“Yeah,” I admitted slowly. “I kind of accidently bumped into him at The Rex—the night I went out with Amanda.”
“You’ve been holding out on me! We need a bottle of wine and girl talk immediately!”
Dr. Sawyer strode into the lounge, saw Peyton and me talking, and shot us a look that was both condescending and full of arrogance at the same time.
Peyton quickly hopped up like she’d been caught doing something illegal and skittered out of the lounge.
“Dr. Ward,” he drawled. “When you find the time after enjoying yet another leisurely cup of coffee, please discharge my patients in rooms 302 and 327.”
“Right away,” I said.
Nodding, he strode out of the lounge.
“Right away, Dr. Prick,” I muttered under my breath.
My phone buzzed in my lab coat pocket, and I grabbed it. A smile bloomed across my face.
Boxer:You owe me another date.
Me:I owe you? For what?
Boxer:I had to settle for my hand instead of you.
I pressed a button and put the phone to my ear. It rang for a moment, and then Boxer picked up the line and I said, “You lay it on thick, don’t you?”
“Yup. Are you gonna punish me for disobeying your orders? You told me not to touch myself, and I didn’t listen. Punish me, Doc. Punish me real hard.”
I laughed. “I knew you weren’t going to be able to keep from jerking it. Why do you think I told you weeks? I knew you’d only be able to hold out for a little while.”
“Did you manipulate me?”
“Yup.”
He chuckled. “So, when do I get to see you again?”
“I’m working the next forty-eight hours.”
“Forty-eight hours is too long.”
“It’s my schedule, Boxer. I’m free the two nights after. You can have your pick.”
“Wednesday.”
“Dr. Ward,” Dr. Sawyer barked as he appeared in the doorway of the lounge. “Are you incapable of following my request for some reason I should know about?”
“Sorry, I’ll be right there.” I turned away from him again, and then into the phone I said, “Sorry, I have to go.”
“Who’s yelling at you?” he demanded.
“No one. Don’t worry about it. I’ll talk to you later.” I quickly hung up with Boxer and shoved my phone back in my pocket. It vibrated immediately.
Dr. Sawyer glared at me. He was in a fine snit today, and I just hoped it didn’t get worse.
* * *
It got worse. Way worse.
Dr. Sawyer became my shadow, and every moment I tried to sit down to have a quiet moment, he found something else for me to do. He made me run labs and draw blood, remedial tasks that normally only interns and nurses did. Any consult in the ER that was needed, particularly when it was something vile, he sent me. Just to prove he could.