the flyer that showed the date on which the silent auction would begin, and – if the previous year’s bash had been any indication – those silent bids would determine the starting amount on the night of the ball itself. Brynn could only imagine how high the baseline would be. It would certainly be more than her second-year nurses’ pay would allow.
She shook her head at Lisa, a rueful smile on her lips. “Not likely,” she said with a real sigh this time. “For one thing, I have rent to pay. And for another, you know damn well who’ll be one-upping everyone all night anyway. She’s got it in the bag.”
“Ugh.” Lisa wrinkled her nose. Brynn loved that she had such a close friendship with her, eschewing the whole seniority thing since the third day of her orientation. Lisa was just too much fun to bother with rank. “If you mean Felicia – oh, sorry, Doctor Mills,” she continued, emphasizing the word “doctor” with a snarky drawl, “that woman is too horrible to wish upon Hitch for a night. Bottled-red hair and a legacy degree decidedly do not an interesting date make.” Lisa nodded decisively, as though hers was the last word on the subject.
“I’ve gotta get back upstairs,” Brynn said, giving her friend a quick pat on the arm. “Thanks for the eye candy, anyway.”
“Aw, come on!” Lisa called after her as she headed back toward the stairwell. “Aren’t you a December baby? I bet if a bunch of us went in on a nameless ‘gift’ for you... We’ll find a way to get you a...” When Brynn spun around and shot a forbidding glare behind her, Lisa pressed her lips together and made a zipping motion by way of apology. A couple of the nearby nurses were now paying attention to their exchange, so it was a good thing Lisa had shut up when she did. That was all Brynn needed. Her job was hard enough without being the main grist for the rumor mill. She gave another faux glare, then a slight grin and a wave, before leaving Lisa to start her night, just as Brynn was gearing up to enter the second half of her own. She took two steps at a time on the way up the stairs and made it to her floor’s nursing station with one minute to spare.
TWO
W hile the first half of her shift had seemed to drag on, full of problem patients and inept trainees getting in her way, the second half passed as though in a complete haze. Brynn’s attention was still fully on her job – she’d have been upset with herself otherwise – but it would have been a blatant lie had she told herself she wasn’t thinking about the charity ball and, more specifically, one of its more remarkable take-home prizes. She caught herself doing the math, calculating how much overtime she’d have to work before the middle of December in order to even crack the ceiling of the opening bid, and then she laughed aloud, surprising the patient whose room she’d been stocking when the thought occurred to her.
“Sorry, Mr. Elgin,” she said with a smile. The elderly man smiled in return from his bed and shook his head.
“I like to see young people happy,” he replied. “Are you in love?”
Brynn laughed again, though this time with a tinge of embarrassment. Mr. Elgin had been on her floor for nearly a month now, and she liked him a lot. He was exactly the sort of patient every nurse loved to have – easygoing, funny, grandfatherly in some ways but also able to flirt in that harmless way older gentlemen often have – and as much as she was looking forward to his full recovery from surgery, she didn’t doubt she’d miss him every night.
“You are!” he exclaimed, giving her a broad grin and pointing a robed arm at her. “I’ve seen that look many a time in my days, dear girl.”
“Oh, I see,” she said with a chuckle, moving to prop up the pillows behind him, into which he gratefully settled. “Because so many ladies fell madly in love with you, I don’t doubt.”
“Such a flatterer. But you’re just trying to change the
She shook her head at Lisa, a rueful smile on her lips. “Not likely,” she said with a real sigh this time. “For one thing, I have rent to pay. And for another, you know damn well who’ll be one-upping everyone all night anyway. She’s got it in the bag.”
“Ugh.” Lisa wrinkled her nose. Brynn loved that she had such a close friendship with her, eschewing the whole seniority thing since the third day of her orientation. Lisa was just too much fun to bother with rank. “If you mean Felicia – oh, sorry, Doctor Mills,” she continued, emphasizing the word “doctor” with a snarky drawl, “that woman is too horrible to wish upon Hitch for a night. Bottled-red hair and a legacy degree decidedly do not an interesting date make.” Lisa nodded decisively, as though hers was the last word on the subject.
“I’ve gotta get back upstairs,” Brynn said, giving her friend a quick pat on the arm. “Thanks for the eye candy, anyway.”
“Aw, come on!” Lisa called after her as she headed back toward the stairwell. “Aren’t you a December baby? I bet if a bunch of us went in on a nameless ‘gift’ for you... We’ll find a way to get you a...” When Brynn spun around and shot a forbidding glare behind her, Lisa pressed her lips together and made a zipping motion by way of apology. A couple of the nearby nurses were now paying attention to their exchange, so it was a good thing Lisa had shut up when she did. That was all Brynn needed. Her job was hard enough without being the main grist for the rumor mill. She gave another faux glare, then a slight grin and a wave, before leaving Lisa to start her night, just as Brynn was gearing up to enter the second half of her own. She took two steps at a time on the way up the stairs and made it to her floor’s nursing station with one minute to spare.
TWO
W hile the first half of her shift had seemed to drag on, full of problem patients and inept trainees getting in her way, the second half passed as though in a complete haze. Brynn’s attention was still fully on her job – she’d have been upset with herself otherwise – but it would have been a blatant lie had she told herself she wasn’t thinking about the charity ball and, more specifically, one of its more remarkable take-home prizes. She caught herself doing the math, calculating how much overtime she’d have to work before the middle of December in order to even crack the ceiling of the opening bid, and then she laughed aloud, surprising the patient whose room she’d been stocking when the thought occurred to her.
“Sorry, Mr. Elgin,” she said with a smile. The elderly man smiled in return from his bed and shook his head.
“I like to see young people happy,” he replied. “Are you in love?”
Brynn laughed again, though this time with a tinge of embarrassment. Mr. Elgin had been on her floor for nearly a month now, and she liked him a lot. He was exactly the sort of patient every nurse loved to have – easygoing, funny, grandfatherly in some ways but also able to flirt in that harmless way older gentlemen often have – and as much as she was looking forward to his full recovery from surgery, she didn’t doubt she’d miss him every night.
“You are!” he exclaimed, giving her a broad grin and pointing a robed arm at her. “I’ve seen that look many a time in my days, dear girl.”
“Oh, I see,” she said with a chuckle, moving to prop up the pillows behind him, into which he gratefully settled. “Because so many ladies fell madly in love with you, I don’t doubt.”
“Such a flatterer. But you’re just trying to change the
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