s wife, or so I guess, taps her husband on the shoulder to get his attention.

“Sal,” the wife says, “don’t take your anger out on this dear girl. She’s likely as worried as you are.”

Boy, oh boy. This lady has no idea.

Cali

“You should see the tall hottie in the waiting room,” Deidra, the office manager, says as she grabs my arm and moves me into an empty room. “He’s wearing Ray-Bans and a Sox cap like he’s a celebrity or something.”

“Sunglasses inside?” She nods her head. “What’s his name?” We can’t discuss much about patients between the office staff and medical team, but names are okay.

“Brad Luciano,” Deidra says, adding a sigh. I raise a brow at her, wondering why this guy is here to see us. “He looks about our age, too.”

Her face glows with excitement. I take a deep breath and remind myself I’m a professional fully capable of separating a hot guy from his hotness. I can look at him as a normal everyday patient…I hope.

Besides, the young men who come to our practice are usually pill shoppers looking for Viagra so they can have non-stop sex. Those players make my skin crawl. If he lands in that category, it will be a quick exit out our doors for him. We don’t play the player game here. He’ll have to score his pills on the streets where he belongs.

In fairness, I shouldn’t jump to conclusions. A patient in his mid-twenties came in a few weeks after I was hired and I assisted the doctor during his visit. After the examination and test, the patient was diagnosed with testicular cancer. The guy had surgery and is going through other treatment, but will likely be okay.

“Is Dr. Richards going to see him?” I used to say that name while trying not to giggle when I first joined this practice. Dr. Dick in a practice where all we see are dicks. Dicks, after dicks, after dicks. But the doctor is a woman and plays ball for the other team, so this is all the dick she ever sees.

“I don’t know where the doctor is. She was on the phone. Something about the hospital and a baby.” Deidra’s forehead wrinkles in worry. “Meredith’s due date is next week.”

“I’ll go talk to her. When’s Sunglasses’ appointment?”

“In fifteen. He’s still filling out the paperwork.” She tilts her head toward the door to the waiting room. “Better get back to reception. I don’t want to miss him walking up to the desk.”

I shake my head as she sashays away from me. I need to find Dr. Richards and see how her wife is doing. She and Meredith have tried for years to have a child, and finally, their dream baby is almost ready to be born.

I head straight for her office. When I get there, the door is partially open and she’s sitting at her desk, holding a cell phone to her ear while gathering up some papers.

After a couple seconds, Dr. Richards glances up and sees me. She drops the papers and motions for me to come inside. I open the door and move to stand in front of her desk, waiting patiently for her to get off the phone.

“Okay, Meredith. I’ll be right there.”

“Holy shit,” Dr. Richards exclaims, “the day has arrived! Meredith is leaving her doctor’s office and heading to the hospital. Her water broke when he examined her.”

“Holy shit is right. This is so exciting. How can I help you?” I couldn’t be happier for these two people and the love they share.

“I need you to take my patients for the day. Is that okay?” Dr. Richards stuffs the papers she was shuffling into her work tote bag and mutters under her breath.

“Sure,” I say, trying to swallow back the sudden anxious feeling in my stomach. “All of them?”

“Only the ones with dicks,” she says with a nervous laugh. Good to see her crazy sense of humor is still intact.

She pulls out the papers inside the tote and lays them back on the desk, knocking over a cup holding a million pens. I move to help her gather them up. I don’t think she has a clue which end is up. She’s acting like the nervous spouse who drives to the hospital and forgets to bring the soon-to-give-birth mother with them.

“I’ve got you covered. No problem.”
I pray.

“I’ll have Deidra call the routine patients and see if they can reschedule a few. You’re great, Cali. You don’t have to worry about a thing.”

“Thanks, but I’ve never handled the patients without you or Doctor Tanner here.”

“Doctor Tanner won’t be back from the erectile dysfunction conference until tonight. I just need you to take the rest of the case load for the afternoon.”

“Thanks for believing in me.”

“Of course. I trained you after all.”

“Yes, you did.”

“Oh my God, I’m going to have a baby!” Joy breaks out all over her face. “Is it normal to be this freaked out?”

“More than.”

I want to tell her all new experiences can make us nervous. Like me taking on the day’s patients without her, but she doesn’t need my worries added to hers.

“Okay. I’m heading out like a baby.” We both laugh at her joke, though hers is laced with nerves. I follow behind her as we make our way to the front desk. Pausing before opening the door to the waiting room, she turns toward me.

“You know. I’m walking out of here and don’t have a worry in the world. You’re that good.” She pulls me in close for a quick hug and I swallow the big lump in my throat.

She’s always been so supportive, giving me guidance and praise as I made new strides as her assistant. But this kind of encouragement emboldens me and makes me feel like I’m ready to take on the challenge. It’s just what I needed to tackle all the dicks I have ahead of me.

“Thanks, Dr. Richards. I can’t tell you how much I appreciate you saying that. Now, go be with Meredith. She needs you.” I reach around her and turn the knob on the door.

“Will do.” Her eyes dart around the office. “I feel like I’m forgetting something.”

“Nah, you’re just excited you’re getting to meet a new someone.”

“I’ll call or text you with updates.” She starts to leave, then her eyes go wide. “I forgot to tell Deidra about rescheduling.”

“I’ll handle it.” I pat her on the shoulder, hoping she’ll forget about the office until the next time she steps foot inside it as a mother of a newborn.

“Thanks. I know you will.”

I walk down the hall to the back part of the reception office. Deidra has her own area away from the hubbub of the front desk.

“Dr. Richards just left and I’m taking her patient load. She did ask that you reschedule any routine patients if possible. Maybe for next week?”

