Элла Франк - Exquisite

“What was that noise?” he asked instead of answering her. “It sounds like water.”

Sighing Lena spoke over him. “I didn’t give you my number so you could harass me.”

“No. You gave me your number so I’d go away, but now I want answers.” he replied smoothly.

Closing her eyes she asked again, “What do you want?”

Hearing a ruffling noise she asked automatically, “Where are you?” she heard his laugh deep and smooth through the phone and ordered herself to keep her hands visible.

“Now if I answer that you have to answer my question.”

Looking around her bathroom she picked up her glass of wine and took a gulp for courage, what could it hurt? “Fine. Now answer.”

“I’m laying on my bed.”

She’d known that was going to be the answer so she took another gulp and put the glass back on the bathroom counter.

“Lena?” he asked in a sing song voice. “Lena it’s your turn.”

The man even managed to irritate her when he wasn’t in the room. “I forgot your question.”

Tsking her like he didn’t believe her he asked again, “What was that noise earlier?”

Knowing it would irritate him she answered vaguely. “Water.”

“Lena you don’t play by the rules.” he said softly. His voice seemed to reach through the phone and stroke her.

“Oh? I didn’t know there were rules.”

He must have moved again because she heard the rustling of his sheets. “The rules are honesty. Always.” he paused, “Now where are you Dr O’Donnell?”

She reached out and took the glass off the side again and finished it then answered, “In the bath.”

Dead silence. One heart beat, two heart beat, then. “Damn I’m an idiot.” she heard him mutter.

Smiling she answered. “I’m sure I was just thinking that earlier.”

“When I had you pressed up against the wall?”

“Oh no. That was the smartest thing you did.” she paused, “I meant when you let a sure thing walk away.”

“Hmmm. Well maybe I don’t want a sure thing. Maybe I want to work for it.”

Enjoying flirting for the first time in a long while she whispered. “Maybe the offer wont be there next time.”

She waited and almost moaned when his voice dropped down even lower, “It’s nice to know you’re anticipating a next time.” pausing he sighed and it sounded like he was rubbing his hand across his face because it came out muffled. “I don’t know why Lena but you’ve done something to me. I can’t get you out off my mind.”

Lena shook her head slowly, even though he couldn’t see her, and whispered softly, “I’m truly sorry for that. Don’t say I didn’t warn you.”

So softly, she almost missed it he whispered. “Let me in Magdalena O’Donnell. I want to know all of you.”

Feeling her heart beat rapidly inside her naked chest she’d never felt more vulnerable.

“Lets start with that second date.”

Three days had come and gone by the time Mason had a chance to even think about what’d happened Friday night. His weekend had been jam packed with two twelve hour shifts that resulted in a full house at his restaurant on both Saturday and Sunday and he had to admit he was glad that he’d made the executive decision that they were closed on Mondays. He was sitting out in the dining room when Wendy came in carrying a small box and headed straight for him. She sat down on the opposite side of the table and flipped open the lid pulling out a powdered donut and munching down on it.

“You know if Rachel sees that she is going to freak out.”

“She can’t tell me what to eat.” she mumbled around a mouth full.

Mason grinned at her and flicked the pen down onto the desk. “No she can’t but she will say it’s blasphemy to eat any other pastry or dessert in her presence.”

Wendy swallowed reached out for the bottle of chocolate milk and gulped it down. “Pssh! She’s such a pastry snob.”

Mason smiled at her and looked around when he heard the door open. Rachel bustled through with a box of her own and a hurried look on her face. He turned back to see Wendy snatching the donut box off the table and throwing it on the floor beside her out of view.

“Hi guys! I brought breakfast.” Rachel announced as she flopped down in the last remaining seat smiling at them both. She looked from Mason to Wendy then at the guilty chocolate milk container that had powdered sugar fingerprints on it.  “Alright who’s the sell out?”

Before Wendy could even try Mason pointed. “It was her.”

Wendy groaned then shook her head. “You’re such a wimp! You caved quicker than a house of cards.”

Mason grinned reaching into Rachel’s open pastry box. “That’s because I know what she’s capable of.”

