Free Playing Doctor: A Central West End Story by Lynn Cahoon Page B

silent as Matt left the bagel shop, flipping a two-fingered salute to them as he walked out the door.
    “I’m sorry,” Troy said.
    “He’s going to tell Abbott he saw us here, isn’t he?” Annie tore a strip off her napkin.
    “I don’t know. Probably.” He took a sip of his coffee. He nodded to Annie’s uneaten bagel. “You want to get out of here? I can get you a bag.”
    “Sure.” Annie thought about what she’d tell Abbott on Monday. Having coffee with an intern wasn’t against hospital policy, she knew that. Just against Abbott policy. She decided to tell her the truth and hope she’d have a job afterward.
    The walk back to the building was quiet. Neither she nor Troy seemed to want to talk.
    When they reached the building, Troy held the door open for her. “Can we run, together, tomorrow? I’d hate to scare you again and we run on the same schedule.”
    She crossed the lobby and pushed the button. Running with a partner would keep her from being wacked out crazy like she was today. “I guess that would be fine.”
    The ride up the seven floors was quiet.
    When they arrived, he held the door and swept his arm. She felt his eyes on her.
    “You don’t want to run with me?” He challenged as they both stood in the hallway.
    “I do. I’m just … I mean, I’m worried about Monday.” Annie was never at a loss for words, except in front of Troy.
    “I’m sorry about Matt. He’s looking to hurt me, not you. There should be some way around this. Sara’s in the living room working. I’ll be on the computer in my room if you need me.” He put his hand on her back gently leading her to their door. “Six, all right with you? Right here at the elevator? Or should we meet in our kitchen.” A smile flirted on his lips.
    “The kitchen will be great.” She opened the door. Calling a greeting to Sara who was watching from the living room, she tried not to sprint to her own room. Closing the bedroom door behind her, she leaned against it, spent.
    Running with Troy was a bad idea. She knew it. It was bad enough that he slept a few feet away from her every night. Interacting with him daily, friends or not, would just make the ache in her body more needy, more desperate. And desperate was why the other night happened. Well, a mix of desperation, desire, and white zin. She glanced into her bedroom mirror, pulling her hair out of the pony tail. She’d been honest. She hadn’t wanted to have coffee with him. She knew something bad would happen. And she didn’t want to feel anything for him. Her reflection in the mirror told her to stop lying to herself.
    * * *
    Troy watched Annie race into her bedroom.
    Matt was a tool. And he’d use any and every piece of dirt he could to get under Troy’s skin. To make him look bad in front of the residents. He needed to figure out a way to handle this, soon. Annie didn’t deserve to get caught up in a pissing match between two interns.
    Sara stood in the kitchen rather than her usual place parked at the dining room table with her laptop. He snuck in behind her.
    “Whatcha doing?”
    The spoon covered with cookie dough flew in the air.
    Troy caught it and, with his finger, peeled off a taste. “Oatmeal chocolate chip?”
    Sara slapped his arm and took back the spoon. “Baking relaxes me. And I think better relaxed. Or at least I do when someone isn’t sneaking up on me and scaring me half to death.”
    “It is my apartment.” Troy reached over Sara’s head and grabbed a glass. Opening the refrigerator, he poured a tall glass of milk. “Want one?”
    “I’m still on coffee, but thanks.” Sara started measuring out the dough on the cookie sheet.
    “Maybe that’s why you’re so jumpy.” Troy grabbed one of the unbaked cookies off the sheet. Cookie dough had always been his favorite snack. Especially when Sara started baking. The girl was a wizard in the kitchen.
    “I’m jumpy because you scared me. First I get knocked over in the lobby and now you’re