Ha. She was a fan, but she doubted she and Dr. Luiz referred to the same work.
“Dr. Coleman.” She reluctantly stuck out her hand. Reluctantly, because as much as she wanted to touch Matthew, for him to touch her, seeing him was wreaking havoc on her ability to think. “Nice to see you again.”
Matthew’s eyes searched hers, as if he was trying to determine if she believed her own words.
It was nice to see him. It was also making her heart pound like crazy, because he shouldn’t be there. He should be a pleasant memory from her past. Nothing more.
Okay, so she hadn’t been able to stop thinking about him, wanting him, but with time she would have shoved him into the recesses of her mind. At least, that had been the plan.
“Dr. Sterling,” he greeted, taking her hand into his in what appeared to be a casual grasp yet was anything but. The skin-to-skin contact sent shockwaves throughout her body as surely as if he’d electrocuted her. How could he do that with just a brush of his skin against hers? “It’s a pleasure to see you again.”
Her cheeks heated. Mainly because Dr. Luiz was observing their exchange. She tore her gaze from Matthew’s and glanced at her very astute boss. Her boss who wouldn’t quite meet her gaze.
Which had Natalie tugging her hand out of Matthew’s scalding one.
In all the years Natalie had known Dr. Luiz, that was a first. He was the most straightforward person she’d ever met. So why was her boss avoiding making direct eye contact? She didn’t understand Matthew’s guilty look, and she sure didn’t understand her boss’s unusual behavior.
Her gaze narrowed suspiciously as she refocused on Matthew. “To what do we owe your unexpected visit?”
&nbs
p; “Not unexpected. I invited him,” Dr. Luiz informed, motioning to the vacant chair next to Matthew’s. “Have a seat, Natalie.”
Tension twisting in her muscles, tighter and tighter, Natalie sat.
“As you know, with my semi-retirement and the grant approval, there are a lot of upcoming changes taking place in our cardiology department.”
Natalie’s heart picked up pace, thundering in her chest.
“You and I have discussed that the hospital’s main goal is to transform our department into one of the top facilities in the country, that we want to lead the way, rather than jumping on board with what other hospitals are doing.”
This was one of those defining life moments.
Dreams were about to come true.
Only, why had he asked Matthew to be there? The only possible explanation, as crazy as it was, had her wondering if the dream was actually a nightmare.
“I’m pleased to inform you Dr. Coleman has joined our team to help us do just that, by taking my place as Head of Cardiology.”
On a wave of extreme excitement and expected elation, Natalie’s heart crashed down with the force of having been hit with a sledgehammer.
Nightmare it was.
Her blood drained from her face, heavily pooling in her legs, making her body feel stuck to her chair, making gravity suck at her entire being, threatening to flatten her.
Dr. Luiz was still talking but Natalie’s ears roared, only letting her brain absorb part of what he was saying.
“...know you wanted the position...” blah, blah, blah “...know you are as ecstatic as I am about getting to work with Dr. Coleman...”
She should be, right? She’d admired Matthew’s surgical work from afar for years. But she knew this department inside out, knew how to take it to the next level, and had earned the position.
Matthew had taken it from her.
“You’ll be on his team, of course.”
Of course. Her head spun.
“His second-in-command, with specific responsibilities...”