Chapter Two: First Assignment
Charlotte was driving to the Winthrop Medical Center, Amy in her passenger seat fiddling with her camera. It was cold and rainy for one of the first days of Spring, a depressant amidst the anticipation of Amy's first assignment. Charlotte, as usual, was perky, at least 10 ounces of coffee running through her system. She seemed proud to be towing her new boss through Winthrop to get to their first assignment.
Charlotte's knowledge of the city was extremely helpful to a new resident. She knew the locals, the popular teen hangouts, the rustic hotels and the best hiking trails. As Amy ogled the city out the passenger window, Charlotte fulfilled the role of tour guide. Even amidst the dull, wet gray of this morning, the lush, rolling hills, overflowing with the thickest of trees, filled the entire area with the richest of green color.
"Pretty much the whole city is surrounded by national parks. It's so lovely this time of year, if you can handle the rain."
"It's great. I'm never been the most outdoorsy person, but I've always wanted to be."
"Oh, we should try hiking! There are so many great trails around here." Even Charlotte's hair seemed to bounce with excitement. Amy couldn't help but smile.
"As long as you promise to protect me. Or ensure there's a hospital nearby."
"I promise, you'll be fine. Matt and I will protect you," Charlotte pledged. Matt was Charlotte's devoted boyfriend, as well as a local bar owner. When he wasn't serving drinks at the Four Feathers, he was spending every other moment outdoors, with Charlotte, when possible.
Charlotte made a left turn on a busy street, then another immediate left into the Winthrop Medical Center's parking lot. A misty breeze hit Amy's face as she excited the car, slinging her camera bag over her shoulder. She wished she had brought a jacket as the mist layered the warm, exposed skin of her chest. She adjusted her lavender top to try and cover more of the skin close to her collarbone.
Amy retrieved her press pass from her pocket as she and Charlotte walked through the automatic sliding doors into the building. The main desk was straight ahead, as the office assistant on the phone had promised.
"Good morning," Amy said cheerfully. "I'm Amy Isadorra, and this is Charlotte White. We're here from the Winthrop Daily News to see Dr. Cullen."
"Oh yes! From the newspaper." The older woman behind the desk smiled and folded her arms across the papers in front of her. Amy glanced at her nametag: Cecila. "And right on time, thank you dears for that. I'm sorry to tell you that Dr. Cullen is running a little behind this morning. He's on call, which means unexpected visits to patients. But he should be finished in about 20 minutes. Until then, he asked that you receive a tour of the building."
"Sounds great." Amy shifted her bag on her shoulder and gave the pleasant old woman her sweetest smile.
"If you'll both go just around the corner. There will be a nurse there waiting for you to take you on your tour. His name is Wesley. I'm sure you dearies will make his day."
Charlotte and Amy giggled simultaneously. "Thank you, Cecilia. Have a good day." Amy nodded toward her and smiled again.
The two women walked away from the front desk and rounded the corner to meet their tour guide. But instead of meeting the nurse, Amy met a hard body instead, colliding with a chest and bouncing off toward the ground. But before she hit the stone floor, a hand gripped her upper arm with incredible swiftness, lifted her and steadied her.
The world around her seemed to shift into slow motion as she met a pair of dark, glassy eyes. His pale face accentuated his brown, tousled hair, chiseled jawbone and thin, tempting lips. As she breathed in the sweet, masculine scent that encircled his body, his grip on her arms lessened, and the soft touch of his lingering fingertips took her breath away.
"You okay?" he asked quietly. Amy didn't even notice his annoyed tone or the smiling woman beside him.
"I'm sorry." She inhaled again. His focus on her face, combined with the intoxicating scent, made her lightheaded. When his hand left her arm, she longed for it to return. And when he left her side, she had a strange desire to follow him. As he walked away, Amy finally noticed the woman beside him, who hard turned around to smile at her. She, too, Amy noticed, was beautiful beyond words. The man now turned to look back at Amy, his eyebrows furrowed and his face adorned with a scowl.
"You all right?" Charlotte asked, forcing Amy to turn away from the perfect stranger and return to reality.
"Yes. Yes, I'm sorry. I'm fine." She shook her head when Charlotte looked away, as if to rid her head of the unexplained gravitational pull the man seemed to have on her.
