“I’m so relieved to have found you. I’ve been trying to get in contact with Dr. Russell for weeks and I can’t seem to track him down.” She reaches into her purse and pulls out a small chocolate bar. “Do you mind?” I nod, dumbly, and she tears into it. “Sorry, this baby really likes chocolate. I wasn’t even really a fan of it before, but it’s all I want to eat these days.”
“Umm…”
I look around us, wondering if anyone else in the lobby can see this woman. Am I hallucinating? I know I haven’t been eating much lately, but…
She must sense my confusion because she laughs and smacks her forehead. “Of course. Where are my manners? I’m Victoria, Dr. Russell’s ex-wife.”
My mouth drops and I say very bluntly, “No way.”
Her shrugs. “Guilty as charged I’m afraid.” Then she flinches. “Oh, don’t tell him I said that. It was meant as a joke, but now it just seems mean. He’s truly not such a bad guy. Not so good at returning phone calls—or emails, for that matter—but other that, he’s decent.” She laughs again. “I don’t know why I’m telling you this. You work for him—you probably know him better than I do nowadays.”
Maybe so considering I also sleep with him…at least I used to.
I swallow that thought, stay quiet, and nod.
This can’t be right. In my head I’d pictured her as a caricature of an ex-wife: bitter and out for blood. This woman sitting across from me is neither of those things. She’s a glowing pregnant lady nibbling on chocolate.
“We were married a long time ago,” she emphasizes before pointing one finger down at her belly. “Obviously.”
“Congratulations,” I say, because what the heck else am I supposed to say? “About your pregnancy, not about it being a long time ago.”
She grins. “Thank you. Want a piece?” Her chocolate bar is outstretched toward me and I’ve had a terrible morning, so of course I accept a few squares. We munch for a moment or two in silence and then she continues. “Matt—er, Dr. Russell hasn’t been returning my messages and I really need to speak with him. We invested in this tiny condo when we were newlyweds, and I put it up on the market last year. It finally sold and—” Our gazes meet and she stops suddenly, realizing none of this is really my business. “Sorry, I’m an over-sharer. Don’t ever sit by me on an airplane or I’ll chat your ear off the whole flight.”
“It’s okay.”
She flashes a remorseful frown. “You probably just want to get back to your lunch, but I was hoping you’d help me track him down. He wasn’t in his office when I went up to speak with him after the surgery, and his assistant said she couldn’t tell me when he’d be back. Also, she sort of yelled at me to leave him alone.”
I resist a laugh. Matt probably needs peace and quiet after the week he’s had. Patricia is likely scaring everyone away on his orders.
“Yeah, Patricia’s fiercely loyal. She’s been with him since he started here.”
“What about you? Have you two been working together for long?”
I was wondering if our conversation would veer in this direction. In fact, I’ve sort of been dreading it. I could smile and tell her I just started working with him, or I could be honest and volunteer that he and I aren’t just coworkers. I really want to choose the first option, but I’ve never been very good at deception.
Not to mention, this meeting could be used as an opportunity of sorts, one I might not ever get again. Perhaps I’d be silly to pass it up because Victoria knows more than anyone what it’s like to be in a relationship with Matt, and right now, I could definitely use some advice.
So, I take a deep breath, put down my sandwich, and lay out the truth. “Matt and I aren’t just coworkers. We’re dating.”
Her brows arch and she blinks a few times in quick succession. I think I’ve really surprised her.
“I didn’t know Matt was dating.”
I blush. “It’s new.”
She waves her hands hurriedly. “That came out wrong. I just meant I wasn’t aware he was even interested in dating, let alone dating someone seriously. What’s your name?” she asks tentatively, and I’m surprised to find it’s not speculation or annoyance in her eyes—it’s curiosity, and maybe even a little relief.
“Bailey.”
She smiles. “Can I be honest with you, Bailey?”
I nod, bracing myself for some salacious piece of gossip that will tear through my heart.
“You seem like you’re too sweet for Matt.”
Funny. Most days I think it might be the other way around. No one at New England Medical Center would believe me though. In this building, he walks around like a hulking beast with a short fuse and a ferocious growl. They have no idea of the man he truly he is.
“Matt’s told me a little bit about your relationship,” I venture, curious to see her reaction.
“Oh god,” she groans. “I was a real bitch there at the end. I hope he didn’t paint me too poorly.”
I smile. “Not at all. He actually puts a lot of the blame on himself.”
