The Pairing (The Proposition #3)(23)

Glancing around, she wasn’t exactly sure how she was going to find the preceptor. She stopped at an area teaming with nurses. “Can I help you?” one of them asked.

“Yes, I’m here to see Kristi Parkman.”

A tall blonde woman in her fifties came over to her with a beaming smile. “You must be Ms. McKenzie?”

“I am.”

“It’s so nice to meet you.”

Megan smiled. “It’s nice meeting you, too.”

“We’re so very glad to have you. I’ve taken a look at your transcript, and it’s quite impressive.”

“Thank you,” Megan replied.

“Why don’t I show you around today? That way you’ll be ready to go with the flow tomorrow.”

“Sounds good.”

With a smile, Kristi led her around the maze of rooms. She pointed out where the medicine room was, the trauma area, and where she would find the break room. Each time they passed a nurse or a doctor, Kristi was quick to introduce Megan.

“Everyone seems very friendly,” Megan mused.

“It really is a great place to work. Now, I’m not going to lie that some of the residents can be real ass**les. But we’re so lucky to have a supervisor who is such a sweetheart.”

“That’s wonderful.”

“Yes, everyone loves Dr. Nadeen.”

Megan’s heartbeat slowed to a standstill. Nadeen. No, it couldn’t be. Surely there were more doctors with that last name. Searching her mind, she tried desperately to remember where he said he worked.

“Oh good, he’s just down the hall. Let me introduce you two.”

“No, that’s really isn’t necessary,” Megan protested feebly.

Ignoring her, Kristi called, “Dr. Nadeen, come meet our newest nursing candidate.”

The moment he turned around, Megan felt like she was going to throw up. After spending two months trying hard to forget about her infamous night with Pesh Nadeen, there he was right in front of her. She couldn’t help having the classic line from Casablanca flash in her head, “Out of all the gin joints in all the world, she had to walk into mine.” She certainly felt that way about all the hospitals she could have possibly been assigned to, she had to be assigned to his.

The shock and surprise registered on his face as well. He was quick to mask it by smiling warmly at her. “Hello again, Megan.”

Kristi’s brows shot up at the familiarity of Pesh’s greeting. “You know each other?”

“Um, well,” Megan began. How was she going to explain? The last thing she needed was to get off on the wrong foot with her coworkers.

Pesh nodded. “She and I share a godson.”

“Oh how wonderful.” Kristi patted Megan’s back. “What luck for you then ending up here out of all the hospitals?”

“Yes, what luck,” Megan murmured.

Kristi smiled. “Well, I’ll let you two catch up for a minute or two.”

“No, that’s okay. You don’t have to do that,” Megan protested.

Waving her hand dismissively, Kristi said, “It gives me a chance to go grab a snack and something to drink. Be back in a few, and we’ll finish the tour.”

Megan fought the urge to run after Kristi as she walked off. Instead, she turned back to Pesh who was staring expectantly at her.

“You don’t exactly look happy to see me,” Pesh said.

She shook her head wildly. “How could I be? The man, who I completely made an ass out of myself in front of, is at the hospital where I’m doing my clinicals. That doesn’t exactly make my day.”

“For the last time, you have nothing to be embarrassed about.”

“Sorry, but that does not make me feel any better,” she grumbled.

“What can I do to put you at ease about working with me?”

Rubbing her now aching head, she replied, “I don’t know. If I thought it wouldn’t make me look bad, I’d request a transfer.”

“I offend you that much?” Pesh asked. As she gazed up at him, his expression was wounded.

“No, no, you don’t offend me. It’s just that…” She chewed mercilessly on her bottom lip before she continued. After taking a ragged breath, she replied, “It’s just that for the past two years, I had pretty good control of my life. The night I was with you, I let all that control crumble. By getting drunk, I became someone else—someone I used to be. The girl, or woman, who would do anything to get a man’s attention. I don’t like that person very much, and I don’t ever want to go back there. Seeing you just makes me remember all of that.”

Megan couldn’t help being surprised by how honest she’d been able to be with him. Pesh remained silent for a moment. His dark eyes bore into hers. “I am sorry that you reflect so negatively on the night we were together. For me, it was not marred by drinking or you getting sick. I enjoyed spending time with you and getting to know you.” He swallowed hard. “I enjoyed waking up with you. I would give anything for you to be able to look at me without having to feel bad about yourself.”

“You really enjoyed being with me that night?”

He nodded. “When I told you I wanted to see you again, I was serious.”

She sighed. “That’s very sweet of you, but I haven’t changed my mind about dating.”