Hi! That time again. It's a little bit late today, I've been christmas shopping today, trying to get everyones presents before another potential lockdown happens, it's not looking good where I live. I hope everyone is staying safe and is okay!

Tobias

I stare at her, shocked and unreasonably aroused by everything she says and does. "Marry you?"

She laughs at my reaction. "You have to know my grandmothers. They've been trying to find someone new for me since about two years after Al died. If I bring you there, they'll pounce on you like the fresh meat you are and call in the priest before the main course is served."

"Whoa."

"I know, which is why I can't take you anywhere near them unless you're prepared to say 'I do.'"

I know she's exaggerating, to a point, which is probably what spurs me to throw gas on the fire that's been simmering between us all day. "What if I'm not afraid of them?"

She lets out an inelegant snort. "Spoken like someone who's never met them or seen what they're capable of."

"Eh," I say, waving a hand. "After what I've been through, what can a couple of grandmothers do to me?"

Tris stares at me with dark-blue eyes fringed with extravagant lashes that other women would kill for. Her flawless skin is a lovely pale colour, and her lips are what take her face from pretty to stunning. I've never seen a more kissable mouth in my entire life, not to mention she's curvy and lush and smells so good it's all I can do not to bury my face in her hair and breathe her in. "You haven't the first clue what you're talking about."

I'm well aware that I have absolutely no business categorizing Tris Prior's many attractive attributes. I'm in enough trouble as it is without having salacious thoughts about the young woman who's trying to help dig me out of the hellhole I've fallen into since I found out what Lauren really wanted with me.

"You'd protect me, wouldn't you?"

Before she can answer, the officer who brought us to this room returns. "You're both free to go. The impound lot found the registration to the Porsche. Might be a good idea to keep that handy going forward. We had to wake up the guy who runs the impound, which is why it took so long." To Tris, he adds, "Sorry to keep you waiting. We asked him to wait for you so you can get the car tonight. He, um, wouldn't waive the fee, though. We tried."

"Thanks for trying," Tris says.

Great. Another six hundred bucks out the window. Good thing I work so much that I hardly ever spend any money. The Porsche is my one major indulgence. My apartment in New York is a studio because I'm hardly ever there. I gesture for Tris to lead the way out of the interrogation room.

The officer escorts us to the main door and sees us out.

We head in the direction of the impound lot.

"I'm having déjà vu."

Tris laughs. "I know. Me too. I really am sorry about all of this. I should've just called an Uber for Molly."

"What fun would that've been?"

"Ah, well, I wouldn't have done two stints in the slammer today."

"You'll be dining out on this story for the rest of your life."

"No, I won't! I don't want anyone to know I was in jail. My God, my parents and grandmothers would die if they knew."

"It was all a misunderstanding—both times. If you tell them that—"

"It's jail, Tobias. I can't tell them."

Something about her prim-and-proper tone turns me on like crazy, even as I tell myself to knock it off. I love that she's such a good girl, that she's never been in any kind of trouble before today.

We arrive at the impound lot, where the grumpy owner is waiting for us. "I think you should waive the fee since you forgot to give me back the registration the first time."

"Is that what you think, pretty boy?" He's a scary-looking dude with huge muscles and a tattoo on his face.

I meet his gaze and refuse to blink. "That's what I think."

"You should've asked for your registration when you picked it up before."

"Why would I assume you'd take the registration out of the car when you impounded it?"

"Look, it's one o'clock in the morning. I want to go home. I can either give you your car or keep it. Up to you."

I can't take the chance that this is going to get ugly or physical. I'd never risk damaging my hands for six hundred bucks, and I won't put Tris in the middle of something like that, either. I hand him my American Express card. Again.

He takes it, runs it and hands me the receipt to sign.

"Be right back."

"It's total bullshit," Tris says when we're alone.

"Not worth fighting over. That's for sure."

"Now I owe you twelve hundred bucks."

"No, you don't."