“That doesn’t surprise me.” She leans back in her chair and nibbles off a bite of chocolate. “We were both young. We wanted different things.” Her gaze shifts and she studies me as if contemplating her next words very carefully. Then she continues solemnly, “Matt’s not ever going to change. Work will always be his mistress and you’ll always have to look the other way. When we were married, I tried to keep myself busy. I volunteered at the library and got a part-time job. I never wanted to be a nag when he didn’t show up for dinner or missed my calls. I really toughed it out for a while, but in the end, I just couldn’t see what the allure was for him. I couldn’t understand why he couldn’t prioritize me over his job.” She shrugs. “But he worked himself ragged then. Maybe he’s different now.”
I think of the spare pillow and blankets in his office and laugh. “He’s not.”
Her mouth twitches in disappointment. “I’m not trying to warn you away from him, honestly. Matt just always seemed slightly out of my reach even when we were married, like I always loved him a little more than he loved me. It drove me crazy. I guess I just want to be sure you know what you’ve gotten yourself into.”
I look down at my hands and let her words settle over me. She’s not exactly telling me anything I didn’t already know. I half-expected her to launch into a tirade about all his idiosyncrasies like ex-spouses do when they’ve been pushed well past their limit. Here’s another thing: he never put the toilet seat back down after he went to the bathroom! And is it that freaking hard to load your dish in the dishwasher instead of leaving it in the sink?
This warning about a man who is devoted to his work is exactly the version of Matt that tugged on my heartstrings in the first place.
“It’s funny, I hadn’t really thought about it until now, but it makes perfect sense for him to fall for someone like you.” I jerk my gaze back to her and find that she’s been studying me intently. “You’re beautiful, obviously, but it’s more than that. You seemed so competent in that operating room earlier. I stood in the back of the gallery and watched the way you two worked together, almost as if you were one person instead of two.” Then she laughs, thinking of something. “And God knows you won’t have to worry about spending enough time together. That surgery lasted forever! I was tired just watching it.”
I smile and just then, a deep voice calls her name near the entrance of the building. She turns and waves cheerfully. Meanwhile, my heart lurches in my chest. I lean forward so I can peek one eye around the wing of the leather chair and watch as Matt veers from his route toward the elevator bank and makes his way over to us. My eyes widen. My heart starts racing. Should I lean back and pretend I don’t see him? Make a mad dash for it?
With the subtlety of a freight train plowing straight into me, Matt’s attention swoops in my direction. The surprise on his face vanishes. His blue eyes cloud over and now I swear he’s taking even faster, longer strides. The ball of tension I’ve been living with all week is back and bigger than ever.
“Umm…”
I look around us, wondering if anyone else in the lobby can see this woman. Am I hallucinating? I know I haven’t been eating much lately, but…
She must sense my confusion because she laughs and smacks her forehead. “Of course. Where are my manners? I’m Victoria, Dr. Russell’s ex-wife.”
My mouth drops and I say very bluntly, “No way.”
Her shrugs. “Guilty as charged I’m afraid.” Then she flinches. “Oh, don’t tell him I said that. It was meant as a joke, but now it just seems mean. He’s truly not such a bad guy. Not so good at returning phone calls—or emails, for that matter—but other that, he’s decent.” She laughs again. “I don’t know why I’m telling you this. You work for him—you probably know him better than I do nowadays.”
Maybe so considering I also sleep with him…at least I used to.
I swallow that thought, stay quiet, and nod.
This can’t be right. In my head I’d pictured her as a caricature of an ex-wife: bitter and out for blood. This woman sitting across from me is neither of those things. She’s a glowing pregnant lady nibbling on chocolate.
“We were married a long time ago,” she emphasizes before pointing one finger down at her belly. “Obviously.”
“Congratulations,” I say, because what the heck else am I supposed to say? “About your pregnancy, not about it being a long time ago.”
She grins. “Thank you. Want a piece?” Her chocolate bar is outstretched toward me and I’ve had a terrible morning, so of course I accept a few squares. We munch for a moment or two in silence and then she continues. “Matt—er, Dr. Russell hasn’t been returning my messages and I really need to speak with him. We invested in this tiny condo when we were newlyweds, and I put it up on the market last year. It finally sold and—” Our gazes meet and she stops suddenly, realizing none of this is really my business. “Sorry, I’m an over-sharer. Don’t ever sit by me on an airplane or I’ll chat your ear off the whole flight.”
“It’s okay.”
She flashes a remorseful frown. “You probably just want to get back to your lunch, but I was hoping you’d help me track him down. He wasn’t in his office when I went up to speak with him after the surgery, and his assistant said she couldn’t tell me when he’d be back. Also, she sort of yelled at me to leave him alone.”
