Surprise Delivery(14)

A small flash of annoyance crosses his features, though I get the feeling that it’s not directed at me. It makes me wonder what’s going on inside that head of his.

“Yeah, I’m not big on themes,” he says, then laughs. “They’re lucky I showed up for this little soiree at all.”

“Oh, are you a donor?”

“Doctor, actually,” he corrects. “I’m the Chief Surgeon of the Marpat Unit.”

I cock my head. “The Marpat Unit?”

That same flash of annoyance crosses his face again and seems to confirm my earlier thought that it has nothing to do with me.

“It’s basically a unit for the hospital’s big donors,” he informs me.

“You don’t sound like you enjoy the job.”

He shrugs. “I don’t enjoy the pretentiousness of it,” he replies. “Nor do I think this is the best use of my skills. I should be somewhere else. Somewhere I can make an actual difference.”

“So, why don’t you?” I ask. “Can’t you transfer to another unit?”

“Actually,” he confides, that sly grin on his face again, “I’m transferring to another country.”

“Oh?” I inquire, feeling a slight pang of disappointment flash through me.

“Yeah. I signed on with Physicians Worldwide. I’ll be in Syria for about eight months or so.”

“Physicians Worldwide?”

“You’ve heard of Doctors Without Borders?”

I nod. “Yeah, I’ve heard of them.”

“Same thing, essentially.”

“Wow,” I say. “What made you want to do that? I mean, it’s pretty dangerous. You must really be trying to pad your resume or something.”

He chuckles. “No, I just thought I could do some good,” he says. “I want to help people. That’s why I went into medicine, to begin with.”

I have to say, I’m a little surprised, but actually quite impressed. Outwardly, he doesn’t seem to be the type who’d volunteer in some third world country out of the goodness of his heart. If you judge him only by his appearance, you’d think he’s a guy who enjoys being rich, loves the party circuit, and all the trappings that go with it. He’s so impossibly handsome that he reminds me of a doctor you’d see on some television drama. He’s definitely got ‘leading man’ written all over him.

I have to give myself another shake and try to pull my head out of the clouds again. I’m impressed that he’s the kind of guy who’d voluntarily leave a life of comfort to go endure the harsh realities of a place like Syria.

His eyes meet mine and I feel something inside of me shift. It’s like something falling into place, or a door being unlocked – or something. I don’t know what it is, I’ve never felt anything quite like it before, but it’s such a powerful feeling, it almost steals my breath.

There’s an electricity burning between us that’s almost palpable. I can feel it and judging by the look on his face, he can too. There’s a connection I’ve never felt before that sends a bolt of bright, warm light shooting from my head, all the way down to my toes, stopping in every part in between.

I lick my suddenly dry lips and tear my eyes away. I can’t be doing this. I can’t let myself get overwhelmed by emotion. Not only is it not something I want, the fact of the matter is that he’s leaving for eight months anyway. Maybe longer. I’ve heard some of the people who sign up for programs like that end up staying in them for years. The last thing I need to do is let myself get attached to anybody – especially somebody I can’t have.

“Doctor Clyburne, nice to see you. You’re looking sharp in your tux.”

I turn at the sound of Sabrina’s voice, relieved at her sudden appearance, which saves me from myself. She’s smiling wide as she approaches us, cutting me a knowing glance.

“Sabrina,” he greets. “I almost didn’t recognize you in that mask. You look amazing.”

“And why are you not in Mardi Gras attire, Doctor Clyburne?” she winks.

“You know I don’t do themes,” he says. “I’m just here to play my role – which is to charm the donors out of their money.”

Sabrina grabs my hand and squeezes it tight. “I see you’ve met my best friend?”

“I did in fact. Although, I didn’t know she was your best friend,” he says. “She decided to pour a glass of champagne on me.”

“It was an accide –”

His laughter cuts me off mid-sentence as I realize he’s teasing me again. My cheeks flush again, and I look over at Bri, whose eyes are sparkling mischievously behind her mask.

“Lexi here is going to be a nurse,” she says.

“Is that so?” he asks.

“As soon as she finishes her program, absolutely,” Bri says, a note of pride in her voice. “She’s brilliant and I know she’ll be a great nurse.”

“Bri,” I murmur softly. “Stop.”

“I see she’s modest too,” he says. “What school is your program at?”

I let out a breath and look up at him. “I’m actually not in the program at the moment,” I tell him, my disappointment and shame coloring my words so thickly, I cringe when I hear it. “I hope to go back to finish it out though.”