Total pages in book: 60
Estimated words: 56651 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 283(@200wpm)___ 227(@250wpm)___ 189(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 56651 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 283(@200wpm)___ 227(@250wpm)___ 189(@300wpm)
CHAPTER FIVE
Dana
IT’S NOW OR NEVER, DANA. ARE YOU GOING TO TEXT HIM? OR NOT?
I chewed my lip after the girls called their break times. I hadn’t pushed for something special to accommodate my impulse to see Drake. And I did want to see him. More than I had expected to.
I’d even worn my favorite scrubs. The pair I prayed wouldn’t get blood on them. The ones I saved for when I was in need of a boost or a particularly sunny, happy day.
They were vintage. A style you didn’t see anymore. A pretty pink with cute little flowers on them. They were cut slightly more narrow that the usual boxy style, but not tight or uncomfortable. In fact, they were so soft, and I had a crazy feeling of comfort when I wore them. Almost like I got some of the knowledge passed down from the nurse, or nurses, who had worn them before me.
Not to mention, they were simply more flattering than all my other scrubs. I had found them on Ebay by sheer luck. They looked straight out of the 1970s but it was hard to be sure. I’d never found another pair like them, new or second hand.
And believe me, I’d looked.
I was always searching for a good deal or a bargain. It was usually worth the effort to save a few bucks by buying second hand. And a lot of the time you ended up with something unique. Something special. It was worth the time to take to find the one of a kind stuff. I love it. Over time, I had realized that I lived for the hunt.
The time spent finding the perfect thing for the best price. It was a point of pride for me. It was beyond satisfying, not unlike that first sip off home made coffee in the morning.
When I had time, of course.
I stared at the board. My break was at 11 pm. Not too bad, in terms of expecting Drake to actually show up. Part of me was afraid to hope he would… part of the reason I hadn’t made a big deal out of when I took mu break. I never took the full hour anyway, but if it was slow tonight, there was a chance I could…
I took a deep breath and responded to the message I had received a few hours before.
When am I coming to see you, Sunshine?
I pecked out a message, deleted it, and tried again.
I have some time at 11, but I know that’s late. You don’t have to come.
It took less than ten seconds for the message to appear. I stared at my phone. He must have been waiting to hear from me. Literally waiting by the phone… the thought warmed me to my core. He hadn’t hesitated. I guess eleven wasn’t too late, after all.
I will see you at 11.
CHAPTER SIX
Drake
I was there at 10:45.
A little bit earlier, if I was honest. But not too early. I wanted to keep the food warm.
I’d borrowed Whiskey’s massive SUV with the drop down back and a couple of folding chairs. I even had a table cloth. One of the old school red and white checkerboard ones. Mae herself had loaned it to me, and helped with a lot of the details of the date. I owed her big time.
I had thought about bringing wine and putting a candle in a wine bottle, like those two dogs eating spaghetti in that Disney movie, but it wasn’t time yet. Besides, the girl had to work.
I highly doubted Sunshine was the type of girl who would imbibe on the job.
Instead I’d brought a thermos of hot water and tea bags with a container of sliced lemon wedges. I knew she liked green tea from the file. But I brought a variety so as not to set off any alarm bells.
I had to be smart.
I had to be careful.
There was no need for her to know I’d memorized every damn thing about her. It felt like I was a student studying for the most important exam of my life. Honestly that’s kind of what it felt like.
Every drop of information, every morsel, was important. Memorable. Vital.
I’d never forget a damned word she spoke, or that I’d read about her, that was for damned sure.
But this was a parking lot picnic, not a fancy dinner date. I had still dressed for the occasion. Freshly shaved, with a pressed button down shirt and clean jeans. My good boots, too.
And brand new boxers, not that she would see them.
Not tonight.
But soon. I hoped. I had prayed about that many times already, and I wasn’t much of a praying man. I had a feeling I would be praying a lot, for the foreseeable future. Until she was mine, without a doubt.
Dear God in heaven, let it be soon.