I resist a laugh. Matt probably needs peace and quiet after the week he’s had. Patricia is likely scaring everyone away on his orders.
“Yeah, Patricia’s fiercely loyal. She’s been with him since he started here.”
“What about you? Have you two been working together for long?”
I was wondering if our conversation would veer in this direction. In fact, I’ve sort of been dreading it. I could smile and tell her I just started working with him, or I could be honest and volunteer that he and I aren’t just coworkers. I really want to choose the first option, but I’ve never been very good at deception.
Not to mention, this meeting could be used as an opportunity of sorts, one I might not ever get again. Perhaps I’d be silly to pass it up because Victoria knows more than anyone what it’s like to be in a relationship with Matt, and right now, I could definitely use some advice.
So, I take a deep breath, put down my sandwich, and lay out the truth. “Matt and I aren’t just coworkers. We’re dating.”
Her brows arch and she blinks a few times in quick succession. I think I’ve really surprised her.
“I didn’t know Matt was dating.”
I blush. “It’s new.”
She waves her hands hurriedly. “That came out wrong. I just meant I wasn’t aware he was even interested in dating, let alone dating someone seriously. What’s your name?” she asks tentatively, and I’m surprised to find it’s not speculation or annoyance in her eyes—it’s curiosity, and maybe even a little relief.
“Bailey.”
She smiles. “Can I be honest with you, Bailey?”
I nod, bracing myself for some salacious piece of gossip that will tear through my heart.
“You seem like you’re too sweet for Matt.”
Funny. Most days I think it might be the other way around. No one at New England Medical Center would believe me though. In this building, he walks around like a hulking beast with a short fuse and a ferocious growl. They have no idea of the man he truly he is.
“Matt’s told me a little bit about your relationship,” I venture, curious to see her reaction.
“Oh god,” she groans. “I was a real bitch there at the end. I hope he didn’t paint me too poorly.”
I smile. “Not at all. He actually puts a lot of the blame on himself.”
“That doesn’t surprise me.” She leans back in her chair and nibbles off a bite of chocolate. “We were both young. We wanted different things.” Her gaze shifts and she studies me as if contemplating her next words very carefully. Then she continues solemnly, “Matt’s not ever going to change. Work will always be his mistress and you’ll always have to look the other way. When we were married, I tried to keep myself busy. I volunteered at the library and got a part-time job. I never wanted to be a nag when he didn’t show up for dinner or missed my calls. I really toughed it out for a while, but in the end, I just couldn’t see what the allure was for him. I couldn’t understand why he couldn’t prioritize me over his job.” She shrugs. “But he worked himself ragged then. Maybe he’s different now.”
I think of the spare pillow and blankets in his office and laugh. “He’s not.”
Her mouth twitches in disappointment. “I’m not trying to warn you away from him, honestly. Matt just always seemed slightly out of my reach even when we were married, like I always loved him a little more than he loved me. It drove me crazy. I guess I just want to be sure you know what you’ve gotten yourself into.”
I look down at my hands and let her words settle over me. She’s not exactly telling me anything I didn’t already know. I half-expected her to launch into a tirade about all his idiosyncrasies like ex-spouses do when they’ve been pushed well past their limit. Here’s another thing: he never put the toilet seat back down after he went to the bathroom! And is it that freaking hard to load your dish in the dishwasher instead of leaving it in the sink?
This warning about a man who is devoted to his work is exactly the version of Matt that tugged on my heartstrings in the first place.
“It’s funny, I hadn’t really thought about it until now, but it makes perfect sense for him to fall for someone like you.” I jerk my gaze back to her and find that she’s been studying me intently. “You’re beautiful, obviously, but it’s more than that. You seemed so competent in that operating room earlier. I stood in the back of the gallery and watched the way you two worked together, almost as if you were one person instead of two.” Then she laughs, thinking of something. “And God knows you won’t have to worry about spending enough time together. That surgery lasted forever! I was tired just watching it.”
I smile and just then, a deep voice calls her name near the entrance of the building. She turns and waves cheerfully. Meanwhile, my heart lurches in my chest. I lean forward so I can peek one eye around the wing of the leather chair and watch as Matt veers from his route toward the elevator bank and makes his way over to us. My eyes widen. My heart starts racing. Should I lean back and pretend I don’t see him? Make a mad dash for it?
With the subtlety of a freight train plowing straight into me, Matt’s attention swoops in my direction. The surprise on his face vanishes. His blue eyes cloud over and now I swear he’s taking even faster, longer strides. The ball of tension I’ve been living with all week is back and bigger than ever.
