The Right Man at the Wrong Table

Wrong person? Wrong marriage?

Zoe's question knocked the wind out of Nora too.

She turned, needing confirmation. "...Your mom said Dr. Sterling didn't show?"

Zoe looked like she was about to cry. She nodded.

"Yeah! My mom said Dr. Sterling got pulled into an emergency surgery yesterday afternoon. Aortic dissection. Ten hours. Didn't finish until midnight. He sent my mom this long apology over text this morning."

Zoe's mother had opened a matchmaking agency after retirement. Nora, with urgent reasons of her own to get married fast, had gone to her first.

Old friends for years — the moment Mrs. Harper heard Nora was looking, she'd thumped her chest and promised to find the best match possible.

She'd asked Nora what she wanted.

Nora didn't have many requirements. Good character, understanding of her demanding schedule, willing to marry quickly. That was it.

Female doctors weren't exactly hot commodities on the marriage market. Nora wanted the license fast, so she'd trimmed her expectations. She trusted Mrs. Harper's judgment.

Mrs. Harper had not let her down.

By the next day, she'd found a candidate.

"His surname is Sterling. Four years older than you. Cardiothoracic surgeon at Central Hospital. Same field — you'll have more in common!"

"Local. Has a car and a house. Both parents are university professors. Family background and character are guaranteed!"

"And the best part — Dr. Sterling also wants to marry quickly. Can we set the date for this afternoon?"

Mrs. Harper explained that Dr. Sterling had an upcoming business trip, hence the rush.

If Nora was fine with it, they'd meet at the café near the hospital. Three o'clock.

That time slot happened to be free of surgeries for Nora.

She'd hung up, gone straight to the department chair, and asked for an hour off.

After that — meeting, marriage license. Done.

If Zoe hadn't told her Dr. Sterling never showed, Nora would have found nothing odd about any of it.

She ran through the information in her head. "What was the full name of the Dr. Sterling your mom set me up with?"

"Simon Sterling!"

Zoe was almost in tears. "I sent it to you on W******p!"

At Nora's blank stare, Zoe asked, "...You didn't see it?"

Nora fished her phone out of her bag, uncertain.

Yesterday, 2:30 PM.

Zoe: [Nora, my mom forgot to mention on the call — Dr. Sterling's name is Simon Sterling.]

Nora frowned. "I was coordinating an ER patient's bed assignment around then. I didn't notice..."

But that wasn't the real issue.

Zoe stomped her foot. "The real issue is who the hell did you marry!"

"Nora, please tell me you weren't scammed into some marriage fraud scheme."

"No. Definitely not." Nora's answer was firm.

"The person I married is... Adrian Cross."

"Adrian Cross? Why does that name ring a bell?"

"Forget it. Just tell me how this even happened!"

How?

Nora thought back to yesterday afternoon.

Three o'clock at the café — that was the plan.

An emergency consult made her twenty-five minutes late.

When she arrived, the café was empty except for the delivery guy waiting at the counter and a single man sitting by the window.

Adrian Cross.

Dress shirt, dark slacks. An iced Americano on the table. Obviously waiting for someone.

The blind date Mrs. Harper set up was Adrian Cross? Nora had been surprised.

She'd met him before. Two years ago, at an international minimally invasive cardiothoracic surgery conference.

She'd been shadowing her mentor, Dr. Vaughn, when Adrian had taken the podium as an AATS member.

AATS — the most prestigious academic organization in cardiothoracic surgery worldwide. Fifteen hundred members, spanning the globe's top heart surgeons. Dr. Vaughn was one of them.

The way Dr. Vaughn had talked about Adrian Cross — nothing but admiration.

"Only twenty AATS members in the country. Someone as young as Adrian Cross? First in history."

Nora had listened, feeling nothing but respect.

So... now even someone that exceptional needed matchmaking?

Nora drew a deep breath, walked over, and took her seat under his appraising gaze.

