Total pages in book: 10
Estimated words: 9522 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 48(@200wpm)___ 38(@250wpm)___ 32(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 9522 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 48(@200wpm)___ 38(@250wpm)___ 32(@300wpm)
“So I was,”
“Come in. I am sure my sister has a bottle of wine that will go with the delicious Italian food that I’m smelling,” he says, opening the door wider.
“If you're sure,” I say following him inside.
“Of course. You came all this way. It’s the least I can do.”
He leads me to the huge kitchen. I set the food down on the counter.
“Where’s my patient?” I ask.
“She’s still in bed. Third door on the right, second floor.”
“I’ll just check on her and be right back down.”
“She is due for a fresh lemonade. Do you mind?” he asks, handing me what I know to be a glass of Sprite.
“Of course not. I’ll bring it as I go,” I say, taking the iceless glass from him. There’s no way I could drink this without ice, personally, but to each their own.
I make my way upstairs and find Danielle’s room. I would have found it without directions. Her door is covered in Ed Sheeran posters and “Dani” written in big pink block letters. How freaking cute.
Knocking briskly, I open the door when she answers.
“Doctor Mancini?”
“Hey Ms. Harrington. How are you feeling?”
“Better, but my throat is killing me.”
“I know, sweet girl, it’s going to for a few days. Your uncle asked me to bring you a drink. Are you warm in here?”
“Yes. I’ve been watching cartoons all day.”
“That’s good. When I was a little girl, I used to watch Beauty and the Beast with my cousin when I was sick. She always made me feel better.
“I wish I had a cousin, or a sister. I’d even take a baby brother,” she says, taking the glass from my hand and taking a sip of it before setting it on her nightstand.
“Yeah? Maybe you will one day.”
“If you keep snogging my uncle maybe I will,” she says before giggling. “I bet you guys thought I didn’t see that didn’t you?”
“I was hoping,” I say, also laughing. “It wasn’t very professional of me.” I'm not sure why I am explaining myself to a six-year-old, but she’s quite unlike any other six-year-old that I know.
“I won’t tell,” she says, settling back into her pillows.
“Well, thank you, but I don’t like the idea of it being a secret. You can tell whoever you want to,” I say, covering her up.
“That must mean you like him,” she says, sighing.
“I do, Danielle.”
“Well, don’t tell me that. Tell him. Aunt Talia was mean. He’s not used to nice ladies.”
“Aunt Talia?” I ask, then immediately regret it.
“His ex-wife,” she says, turning to the TV.
“Okay. I’ll be downstairs. Let your uncle know if you need something.”
“I will.”
I leave her in bed and go back downstairs, taking her empty glass with me as I go. So, he’s been married before? I guess everyone has a past but I don’t like that his ex was mean to him. For a child to notice that, it must be true. How could anyone be mean to him? Back in the kitchen, he has the food all set out and a red wine breathing on the counter.
“Nice spread,” I say as I set the glass in the sink.
“Thanks to you,” he replies, chuckling.
“She’s doing much better. She’ll be tired like that for a few days though.”
“Her mother told me that when she called earlier. I had no idea kids get sick so much.”
“Yeah, it’s terrible.”
“But you get to make them better.”
“I do. It’s the best part of the job and the worst part when I can’t. So, what do you do?” I ask, changing the subject. Losing a patient is inevitable, but it’s the worst feeling in the world and I don’t like to relieve them.
“My family owns a production company, though I have extraordinarily little to do with the actual making of the movies. I am more the money guy. My parents are directors, and my sister is a movie score composer.”
“Ahh, a family business. I know a little about that.”
“Really?”
“Yeah. My maiden name is Vitali.”
“You're married?” he growls.
“Very divorced,” I tell him quickly and he grins big.
“Wait. Do you mean the New York Vitali’s?” he asks, raising an eyebrow at me.
“One in the same.”
“How did you end up here?”
“My ex got transferred here and the NHS has always fascinated me, so I stayed.”
“So, you're single.”
“Yeah. I wouldn’t be kissing you if I weren’t.”
“That’s good to know.”
I grab my wine glass and take a huge gulp of it.
“I, uh, haven’t been with a man in a long time.”
“I haven’t been with a woman in a long time either.”
“What do we do now?” I ask, knowing full well what’s about to happen. He stalks toward me and when he’s seconds from me, pulls me closer to him. Then his lips are on mine and I need more. Moaning, I let him put his hands all over me just like he did this morning.