"I think that may have been Dr. Cullen's son. Or one of them, anyway," Charlotte told her. "And his wife, maybe?"
"Really?"
"Yes. I only guess that because they're both gorgeous. The whole family is beautiful. It's sickening, really."
"Good morning!" A cheerful nurse in blue scrubs approached the two photographers. "I'm Wesley Gibson. You can call me Wes. I'm one of the head nurses here, and I work with Dr. Cullen. We're very glad you could come see us today." Wesley smiled at the two of them as they introduced themselves and shook his hand. With a flick of his eyes, he glanced at the damp skin and exposed collarbone above Amy's breasts. She adjusted her shirt once again when Wesley turned his attention to Charlotte. She saw Charlotte withhold a giggle as Amy tried to hide her cleavage. Never wearing this top again, she thought.
"Unfortunately, I can't let you take any photos in most of the clinic to protect patient privacy. But Dr. Cullen's office is completely open to photographic scrutiny. So, on that note, let's get started, shall we?" Wes said, clapping his hands together. He began his tour, leading them down the first of many brightly lit corridors. He spoke of the different wings of the clinic: the emergency doctors and surgeons, the heart specialists, the general practitioners, the OB-GYN department. Specialty doctors and surgeons, as well as a larger emergency facility, were available at their sister clinic in Twisp less than 15 minutes away.
"So are you both from the area?" Wes asked as their pace around the clinic slowed, signaling the end of the tour. Charlotte withheld a smile on Wes's left, knowing the question was directed at Amy. Wes's blue eyes had been focused on Amy throughout the entire tour.
"I just moved here, actually," Amy replied politely, but reluctantly.
"Really?" Wes raised an eyebrow. He couldn't have asked for a better answer. "Well, I know this town upside down, so if you ever want to . . ."
Wes continued talking, but Amy's attention was suddenly focused elsewhere. The beautiful, brown-haired stranger was down the nearest hallway, a mere ten feet from her. He stood with his back to the wall, his body rigid and focused as he faced the exquisite woman and a tall, blonde man who was speaking in a hushed voice.
". . .can't tell you what it is. I don't know. It's a substance I've never encountered before. It's not lethal, but it's extremely dangerous. I want you both to spread the word to the family-"
The voice stopped, and the handsome stranger was suddenly glaring at her. The older man and woman turned to look in the direction of his glare, and Amy quickly looked away.
". . .there's a great bar in town, The Four Feathers if you'd like to go out for a drink-"
"That's my boyfriend's bar!" Charlotte exclaimed.
"Really?" Wes turned his attention to Charlotte, for which Amy was thankful. "That's my favorite hangout in the city."
Amy turned to glance down the adjacent hallway for the huddled threesome, but they had disappeared.
*****
"And this is Dr. Cullen's office." The tour group stopped outside of a closed door in the rear of the building. "Looks like he's still occupied," Wes said quietly, lifting up his tanned arm to glance at his watch. Clearly Dr. Cullen was more behind than he thought. "Do you have any questions about the hospital or . . . Dr. Cullen . . . or me?" Wes clapped his hands together then let them dangle awkwardly at his side.
"Dr. Cullen has been here five years?" Amy asked.
"Well, I think in the city about five years, but he's only worked here for two."
"And he has five children, right?" Charlotte followed up.
"Yeah. Five adopted kids actually. As a matter of fact, I think I saw one of them-"
As if on cue, the door to Dr. Cullen's office opened with a soft click. Amy adjusted her camera bag on her shoulder, a subconscious habit to ready herself for any approaching work. But the return of the striking obsidian eyes and the chiseled jaw line made her movements freeze entirely.
"Ah. Edward. We were just talking about you." Wes smiled and clapped the statuesque male on the shoulder.
Edward didn't respond. Instead, his eyes locked on the new blonde resident, the dark orbs searching her face, scrutinizing her features as if scanning for flaws. His eyes finally became still, and he glared at her.
"Amy and Charlotte, this is Dr. Cullen's son, Edward Cullen." Wes glanced from Edward to Amy as the two remained locked in a staring competition.
