Disclaimer: I do not own the characters within this story. All rights and much respect go to Crown Media, Hallmark, Brian Bird, Michael Landon, Jr., the actors, creators, and writers of the show "When Calls the Heart."

Chapter 3- Getting to the Truth

"What just happened here?" Elizabeth called out to the auctioneer. Her head was spinning, obviously taken back by the bidders and the large sums of money that were nonchalantly tossed about the room. At this point, it hadn't even resonated that Jack had won the date with her.

"Well, honey, this is a first…at least for as long as I've been doing these auctions," he responded. "That is most definitely a new record, blowing the previous high bid of $2500 out of the water," he informed her. "If you aren't married or otherwise engaged next year, I'm sure you will be asked to participate again. The results here won't be forgotten any time soon."

"That's what I'm afraid of…" she muttered.

"Wait…$40,000…" Carter called out, seemingly unaware, or unwilling to believe that bidding was over, and he'd lost out on his prize.

"It's over, Dr. Cavanaugh," the auctioneer called out, his voice quite loud as it was projected through the microphone.

"It can't be. You didn't call out once, twice, sold…" Dr. Cavanaugh screeched, the last word of his anger driven blast causing Elizabeth to cringe.

"Well, I'm the auctioneer and I do it how I see fit, and at this time, Dr. Cavanaugh, Dr. Thornton won this round."

Jack closed his eyes and shuddered at the auctioneer's response and just how he assumed Elizabeth would interpret it.

"This is crazy. You can't accept those bids; those men are out of their minds," Elizabeth stated, finally realizing that she'd been bought by Jack. "I'll never be able to buy anything again without thinking of this moment," she spoke so softly that even she had difficulty hearing it.

The auctioneer pulled Elizabeth aside, "I'm going to tell you like it is, old man Smythe has enough money to buy this hospital multiple times over, and has been through a multitude of wives. I think he's on six, seven, oh gosh, I don't know but you have to count them on two hands. Dr. Cavanaugh is loaded, and he'll be glad to tell you just how filthy rich he is. He's one person who believes that money can buy happiness, but just look at him, with all his millions, he doesn't look very happy to me right now. And then you have Dr. Thornton, there's a man for you."

"Excuse me…?"

"I just mean that he's a wonderful doctor; he's humble, thoughtful and kind…oh, and if you ask my daughter, she'd be the first to tell you how gorgeous he is."

"He's a liar, too…" she stated under her breath.

"Excuse me…?"

"Oh, he sounds like a real Boy Scout…" Elizabeth replied.

The auctioneer, a family man employed as a Respiratory Therapist at the hospital, responded, "Honey, he's as good as they come. You should be thankful that I closed down the auction after he placed his bid. I wouldn't want my daughter out with either of the other two."

Turning his attention back to the crowd who had assembled, the auctioneer announced through the PA system, "Okay, those bidders who won the bachelors and bachelorettes, please step forward to claim your prize…"

Somehow, to Elizabeth, the part about 'claiming your prize' sounded much like the winners at the State Fair being called forward to grab the lead line attached to their winning sow or bull.

"Tonight couldn't possibly get any worse, could it?" Elizabeth uttered just as a voice yelled out from the back of the room.

"Look, I don't lose, ever, and I won't lose this time. I'll give $50,000…you can't possibly turn that down."

Elizabeth leaned against the stool previously used by the auctioneer. She felt lightheaded and much like she was floating unnoticed in the room. Men were bidding on her, but was anyone thinking about how all of this was affecting her? She assumed at the very least the women were, because she could see them huddled together pointing in her direction, some smiling while others simply shook their heads. Suddenly she realized, the women were wondering just what was so special about her…she knew that's what they were saying, because she had the very same thought, among many others (most of which were not so kind).

"Why did you do that? I told you I wanted her…" Carter slammed Jack with cold, dark, angry eyes. "You know no one can beat me…"

"Look around, Carter; I just did," Jack responded, sounding quite cocky, even if that wasn't his intent. He didn't like sounding as if he were gloating, as that was not a word that he would ever use to describe himself. However, given these circumstances, he'd gladly accept Carter's childish reaction, and most likely future repercussions in order to keep Elizabeth from having to deal with him.

