Free And Call Me in the Morning by Willa Okati Page A

it, and by the end of the day, everyone else would know too. Not going to happen. Same with Holly. She'd psychoanalyze him to death, and he'd end up trying to convince her that a cigar really was just a cigar when actually, it wasn't. Made Eli's head hurt just thinking about it.
     
    Wait . There was one person he could talk to. Not just about technique. Maybe about the rest of it too.
     
    Eli hesitated, not totally on board with his forming plan. It chafed at his nerves to think about going to anyone, but when it came down to brass tacks, there was one for whom the barn door had long been left open, the bag had been emptied of cats, and the ship had sailed away. Plus, this person did have a way of pouring oil on troubled waters. Not something to be sneered at.
     
    Still bugged him.
     
    Bite the bullet, Eli . Fine. Needs must when the devil drove. Eli tossed back the last of his coffee, crumpled the cup into a ball to squeeze out the last of his tension— ha —straightened his shoulders, and went in search of his apparent new confidante.
     
    Maybe, if he could get their ear, they might have some insight into what Eli suspected was going to be a real problem. Zane was right. Wasn't just Eli's business any longer.
     
    He just hoped like hell that Taye was working today.

Chapter Nine
     
     
     
    Eli sat on the edge of the nurse's station, paging through the schedule. Interns, interns everywhere, but nary a Taye to be found. Someone had drawn a line through his name. Strange. Not a little worrying.
     
    “Drat it.” Out of the corner of his eye, Eli saw a woman standing on tiptoe, trying to reach the highest shelf of charts behind the station. She clicked her tongue at the inaccessible heights.
     
    “Holly,” Eli greeted her, nodding. “Problems?”
     
    “Someone's absconded with the stepladder, I think.” She pressed her hand to her forehead. “Not that I enjoy playing the helpless female card, but could you give me a hand?” She pointed at the one she wanted, the edges hanging off the shelf but still out of her reach.
     
    “Strawberry shortcake.” Eli tipped it off without effort.
     
    “We can't all be giants and Amazons, Eli,” Holly rebuked mildly, already paging through the chart. She paused long enough to give him an arch sideways look. “Besides, I've been told by reliable sources that I'm much more of a Very Berry Surprise.”
     
    “Somehow, that fails to shock me.” Eli took his seat again. Huh. Now that he could put a name to the face and Taye had become recognizable, Eli realized he usually followed Holly around like a lost puppy. Perfect opportunity. “Where's the boy toy?”
     
    “If you mean Taye, say so. He called in,” Holly said, on the surface appearing to be lost in her chart. Eli saw the slight worry lines on her face and knew differently.
     
    Mild concern arose. “He okay?”
     
    Holly stopped pretending to read her patient's history. “I'm not sure.”
     
    Eli didn't like the sound of that. “He knows it's not a smooth move for an intern to duck out for the sniffles, right?”
     
    “Eli, don't be an ass.” Holly sighed. “I'm worried. If you happen to hear from him, would you update me?”
     
    “Sure,” Eli agreed reflexively. Then—“Wait. Why would I hear from him before you?”
     
    “I'd thought the two of you were hitting it off.”
     
    “Uh-huh.”
     
    Holly dimpled at him. Mischief. Great. “Did you know that the two of you are very much alike?”
     
    “What?” Of that Eli had his doubts, and they must have shown because Holly's amusement at his expense grew exponentially. “Not so.”
     
    “Quite so.” Holly held the chart close to her chest. “The difference being that he's what you could have been if you'd learned how to access your emotions more than your machismo.”
     
    “Funny lady. See if I help you reach the high shelves next time.”
     
    “I'm serious, Eli.” Holly laid her hand on his arm. Some women were born to stay calm