Page 3 of Quinton's Quest

“Uh…no.”

“To which?”

“To both.”

Another arched eyebrow.

“Okay, the guy’s unbelievably gorgeous. And definitely knows how to fuck.”

“Ah.”

“He’s also a pompous jackass.”

“Oh.” Her dark-brown eyes flashed—obviously expecting juicy details.

“He said, and I quote,I hope the nurses aren't as lazy in this hospital as they were at my last place. Always on their phones while patient call bells were ringing.” I used air quotes—just in case she questioned my use of his exact words.

“Oh.” She scrunched her nose. “Yeah, that’s bad. What did you say?”

“After discovering he was a surgeon? Something likenothing like arrogant surgeons to not understand how much nurses have to cope with. I’ll see myself out.” Again with the air quotes. “Uh, and then, like,and lose my number. As a lazy nurse, I don’t date people above my station.”

“Wow.” She examined her blunt fingernails with clear polish. “That was—”

“Witty? Sharp? Brilliant?”

“I was going to say bitchy.”

“What?” I pressed my hand against my chest. “He insulted me. He insulted all of us.”

“You don’t know what his experience was.”

“You’re saying all the nurses at New West sit on their phones and ignore their patients?”

“Of course not.”

“Right. So his generalization was out of order.”

“He also didn’t know you were a nurse.”

“Doesn’t that make it worse? That he’s spreading gossip about nurses to people who don’t even know us?”

She shrugged. “You don’t have any scruples about calling him an arrogant surgeon.”

“Well, because clearly he is!”

“You’ve called many doctors arrogant. In front of your friends and God knows who else.”

“Are you calling me a hypocrite?”

“If the stethoscope fits.” She glanced at her watch. “I have rounds in a few minutes.” She tweaked my nose. She was petite—and therefore shorter than my own five-ten. Funny how Dr. Arrogant was just a few inches taller, but he made me feel delicate.

Probably all those muscles. No doctor deserved to have muscles that…sculpted.

“You know I love you.” Lucia met my gaze.

“Yeah, I do.”

“Then find a way to make peace with the doctor. It’ll be hell on you if you don’t and, frankly, doctors are usually harder to replace than nurses.”