The Blind Date That Never Showed Up

"A house, a car, commitment, and emotional support — what's next, you want the sun delivered on a platter?"

Morning rounds were still a while off.

With only Wesley in the office, Zoe Harper munched on her breakfast bun and scrolled through videos without a shred of restraint.

Phone volume cranked to max.

Door wide open.

Nora Ward could hear the echo all the way down the corridor.

She stepped inside.

The moment her white coat flickered past the doorway, Zoe slapped her phone face-down with a deafening bang.

Nora glanced up. "Morning."

"Morning, Nora! You scared the hell out of me. Thought you were the department chair." Zoe clutched her chest, exhaling in relief.

Nora gave her a small smile and checked her watch. "Relax. Mr. Shaw's at the hospital. The chair just went to the dean's office."

"Thank God!" Zoe shouted in celebration.

She did the mental math. Even if the chair sprinted back, he'd never make it in time to grill them at morning report.

Disaster averted, Zoe went limp with relief. She kicked her wheeled chair back half a meter, ramming into the back of Nora's seat.

"Nora, you've been on those blind dates lately, right? You need to see this. The dating scene is a nightmare!"

She jabbed at her screen and replayed the video.

It was a guy complaining about his blind date.

Civil servant, twenty-seven, a junior section chief. Completely high on his own modest credentials. Talking about his date like she was beneath him.

"Guys, I took one for the team. Trust me, steer clear! Any halfway decent-looking girl these days is a gold digger. First meeting and she had the nerve to ask about a down payment!"

"Tch. These women talk big online, all 'I'm an independent boss babe.' If they really want equality, why ask for a bride price?"

The video exploded with male solidarity. The comment section was a chorus of guys agreeing that a man with credentials like his — any woman asking for a single dollar was delusional.

Zoe couldn't take it. "So now men can just flash a job title and get a kid plus a free housekeeper? Bonus points if she's tall with long legs?"

"Please. He passed the civil service exam, not astronaut training. What's he acting so superior for?"

"Is his piss matte finish? Can't even see his own reflection?"

Wesley cracked up listening. "These guys — they're either broke and bitter or ugly and bitter."

Bullseye.

Zoe's frustration eased instantly. She walked over and gave Wesley an approving pat on the shoulder.

"Men with your level of self-awareness are a dying breed."

"Exactly! Financial contribution exists to compensate for lack of sex appeal. Ugly guys who want hot girls better open their wallets. Same reason I spend money chasing good-looking guys!"

"Right, Nora?"

Nora turned, kneading her stiff neck. Three surgeries last night.

Her skin was pale from the all-nighter, but it gave her an almost ethereal, untouched beauty.

"Sorry, what?"

Zoe paused, swallowed, and shook her head. "Never mind. I forgot — gorgeous women don't have this problem."

Nora pressed down a smile.

"Done with the videos? Good. Want to hear some news?"

"What?" Zoe's eyes lit up at the scent of gossip.

Nora's lips curved as she turned, pulled open a drawer, and handed Zoe the freshly printed schedule.

"Congratulations, Dr. Harper. Eight night shifts this month."

"Eight?!"

The lethal number stole Zoe's breath. She collapsed back into her chair with a wail, a woman stripped of all strength and recourse.

"Nora, save me."

"Can't." Nora let a faint smile slip through.

Full under-eye curves, clear whites, bright gaze.

Fellow medical slave that she was, Zoe clicked her tongue. So unfair.

"Nora, Leo Hart in Cardiothoracic Surgery got promoted to chief resident a whole month after you, right?"

Chief resident. As in: lives at the hospital. Twenty-four by six, one day off a week. And at Northridge University Medical Center — the number one cardiac center in the country — whether you actually got that day off was a coin toss.

Nora looked over, not sure where this was going.

Zoe's voice went theatrical. "You know what? Yesterday I ran into Leo in the hallway. The guy's already going bald from exhaustion!"

"And you, my little Nora rose — pulling all-nighters every night and still blooming like this."

Nora laughed and flicked Zoe on the forehead.

"Enough flattery. How about you catch up on those patient charts before the chair tears you apart at rounds?"

Dr. Vaughn was a terror when he yelled. Aside from Nora, every single person in the department had been reduced to tears by him at least once.

The familiar dread shot up Zoe's spine. She yelped and scrambled to boot up her computer.

As the screen loaded, something clicked in Zoe's brain. She rolled her chair back to Nora.

"Wait... isn't old Mr. Shaw's checkup not due yet?"

"No, not yet." Nora shook her head and stabbed a straw into her soy milk. She had five surgeries on the schedule today. Breakfast was the only quiet meal she'd get.

"It's probably foundation business," Nora said.

The Shaws were Northridge old money. A few years back, the elder Mr. Shaw had a midnight heart attack. Dr. Vaughn performed the surgery himself and saved him. After discharge, Mr. Shaw had his grandson fund the hospital's charitable programs ever since.

Ethan Shaw's visit to the dean today was likely about the next round of grants.

Zoe wasn't buying it.

She glanced at Nora sideways and lowered her voice. "I think young Mr. Shaw has ulterior motives."

Wesley got up to take out the trash. With just the two of them left, Zoe didn't bother whispering anymore. She bumped Nora's arm.

"Nora, be honest — what do you think about Ethan Shaw? And don't tell me 'foundation business' again."

"It's just us. Do you really expect me to believe you can't see he's into you?"

"Maybe he heard you're doing blind dates and panicked. Could that be why he's here today?"

Nora didn't answer.

Zoe snuck another look at her. "Actually, I've been meaning to ask — Ethan Shaw has liked you for years. Why are you still going on blind dates with other guys? Honestly, he seems great—"

"Zoe."

Nora cut her off. "I was actually about to tell you. I got married."

Zoe's jaw dropped.

It took her a long moment to find her voice. "When?!"

"Yesterday," Nora said, calm as ever. "Dr. Sterling fit my criteria — looks, career, everything. So we went ahead and got the license. Flash marriage."

"Flash marriage? Dr. Sterling?!"

Zoe shot out of her seat. "Which Dr. Sterling?!"

Nora blinked, confused. "The one your mom set me up with."

Zoe's voice trembled. "...The Dr. Sterling my mom introduced? You got a marriage license with him?"

Not understanding Zoe's reaction, Nora nodded. "Yeah. Why?"

Why?! Zoe's face drained of color.

"...My mom told me this morning. Dr. Sterling never showed up!"

"Nora, did you mix up the guy and marry the wrong person?!"