"Sorry I'm late, Dr. Cross. Emergency consult."

The man's expression froze for a split second.

The subtle frown made Nora uncomfortable. She checked her watch. Thirty minutes left on her leave.

Screw it. Straight to the point.

"Dr. Cross, since we're both short on time, let me introduce myself directly."

"My name is Nora Ward. Twenty-seven. From Lakewood. I'm a cardiology attending, salary around five thousand a month. Parents divorced — I've been living in Northridge with my mother and stepfather for the last few years. No car, no house. I'm fine splitting a mortgage, but it'd have to be a loan. If my situation works for you, I'd like to get married as soon as possible."

Efficiency first. Nora laid it all out in one breath.

The man across from her said nothing, just listened quietly.

When she finished, he studied her for a few seconds.

His fingertips tapped lightly, as if thinking.

"Dr. Ward. You're suggesting a flash marriage?"

"Yes." Nora nodded.

"My work is demanding. Compared to starting an uncertain relationship, marriage is simply more cost-effective."

Maybe the word "cost-effective" paired with "marriage" was too novel. Adrian Cross let out a very faint laugh and nodded. "True enough."

Seeing that he agreed with the conclusion, Nora relaxed.

"And you, Dr. Cross? What are your requirements for a marriage?"

Adrian lowered his gaze, giving it real thought for a couple of seconds.

"I just returned from overseas. Work is intense. No time for domestic upkeep. I don't care for clingy partners."

"That won't be an issue."

This requirement was practically a gift. Nora smiled.

"I've got a month and a half left on my chief residency. Believe me — I'm very, very busy."

She caught Adrian looking at her and cleared her throat. "Anything else?"

Adrian pulled his eyes away. "You'd need to help manage things with my family."

Ah. Pressured into marriage.

Nora understood immediately. She agreed without hesitation. "That's fine too. But I only have one day off a week, so I can't do it too often."

Adrian gave a slight nod. "You won't have to."

That was perfect.

"And about the house—"

"As for the house—"

They spoke at the same time.

Adrian gestured for her to go first, polite as ever.

"Right. The house."

Nora had just remembered — Mrs. Harper mentioned that Dr. Sterling had a house and a car.

"Don't worry. I won't ask you to add my name to any premarital assets."

Adrian was noncommittal. He raised an eyebrow. "My turn?"

Nora nodded.

"Since we're getting married," Adrian said, "I'll add your name to the house."

That caught Nora off guard.

After a pause, she said, "Alright."

"Just one more thing."

Nora pulled out a clear document folder.

"What, a prenup?" Adrian asked.

"...No." Nora shook her head.

Compared to Adrian's income, it was obvious who needed a prenup. Nora knew her place.

"I think before we sign the papers, we should do a basic background check—"

Inside the folder were two reports. Nora slid them across the table. "My medical exam and credit report. I'll need yours as well."

Adrian paused — a rare reaction. He glanced down and picked up the reports.

Long fingers gripped the edges of the paper. Years of wearing surgical gloves had left his skin pale, the veins on the back of his hands prominent.

Beautiful surgeon's hands, Nora noted with clinical detachment.

Adrian read for half a minute, closed the reports calmly, and set them back down.

When he looked up, there was a rare trace of amusement in his eyes. "And if I can't provide mine right now?"

"Then we just have coffee today," Nora said, offering him an easy exit.

"I sprang this on you without warning. It's perfectly normal not to be prepared."

Rational. Composed. Responsible.

Adrian studied her.

"I was joking." He smirked and picked up his phone.

"Digital copies. Let me add you. I'll send them over."

"Sure." Nora pulled up her QR code.

Two PDFs came through. Height, weight, full infectious disease panel — exhaustive.

"If Dr. Ward finds everything in order," Adrian said, patient as she reviewed the files, then glanced at the time. "It's currently 3:47."

"The courthouse closes at 4:30. It's 3.6 kilometers from here."

"If we leave now, we'll make it."