"This isn't over, Thornton. I told you that she was mine…"

"Get over yourself, Carter. She doesn't belong to anybody…"

"Hmm, well, we'll see about that. I guess I'll just need to stake my claim without having to pay any money to buy her," Carter snapped.

His words made Jack's stomach churn. 'How on earth could a man have such contempt towards women?' Jack thought to himself. Angered by his comment, Jack asked, "Buy her…? Carter, do you have any idea how disgusting that sounds?"

Carter's rant continued, "After she goes out with you, she'll quickly learn that I'm the better man." Carter was obviously angry, but turned to Jack and laughed, "I'll take my money and whisk her away on a private getaway…you know to Bali or the Maldives. Some place romantic. You mind what I say, Thornton, that woman will be mine…all of her! There isn't a woman around who has ever turned me down."

Sadly, Jack was aware that Carter's last statement was true. He remembered all through college, med school, their internship, residency and into their respective jobs at the hospital, if Carter wanted to spend time with a particular woman, he simply gave her a smoldering glance, threw a bit of attention her way, and she seemed to fall into his arms, but only sticking around as long as he wanted her to. "Move on, Carter; it's over," Jack stated as he approached Elizabeth while his nemesis shadowed him.

Watching Jack walk up to Elizabeth, he muttered, "We'll see about that, Thornton…"

As the eight couples stood at the front of the room, including Elizabeth, still conspicuously dressed in a wedding gown, rumblings of music began to play. "Let's have a first dance…" the host called out as "Heaven" recorded by Niall Horan, but sung by a local artist, began playing through the speakers.

Jack reached out his arm and Elizabeth placed her hand in his. They were one of the first couples to reach the dance floor.

"Oh great, who picked this song…?" Elizabeth muttered. Although she was appreciative of the fact that her bachelorette bid didn't top out at $70, (oh, the embarrassment that would have caused), and she was thankful for the services that the monies would provide, she was also quite unnerved at the attention she assumed this entire situation would bring her.

Strange light revolves around you
You float across the room
Your touch is made of something
Heaven can't hold a candle to
You're made of something new

Elizabeth felt rigid in Jack's arms, unable or unwilling to relax. She was not like the same engaging woman he had talked with weeks earlier about walking along North Avenue Beach, and eating pizza outside at Spacco's while people watching. That woman was radiant, and although initially cautious, she eventually relaxed, becoming more comfortable with him sitting across from her. She became animated as she spoke with a deliriously bright and happy smile while mentioning the most delicious S'mores marshmallow treat and her cheeks turned rosy when she admitted enjoying reading a romance novel on her once revered sofa while consuming a glass of wine.

Everything about this 'Elizabeth' was what he remembered except she was back to being cautious, much like a sealed envelope, and he had the sense that she was in no hurry to remove the tape and open the flap.

Whatever the case, he was certain of one thing, he wanted that woman back. That woman with the beautiful crystal blue eyes that somehow seemed as though they were now shattered, fragments of which he bore some responsibility for.

Let's not get complicated
Let's just enjoy the view
It's hard to be a human
So much to put an answer to
But that's just what we do

God only knows where this could go
And even if our love starts to grow out of control
And you and me go up in flames
Heaven won't be the same

I'm having revelations
You dance across the floor
Beyond infatuation
How I obsessively adore you
That's what I do

One of Jack's hands held hers while his other tentatively rested on her back. She was quiet, but still the most beautiful woman he'd ever laid eyes on.

Elizabeth tried her best to relax, but found it difficult. She hated that he didn't smell like antiseptic, or bug spray, something that would have repulsed her. She inhaled and had she paid attention moments earlier to the scent of his cologne…spicy with undertones of sandalwood, she would have done her best to hold her breath. Too late. She inhaled again…it was quite pleasant, sexy, and yet far from over-powering.

"WOW, you smell good," she thought, or did she say it out loud?

"Thank you…" he responded; his tone soft as his breath tickled her ear.

"Uh, I guess I said that out loud…"

"Yep, and you can't take it back now."

