beginning of the year, but... like, Mom— I don't want to hear about all the expensive stuff you do, okay. I'm glad you're happy, but everything costs money, and I don't understand why she'd doesn't see this guy as a gold digger. Can only women be gold diggers? That guy's definitely a gold digger."
"Yeah, I'm not exactly fond of him, either. He didn't make the best impression. Is it too lordly of me to expect him to stand up and shake my hand, tell me his name, even?"
My sister grunted grumpily as I snatched my briefcase off my desk and headed for the door.
"I understand not wanting to be 'Dad' or whatever, but if Mom didn't tell me his name, I wouldn't know it. That's not right."
Flicking the lights off, I glanced around my office once more before stepping out into the hallway. Laurie's heavy breaths sounded loud in my ears, and our bashing session was put on hold as I pulled my Bluetooth out of my jacket pocket. The offices were quiet, dark, and I hooked my device to my ear to slide my phone into my pocket.
"Anyway, what are you doing right now? Your lungs sound great." Wandering down the hallway toward the reception area, I smiled when Laurie snorted roughly at my compliment.
"I'm on my way home from my jog to take a shower before we have dinner tonight. I need to think of stuff other than Mom and that guy, too. It's bad taste to just shit on someone unless it's directly to their face."
I couldn't help but laugh at that, and I crossed the threshold to halt mid-step. Surprise made my brows arch at the figure hanging around the waiting area, a small envelop under his arm.
"Excuse me? Can I help you?"
The slender man whipped around, intelligent, if not a little droopy, brown eyes meeting mine.
"Just a sec, okay?"
My sister hummed as I took out my Bluetooth, and the guy cleared his throat before curtly holding out the envelope.
"Carl Northrop, you're being investigated by HR."
"What!" A shocked scoff escaped me, and I took the envelope to rip off the side. There, plain as day, was a summons to HR for the morning, and I ground my teeth hard. When I looked up, the guy was gone, and the page in my hands crinkled overly loud in my ears.
Did the hospital somehow find out about what happened with Melissa? But there were no cameras in the exam rooms, and it wouldn't have shown anything, anyway.
Oh, fuck— did she report me for harassment or something? Melissa didn't strike me as the kind of person to do something so— so underhanded, though. Considering how she dealt with her dad, it's entirely likely she'd just ignore me and trudge on. Maybe, if I got persistent enough or something, she'd find a new pulmonologist if she were desperate.
But she wasn't desperate, and I sure as shit didn't push my luck or make her feel threatened or uncomfortable.
Sticking my Bluetooth in my ear once again, I straightened out my summons to scan the paragraph again. There wasn't even a hint of why I was being investigated, and my tongue stuck to the roof of my mouth.
"Shit— Laurie, we might have something to talk about. I just got summoned to HR for an investigation."
She gasped, the line crackling sharply and whipping my brain, and I covered my mouth to hide my grimace.
"God. I haven't even been here for two whole months yet, and I'm already being investigated for something. It says here I've been suspended pending the outcome! What the Hell!"
Panic heightened my tone, and I crumpled up the letter to stuff it roughly in my jacket pocket.
"I cannot believe this!" Hissing as I stormed out of my office, I instantly bristled as eyes immediately scanned my body.
My head whipped up, and frustration turned my blood to sludge in my veins when I saw Eva leaning against the wall outside her own office. She looked so smug, so haughty, and my eyes narrowed into slits.
"You didn't have anything to do with that, right? Because whatever you're trying to do to get me to have sex with you, it's not gonna work, Eva. What kind of stupid do you have to be to think initiating an investigation with HR on me is going to make me sleep with you?"
Eva's jaw dropped to her non-existent chest at my extremely candid words, and surprise flashed in her wide, blue eyes. Today was not the day