That Summer With Me - Julie Prestsater Page 0,8
see you completed your CT scan. Nothing has changed since the one you did with your PCP, so you’re still on for your biopsy tomorrow. Do you have any questions?” He let out a sigh of relief. There. He did it. Like ripping off a bandage.
“Slow down, Dr. Aria,” she said. “I don’t want another doctor. I did my research. I know you’re the best. I would like to remain with you, please.”
She said please. I’m such an asshole. “I’m sorry, Ms. Valdez, but there seems to be a slight conflict of interest.”
“Why? Because of your interest in my daughter? Or her interest in you? Now, that doesn’t sound like a conflict to me.”
Melody’s interest? In him? How could that be? There was no way she was interested in him. And he was definitely not interested in her. Wait. Wait. Wait. He shook his head to clear his train of thought.
Before he could answer, she started talking again. “First, call me Annie. Secondly, do you want what’s best for me?”
“Of course, I do.”
“Well, so does Melody.”
“Of course, she does.”
“And you know what that means?”
He was afraid to answer, but he didn’t have to. She answered for him.
“That means you will remain my doctor. You want what’s best for me. My daughter wants what’s best for me. I want what’s best for me, and you’re the best. Problem solved. Crisis averted. No conflict at all. See you tomorrow, Dr. Aria.”
And just like that, their conversation was over.
He hung up the phone and leaned back in his chair. He stared out his window looking into the sea of skyscrapers of downtown Los Angeles trying to find his bearings. He inhaled and exhaled slowly, trying to be mindful of his breath, and slow his heartrate. He could do this. He could see her again. She was just the daughter of his patient. Nothing more. Nothing less.
That was how he had to approach it—in terms of medicine and patient care. It wasn’t personal. It was his job, and he was damn good at it.
What was he even worried about?
MELODY
“Dr. Aria will be in shortly and then we’ll be taking you in, Ms. Valdez,” Nurse Cassie said.
Melody, Luna, and Mama Annie had arrived at SoCal Cancer Center just an hour earlier. She could tell her mom was nervous about her procedure. She had checked the clock every five minutes until it was time to leave the house this morning. Now, her bed was shaking as she rocked her foot back and forth. Luckily, Luna was trying to keep her entertained with Tik Tok videos. That seemed to provide some distraction until she was taken in for the biopsy.
“Well, hello there Ms. Annie. How are you today?” Jordan held out his hand to Mama.
“I’m doing great,” she told him.
“And nice to see you again, Ms. Valdez,” Jordan directed his attention to Melody. He didn’t offer his hand to her.
“Same,” she said, trying to keep it light, but what she really wanted to do was shake him and ask what the hell happened that summer. How could he plan to visit her for months and then start dating another girl? How? How, Jordan? How?
Snap out of it, Melody. Your mom is about to go under the knife. Get a grip!
“And you are?” he asked Luna.
Luna held out her hand, and he took it. “Hi, I’m Luna. Mama Annie’s granddaughter and this beautiful woman’s daughter.”
“Charming,” he said.
“I paid her to say that.” The words just flew out of Melody’s mouth. Thankfully, her body had a mind of its own or else she would have just stood there speechless. She wondered if it would ever feel real that Jordan Aria was here—same city, same state—after all this time.
Jordan smiled at the three of them, explained the procedure again, and then left with her mother.
“He is hot as hell, Mom,” Luna said as they walked out toward the waiting room.
“Watch your mouth,” she told her.
“You should, too.” Luna chuckled. “You were drooling from the moment he walked through the door. I get it, though. People always joke that real doctors don’t look like the fictitious ones in TV medical dramas. Well, they haven’t met Dr. Aria.”
Melody looked down at her daughter who fluttered her brows up and down.
“If you want, I can walk around and scope out the on-call room for you guys.”
“You watch too much TV.”
“Or maybe you don’t watch enough.”
“Look,” Melody said, “nothing is going to happen between Dr. Aria and me.”
“You keep trying to convince yourself of