Possibly because Elizabeth was wearing a wedding dress and this somehow signified the 'first dance," the remaining seven couples stepped aside, leaving Jack and Elizabeth the entire interior of the floor. Jack was quite nervous; he not only had to deal with her apparent mistrust of him, but he had the added concern of hopefully not stepping on the gown Elizabeth was elegantly modeling.

I believe, I believe
I could die in your kiss
No, it doesn't get, doesn't get
Better than this

God only knows where this could go
And even if our love starts to grow out of control
And you and me go up in flames
Heaven won't be the same
God only knows where this could go
And even if our love starts to grow out of control
And you and me go up in flames
Heaven won't be the same

(Heaven won't be the same)

I believe, I believe
I could die in your kiss
No, it doesn't get, doesn't get
Better than, better than this

God only knows where this could go
And even if our love starts to grow out of control
And you and me go up in flames
Heaven won't be the same
God only knows where this could go
And even if our love starts to grow out of control
And you and me go up in flames
Heaven won't be the same

As the song ended, Elizabeth was in retreat mode, finding the flight response to be quite enticing, even if not well thought through.

"Where are you going?" Jack called out.

"I just need to get out of here."

"Dressed like that…are you a runaway bride?" he asked.

"Funny, but you have a point," she replied.

"Are you always in a habit of running away?" Jack stood staring, his hands in the pockets of his scrubs, mainly because he didn't quite know what else to do with them.

Elizabeth took two steps back toward him, "Don't you have that backwards, Jonathan, the mechanic, or is it Jack the famous heart surgeon?"

"I'm not the one who ran away before…" Jack asserted.

"Well, apparently one of us did, and it wasn't me," Elizabeth threw it right back at him.

"Look, are you done here," Jack's hand made a sweep of the room as if he were asking if she could leave.

"I have to change and then I wanted to peek in on Marcus before I leave."

"Good, I can peek in on him, too, and then I'll give you a ride home."

Having given the keys to the department issued Ford Edge to Angie so she wouldn't need to take the train, Elizabeth responded, "I don't need a ride. I'll take an Uber."

"It's getting late; I want you to be safe. Please let me take you," Jack's voice sounded so strong, yet gentle and tender. "Maybe you'd agree to go have a drink with me, or a cup of coffee…"

"I don't know…" she responded, seemingly conflicted. Truth was, she liked Jonathan the mechanic, that is until he disappeared, but Jack the heart surgeon scared her, and she wasn't sure why.

"Look Elizabeth, I think we need to talk…" his plea was calm, yet passionate. "Something had to have happened. I mean, I looked for you and you were gone. So, if you didn't leave, were you hiding from me?"

"I'm not into childish games," she replied. "No, I wasn't hiding. I waited quite a while for you to come back, and you didn't, so eventually, I did leave."

"If you have the time, I'd like to talk so I can explain what happened," Jack responded.

"So, if you give me a ride home, is that our date?" she asked, but even in asking, she truly knew that $35,000 demanded something more exciting. It would obviously not be quite as thrilling as she could only assume Jack, Dr. Cavanaugh, or Mr. Smythe had in mind, however.

Her experience was that men thought mostly with the brain between their legs instead of the one between their ears. So, with that thought in mind, visions of what she assumed Jack was expecting his $35,000 donation would get him was on a constant replay loop in her head.

She wanted to help those in need, and was well aware how the monies brought in by the benefit would assist in making many dreams come true for the hospital as well as local communities. However, she was standing firm…her morals would not be compromised. Therefore, certain ground rules would need to be discussed.

"Grace… I'm sorry, I mean Elizabeth, if that being our date means that we can go some place and talk, then fine, that's our date. I didn't leave, but something happened that I need to explain, and I'm hoping that in the course of getting to know me, you'll realize that I'm not a bad guy."

"I've never said that you were a bad guy… Jon, I…what am I supposed to call you?"

"Either is fine. Jonathan is my real name, but my family and friends have called me Jack since I was a kid," he advised.

Still somewhat perturbed, and fighting within herself to release the anger she continued to hold for this man, she curtly responded, "Okay, then…Jonathan it is." Her tone was short and snippy as she listened while Jack released his own hard breath.

Jack knew that things would be tense between them until they weathered this current hiccup, but he was just as certain that she would also be well worth the effort.

