to pass. And if I were you, I’d spend less time thinking about flirting with the eye doc and more time thinking about getting some glasses before you accidentally walk into a wall.” She tilted her head toward the reception desk. “Go chat with Sarah – she’ll get you sorted out. And if you have any other needs—”
I opened my mouth, ready to take a shot at yet another easy set-up.
“Eyecare needs,” she corrected, catching herself and lifting a finger at me. “I’d be happy to have you back. Give my best to your brother.”
Without another word, she turned and headed down the hallway, her white doctor’s coat swishing at her hips. I couldn’t do anything but watch her leave, imagining the no-doubt-perfect ass under that coat.
With a sigh, I headed to the front desk where Sarah was waiting for me. She got my prescription taken care of, her eyes wide and eager as I flirted perfunctorily. But my mind was totally locked onto Dr. Bridges.
“What time do your offices close, love?” I asked Sarah on the way out.
“Five,” she said with a smile. “Why – you planning on coming back?”
“I just might,” I said. “So you can see my new specs.”
“I’d love that,” she said with dreamy eyes. “See you then.”
I glanced in the direction Dr. Bridges had disappeared. “Yeah. Until then.”
I headed straight home after the appointment, more interested in getting some work done than running around town trying to find a place to buy frames. To my surprise, Finn was at home for an early lunch.
“Hey!” he said, flagging me down with a wave from the kitchen bar, a sandwich on the plate in front of him. “How’d the appointment go?”
“Not bad,” I said. “Turns out I’m as blind as a bat.”
Finn arched his eyebrows in surprise. “Is that right? Might explain your driving.” He smirked.
“Har-har,” I said as I stepped into the kitchen and poured myself a cup from the last of that morning’s coffee.
“So you’ll be needin’ some glasses? That’s the issue with your eyes?”
“That’s what the doc seems to think. Might be somethin’ else, but it might be as simple as me strainin’ me eyes too much.”
He nodded, dusting his hands of breadcrumbs as he chewed his bite. “And you had no problem gettin’ in to see Dr. Bridges?”
“Not in the slightest. Say…what do you know about her?”
The curl of his lip made it clear he knew why I was asking. “I swear, you can’t even get your peepers checked without trying to pick up the eye doc.”
“Have a laugh about it,” I said. “But seriously – she was damn gorgeous.”
“Truth be told, I’ve never seen her in person. We’ve chatted a bit through email, but I mostly know her by reputation. Duncan bent over backwards to get her on the Pitt payroll. Supposed to be one of the best ophthalmologists in the state.”
“Got no doubt about that. And a man can’t help but wonder if a woman like her is single.”
He laughed at my boldness. “Got no clue. But I can tell you this – a doctor that talented doesn’t get to where she is by spendin’ a lot of time on her personal life. Sad thing about the medical profession is it’ll suck up whatever time you’ll let it.”
“So, she is single. She didn’t seem too keen on my advances is why I’m askin’.”
Finn let out a bark of a laugh. “Brother, are you tellin’ me you couldn’t get through one eye appointment without laying down some game on the good doctor?”
“Brother, when the good doctor looks as good as she does, I’d be a damn fool not to take a chance with her.”
He chuckled and shook his head. “That’s my Patty.” Finn was the only man on Earth who could get away with calling me Patty. “Anyway, there was somethin’ I wanted to talk about. Somethin’ more business-oriented.”
“What’s that?” I asked, opening the door of the massive, stainless-steel fridge and taking out the milk.
“You still doing investments?”
I nodded. “Got plenty of ‘em – enough that I could retire right now if I were so inclined.”
He shook his head. “I’m not talkin’ about the ones for profit – I’m talkin’ about charity investments.”
At around thirty I’d reached the point with my investments where they’d started to provide a hell of a monthly income. To put it bluntly, I was rich. And for a man who’d spent his late teens and early twenties as an artist of the starving variety, it was a