The Holiday Swap(22)
“Right? My kingdom for a carb-and sugar-laden breakfast baked fresh! Who can live on chia pudding and green smoothies?”
“It would be like only living half a life,” he said, shaking his head in mock sorrow.
“As a medical professional, though, shouldn’t you be highly invested in the superfood breakfast bowl movement?” she asked, tilting her head.
“Good thing I don’t work in the cardiac unit,” Miguel replied with a wink. “Besides, I was raised to be of the opinion that everything is okay, in moderation. If you don’t have the real thing once in a while, you’ll be miserable.”
“I couldn’t agree more,” Cass said, then glanced at her phone. “I have to run. The transition from freshly showered to show-ready is not a quick one.”
Miguel chuckled, then held her gaze. “I think you look great.”
Cass’s breath caught and she stayed still, suddenly not wanting the moment to be over.
He cleared his throat, and seemed a touch embarrassed. “Also, I’m glad you’re feeling well enough to go to work. That’s great news.”
“Yes, good as new,” Cass said, becoming lost in his warm eyes again. Then her phone buzzed and she broke eye contact to glance at the text. Priya.
Where are you??
“It was nice to see you again, Miguel,” Cass said, holding up the phone. “But I really need to go. The makeup department is getting restless.”
“For sure. Don’t let me keep you,” Miguel replied, giving a small wave. “And say hi to Priya for me.”
“Oh, you know Priya?”
Miguel’s smile disappeared and he gave her a puzzled look. “I met Priya, too. She brought you in.” Now he frowned. “Charlie, are you sure you’re alright?”
Cass’s cheeks burned, in part because of the intense way he was looking at her, and in part because she knew she was screwing everything up. “Never better,” she said, trying to keep her voice light. “It’s just the no-coffee fog. And I was up all night working on a recipe for today’s show.”
“Sleep is really important for concussions,” Miguel said, frown still in place. “And we talked about the importance of taking a bit of time off work.”
“I’ll go to bed extra early. Promise,” Cass said, feeling the phone buzz again in her palm. “And I’m taking it really easy at work. I swear.”
Miguel nodded, dimpled smile back in action. “So, before you run off, can you tell me what the recipe is? I can keep a secret.”
Cass hesitated, and Miguel held up a hand in apology. “You can’t tell me, I get it. Forget I even asked. It’s just . . . as I mentioned in the ER, I’m a big fan of your show. Like, geek level.”
“Yeah. I’m a big fan, too.”
“Of your own show?” Miguel laughed, and Cass pulled a face.
“Well, sure. It’s a great show!”
This made Miguel laugh even harder, which made Cass feel good. But the buzz of incoming texts reminded her she had reached situation critical. She had to get to the set, right now.
But she had an idea. It wasn’t a good one, given that wherever possible she should be avoiding people who had interactions with Charlie that Cass knew nothing about. However, in this moment outside the still-dark café she felt like she suddenly really was a different person—someone much more confident and bold than the woman she was in Starlight Peak.
“Listen, the holiday baking marathon is being taped in front of a live audience. Maybe you’d like to come watch a taping one day this week?” Cass had no clue if she was allowed to invite people to join the audience, but she figured Charlie had enough pull that it would be fine.
“Seriously?” Miguel’s face lit up, making him look, if possible, even more handsome. “I’d love that, Charlie. Tomorrow is my day off. Would that work? Too soon?”
“Tomorrow is great. I’ll put your name on the list.” As she gave him the address of the studio, Cass hoped there was such a list. “When you get to security, show photo ID and they’ll let you into the viewing area.”
“Wow. Thank you.”
“It’s the least I can do. You were so great the other day at the hospital.” Again, she assumed this was the truth. She couldn’t imagine Miguel’s bedside manner being anything but amazing.
Miguel bit his lip for a moment, and Cass wondered if she had misread things. “I hate to ask this . . .” he started. “But she’d absolutely kill me if I didn’t include her. Would I be able to bring a guest?”
Of course. He had a girlfriend. A guy this cute and nice couldn’t be single, especially in this town. “Sure.” Cass managed to keep her smile in place. “The more the merrier. What’s her name so I can put it on the list?”
“Jacintha Rodriguez.” Same last name. A wife, not a girlfriend. “See you tomorrow, Charlie. Looking forward to it!”
“I am, too,” Cass said, trying to hide how crestfallen she was. “Bye, Miguel.” It was for the best, she told herself as she took off down the sidewalk at a fast clip. Her life was already complicated enough—and Miguel Rodriguez was certainly not part of the plan.
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