I turned with my hands on my hips. “Seriously people! Do you not realize there’s work to be done? While you all are busy gawking at Lincoln Hudgens, some patients need you! Yes, Lincoln Hudgens is here. Yes, he’s an actor. But guess what? That doesn’t matter, because you have a job to do that doesn’t include ogling him!”
Lincoln, Dr. Wyatt, and Paula started chuckling. “I couldn’t have said it better myself.” Dr. Wyatt grinned.
Lincoln waited for most of his fan club to leave before he grinned at me. “Oh, mon trésor.” He shook his head with that sardonic gleam in his eyes once more. “The director knows she needs me, and she hates the fact that she knows that I will fulfill the role better than she thinks I will.”
I chose to ignore his comment. I had to stop letting him get under my skin. I wasn’t a fiddle and he wasn’t a bow. I needed to stop allowing him to play me. He got entirely too much joy in it.
“Whew, girl,” Paula sucked her teeth after a period of silence. I had been silently seething. “There’s only one way to take care of that.”
I finished putting on my last bandage. “Of what?” I asked in confusion looking over the patient once more. I thought I did an excellent job of patching her up.
“Of all that sexual tension,” she said knowingly as she winked at me. “Might as well get it over with before ya’ll explode.”
I nearly choked on my own spit. Paula wasn’t privy to my entire situation, but she wasn’t dense. I’m sure she had already connected all the dots with the information she was able to glean by watching and listening.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” I mumbled as I ducked my head. I’m sure I matched the red scrub top I was wearing.
Chapter 18
Comfort was the name of the game as I exited the locker room. I had pulled on a white racerback tank top, a pair of Troy’s black sweatpants rolled up at my waist, and flip-flops.
I was going to be terribly underdressed if the locker room was any indication. Several girls had showered and were now busy getting ready, although it was close to midnight. Many of the girls were wearing their club attire once again. I assumed they had sneaked back up to their rooms at one point, although it was prohibited. Now they were busy in the mirrors, straightening their hair, curling it, blow drying it, and putting on their makeup.
Don’t get me wrong, I had put on a dash of mascara and some lip gloss. I also threw some product in my hair to tame the curls, but that’s where my primping ended.
I was marveling at the fact that I was physically tired but not mentally. I felt wired and capable of staying up for hours. I was riding an adrenaline high. Something was satisfying about our accomplishments today. I had helped people without my gift, and I found joy in it. Of course, I still wished I had my abilities, but I could still make a difference without it. Maybe I would consider being a doctor as a backup plan.
“Blake,” Ben cried happily as I came into the dining room, bringing me out of my musings. He was just leaving the line as I walked in.
Ben was the main singer in the band I had sang and played with. I had liked him the most. I noticed he had changed his clothes and was wearing a pair of jeans and a white V-neck T-shirt. He was also sporting a pair of flip-flops. I saw a slight contusion under his eye. He was cute in that boy-next-door way. I remember that he happened to be one of Jemmy’s exes. Actually, she had been physical with all the guys in the band at one point or the other.
“Hey!” I waved back at him with a smile as I went through the line for some food.
It would appear like most of the people did what I had done and showered before searching for food. The kitchen staff were rock stars, in my opinion, having kept the kitchen open all day. Drake had asked them to split their shifts to cater to the needs of everyone, and they hadn’t even batted an eye. They had eagerly complied. They had soups, sandwiches, chips, salads, and fresh fruit for our selection, which was fine by me.
I grabbed a grilled cheese sandwich, tomato soup, a side salad, and some fruit before making my way to a table.
The guys had all beat me out here and had taken some of the rectangle tables and pushed them together. It almost felt like a mini-reunion. All the Knights were sitting at our table. I was familiar with most of them by looks. I didn’t know all of them by name, though.
There was an open seat between Remy and Troy across from Gavin, Sierra, Ben, and Tyler. I noticed Lincoln was on the other side of Tyler and, surprise, surprise, Jemmy was on his other side, despite the fact that Gavin had an open seat next to him.
She was dressed in one of the transparent gauzy material dresses that Anna and I had given her. I knew from when she tried it on in my room that it was extremely short on her and barely covered the bottom of her butt. I had offered to send it to Anna, but she told me Gavin would love it just the way it was. Somehow, I didn’t think the dress was for him tonight.
I looked up around our table as I ate my food
I was informed that most of the Knights would be staying with us for a little while. They had volunteered to help us clean.
Everything was quiet on the home front. They had spent the last few months ramping up for another attack or the possibility of an increase in missions. They trained a lot of people only to find out that there was barely anything f
or them to do. When people like Ben, Taylor, Rick, and Mike found out Beau was taking volunteers to come here, they had quickly jumped on it.
Just like us, they’d be taking remote classes and would be training alongside the rest of us. I had to admit I liked seeing them. They reminded me of the only home I had really ever known. Living with Pops had given me that. It was the only place I felt like I had belonged.
“You did great today,” Troy murmured to me as he kissed my temple.
“Um thanks, you too,” I said confused why he was praising me.
“Seriously,” Troy tugged on one of my errant curls. “You were in your element in the clinic. You didn’t even get squeamish when you saw all that blood.”