Page 10 of The Locked Door

Philip peeks in my office and wags his eyebrows at me. He always looks like he’s on the verge of needing a haircut, but somehow he pulls it off. “You leaving soon, Nora?”

“Nope.”

He flashes his teeth at me. “You work way too hard. You need to go out and have a little fun sometimes. Like me.”

I notice now that he’s changed out of his scrubs into a dress shirt and dark brown pants. “Are you going somewhere?”

He winks at me. “Hot date.”

“As long as it’s not with Harper.”

Philip throws back his head and laughs. “Not after the way you lectured me for like two weeks about not going near her. Anyway, she won’t shut up about that Sonny guy.”

“So who is the lucky lady? Anything serious?”

“Oh sure.” He grins. “I’m always on the lookout for the next ex-Mrs. Corey.”

Philip got divorced a few years ago, and it wasnotamicable. And by that, I mean she slashed his tires once in our parking lot. I have no idea how they’re managing to co-parent their kid. He barely talks about it anymore, except to say that she pretty much took him to the cleaners in the divorce. He deserved it after what he did to her.

“Anyway,” he says, “you should get out there more. Date some guys.”

“No thank you.”

“I’m serious.” He raises his eyebrows. “I don’t think I’ve seen you go on a date once in all the time I’ve known you.”

That could be true, but I’m not about to admit it. “I had no idea you were so well-versed in my personal life.”

“It’s just strange. It’s not like you aren’t attractive.”

I cough. “Gee, thanks.”

“We should go out this weekend,” he says. “You and me. Come on, it’ll be fun. We’ll go to a bar and I’ll be your wingman.”

I snort. “I don’t think it works that way.”

“No, it will be great. I’m good at scoping out which guys are the jerks.”

“Because you are one?”

He touches his nose. “Exactly.”

“Sorry, not interested.”

“How come?” He narrows his eyes at me. “Seriously, Nora, what’s the deal? How come you never do anything besides work?”

“I like to work.” I lift a shoulder. “And actually, Philip, I would say my personal life is my business. Don’t you think so?”

“Okay, fine.” He raps on the side of the door with his fist. “Anyway, I just wanted you to know, even after all that hard work, I’m still winning.”

I lean back in my ergonomic leather chair. “What? No way.”

“It’s true. I checked.”

I grit my teeth. “Check again. I’m pretty sure I’m ahead.”

Philip and I both love to operate. And we both also love to compete. So we have a yearly competition over who logs the most surgical cases. The winner gets bragging rights and a case of really good wine. Last year was the first year I was victorious, and I intend to win this year as well.

Actually, I intend tocrushhim. I’ve cut into far more people this year than he has. There’sno wayhe’s ahead.