Chapter 10
Jake arrives exactly at 5.30 pm to pick me up. As I step out the door and onto the porch, his eyes travel over me from head to toe. He pauses, then presses his palms to his face and rubs his eyes, lowering his head.
“I wish… I just wish…”
“What do you wish?” I ask.
“Nothing,” he says, opening the car door for me.
I get in, and we drive in awkward silence. It’s obvious that he has a crush on me. Seeing me in something other than scrubs, with a bit of makeup, has caught him off guard.
“I hope Dr. Keller doesn’t find another reason to ruin my day,” I say.
Jake chuckles.
“Why are you laughing?” I ask.
“Seeing you like this.” His hand gestures up and down at me while the other stays on the steering wheel. “Nobody’s going to say anything to you tonight.”
“What do you mean?” I ask.
He smiles. “Dear Amelia, you look like a princess, if you want to hear it from my mouth.”
I flush. “You’re exaggerating.”
“I’m not. Did you even look in the mirror after you got dressed? You look stunning. I can’t imagine seeing anyone this beautiful ever.”
“You’re very kind,” I say.
I intentionally don’t say how good he looks in the white shirt, black pants, and black blazer. The thick brown hair and that bit of stubble don’t go unnoticed. I don’t want to give him any false hope that I’m falling for his looks.
We arrive a little early, so we join Kim and a few other girls in the parking lot. All eyes turn to me, and I feel a bit self-conscious, though I’m used to this kind of attention.
“You look amazing,” Kim says.
“Thanks,” I say. “You too. I like your dress.” I glance at her flowery maxi dress and smile.
“Just because you’re wearing colourful dresses doesn’t mean us boys…” Jake looks around for support, and when he sees only girls, he quickly backtracks. “Me doesn’t need a compliment as well.”
Everyone laughs, and then we fall into casual conversation. As we’re talking, a Ferrari pulls into the parking lot, and everyone’s eyes turn in that direction.
“Oh, Daniel got a new car,” Kim says.
I freeze at the name Dr. Keller. I take a deep breath to steady myself for whatever he is going to bring tonight.
He opens the door and steps out casually. His eyes scan the parking lot and land on me for a few seconds before moving to Kim as he waves. As he approaches, the scent of expensive perfume reaches us first. He never wears perfume at work, and this is new.
He looks breathtaking in casual black jeans and an untucked beige shirt, the top two buttons undone. His hair isn’t slicked back like at work, just casually styled, a few strands falling onto his forehead. He looks fresh, as if he just got out of a shower.
He leans in, giving fist bumps to everyone except me, not acknowledging my presence at all.
When he intentionally skips me, I step forward, leaving the group, pretending to scroll through my phone. Jake follows me without hesitation.
“Listen,” he says quietly. “Don’t take him seriously. He’s got issues and needs to sort himself out. That’s no way to treat staff, no matter what’s going on between you two.”
“Nothing is going on between us,” I say. “At least not that I know of.”
“That’s hard to believe,” he says, glancing between us. “It looks like you two have history.”
“I swear, I don’t know him from before.”
“What if he knows you?”
“I’d remember. He’s from Ontario. I’ve been in BC my whole life. There’s no way our paths crossed.”
“Okay,” he says, unconvinced.
Another car pulls in, and Dr. Brooks steps out. Everyone turns. She wears a tight, shoulderless, thin olive-green dress with a deep neckline, clinging to her body and ending high on her thighs, paired with high heels. It leaves little to the imagination.
Suddenly, my long red sleeveless body-con dress with its thigh slit, the one I bought from Facebook Marketplace and altered myself, feels cheap.
She walks past us with a casual hello and goes inside. Neither Dr. Keller nor Dr. Brooks looks at the other.
As the party begins, we move inside. It is fun, as Kim said, good music, good food, and drinks. I enjoy the evening like I never have before. Around one hundred people attend, but the space is large enough that everyone is visible.
Dr. Keller sits on a sofa in a corner by himself most of the night, sipping his drink, scrolling through his phone, and occasionally chatting with staff rather than participating. On the other hand, Dr. Brooks drinks heavily, is very chatty with everyone, and dances nonstop.
I get several invitations to the dance floor, which I politely refuse, but when Jake holds out his hand, I feel too bad to refuse. I get up and join him. We do a couple dance, keeping enough space between us, never too close.
As he guides me into a slow turn and pulls me back in, I notice Dr. Keller staring from across the room, unmoving.
“He’s looking at us,” I whisper in Jake’s ear.
“Who?” Jake asks.
“Dr. Keller.”
“He’s not looking at us,” he says. “He’s looking at you.”
“What?” I ask.
“He’s been watching you all night,” Jake laughs. “You’re only noticing now?”
“Really?”
“It’s not his fault,” he says. “Everyone in this room’s looking at you. You’re breathtaking. It’s hard to look away. I’m going to be popular just for dancing with you.”
I tap his shoulder playfully as we continue moving together in time with the music, swaying side to side.
I glance over his shoulder again. Dr. Keller’s eyes are still fixed on me.
“He’s still looking,” I say.
“It’s his party,” Jake replies. “Let him.”
“What?” I ask as Jake lifts my hand and guides me into another slow turn.
“He’s the one sponsoring this party.”
“What does that mean?”
“That means the food, drinks, even the venue, it’s all his money.”
I stop abruptly. “Why? Is he a millionaire?” I ask.
“You didn’t know?” Jake says, surprised.
“No.”
“He’s a multimillionaire. Didn’t you see his car? He probably owns a dozen.”
“Then why does he work as a doctor?”
“It’s his passion. The hospital you work at is his. He’s one of the directors.”
Jake lifts my hand into another turn, and as I land against his arm, my face rests near his shoulder. I look over again at Dr. Keller. He is still in the same position, staring, unmoving, his gaze fixed only on me.