only have to provide the rest."
That helped on the cost.
She looked at him and bit her lip. "I'd really like you to be here."
Which brought up the more important question: where could he hide from Dr. Ramírez? After what happened in the empty office, the idea of seeing her outside of the hospital, probably dressed like a normal person and with her beautiful hair down, filled him with panic. He opened his mouth to say he was working the afternoon shift when his mother cut him off.
"Don't try to get out of it. I checked your schedule. You don't go in until eleven that night."
"Okay, I'll be here." In a real party mood, he added to himself.
She put her hands on her hips and glared at him. "I don't know why you don't want to flirt with that darling Ana. You seem to ignore her, and she's such a pretty, smart young woman."
"I'll be nice to everyone, Mother," he said. "I always am."
But he was not going to flirt with that darling Ana no matter how much she begged.
"Thank you, dear."
Trapped again.
Chapter Eight
B efore the guests arrived Thursday evening, Mom said, "Why won't you take the money when it's offered to you? You know Brandon can afford it." She shook her head before she dashed off to wipe the counters again and check on the food in the oven.
Mike looked up from the kitchen table where he was studying an anatomy text book. "I know Brandon can afford it. I know he wants to help Francie's family, but I want to do this myself."
"Stubborn," she mumbled.
"Yeah, it runs in the family." The scent of garlic bread filled the room and made it hard for him to concentrate. He closed the book.
"You and Francie have always been so close. You know she wants you to take the money and go back to med school."
"Mom, it's because I do owe Francie so much that I can't take the money. I owe her everything, but I want to do this on my own."
"That makes no sense at all."
"It does to me. I can't take more from her even if it's Brandon's money. I have to take responsibility for my life, and this is one way I can. This is a start."
"Well, you're going to have to explain that to Francie because I can't." His mother put the teakettle on the burner and leaned over to pick up a dust bunny on the floor, her silver bracelets and earrings swinging with the motion. When she turned to toss the offending particle in the trash, her scarlet dress swung with her.
"She'll understand."
What he understood was why Mom had invited Brandon and Francie to the dinner tonight. She'd said it was because she wanted them to meet Antonio. Mike figured that was one reason. The other was in the hope Francie could convince him to take the money.
"You know, even with help, I'd have to work at least forty hours a week to rent the house and buy food. I couldn't do that and go to medical school." And, yes, he could take out a loan, but with his future looking so dim, he hated to owe more money than he already did from the first year of med school. He stood and headed out of the kitchen, the anatomy book in his hand, then dropped it on the sofa. "Looks like you need to get the table ready for the party tonight. I'll set the table, then I'll study in the living room."
"That's another thing," she said as he took the plates from the cupboard and placed them in a stack on the table. "Why are you studying if you aren't going back to school?"
"Because I like it, because I can use it at work. It's exciting to see what I'm reading about happening right there in the E.R."
But she wasn't listening. The Ramírez family would be here in a few hours and that's what she was concentrating on. The house looked good because she'd forced Tim, who'd complained every minute, to pick up his stuff. Now she was brewing tea and checking the vegetable casserole and a dozen other little chores while he placed a pile of napkins next to the plates.
He was glad his mother was so happy, but Mike dreaded the evening. Being with Dr. Ramírez— because that was what he had to call her
That helped on the cost.
She looked at him and bit her lip. "I'd really like you to be here."
Which brought up the more important question: where could he hide from Dr. Ramírez? After what happened in the empty office, the idea of seeing her outside of the hospital, probably dressed like a normal person and with her beautiful hair down, filled him with panic. He opened his mouth to say he was working the afternoon shift when his mother cut him off.
"Don't try to get out of it. I checked your schedule. You don't go in until eleven that night."
"Okay, I'll be here." In a real party mood, he added to himself.
She put her hands on her hips and glared at him. "I don't know why you don't want to flirt with that darling Ana. You seem to ignore her, and she's such a pretty, smart young woman."
"I'll be nice to everyone, Mother," he said. "I always am."
But he was not going to flirt with that darling Ana no matter how much she begged.
"Thank you, dear."
Trapped again.
Chapter Eight
B efore the guests arrived Thursday evening, Mom said, "Why won't you take the money when it's offered to you? You know Brandon can afford it." She shook her head before she dashed off to wipe the counters again and check on the food in the oven.
Mike looked up from the kitchen table where he was studying an anatomy text book. "I know Brandon can afford it. I know he wants to help Francie's family, but I want to do this myself."
"Stubborn," she mumbled.
"Yeah, it runs in the family." The scent of garlic bread filled the room and made it hard for him to concentrate. He closed the book.
"You and Francie have always been so close. You know she wants you to take the money and go back to med school."
"Mom, it's because I do owe Francie so much that I can't take the money. I owe her everything, but I want to do this on my own."
"That makes no sense at all."
"It does to me. I can't take more from her even if it's Brandon's money. I have to take responsibility for my life, and this is one way I can. This is a start."
"Well, you're going to have to explain that to Francie because I can't." His mother put the teakettle on the burner and leaned over to pick up a dust bunny on the floor, her silver bracelets and earrings swinging with the motion. When she turned to toss the offending particle in the trash, her scarlet dress swung with her.
"She'll understand."
What he understood was why Mom had invited Brandon and Francie to the dinner tonight. She'd said it was because she wanted them to meet Antonio. Mike figured that was one reason. The other was in the hope Francie could convince him to take the money.
"You know, even with help, I'd have to work at least forty hours a week to rent the house and buy food. I couldn't do that and go to medical school." And, yes, he could take out a loan, but with his future looking so dim, he hated to owe more money than he already did from the first year of med school. He stood and headed out of the kitchen, the anatomy book in his hand, then dropped it on the sofa. "Looks like you need to get the table ready for the party tonight. I'll set the table, then I'll study in the living room."
"That's another thing," she said as he took the plates from the cupboard and placed them in a stack on the table. "Why are you studying if you aren't going back to school?"
"Because I like it, because I can use it at work. It's exciting to see what I'm reading about happening right there in the E.R."
But she wasn't listening. The Ramírez family would be here in a few hours and that's what she was concentrating on. The house looked good because she'd forced Tim, who'd complained every minute, to pick up his stuff. Now she was brewing tea and checking the vegetable casserole and a dozen other little chores while he placed a pile of napkins next to the plates.
He was glad his mother was so happy, but Mike dreaded the evening. Being with Dr. Ramírez— because that was what he had to call her
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