“Oh my gosh. The baby is here. Or almost.” Deidra jumps and claps in her seat, looking like a five-year-old who gets to stay up past her bedtime.

“Don’t plan on seeing her around here this week. Doctor Tanner and I will cover for her.”

“Gotcha.” She glances around her small area and motions for me to come close.

“You know sunglasses guy?” I nod in answer. “He just paid the office visit fee in cash instead of giving us any insurance. He also used a false address.” She points down to the clipboard.

“False address? How do you know?”

“When I saw it, I could’ve sworn it was in an industrial part of the Southside. My uncle’s business is not far from the place he listed. I checked, and sure enough, he gave us the address for a gravel pit.”

“That’s messed up, and I’m not just talking about his address. You shouldn’t be searching a patient’s address.”

“I was worried he might be crazy. Hot guys can have loose screws too—or is it that they are loose screws?” She laughs at her joke and I give her a half-smile, keeping my doctor/patient hat on.

“No more searching online about the patients. Okay?”

“Sure. It wasn’t his name or anything. Just the address I confirmed to be fake, unless his house is a bulldozer.”

“That is weird. Hand me his chart.” Deidra places the clipboard into my hands and I look over the first page, starting with his name.

Brad Andrew Luciano. D.O.B. 1/15/1991.

The address listed means nothing to me, since I was raised in a western suburb of Chicago. I peruse the rest of his listed information.

Height: 6’ 3”. Wow, he’s tall like Deidra said.

Weight: 215. And a rather large guy.

The spaces where he would list his insurance are blank as is all other contact information. All the missing information makes me wonder about this guy. Something doesn’t add up

“I can see why you searched the address now.” I glance up and Deidra nods her head. “Lots of missing information. Just next time, let us know if you’re concerned.”

“Will do. Are you still going to see him?”

“I can’t refuse him medical care. Who knows what the real deal is with him.” I’m more curious now than concerned. It’s not like a terrorist is going to start World War III at an urologist office.

“Go ahead and have Jenn bring him back to room five.” Jenn’s our office nurse and checks all the vitals of the patients once they’re in a room.

Heading back to Dr. Richards’ office, I leave the door completely open and lean against the desk, trying to act casual. My new angle gives me a perfect view down the hallway leading to room five.

Footsteps sound out on the tile and I hold my breath until Jenn comes into view. She turns the corner down the hallway, giggling like a schoolgirl. The next person in my line of sight is a tall hunk of man dressed casually in dark denim jeans that contain a very tight and high ass.

The heavy sweatshirt Mr. Luciano is wearing doesn’t fit the warm weather outside. The thick material and hood make him appear broad in the shoulders, and his arms swing at his sides like big guns.

A Sox hat covers his head. I catch a glimpse of dirty blond hair peeking out under the cap and continue to watch his slow, cocky swagger, wondering what his face looks like and what problem led him here.

Jenn escorts him into room five and shuts the door, but not before a few more giggles fill the air. Whoever this hottie is sure knows how to charm the ladies.

I mentally put up my professional force field. It is a silly mind thing I do to ward off both the good and bad I encounter. My patients are counting on my medical expertise, not my emotions or feelings. In this case, it might be my hormones I need to tamp down.

I lift the top paper on his chart and look over the next page he filled out. My eyes narrow in on the reason he wrote down for his visit.

My equipment is having issues.

I scoff. I’d bet one-hundred dollars he requests blue pills from me before I can say “turn your head and cough.”

I walk to the room and wait for Jenn to exit, wanting details from her introduction to Brad Luciano. Maybe she can tell me if he’s a rich player throwing money around in hopes of getting an unlikely prescription from me. Our medical office is reputable and truly here for helping people in need. His type of need is best found elsewhere.

After another five minutes, Jenn leaves the room. She shuts the door and turns toward me with a startled gasp.

“Oh, Cali. I had no idea you were right there.” She holds her hand to her chest, her face flushed.

“I wanted to know how things went with the patient.” I point my head toward the door and hold his chart to my chest. When her eyes get a faraway look in them, I have my answer.

“He’s dreamy. I promise.” She crosses her heart in a pledge. “You’re so lucky to be seeing him. Do you need any assistance?” She waggles her brows and I roll my eyes.

“I’m sure I can handle him.” She gives me a sly smile and I groan, realizing what I said is laced with double entendres. “Oh really, Jenn. You know what I meant.”

“I’m not sure I do,” she singsongs. “I’ll be waiting for your thoughts after you’ve seen him.”

“Does he still have his sunglasses on?” I ask as she starts to walk away.

“Yes, and good luck. You’ll need it.” She gives me a little wink.

“What aren’t you telling me?” I give her a pointed stare and she just continues to give me a knowing smile.

“My advice. Hold on to your panties. He’s a panty dropper,” she says while walking away with a sway in her hips.

I brush her remarks off and straighten my white coat. After taking one deep, cleansing breath, I open the door to face Mr. Sunglasses with the tight ass. He’s removed his sunglasses, and now I know why Jenn warned me about my panties.

“Whoa,” I squeak out as the door shuts behind me. A smirky grin on a face I would recognize anywhere, since I dream about this man almost every night, greets me.

Brady Luck sits on the tissue-covered table, or his identical twin brother…if he has one. There isn’t a force field around that will work against the crush I have for this man and I’m the lone woman standing with no other doctors around to save me.

I’m also royally screwed. I’m about to ask Brady Luck to drop trou so I can examine his cock, balls, and the ever elusive prostate. I’ve never needed to changed my panties after seeing a patient, but there’s always a first time.