Wendy rolled her eyes and tried to defend herself but Rachel wasn’t having any of it. “Nope don’t bother. The only thing that will console me is to find out why a Dr. O’Donnell called up for Mason Sunday night but wouldn’t bother him or leave a message.”

Mason almost choked on his donut as he looked toward his sister with watering eyes. He swallowed as fast as he could then asked, “What did you just say?”

“A Dr O’Donnell called for you.”

“Yeah I got that part. The problem I’m having is why you’re only telling me now.”

Rachel shrugged in the same nonchalant way he himself did and replied. “She told me not to bother you. So I waited until you weren’t running around like a maniac.”

Mason sat up very straight and turned to his sister. “Did she maybe tell you anything else?”

“Nope.” Rachel reached into the box pulled out a fruit flan and before she bit into it asked. “Hey, is that Pants Suit?”

Lena was sitting at her desk with the phone wedged between her shoulder and her ear listening to a voicemail from her mother. Her parents wanted to come and visit in a couple of weeks. Lena sighed and replaced the phone into its cradle. It wasn’t the fact she didn’t get along with her parents. She loved them, very much. It was the way they watched her, waiting for signs that she was going to crack or come undone that unnerved her. It was just about 3pm and she realized she hadn’t eaten anything yet. She knew that it was to late to call Shelly, she’d be in the middle of rounds right now, so she got up and walked to the door. Just as she started to make her way down the hall she heard Brandy behind her.

“Dr O’Donnell?”

Lena turned and stopped waiting for her to catch up.

“I’m so glad I caught you.”

“Yes well, I’m on my way to lunch. Is it important?”

Brandy looked as though she was trying to decide then nodded. “There’s a Mr. Langley in the waiting area asking to see you.”

Lena felt her face move into a smirk and Brandy almost looked confused. Then she continued, “I don’t want you to be shocked but it’s the delivery man from a week or so back. You know the tall guy with the roses. I don’t know what he wants.”

Lena nodded once and walked back toward the waiting area. She looked over her shoulder and for the first time in Brandy’s history she smiled at her.

“I do.”

Mason once again found himself sitting in one of the chairs lining the walls of the Pediatric waiting area. Sure, he could’ve called her back but he’d wanted, no he was finding he needed, to see her. Plus, he thought with a smug grin, he was back at the scene of the first crime. He heard her before he saw her. The tight precision of the click of heels on the floor and he almost found himself holding his breath, wondering how she would react to him turning up here unannounced. As she rounded the corner he noticed she was in a pair of black tailored pants and a red blouse that once again tucked in at her waist and buttoned up to the bottom of her slender throat. Over that was a white labcoat that had pens in the pocket and a name badge hanging from it. He stood automatically and waited for her to stop in front of him. There was no smile on her face just a some what serious expression.

“Mr. Langley.” she acknowledged with a slight tilt of her head.

He felt himself start to smile then stowed it and cleared his throat. “Dr O’Donnell.” he watched as her lips twitched.

“What can I do for you?”

He looked over her shoulder at the young receptionist that’d been his buffer last time and she seemed to be watching them with caution. Maybe she was worried he’d come back to exact his revenge. Nope, sorry sweetheart. I’m apparently the idiot that is going to fall on his sword not wield it through battle. “Well,” he paused.

“Yes?”

He lowered his voice and asked softly. “Is there somewhere more private that we could speak.”

She narrowed her eyes and he knew this look on her. This was her battle look before she lobbed the grenade. “I assumed when I didn’t hear from you that you didn’t want to speak.”

Boom, there is was.  He stepped closer and she stood her ground, as he knew she would, and tilted her head back. Somewhere behind them he heard an intake of breath.

“You should never assume. Now do you really want to do this here?” he stopped then added on. “You seem to have a fetish for doing things in public.”

That straightened her spine right up. He could have sworn she hissed at him.

“Oh come on then.” She snapped as she turned marching off in the direction she’d come from. He looked over to the confused looking receptionist, winked then followed the lovely doctor.

Lena was smiling as she walked away from him. She figured she could let it go since he couldn’t see her. She hadn’t been upset he didn’t call her right away she knew he’d be busy over the weekend, but when he hadn’t called this morning she’d started to wonder. Now though as she walked to her office with her heart beating a rapid tattoo in her chest she was secretly delighted he’d come to see her instead.