permission for the prospective patients to be filmed by the TV crew. Most of them are excited by the idea of being on TV. A few volunteer to be interviewed, and I make note of who they are.
I’m giddy with excitement about what a great opportunity it is for Jason to have this interview. I can only hope it doesn’t blow up in our faces. If they focus more on the scandal in New York than they do on what he’s doing here in Miami . . . That can’t happen. With all the people at the clinic prepared to attest to how thankful they are for the time he’s giving them, that should be the point of the story.
I’m wilting in the heat when the NBC 6 truck arrives. I recognize Desiree from TV and from meeting her at a party I went to with Maria several years ago. She seems to remember me, too. In full makeup, with every one of her shiny dark hairs in place, Desiree extends a manicured hand to me. “It’s so nice to see you again, Carmen.”
“You as well. Thank you so much for coming.”
“So you’re working for Miami-Dade General now?”
“Yes, in the public relations department. My first assignment is helping Dr. Northrup acclimate to the community.”
“I checked with a few sources and found out the board is reluctant to have him on the staff.”
I hesitate, trying to find the words I need to handle this delicate situation. “Listen, Desiree. I understand you have a job to do, and the scandal in New York is salacious and titillating and all of that, but the truth of the matter is, he got a really raw deal from a woman he thought cared about him.”
“I read up on it, and I have a question. If he didn’t know she was married with children, why hasn’t he said so since the whole thing went public?”
“Because she has kids, and he refuses to sling mud at their mother. Apparently, that happened to him when he was a kid, and he’s determined not to repeat the cycle.”
“Wow, well, that’s a whole new angle on what I read online.”
“I’m not going to tell you how to do your job. I can only ask you to look at the full picture and not get distracted by the tawdry bits.”
“I appreciate the insight. Is he available for an interview?”
“I’ll tell him you’re here. We can catch him between patients.”
“Sounds good. Is there an empty room we can use?”
“I’ll ask Maria to set you up.” I go inside, where even the tepid air-conditioning is a welcome relief. I find Maria working on a computer behind the reception desk and pass along Desiree’s request.
“She can use our break room. It’s the biggest room in the place.” She gets up to greet her friend and see to getting the camera crew set up, while I wait for Jason to finish up with his current patient. I can hear the low tenor of his voice but not what he’s saying, which is just as well. It’s none of my business. We’re walking a fine line in getting the publicity we need while protecting patient privacy.
The door swings open five minutes later, and an older woman emerges, clutching a piece of paper. She’s smiling widely, her brown eyes sparkling with unshed tears. “Bless you,” she whispers to me. “Bless you all for this.” She squeezes my arm as she walks by me.
I duck inside the exam room to talk to Jason and catch him making notes on a chart. He’s so handsome all the time, but seeing him in doctor mode takes his attractiveness to the next level for me. “Sorry to bother you.”
He gifts me with a sexy, private smile that makes my insides go batshit crazy. “You’re not bothering me. I’ve been missing my constant companion from the last few days.”
“Me too. You’re making people so happy.”
“It’s been very enjoyable. They’re so sweet and thankful. I hate that they haven’t had access to a doctor in weeks. So many of them are afraid to go to the ER because they know they can’t afford it, and some are immigrants fearful of deportation. Our whole system is so jacked.”
“It really is.”
“Most of the time, I see people when they’re in crisis and in need of emergency surgery. I don’t get to spend a lot of time getting to know them. I really like this. I already told Maria I’ll come back tomorrow.”