Chapter 27: An Education in Taste

Nathaniel had a business dinner that evening and didn't want Joy along.

Joy texted Lily not to bother with dinner.

She drove to Cross Medical.

After wiping off her makeup in the car, she stopped by the attending physician's office for an update, then headed to her grandfather's room.

Walter was asleep.

He looked impossibly thin, cheekbones sharp against pale skin.

Joy quietly pulled a chair to the bedside and took his hand dry and weathered as old bark.

The warmth of it stung behind her eyes.

She'd been born premature, straight into an incubator, at a cost of thousands a day enough to scare everyone off.

Her biological father, Gary, had wanted to pull the tubes almost immediately. Said they could just try again.

That was the day Walter beat his own son bloody, then walked out and begged every old army buddy he had for money.

Every dollar that kept her alive had come from an old man's pride, spent without hesitation.

Her life belonged to him. Whatever it cost, she'd make sure he kept his.

As if sensing her there, his eyes fluttered, wrinkled lids parting slowly.

It took a moment for his clouded gaze to focus on her face.

His hand tightened around hers.

"I'm just a burden to you now..."

Joy wiped away the tears threatening to fall and forced a bright smile.

"Don't say that. The doctor told me today the treatment's going great really good odds. Just keep cooperating, and the second you're discharged, you're making me shredded chicken."

"Deal. Shredded chicken it is." Walter's eyes crinkled into a smile, his fingers stroking the back of her hand then, abruptly, he changed the subject.

"Dr. Miller brought some interns by today. One of them, a Dr. James handsome young man, single too."

"Grandpa..." Joy started, exasperated.

Before she could finish, the door eased open.

Walter's tired eyes lit right up. He lifted a hand, pointing weakly toward the door. "Dr. James, come in! My granddaughter's here to see me."

Joy turned instinctively, offering a polite nod.

A young man in a white coat stood in the doorway, clipboard in hand.

Their eyes met.

The young doctor froze, nearly dropping his pen.

This morning, the old man had gushed nonstop about his granddaughter he'd assumed it was just an old man bragging, and hadn't thought much of it.

Owen's face flushed red to the collar. Caught between stepping in and backing out, he stammered.

"Hi hello"

Joy, considerably more composed, stood and offered her hand. "Hi, I'm Joy Bennett. Thank you for taking care of my grandfather."

"Oh of course, of course!"

Owen fumbled his pen back into his coat pocket, wiped his palms on his sleeve, and finally worked up the nerve to shake her hand. "Owen James."

"Nice to meet you," Joy said, smiling.

Owen's mind went completely blank, his pulse hammering somewhere in his throat.

From the bed, Walter shot Owen a satisfied wink, the message written plainly across his face:

See? Told you she was something.

The room settled into an awkward quiet.

Joy broke it. "Dr. James, you're here for rounds?"

"Huh? Right rounds!" Owen snapped back to reality, fumbling his clipboard open, nearly dropping it in his nerves.

He avoided eye contact with Joy through the entire exam.

When it wrapped up, Walter jumped straight to matchmaking. "Joy, walk Dr. James out, would you?"

Owen waved his hands frantically. "No, no, that's not necessary"

"I'll walk you out." Joy was already moving.

They stepped into the hallway together.

Owen shuffled beside her, visibly unsure what to do with his hands, still rattled.

Joy stopped and turned to face him. "I'm sorry about my grandfather..."

"No, no, I get it" Owen cut in fast, trying to smooth things over. "Grandparents are all like that. Mine keep trying to set me up at every family gathering too, haha"

"I'm married."

The laugh died in his throat. "...Sorry?"

"I just haven't told him yet. I don't want to upset him while he's sick." Joy gave a polite nod. "So apologies for the confusion earlier."

Owen opened his mouth, but whatever small flame had just sparked was thoroughly doused.

He looked down, practically hearing his own hope deflate.

"Oh... I see. I hope I hope you're very happy."

"Thanks."

Owen wandered back to the office like a ghost, peeling off his coat in a daze.

A passing nurse asked, "Dr. James, heading out?"

He didn't hear her, eyes glazed, pressing the elevator button and drifting all the way down to the parking garage.

He climbed into the passenger seat.

Ethan, in the driver's seat, was mid-text. He glanced up at Owen's blank expression and raised an eyebrow.

"What happened? Your attending chew you out again?"

Owen shook his head, hands trembling as he pulled the seatbelt across. "No."

The car started, easing out of the spot.

Owen glanced out the window a figure walking toward a Volvo in the distance caught his eye.

He stared, unmoving, then sighed. "I think my heart just broke, man."

Ethan followed his gaze, frowning.

"...Her?"

"Yeah."

Ethan squinted at the retreating figure. Why does that look familiar? That's basically Nathaniel's assistant's whole style.

"You don't even have time to sleep when'd you find time to date?" Ethan scoffed, turning the wheel.

Owen sank into his seat, thoroughly deflated. "We never dated. I was barely starting to like her, and turns out she's married."

"Tch."

Ethan shook his head, hitting the gas, muttering something under his breath.

"Why is everyone suddenly falling for married women lately?"

"What?"

"Nothing." Ethan kept his eyes forward, drumming his fingers on the wheel, sneaking a look at his hopeless cousin.

"Feel like grabbing a drink at The Scarlet Room?"

"Not really," Owen said, flat.

"Nate'll be there later." Ethan's mouth curved, something sly in his eyes. "You two can compare notes."

Owen blinked. "Notes on what?"

Ethan floored it, the car surging into the night. "Improving your taste."

The Scarlet Room throbbed with deafening bass.

The second Owen stepped inside, he wanted to leave but Ethan grabbed his collar and shoved him down onto a couch.

"Wait, is that Ethan's little cousin? The doctor? He's adorable!"

A cluster of glossy, made-up women descended immediately, pressing in close, glasses clinking against his shoulder.

Owen sat frozen, pinned into the corner of the couch, his whole face screaming for rescue.

Just then, the door to the private room opened again.

The noise dropped instantly. Even the music seemed to fade.