"Yes, I do."

We continue to bicker back and forth about the money until the Porsche comes to a skidding halt outside the office.

Grumpy is grinning from ear to ear. "This thing is sweet."

I ignore him and get in the driver's side while Tris jumps into the passenger seat. I hit the gas and spew gravel at him as we leave the yard. I hope some of it hits him.

"Seriously, I will pay you back."

"You're helping to repair my image. That's more than enough repayment."

I pull up to her apartment building at just after one thirty.

"I'm going to be a wreck tomorrow," Tris says, yawning.

"I'll walk you up."

"You don't have to. It's late. Go get some sleep."

She fumbles with the door handle, so I reach across her to help. The press of my arm against her abdomen sets off another one of those fireworks shows that've been happening inside me since the first time I saw her. Was that really only twenty or so hours ago?

"I've got it."

I retreat from her, but I wish I didn't have to. That's not a thought that someone sitting in my boat ought to be having about any woman. "Check in with me tomorrow?" Part of me is afraid I'll never hear from her again after this disastrous day. Just when I think things can't get worse, I cause an innocent young woman to end up in jail twice in one day.

"I will. I've got a few ideas we can get going on."

"I'm ready when you are. I have an appointment with a Realtor to look at condos. I should probably keep that in case I get to stay."

"I can help with that, too."

"Perfect."

"It's the least I can do after costing you more than a thousand dollars in one day."

"Not your fault. Go to bed, Tris. Have sweet dreams about something other than jail."

"Too soon, Tobias. Far too soon."

She leaves me laughing as she gets out of the car and walks inside. I wait to make sure she's safely in before I take off, heading for the hotel the hospital put me up in.

Before bed, I make the mistake of checking my email and find a message from Mr. Andrews asking me to refrain from stepping foot onto the hospital campus until the board has time to review my situation.

Awesome.

I want to throw the phone across the room. I'd do it except for the hassle it would be to replace it. I've got enough hassles in my life right now.

I really hope Tris can help me, because the way things are looking now, I'm totally fucked if she can't.

Tris

I dream of jail. I blame Tobias for putting that idea in my head. Despite the rough night, I'm determined to make my second day on the job less eventful than the first one. With that in mind, I'm at my desk by eight thirty with a cortadito, otherwise known as Spanish coffee, from my girl Juanita's coffee shop. I'm counting on it to clear the cobwebs from my sleep-deprived brain.

Mornings aren't my thing, even when I have a full night of sleep.

Tobias texted to tell me what Mr. Andrews said about staying away from the hospital until the board comes to a decision. I can tell that has him more dejected than he was last night. That fires my determination to help him, though I still think he should be hiring crisis communication experts.

Marlene arrives shortly after I do and comes to my door. "Did you go out with Dr Eaton last night?" The question is asked with a girlfriend giggle that reminds me of nails on a chalkboard.

"We had a business dinner."

"Is that right?"

"I don't do gossip, Marlene, and I don't appreciate when others do, either, especially at work."

As if I didn't say anything, she comes into my office and sits. "Have you heard about him? About what happened in New York?"

"Yes, he told me about how he was set up by a woman who wanted out of a bad marriage and how the career he's worked toward for more than a decade is in jeopardy because of what she did."

That seems to take some of the air out of her sails. "She set him up?"

I'm not sure he'd want me sharing this with her, but we're going to have to tell his side of the story if we're to put his career back on track. "She used him shamelessly to advance her own agenda and broke his heart in the process."

"Why hasn't he said so?"

"Because she has children, and he doesn't want to drag them through their mother's mess."

"Huh."

"You can't believe everything you see and hear, Marlene. There're always two sides to a story." Why do I feel as if I'm the older of the two of us.

"What's he going to do?"

"He's trying to repair his reputation so he'll be offered privileges here."

"How does he plan to do that?" Mr. Andrews asks from the doorway, startling us both.

Crap.

Marlene, that rat, gets up and hightails it out of there.