Why the hell is he looking at me like that? His glare was too unexpected to lack humor but too intense to be funny. But above all, it was too captivating for her to peel her eyes away. "Hi Edward." She finally spoke. "Nice to meet you." The corners of her mouth curved up into a smile.
Edward inhaled deeply through his nose, his eyes briefly widening before returning to their fierce glare. "Hi." The angry angel finally spoke. And with that single word, he slipped between Charlotte and Amy and disappeared from sight.
"Sorry about that. He isn't having the best day."
Three heads turned to meet the amber glow of Dr. Carlisle Cullen's eyes. The two women were silenced by his presence despite his welcoming smile. He was undeniably handsome, crisp features highlighting his face, as if his slick, blonde hair didn't highlight him enough. His arm gracefully slipped around an equally beautiful woman who stood beside him. Her auburn hair had a brassy glow and fell in effortlessly delicate layers on her shoulders. And her eyes . . . their golden color matched Carlisle's perfectly.
"Hi ladies. I'm Carlisle. This is my wife, Esme, and that excessively charming gentleman that just ran past you was my son, Edward." His smile coaxed an immediate giggle from Charlotte.
"Hi Carlisle, Esme," Charlotte replied automatically, shaking hands with the doctor and his wife. Amy was too focused on the pair of ocher eyes to react first.
"Wow. Your hands are freezing. You should have them crank the heat up in here," Charlotte observed. Carlisle and Esme exchanged glances, their smiles briefly broadening.
"Good morning Dr. Cullen, Mrs. Cullen." Amy broke up their private joke to shake their hands. Indeed, they were ice cold.
"That's far too proper for me," Esme said. Her smile sent a rush of passion through Amy's veins. Her aura was so friendly, so welcoming. "Please call me Esme."
"And call me Carlisle." The corner of the doctor's thin lips curled into a smile. Amy glanced from amber eye to amber eye at the stunning couple. It seemed as if they were studying her back.
"Are you ready for them, Dr. C?" Wes asked, interrupting Amy's trance as she studied the Cullens from perfect head to perfect toe.
"Yes, I believe I am." Carlisle turned to Esme and pecked her on the cheek. "I'll see you later," he said quietly. Esme smiled at him before leaving her husband's side.
"Nice meeting you both," she said to both women. But her eyes remained on Amy. If it was possible for her eyes to be sparkling, they were.
"Please come in." Carlisle extended his arm toward his office, gesturing for the two photographers to enter. He nodded at Wes in closure before settling into his office and seating himself behind his desk.
Carlisle's office had pure white walls that almost hurt Amy's eyes with the light bouncing off them from the window behind his desk. She and Charlotte sat in the two black, wooden chairs across from his desk. Two large, cherry wood bookshelves were fully stocked with medical reference books on each side of his desk. The entire area was immaculately clean and organized. Not a single object was out of place.
Amy was rigid in her chair as she discussed photography options with Carlisle. Charlotte was her usual friendly self, chiming in on occasion to emphasize their preferred options or to gauge what Carlisle was visualizing for the profile. Nothing ever seemed to phase her, even the charming demeanor, stunning good looks and soothing voice of the most valued doctor in Winthrop.
The trio agreed on organizing a brief photo shoot during tomorrow's Spring Fling festival. The weather was supposed to be cloudy, but rain wasn't expected. Carlisle was hoping to include his family in some of the photographs, who were all planning on attending the festival. The choice was unexpected at first, but Amy warmed up to the idea after a quick analysis. Not only would she get timely photographs amidst lush Washington scenery, but holding the shoot during the festival would be an extra promotional boost for the paper.
Before the meeting ended, Amy asked Carlisle's permission to take his photo in his contemporary, pristine office.
"I'm absolutely fascinated by it," Amy said, smiling at Carlisle. "If my office looked like this, I doubt I'd ever leave it."
"Which is exactly what happens," Carlisle said with a laugh.
The vibration of Amy's phone interrupted them. She was already embarrassed by the rudeness of the interruption, but she had left her mobile on to maintain any necessary communication with Sophie. And no surprise, Sophie's name was showing on her phone.
"I'm sorry for the interruption, but I have to take this. Deadlines – I hope you understand." Amy rose from her chair, her back still rigid.
