Free Arrhythmia by Johanna Danninger Page A

supposed to be a nickname?
    A term of endearment?
    An insult?
    Little warrioress . . .
    Although this arrogant braggart annoyed me in the extreme, I had to admit that I somehow liked the term.
    Shit, this day had to get better.
    Right?
    It got better. The afternoon was filled with accidents of all kinds, and I was glad to be swept up in the general hustle and bustle of the ER because it took my mind off that vexing subject named Desiderio.
    The distraction worked marvelously until the end of my shift. Only when I left the hospital and walked across the parking lot with my coworker Lisa did those ocean-blue eyes reappear in my mind.
    It was Lisa’s fault for asking me, “So, what do you think of DiCastello?”
    What I really wanted to say was “He’s an arrogant douchebag with a massive ego that urgently needs to be deflated,”but instead I replied evasively, “Seems OK.”
    “Hm.”
    “Why do you ask?”
    “Oh, just, well,” she said quickly.
    Oh, God . . .
    “So you’ve taken a liking to him,” I declared soberly.
    She twirled one of her light brown curls around her index finger. “Well, yes. Who wouldn’t like him?”
    I wouldn’t! Well, strictly speaking, that was a lie . . . at least where looks were concerned.
    I scrutinized Lisa surreptitiously from the side. She was a perfectly nice-looking girl. Always pleasant and friendly. And yet her personality was characterized by tremendous shyness that seemed to envelop her and shield her from her environment. Lisa was simply overlooked on a regular basis. It somehow seemed as if she was always cowering, even if she was standing before me straight as a post.
    “Do you think I might have a chance with him?” she asked me cautiously.
    No, child, absolutely none . . . Of course, I kept my thoughts to myself. I wasn’t going to destroy anyone’s dreams today.
    And so I casually answered, “Who knows? It’d be easy for you to find out.”
    “How?” she wanted to know in all innocence.
    “Well, you just have to ask him if he wants to go out with you.”
    Lisa stopped and looked at me with enormous saucer eyes. “Me?”
    “Sure. You want to know, don’t you? So ask him.”
    “I can’t do that!” she cried in horror and vigorously shook her head.
    “Nonsense,” I stopped her. “There’s nothing to it.”
     
    I knew, of course, that Desiderio was probably as unattainable as Mount Everest for shy Lisa, but I could still encourage her. In addition, an admittedly rather devious idea was taking shape in my head.
    If I were to succeed in hooking my coworker up with DiCastello . . . well, then he would leave me in peace. And I would have done a good deed by bringing together two lonely hearts! Inwardly, I was already rubbing my hands together with glee.
    “What is it?” Lisa asked suspiciously.
    I must have been looking at her as if she were a particularly delicious cake, because she backed away from me a bit.
    “Oh, nothing,” I replied quickly and smiled. “I was just wondering if you had the late shift again tomorrow.”
    “Um, yes, I do. Why?”
    “Great!” I clapped my hands, which made Lisa flinch visibly. “Then tomorrow I’ll start helping you make a play for Desiderio.”
    “What?” she uttered, aghast. “But . . . but . . .”
    “No buts! You just have to stay cool and play along like a good girl.”
    The fact that I myself was anything but cool in Desiderio’s presence was beside the point.
    I liked my plan more with every passing minute. By now, I was sure that distracting the persistent doctor from my humble self would be my salvation. That way, he could work his charm on a willing person and everyone would be happy.
    Oh, it was a good plan . . .
     
    The first opportunity to make Lisa tempting to Desiderio presented itself the very next day. He was helping out in the ER, and I cleverly arranged for Lisa to assist him.
    As I worked, I fretted over whether the two were getting along well and hoped my coworker would