Before I had a chance to answer, the lady next to him coughed loudly. I guess she was looking for an introduction.
“Ah, I work here now. I, umm – I was coming to see you. I wanted to surprise you,” I fumbled over my words, hoping my docile answer would be enough.
Chalk pressed his lips together, as his eyes opened wide while running a hand through that gorgeous hair of his.
The pesky lady tapped him lightly.
I did the best I could to soothe the dryness in my throat. I let my hair frame my face. I didn’t want him to notice how awkward I was feeling.
“Can I talk to you over here for a minute? Can we talk?” he asked bluntly.
I looked around the edge of him to check out the blonde. “Who is she?”
“She is journalist Angie Carmichael,” she said in an articulate tone. “And I’m working on a case. Chalk here came with me to check out a patient for a story we’re looking into. Who might you be?”
Great. So not only was she super pretty, she was intelligent and confident. My discomfort elevated ten notches, and now my palms were sweaty. “Okay, great,” I said quietly as Chalk led me away.
His eyes were intense, and it was almost as if he was mesmerized by my presence standing in front of him.
I took my hands out of my pockets. “What? What is it?”
“You look…umm, you look good.” He searched my eyes, but his face was masked in confusion and doubt.
My whole system was in a state of overwhelmed as I willed my heartbeat to slow down. I would be the one that would need a nurse soon.
“You look like a new person. I can’t believe you’re here. Why didn’t you tell me you were going to be here? Are you staying or are you visiting? What– what are you doing?” Chalk’s cheeks blotched a tomato red color as he stammered out question after question.
“I’m staying here. I got this job and I’m staying in a little apartment not more than a ten minute walk from here.” Panic rose in my throat as I told him the barest of truths.
“This is one of the craziest things. Sarah is going to be so excited, but I’m-I’m at a loss as to why you didn’t tell me,” he said in an exasperated tone. “Who got you here? I don’t get it?” He was speaking with such intensity that a little bit of spit came off his lip.
I stepped to the side as he wiped his mouth. “I got myself here, Chalk,” I said with firmness. “Relax a little. It was with good intent. I just wanted to get settled into the hospital first.” I was trying to reason with him, but the flare in his eyes told me it wasn’t working.
“Right.” His words came out with a hard edge.
“Umm. So I guess that’s it, now you know. I’m here, Chalk.” I shrugged my shoulders not knowing how or what to ask about the lady with him. Technically, I had no right to feel anything about it. Chalk and I weren’t together, so why did I feel like my heart had just been ripped out of my chest? ‘Why are you here? With her was the unspoken phrase.
Chalk huffed, clearly still able to read me like a book. “She’s working on a piece for the Rebel Saints. We’re here to visit a patient that might give her a lead on another story.”
I looked up at him through my lashes, wondering when my palms would stop sweating. “Okay. Just thought to ask,” I shot back with a quick smile.
The beautiful woman looked around the hospital hall with her arms folded.
I felt a little better, but not much. “Why do the Rebels need a piece done on them?” I asked, trying to broach another subject and lighten the load on my heart.
“That’s a long story and one I don’t have time to get into right now. I’m trying to get my head together because right now, I can’t believe you’re standing right in front of me.” Chalk was thrown for a loop just like me, and the longer we talked the more we both tripped over our feet.
“I would love to know. I guess now that you know I’m here we can talk a little more or something?” I asked with apprehensiveness. I felt like I was stepping into a minefield and any minute it might blow up.
The woman inclined her head in our direction with an ‘are-you-done?’ look.
My eyes fixated on her for a minute as I contemplated how much more I wanted to reveal at this point. “I do have to finish up my shift, so I need to go, but let’s talk about things…I mean, maybe. I can see you need to keep moving as well. Ah, you have my number.” I moistened my now-cracked lips, wanting things to end.
Chalk stood staring at me, unmoving. “Okay, I’m proud of you for what it’s worth. You finished the course and now you’re here. Umm – kinda crazy.” His brows creased as he shook his head. “Okay, I’ll be seeing you. Gotta jet. Bye, Lucinda.”