"No problem." Carlisle smiled at her and leaned back in his chair.
"Charlotte, feel free to get started," Amy told her as she exited Carlisle's office, closing the door behind her.
"Amy Isadorra," she said politely as she answered her phone. Sophie wanted an update on the status of the photo shoot, and Amy was excited to fill her in on the details as she quietly paced outside of Carlisle's office.
Amidst a string of instructions from Sophie, a soft scent filled her nostrils, and she glanced up to see Edward talking to Esme at the far end of the corridor near a side exit. She couldn't hear all of their conversation, but the delicate sound Edward's voice fluttered into her ear. And it was enough to make her pay attention.
". . . haven't eaten in days . . . need to leave . . . no idea how good she smells . . ."
"Amy? Are you there?" Sophie's voice rang in her ear and literally snapped her head away from the Cullens, forcing her to return her attention to her boss.
"Yes, Sophie, I'm sorry. I think there's bad reception. Charlotte and I will be back in about an hour if you want to continue then."
"Absolutely. See you in a while."
"Yep. Bye."
Before Amy could open Carlisle's office door, it opened for her, and she nearly collided with Carlisle's chest.
"I'm sorry, Ms. Isadorra." Carlisle was on alert – his tense body language proved he was on edge. Amy stepped aside to let him pass. "Forgive me. I've been paged. One of my patients needs me – I hope you understand." He smiled at her. "But I believe we're all set for three o'clock tomorrow afternoon at the festival," he said, backing away from her to start his trek toward his patient in need. "I'll have Wes contact you today to finalize. It was very nice to meet you, and sorry again to run." He nodded at Amy and flashed her another smile.
"No problem," she called after him. Her words followed him down the hallway as he disappeared from sight around the corner.
Charlotte had managed to capture a handful of photos of Carlisle in his office before he was summoned to duty. She and Amy navigated the hospital to attempt to find the exit. The walls were as white as Carlisle's office, and every corridor looked the same. After a few wrong turns, the pair reached their destination and broke free of the white-walled maze. Charlotte hurried ahead to unlock and start the car.
"Wait! Ms. Isadorra! Amy! Wait!" Amy turned toward the sound of the male voice, shielding her eyes from the mist that was still spitting from the sky. Wes was jogging toward her, his stethoscope bouncing against his chest as it dangled around his neck. "I'm sorry. I, um, I'm sorry." He was slightly out of breath as he came to a halt in front of her.
"Something I can help you with?" she asked.
"I, um, I know you just met me, and I don't want you to think I'm a weirdo or anything, but . . . I'd really like to take you out for a-a drink or dinner or something."
Amy could feel herself blushing, even with the cool spray hitting her face. He was slightly adorable standing before her, shy and bumbling in his blue scrubs.
"You can say no. I know I probably would if some random guy chased me out to my car to ask me out. Not that random guys do that to me, but-" Amy's laughter cut him off, and Wes smiled in relief.
"I, um . . ." She was speechless. She wanted to say no, but she was somewhat drawn to his quirkiness.
"Spring Fling! How about we meet up at the Spring Fling tomorrow? Lots of people, so if I am a weirdo, you can ditch me easily. You're going to be there, right?"
"Yes. But working. Taking photos of your boss, actually."
"Afterward?" His voice was so hopeful. "You can't let Carlisle take all your time."
Amy could help but be a little drawn to him. His charm was welcome, and the outdoor light exposed the brilliant color of his blue eyes. "I, um . . . sure. Maybe we can grab a drink after I finish with Carlisle." Her social calendar wasn't exactly full, her lack of friends the culprit.
"Great!" Wes was already backing away from her toward the building. It was as if he wanted to leave before she changed her mind. "I'll see you tomorrow." He gave her a final smile before turning around to jog back into the building.
Amy laughed to herself as she hurried to Charlotte's car and slipped inside. As Charlotte drove through the parking lot toward the main road, Amy's eye caught the consummate body of Edward Cullen standing next to a shiny, silver Volvo, his black eyes narrow as they burned into hers. His expression was far from welcoming, but she wanted nothing more than to jump out of the car and slide her fingertips along his sleek jawbone.
