Winning The Doctor

Chapter 2

The waves of the Pacific Ocean tumbled onto the sand as Anthony jogged along the Bay Point shoreline just after sunrise. He’d pulled a double shift at the hospital and had been on his feet over twenty-four hours. His muscular thighs screamed for relief through the first mile, easing up only slightly during the second.

The beach was one of his favorite places to run, and lately, to escape.

He took in deep gulps of air as his feet kicked up wefts of sand. Running, no matter what the surface, usually cleared his mind and relieved the constant stress that went with the job of being a physician. His demanding schedule at the hospital meant he didn’t have a lot of bandwidth for himself, so he treasured his time alone.

But today he wasn’t alone. She was in his thoughts.

Liza Sinclair. The attractive architect had impressed him with her confidence, her design portfolio and her never-ending curves. And if he’d had the opportunity to sleep in the hours since he’d met her, he figured she would have invaded his dreams, too.

There wasn’t a picture of her on her website, which he thought was a bit odd, and he hadn’t been sure what to expect when she arrived for her appointment. So when he opened his office door and saw how beautiful she was, he instinctively knew he was in trouble.

Liza’s clear, mocha-hued skin looked fresh and appealing. To his discerning eye, she was a natural beauty. The kind of looks his patients paid thousands of dollars to achieve with expensive fillers and invasive surgery.

He remembered staring into her eyes. The flash of longing there had struck him by surprise. Liza was the kind of woman who could steal his time...and his heart. It was as though his whole life had changed in an instant. He didn’t know what the future held other than the fact that he wanted Liza in it.

At least, at that moment.

Deep down, he knew he couldn’t afford any distractions. With a twinge of guilt, he recalled his on-the-spot decision to cancel the interview.

Her beautiful face had remained composed, almost serene. Yet the light of excitement had dimmed in her eyes, and he sensed her disappointment.

Even worse, he’d lied to her, telling her he’d decided to work with a professional firm, instead of a private architect, which wasn’t true at all.

He stopped running and grasped his knees, gulping in the salty air. He was in great shape and had several marathons under his belt, but for some reason, this morning he felt like he had never run a day in his life.

Anthony yawned as he took his shirt off and slung it over his shoulders. He was due back at the hospital in less than eight hours. It was time to head to his condominium in town for some much-needed sleep—that is, if he could get Liza off his mind.

As he turned on his heel, his phone vibrated against his bicep. Reaching up, he removed it from his armband and slid his thumb across the screen.

“Hello, stranger,” he said, good-naturedly.

“What did you think of her?” Doc Z barked. “When I didn’t hear from you right away, I got worried.”

Dr. Ivan Zander, or Doc Z as he was commonly known, was one of his favorite professors in medical school. After graduation, the two men had stayed in touch throughout Anthony’s residency in plastic and reconstructive surgery. Doc Z had even recommended him for a prestigious fellowship at UCLA Medical Center. Over the years, Doc Z had not only become a mentor but also a good friend, and most recently, an investor in his clinic.

Anthony chuckled as he started the long trek back home. “Come on, Doc. You don’t fool me. The funny bone doesn’t exist, neither does your penchant for worrying.”

“That’s because everything always goes my way,” Doc Z said.

The tone in his voice sounded haughty, but Anthony knew different. Doc had worked hard his entire life but at a mighty price. He was sixty-eight years old, never married, no children. Nothing to keep him warm at night except the soft glow of his computer screen. Instead of investing in relationships, Doc Z invested in stocks, bonds and upstart businesses like Anthony’s.

“Stop stalling, okay?” Doc Z continued. “What did you think about Liza?”

“She’s perfect.” In more ways than one.

Like an itch on his back that he couldn’t scratch, it made Anthony a little uncomfortable realizing how easily those two words had rolled out of his mouth. He blamed it on lack of sleep and lack of intimacy. Besides, no one was perfect, least of all him.

“Aha! I told you you’d like her,” Doc exclaimed triumphantly, interrupting his thoughts.

“Don’t gloat, Doc. It’s so unlike you,” Anthony replied, meaning the exact opposite.

“Why shouldn’t I?” Doc Z fired back. “She’s talented. Smart. And I handed her to you on a silver platter. What more could you want?”

Anthony sidestepped the waves rolling onto the shore. “A little more time to process what this all means would be helpful.”

“You think too much. I’ve done all the work. Now, all you have to do is hire her.”

Anthony stopped in his tracks, not caring if his shoes got wet. “Who said anything about hiring, Doc? When you called me a few weeks ago and told me about Liza, I only agreed to interview her as a favor to you. Plus, per your request, I didn’t mention that you were the one who had recommended her.”

“Which I appreciate, so what’s the problem?” Doc interjected.

Anthony huffed out a breath. Liza was the first woman, in a long time, who amounted to more than a ten-second blip on his brain, something that was none of Doc’s business.

He started walking again. His sneakers were now wet, and he couldn’t wait to get home and out of them.

“For starters, I still don’t understand why you asked me. If you want me to hire her so badly, I think I have a right to know.”

“I’ve known Liza’s family for years, since she was a little girl. I made her father a promise that I’d always watch out for her. He passed away about a year ago.”

“And her mother?”

Doc sighed heavily. “Gone too. Died a year before her husband as a result of complications from botched cosmetic surgery she had done in Costa Rica.”

Anthony’s heart squeezed in his chest. He couldn’t imagine the grief Liza had felt losing her mother and father in such a short time period. Both of his parents were still alive, thankfully, and though they lived thousands of miles away in South Carolina, he was still very close to them.

“That’s terrible. I know it’s a growing trend to go overseas for all types of surgical procedures. Though the costs can be significantly less than the United States, there are definite risks that many patients don’t know about or even consider.”

