No, they’ll have to get used to me, and they will—happily. My bedside manner is excellent. I’m gentle and understanding. I’m a good listener, unlike Lucas. I’ll bet he sighs heavily and looks at his watch during appointments. I’ll bet he rushes his patients, hurrying them along when they try to give him their full history.
“If you’ll follow me,” Gina starts. “I’ll show you two to your offices.”
I beat Lucas to the door off of the reception area. He retaliates by striking up a conversation with Gina. I hold back, hoping Gina sees through his transparent efforts to endear himself to her. From the sparkle in her eyes, I suspect she’s happy to be a pawn as long as the king looks like that.
Our offices are small, basically two closets stacked side by side near the back of the building. They’ve refitted them for our use and I go on about how nice they are. I think Gina is a bit suspicious of my enthusiasm. I can hardly turn around in the small space and there’s a stack of boxes all but blocking the doorway.
“Right. Well, the kitchen is there,” she says, pointing behind her. “I make coffee in the mornings, but let me know if it’s running low and I’ll make more. Don’t leave dishes in the sink and clean up after yourselves. I’m the office manager, not the maid.”
“I’m a coffee fiend, but I’m happy to make my own,” Lucas says with a perfected smile.
She nods before she turns away, seemingly appreciating his down-to-earth attitude. It’s fake. Once she’s turned the corner back down the hallway, he and I are left alone for the first time. We stand side by side in the doorways to our offices, not moving. Our arms are crossed, and though I try to stand with my shoulders as straight as possible, he’s still got a foot on me.
“You haven’t changed one bit,” he finally says.
“Really? Because you’ve gotten much worse.”
“You’re probably right.” He finally turns to face me and I’m stunned by just how handsome the years have made him. He has a defined jaw, straight nose, and alluring brown eyes. It doesn’t seem fair. He tilts his head and I blink, aware that I’ve likely been staring for too long. “Listen Daisy, I know we have had our differences in the past, but we’ve both grown up and I just hope we can turn over a new leaf. Neither of us wants to jeopardize this opportunity, so let’s just leave the childish antics behind.”
His heartfelt speech sounds genuine, and for a moment, I wonder if it is—but then his wicked smirk betrays him. It’s insidious. A lesser woman might have believed him, but I snap his olive branch over my knee.
“I’m touched, Lucas. Did you practice that in front of your mirror last night?”
Before he can continue with his mind tricks, I turn and shut my office door. The room is thimble-sized, nearly too small for me, which means the one next door is definitely too small for Lucas. The image of him crammed inside there spreads a smile across my lips.
I drop my bag and stare down at the patient list printed out for me. There are 24 patients on the docket for the day. Eight of them are seeing Dr. McCormick, and the other 16 are divided between Dr. Thatcher and Dr. Bell.
An idea springs to mind and my hands shake with a burst of adrenaline. I turn from my desk and rip open my door, nearly sprinting back to reception.
Dr. McCormick’s probationary period is our chance to prove ourselves to him. I can continue to butter him up with coffee and compliments, and I will, but that is only Phase I of my plan: win the love of Dr. McCormick. If I ever want to realize my dream of owning the practice outright, I need to make Lucas seem like the odd man out amongst the two other groups in the equation: the office staff, and the patients. With the office staff consisting primarily of women, Lucas will inevitably have the upper hand. Apparently, most women seem to find his type attractive, and unless I am prepared to permanently disfigure his face, there is no changing that. Our patients, however, will be males and females of all ages. They will want a pleasant, compassionate doctor regardless of gender or muscle definition. If I can sway the patients to my side and Dr. McCormick hears them raving about me, he will have to rethink his decision to include Lucas in his legacy. The staff and patients are constituents in a democracy, and I will win their vote. Lucas will win a bus ticket out of town.
So begins Phase II: win the love of the office staff and patients.
I pass the two medical assistants, Mariah and Becky, as they prep the exam rooms for our patients. I smile extra wide. Gina and Casey are both sitting behind the front desk, working. Beside Gina’s computer, there is a bin full of the files for the patients coming in today. There are eight files there that I need to read, eight patients who range from slightly annoyed to very angry at the fact that their physician is retiring. They’re nervous and I will hold their hands and walk them through this period of change. By the time I’m done with them, they won’t even remember who Dr. McCormick was.
I’m quietly going over my patient histories when Mariah and Becky return to reception with fresh coffee in their mugs. Phase II, I think to myself, clearing my throat.
“So I know I only brought Dr. McCormick coffee this morning, but I was hoping you’d all join me for a coffee break sometime this week, my treat.” I sparkle. “Just us girl—”
The door chime aborts my kind gesture. I lean over the reception desk and narrow my eyes on a young kid carrying in two hefty bags. He has a hat on backward and eyes that say he’d rather be sleeping.