Chapter 2

7.6K 220 56
                                    

"How's your little girl doing?" Alyssa asked, wiping down the bar as I started mopping the floor. I looked up just as she sent me a teasing smile. "Trying to pawn toys off you yet?"

I laughed, shaking my head. "No, not yet. But she's good. Her wrist doesn't hurt, and she's getting everyone to sign her cast. All her classmates drew something on it, so I think she's enjoying herself." 

"And your parents? Did they freak out when they found out?"

That was an understatement. "Let's just say they wanted to fly down from New York so they could stay with me for a few weeks." I loved my parents to death, but there was no way I could handle them staying in my house for that long. "I turned down that idea so fast their heads probably spun." 

She snorted, tossing the towel in a bin behind her. "I get why they'd be worried, since this is her first injury, but I agree with you. If it were my parents that wanted to come down, I'd be leaving town in a heartbeat."

"You know you love your parents." I told her.

"Yeah, when they're not telling me what to do and how to live my life." She agreed. "But that's what they do most of the time, and it really pisses me off." 

I quickly mopped the rest of the floor, shoving the mop back inside the cart that held the bucket. "Talk to them." I hopped onto the empty table behind me, crossing my ankles together. "Tell them what you told me, and maybe they'll stop."

"Doubtful." She muttered. She let out a sigh, walking around the bar to grab her things. "I'm heading out. You going home?"

"Grocery store." I corrected, letting out a yawn. "Jess is at Morgans' place, but hopefully I'll be back before she drops her off." It was nearing six in the evening, but I needed to go food shopping now. Jess was like a bottomless pit. And I was thankful that the restaurant we worked in closed at five before reopening at seven. 

After bidding a goodbye to Alyssa, I hopped in my car and drove off to the supermarket. I made sure to stock up on a few of Jess' favorite foods, then made a beeline for the vegetable section. As much as she hated them, she needed to eat them. It would just make things easier if she didn't scream at the top of her lungs when I tried to feed them to her. 

"Blake?" 

Startled, I looked up from the broccoli I was inspecting, shocked to see Dr. Lynch. "Dr. Lynch, hi."

"You can call me Ross." He smiled. "I'm not on the clock right now; no need to be formal." 

Ross. I repeated the name in my head a few times, smiling slightly. 

"How's Jessica?" He questioned, reaching up to grab a bag of lettuce. 

"She's good. She's loving the attention she gets from her cast." I replied. "She'll probably want to keep it on even after her wrist is healed." 

"Well, she can't keep it on, but she can definitely keep it after I take it off." He grabbed a few more bags of different vegetables and tossed them in his cart. "Most parents like to keep a memorabilia from their kids first injury. I never really understood it, but I never questioned it. Guess I have to be a parent to truly understand." 

"You don't have any kids?" The words just flew out of my mouth, and I quickly turned a deep shade of red. "Don't answer that. Sometimes I just run my mouth without even thinking-like right now. I-I'm just gonna go." I clamped my mouth shut and turned around, ready to just run the hell out of there. But a hand on my arm caused me to stop, and I was forced to turn and look at Ross. 

He was smiling, much to my surprise. 

"You're cute when you ramble."

Cue blush and wide eyes. 

Doctor, Doctor (R.S.L)Where stories live. Discover now