“It’s a problem, for sure,” Doc replied. “But right now, all I care about is convincing you that hiring Liza would be a very good thing.”

Anthony shook his head. “Now that I know a little bit about her family background, I’m even more uncomfortable with this plan. Is Liza okay? She seemed to be, but I don’t know. I need the architect to be on point and fully engaged with this project.”

“She’s a very strong person,” Doc replied without hesitation. “But she needs something different. That’s why she moved from Denver to Bay Point. She was successful there but a bit unfocused.”

“Yes, her residential work is fantastic, but her commercial work is lacking.”

“Minor detail,” Doc gruffed.

“Minor detail?” Anthony exclaimed, sloshing through the sand. “This clinic has to be designed right. Why didn’t you tell me?”

“I wanted you to meet her and judge her on her own merits. You saw her portfolio. She’s great at what she does.”

“True. Her commercial renderings were amazing, but none of them has ever been built.”

“So? What’s the problem?” Doc said. “That wasn’t her fault. She told you that, didn’t she?”

Anthony nodded. “Yes, but it’s still a huge problem for me, and as one of the main investors in this project, I’m surprised you don’t feel the same.”

“I don’t feel the same because I know Liza personally. Trust me, Anthony. She’ll do great work.”

“If you feel so strongly that she is the right person for the role, why couldn’t I tell her that you’d recommended her? You’ve put me in a really awkward position.”

Doc was silent for moment. “Liza is a very independent woman. If she knew I was trying to help her, she wouldn’t be pleased. She can never know that I’m the one who brought her to you.”

“Just in case you didn’t hear me earlier, I interviewed Liza as a favor, Z,” Anthony emphasized again. “I didn’t promise that I would hire her.”

“You’d be doing me an even greater favor by changing your mind.”

Anthony was very curious about Liza. How she would use her creativity, not to mention how she would feel in his arms. However, the situation was making him a little uneasy.

“Let me put it to you this way,” Doc continued. “Even though I do have a ton of money invested, ultimately it’s your gig and your decision. But I honestly believe that having Liza design the clinic is in your best interest...and mine.”

“Because you always get your way, right, Doc?” Anthony said with a smirk.

Doc laughed. “Yeah. Besides, everyone needs a little help, a first chance, a shot at doing something they’ve never done before. You did, remember?”

Anthony opened his mouth to protest, but no words came out.

Doc was right. When Anthony was in medical school, Doc had promised him that if he worked hard, he would help him succeed. True to his word, Doc had mentored him and opened doors to people and opportunities that Anthony would have never had access to by himself.

He stared out across the open waters. “Going with an independent architect as opposed to a small or even midsized firm is risky. Liza is going to have fewer resources, and since she recently moved to the area, I’m sure she won’t have the construction contacts that a full-services firm would.”

“She’s a smart woman who will navigate her way quickly. She designed my home. You can trust her.”

“I don’t know, Doc.” Anthony shrugged, lifting a fistful of sand and watching the granules slip through to the ground below.

“Tell you what. If you hire her, I’ll pay her fee. The entire thing.”

Anthony sucked in a breath and whistled “That’s very generous of you, Doc, and possibly, very stupid.”

“Not at all. I believe in you. I believe in her. Someday, so will you.”

“I’ll think about it.”

“Think quickly.”

“So what’s on your plate for the rest of the day? Besides making me feel guilty.”

Doc chuckled. “No patients today. Just me, a good book and a glass of chardonnay under the umbrella by my beautiful, sparkling pool. And you?”

“Sleeping, and then back to the hospital later this afternoon. I’m thinking about taking a drive out to the construction site tomorrow morning.”

“Oh? Take Liza. You won’t regret it.”

“I’m not so sure about that,” Anthony replied, rubbing his temple.

Doc laughed. “Have I ever steered you wrong?”

Anthony ended the call and grimaced, suddenly remembering the sweet, caring tone of Liza’s voice when she’d asked him if he was happy.

The question had come out of the blue, and he had to admit, he’d been pondering it ever since.

Happy?

For the most part he was. He had plenty of money, a great career and a small group of close friends. Plus, he was about to embark on a brand-new adventure, building and owning his own business, something he’d dreamed about for years.

He slipped his phone into his pocket and inhaled the salty air into his lungs. The beach was empty at this hour except for seagulls dive-bombing the ocean for their breakfast, and Anthony couldn’t have been happier at the lack of human beings in close proximity.

Bay Point was a small town, and everyone seemed to either know him personally or know about him. While it was great for attracting new patients, it was terrible for maintaining privacy.

Not that he’d had much of a personal life lately.

Kneeling down, he scooped up a handful of sand, brought it in for closer inspection. The color was unusual: pale beige flecked with bits of white, green and black. He couldn’t have counted the number of grains even if he’d had the desire or the time. But he could count the number of times he’d walked along this beach with a woman.

“Zero,” he muttered to himself, as he stood up and angrily pitched the sand back into the Pacific.

Yet, he’d chosen to spend his nights alone.

His demanding schedule had made it nearly impossible to sustain a long-distance relationship with his former girlfriend in Miami, when he’d first moved to Bay Point six years ago. She’d complained that he was more devoted to his career than to her.

Yet even when the relationship was over, he had little interest in pursuing another one, despite the seductive looks he regularly received from local women. That was just asking for trouble in a town like Bay Point, which seemed to thrive on gossip, rumors and innuendos.

Anthony didn’t have time to fall in love—with any woman, let alone Liza Sinclair.

Lust, maybe. But love?

He brushed the sand from his shorts, dismissing the thought, and put his shirt back on.

Love was for men with nine-to-five careers, not for men like him. Building his clinic and serving his patients were all that mattered. Falling in love with Liza—or any woman for that matter—was not part of his plan.

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