Mr. Andrews comes in, shuts the door and takes a seat in my visitor chair. I figure he's in his late fifties, with salt-and-pepper hair and a matching goatee. He's immaculately dressed in a navy pin-striped suit with a light-blue pocket square that complements his tie.

I'm hit with a serious case of nerves. The hospital president is in my office. I have no idea how to play this. Does he want Tobias, er, Dr. Eaton, to redeem himself, or is he opposed to the idea?

I decide to go with the truth. "You should know there's another side to the story of what happened in New York."

"Dr. Eaton told me that and indicated he's unwilling to go public with his side because the woman in question has children."

"That's right."

"I've passed the information along to the board."

"Oh. You did?"

Mr. Andrews nods. "I'm not looking to further damage the man's career, Ms. Prior. He's a world-class physician. I've felt all along that we'd be lucky to have him—and his very promising research—on our medical staff. That said, I do understand the board's hesitation in light of the scandal in New York and the lack of candor about that at the outset."

"I have some ideas of things we can do to help restore his reputation."

"Such as?"

"My friend works as a nurse at the Charity free clinic in Little Amity. Their doctor was injured in an accident, which has left them shorthanded. Dr Eaton might be able to fill in while their doctor is out on medical leave. For free, of course."

"And he's willing to do this?"

"Provided he has insurance coverage. He's checking on that today."

Mr. Andrews tilts his head and gives me an odd look. "So you've already discussed this possibility with Dr Eaton?"

Dammit. I've painted myself into a tight corner. "Yes, sir. I offered to help him with his situation. On my own time, of course."

"Why would you do that?"

"I, um, he helped me with something yesterday, and I owe him a favor." Please don't ask what, please don't ask what . . .

"What did he help you with?"

I think fast. "He asked me to take care of getting him an employee parking space, which turned out to be more complicated than I anticipated. When he came to assist me, we got to talking about what brought him to Chicago. One thing led to another, and I offered to help him to thank him for helping me." God, I hope he believes me.

He mulls that over for what feels like a full five minutes, even though it's probably only thirty seconds. It's long enough to send me into full-blown deodorant failure. "I like the idea of a PR campaign to redeem his image. That could be very effective in convincing the board to give him a chance to work here, which is my ultimate goal. If his research pays off the way we think it will, that could be a huge coup for us."

He looks me in the eye. "I want you on this project full-time for the next two weeks, with a report to me at the end of each day on what's being done. The more you can document through photos and videos, the better. We can put together a presentation for the board that shows him embracing his new community. I really like this idea. Good work, Ms Prior."

"Oh, um, thank you." It's all I can do to refrain from giggling like a deranged lunatic. If only he knew the full story. But thank you, Jesus, he doesn't and hopefully never will. "What about covering the department while I'm out?"

"Don't worry about that for now. This is the priority. I want this guy—and his research—on our team. I want to see our hospital get the credit when his work pays off. If you can help to make that happen, I'll consider you for the director position that's recently come available. Myra has decided to stay home with her baby for the first few years."

My mouth falls open in shock. On day two, I'm being considered for a massive promotion? Day two is definitely shaping up to be a vast improvement over day one. "That'd be amazing. I'll do my very best for you and for Dr Eaton."

"I have no doubt. You seem like a very responsible young woman, and we're lucky to have you on our team."

If only you knew where I was around this time yesterday . . . "Thank you. I won't let you down, sir."

"Excellent. Feel free to come and go from the office as needed to accomplish the assignment. I'll let Marlene know you're working off-campus so she's aware. Just make sure she has your cell number so she can reach you if need be."

"I will."

He stands to leave and reaches my door before he turns back, seeming slightly chagrined. "When I told Mrs. Andrews that you joined our team, she mentioned how difficult it is to get a reservation at Priors. Our anniversary is coming up. I thought it might be nice to surprise her."

"I'll take care of that for you. Just let me know when you'd like to go."

