Innocence wasn’t his thing. He dealt with that type a lot with his job—women who lacked experience for one reason or another. But that was therapy. In his personal life, he liked women who’d lived some life already and weren’t afraid to own their needs and their sexuality. Plus, his job and what he craved in bed were too much for the innocent.
Lane returned Ori’s smile. “Can’t complain, and don’t let me interrupt. I’m just hunting down snack food.”
Ori shook her head and sighed, eyeballing the cupcakes as if they were going to blow up. “You’re not interrupting. We’re just stalling.”
He lifted a brow as he dug his wallet out to get a few dollar bills. “Stalling? Over cupcakes?”
“The delivery of the cupcakes,” Joleen clarified.
“They’re for Dr. McCray,” Oriana explained, glancing at the offending baked goods again. “On my wing, I’m in charge of cupcakes. We get them for every employee’s birthday. But I got sidetracked with planning Marin’s party and kinda sorta missed McCray’s big day.”
Lane instantly abandoned what he’d come in here for and turned to fully face them. “What?”
“I whiffed my boss’s birthday. Aren’t I so smart?” Ori groaned and adjusted the headband keeping her hair away from her face. “Apparently, it was the same day as the party. So not only did I forget, but I threw a party for someone else.” She cringed. “So these are already guilt-ridden, I-screwed-up cupcakes, and then they made them pink when I asked for white. Dr. McCray doesn’t seem like a pink kind of person. And now I’m wondering if forgetting altogether would be better than after-the-fact, fluorescent-pink cupcakes.”
Lane processed the words, lining things up in his head. Birthday. The party. Her safeword. The night he’d spent with Elle had been her birthday? She’d been at a party for someone else and no one had acknowledged her. Goddamn. No wonder she’d been in such a shit mood. It didn’t give her an excuse for the way she’d treated him, but it explained a lot.
“So what do you think?” Ori asked, holding up a cupcake. “Bring them with a big fat apology or just forget it altogether?”
“Is she on the unit right now?” he asked.
Ori glanced at the clock above the door. “Should be. She takes an early lunch and is usually back by now.”
“How about I take them over for you?” The words were out before he could evaluate them.
Ori’s brows went up as if he’d just volunteered to jump in a pit of snakes. “Why would you do that?”
Good fucking question. But he forced a shrug. “I’m heading out, and it’s on my way. I’ll tell her the dates got screwed up and the cupcakes were delivered to the wrong department. She doesn’t have to know it was your oversight. If you go over there right now, the guilt on your face is going to show. You look like you killed her dog.”
She blew out a breath. “I know. In sessions, I can keep a poker face but for stuff like this, I’m hopeless. You wouldn’t mind?”
“It’s not a problem.”
“Lord, I feel like a chickenshit for passing this off to you, but McCray’s been in a seriously bad mood lately. Now I get why, but man, I’m not sure I have the energy for it today. Two of my patients got into a fistfight, and I spent all morning dealing with their lawyers.”
“No worries,” Lane said, walking over to the table and closing the lid on the box of cupcakes. “I’ve got it. She already doesn’t like me, so I’m immune to the bad mood.”
Joleen lifted her head, surprise on her face. “How can she not like you? I mean”—she looked away—“what’d you ever do to her?”
Sexy, filthy things that I can’t stop thinking about. He shrugged. “Some personalities just clash.”
“I think a lot of personalities clash with hers,” muttered Joleen.
Ori smiled. “She’s not as bad as all that. She’s great with the patients and smart as hell. I’ve learned a lot from her. But I’ve also learned that when she’s in a mood, to steer clear. I’d like to stay on her good side.” She pushed the box toward him. “Which is why I’m smart enough to accept a gift of mercy when one comes along. Thanks, Lane.”
“You’re welcome. I am going to take a cupcake for payment though.”
She handed him the one she’d been holding. “All yours.”
He took a big bite, the icing getting on his nose, and lifted the box.
Ori laughed. “Now you have pink all over.”
He polished off the rest of the cupcake and swiped at the rogue icing. “They’re Pepto-Bismol colored but at least they taste good.”
“Well, there’s that. Let’s hope it’s enough.” Ori gave a little wave as he headed out the door.
But just as he stepped into the hallway, he heard Joleen groan. “God, he even looks hot eating a cupcake.”