Mr. Dark 1 (Tamed #1)(13)

I checked my schedule quickly, and saw I had nothing except an expected phone call from a client. I'd be happy to. Mind if I come down on the RIST instead of taking my car?

No problem, the reply came after just a few minutes. Looking forward to it. See you soon.

I chugged the rest of my protein shake and jumped in the shower, quickly shaving and changing into my normal casual blend in clothes, jeans and a t-shirt, along with some Nikes. Grabbing my phone and wallet, I clipped my keys to the inside of my front pocket and headed out the door.

There's a bus stop right outside my condo building, and I was able to catch a bus down to the terminal quickly. From there, I used the city's light rail system (Rapid Intercity Service Train, or RIST) to get within just a few blocks of the hospital. The sun was out, the sky was beautiful, and I actually felt like whistling as I walked the short distance to the hospital ER.

What I saw when I walked in the automatic doors caused my blood to boil. It took all my self control to keep a calm demeanor as I watched Sophie get blisteringly yelled at by some * doctor. "What the hell do you think you were doing, you stupid jackass?"

Sophie was practically in tears as the doctor, who looked like he was about forty, continued to berate her about what I quickly figured out was nothing important. Instead, it seemed he just wanted to harass her and get the perverse pleasure of trying to make her cry. "If you think you can act with such total lack of thought and become a PA, you are sadly....."

I couldn't take it any longer. Working surreptitiously, I made sure my face was covered from the security cameras, and made my way outside to a fire alarm, pulling it and walking around a parked ambulance before going inside calmly. The braying alarm caused everything to stop in the ER, as the source of the alarm was tracked down. A quick check found my pulled alarm, but with no damage, I knew the security guards wouldn't investigate too strictly.

My little trick did have the desired effect however, as the doctor broke off to check on patients while the rest of the staff started taking the steps needed for a patient evacuation. Sophie was kept busy for the ten minutes it took the security guards to check the alarm source and call it off, but she was done by two fifteen. I figured it was better than being cursed out for what would have probably been about the same amount of time.

When Sophie came out of the staff room, her frown disappeared when she saw me. "Hey Mark!"

"Hey beautiful," I said, accepting the hug she gave me. "How was your day?"

"Oh, nothing out of the ordinary," she said, taking my hand and walking with me out towards the parking lot. I noticed a few of the staff members giving us quizzical looks, but they didn't say anything. "Although that alarm at the end was a bit unexpected. The ER doesn't get prank pulls like that usually until the night shift."

I grinned and looked over at her. "I figured it was a good way to get you out of being yelled at."

Sophie stopped in the parking lot and looked at me, her jaw dropping for a moment before a smile broke out on her face. "Oh, you sneaky devil!" she laughed, giving my arm a quick hug. "That was perfect! But won't you get caught?"

"Nah," I replied easily. "I saw the security camera when I approached, and noticed that with the way the ambulance was parked in the bay, the pull was totally covered. There's no way they could have gotten a clear image of me, even if your security guards decide to investigate." I pulled her in tight and kissed her gently, her lips warm and welcome against me. "Besides, I think it was worth it. Who was that guy anyway?"

Sophie shrugged and waved it off. "Dr. Green, he's the senior attending physician. He's an * to a lot of people."

I let the subject drop, but remembered the name and the face, filing it away for later. "So, what would you like to do before you start your paid work? I'm not too familiar with what's in the area."

Sophie thought for a second and then grinned. "You like Thai food?"

Chapter 8

Sophie

I took Mark to a little hole in the wall Thai restaurant about halfway in between the hospital and the Gold Shamrock, the Irish tavern I worked at. For a guy who had looked so at home behind the wheel of his electric sports car the night before, it was great to see him also relax in the shotgun seat of my beater Civic. "I see you spent your money wisely," he joked, tapping the stereo. It is an impressive sound system, though I rarely use it. "How much did it run?"

"I don't know," I said as I turned the corner out of the parking lot of the hospital. "I bought this thing used. The stereo came with it. The guy who sold it was an old man, who said his grandson had used the car before he joined the Marines. So I don't think he knew just how good the sound system was. But, since my MP3 player pretty much sucks in terms of battery charge, I don't play it often in here. I save it for when I go to the gym."

"Where do you go?" Mark asked, "And please don't tell me you go to Planet Fitness."

"I said I go to the gym, not to waste my money," I replied with a snort. "I'm still a university student, so I have full access to the facilities they have. What about you?"

"Mostly on my own," Mark replied, "But I do have a membership at Downtown Sports. Maybe we can go together some time?"

I smiled and looked over at him. "You don't want to see me sweaty and in workout clothes."