"Thank you so much. It's nice to know people with influence. I'll let you know."

"Sounds good."

He walks out of my office, leaving me momentarily stunned by our conversation. Not only did he encourage me to help Tobias, but he made it my only assignment for the next two weeks and dangled a dream promotion should I succeed in rehabilitating the good doctor's reputation.

"Holy moly," I whisper before I reach for my cell phone to text Tobias.

Tris: Big news. Mr. Andrews has made you my only assignment for the next two weeks. He wants me to help you make a case to the board at their next meeting.

He responds right away.

Tobias: Whoa. That is big news. I sort of got the feeling he didn't want me around any more than the board did.

Tris: Not the case. After hearing your side of the story, he seems to have changed his opinion. He's very interested in you and your cutting-edge research and having a world-class pediatric neurosurgeon on his team.

Okay, so maybe I'm building him up a bit, but after the reception he received yesterday, he has to be feeling pretty low. I don't mention the possible promotion that's at stake for me, because that's not something he needs to know. I was prepared to help him before there was a promotion on the table, so that hasn't changed anything.

Tobias: What's our first order of business, boss?

Tris: I want to speak to the free clinic. Can you check on your insurance?

Tobias: Will do right away.

Tris: I'll hit you up shortly.

Tobias: Sounds good.

I grab my purse, keys, phone and coffee and head out of my office. "I'll be out for the rest of the day."

"Mr. Andrews said you're working on a special project."

"That's right."

"Is he tall, dark haired and handsome?"

"Bye, Marlene."

"I won't tell anyone. Don't worry."

I roll my eyes and walk out of the executive office suite into the hallway that leads to the elevator. As I walk to my car, I place a call to my best friend Christina.

"Hey, Tris. How's the new job?"

"It's been rather interesting so far."

"In a good way, I hope."

"Jury's still out. I have a question for you. Are you guys still looking for a doctor at the clinic?"

"God, yes. We're so slammed, and with only a part-time nurse practitioner who can write scripts, we're dying over here."

"I may have someone who can help."

"Fantastic."

I tell her about Tobias.

"What the hell does a pediatric neurosurgeon want with a free clinic in Little Amity? He knows we can't pay him much, right?"

"Here's the thing. He's willing to volunteer."

"What's the catch?"

"He's had some challenges in his personal life that have the board at Chicago general questioning whether they want him on their staff."

"What kind of challenges?"

I lean against my car, close my eyes and say a silent prayer to my late grandfathers, hoping they can help me out here. If the clinic doesn't work out for whatever reason, I don't exactly have a plan B waiting on deck. "He had an affair with the board chair's wife in New York."

"Ugh, Tris. . ."

"Wait, there's more." I tell her the rest about how the woman used him and that Tobias didn't know she was married, least of all to the chairman of the board of his hospital. "He had real feelings for her and was crushed by the whole thing."

"Why doesn't he just say so?"

"Because she has kids, and he's being sensitive to what it would do to them if he came out and said their mother used him for sex so she could get rid of their father."

"I guess it's true what they say," she says with a sigh.

I'm not following her. "What is?"

"There's no such thing as a free neurosurgeon."

"He wouldn't be doing it for the money, Chris. He's determined to make a new life for himself down here. He wants to get to know the community and make an impact."

"And if the end result is that Chicago general grants privileges, all the better, right?"

"Will you meet him and give him a chance?"

"Let me talk to my boss and see what she thinks. It's her call. The good news for your guy is we might be desperate enough to overlook the scandal."

"Call me when you know?"

"Will do."

"Thanks for this. I appreciate it."

"How'd you get involved?"

"That's a story for another day and requires vodka."

"I can't wait to hear it. I'll get back to you shortly."

"Thank you again."

"Yeah, yeah. You owe me big for this."

"Whatever you want."

Christina is laughing as the connection goes dead. God, I hope she can make this work. If not, I've got to come up with something else he can do in the community that would have the same impact.