*****
Twenty minutes later he was gazing blankly out the cab’s window as they pulled into the hospital’s parking lot. He heard squealing brakes and ignored the sound. The cab driver probably cut someone else off. It would be the third time since he had been picked up.
He hated hospitals and hoped this would be quick. He needed to get back to his sister and the kids. Even in his incapacitated state he was more help there than sitting in a waiting room here.
A nurse and a wheelchair met him at the door. He would prefer to walk but, because of “Hospital Policy…” the nurse recited as if she read a cue card, he couldn’t. And then she continued on, something about insurance…Andrew blocked her out, lost in his own thoughts.
Interminable minutes later they arrived at the admitting desk. Andrew hoisted himself to his feet with the help of his crutches and introduced himself.
The young nurse behind the desk blushed and smiled at him coyly.
Andrew smiled back.
He knew he was an attractive man; he hadn’t reached the age of 34 without women letting him know it in one way or another. But he had a policy to only date women who were mature enough to handle the type of relationship he could offer at his point in life. No strings, no commitments. He was a busy man and didn’t have time for the games of normal courtship. Most of his dates knew the score and were content to accept what he offered. He didn’t get involved with anyone he thought would expect more. It wasn’t fair. To either of them.
He was completing the required paperwork when another young nurse’s aide walked over to him.
“Mr. Andrew Peterson?”
“Yes? What can I do for you?” He smiled.
The girl twittered nervously for a moment as she collected her thoughts. “Um, Mr. Peterson sir.”
Sir? That put him in his place.
“There was a woman here earlier, sir. She was looking for you, seemed kind of disappointed to find that you had been released last night.” The aide stopped talking for a moment to adjust her lab coat and pull a strand of hair nervously around her finger. “She didn’t leave a message, but I thought you might like to know.”
Andrew was surprised, the only person he knew in Vancouver except for that sexy blonde waitress at the sushi place he had taken out one night, was his sister. He looked at the nurse quizzically. “Did she leave a name?” At the shake of her head, “What did she look like?”
“Um, shorter than me, red curly hair…”
“Casey.” He cut the nurse off. “When was she here?”
“You just missed her sir, she left …” The woman glanced at her watch. “I’d say no more than half an hour ago.”
Andrew thanked the young nurse and turned back to complete his paperwork. Casey was looking for him. That was something he hadn’t expected. He had recognized her interest, of course. He wasn’t blind. But he’d taken her for the shy, retiring type, someone who would definitely be too shy to make a first move. Maybe he’d underestimated her. Maybe he was reading more into it than he should be.
Maybe she wouldn’t be as easy to get out of his mind as he had imagined.
Andrew looked enigmatically towards the door. And maybe this one would be worth looking up after all.
Smiling at the thought, he limped towards his appointment.