"I need to go change, and I can meet you in Marcus' room," she stated.

"No, I'll wait for you," Jack responded, somehow concerned that she would again disappear.

She stepped closer intending to advise him that she did not require a babysitter. Unfortunately, as she closed the distance between them, she also managed to again inhale his cologne, and her thoughts became foggy.

"Did you want to say something?" he asked.

"Yes, but I…never mind." Before turning to walk away, she stopped, "Look Doc, I'm not leaving before I see Marcus, so I will meet you there," Elizabeth replied as she walked toward the dressing area.

Jack watched as she walked away. He had to admit, even with her stern tone, he liked her calling him 'Doc.' His heart pounded, and parts of his body stirred, a feeling he hadn't experienced in quite some time.

He smiled as she hiked the dress up with her hands to keep from dragging it any further on the floor. His smile turned into a soft laugh when he noticed she was wearing a pair of tennis shoes underneath. "You may not know it, but I'm going to win your heart," he whispered as the words passed through his lips.

Most men would have found themselves in a deep sweat to be standing within close proximity of a woman wearing a wedding dress, let alone dancing with her. On the contrary, Jack felt excited to have found her again. Now he'd just need to find a way to get her to give him a chance.

Although Jack wanted to wait for her, he gave her the space she asked for and headed for his office where he changed clothes and grabbed his car keys before making a beeline to Marcus' room.

Dressing area…

The nurse's locker room was, for this night only, doubling as the models' dressing room. Elizabeth initially assumed she was alone as she removed the wedding dress, hung it from the tallest locker door and took a seat on a bench, now wearing only her bra, panties and tennis shoes.

She sat, contemplating…what would make a man, let alone three, bid such ridiculous amounts of money to spend platonic time with her? Then, what she assumed others were thinking became abundantly clear.

A door on the back side of the room opened and voices could be heard, quite clear and distinct, as Elizabeth sat practically frozen.

"You should have seen Dr. Cavanaugh's face…man he was so angry."

"Were they fighting over her?"

"Well, Dr. Cavanaugh, and old Mr. Smythe were… I mean, fighting with their bids; they weren't fist fighting or anything like that. Then Dr. Thornton came in at the last second and blew them out of the water with an obscene bid," a nurse who was repeating a rumor responded.

"How much did he bid?"

"The person I spoke to said $42,000…"

"$42,000…? Several nurses gasped.

"Are you serious? Dr. Thornton could get a top-of-the-line escort for a lot less money."

"Forget about the escort, I'd gladly take care of his needs for free…" a nurse with a young sounding voice giggled.

"Well, for $42,000, she's going to need to do a lot more than just dinner. I mean, he's probably assuming that they'll get a weekend together, at least," a nurse joked as several voices broke into laughter.

Feeling nauseous, Elizabeth hurriedly dressed, grabbed her things and rushed out the door and into the empty hallway unnoticed.

Leaning against the outside wall, she took several deep breaths. Feeling overwhelmed, she wiped away the tears quickly as they began to sting her eyes. Previously, Elizabeth couldn't care less what others thought of her, as long as she remained true to herself, she knew her parents would be proud. After all, they'd raised her to be kind, have moral character, and empathy for others.

However, what she now heard in her head were assumptions, and accusations from people who barely knew her, if at all. What these nurses were saying, basically implying that she'd sold her body to the highest bidder, was incredibly hurtful and completely untrue.

She started walking toward the elevators as a smile finally reached her face. 'Jealousy is a vicious monster,' she whispered, 'I'll assume that's the reason they said those things as I dodge the stares and rumors. I won't be around here much longer anyway…"

Stopping at the vending machine, Elizabeth grabbed a bottle of water, feeling the need to wet her incredibly dry throat. As she stood in the snack machine cubby hole staring out into the hallway, a thought crossed her mind… "Oh, no," Elizabeth thought about a phone call she'd received just before the start of the benefit…one she hadn't had time to process…

Elevator heading up to the 3rd floor…

Jack stepped into the elevator, but as the doors began to close, he heard a familiar voice call out, "Please hold the elevator…" Jack immediately pushed the button, the doors opened, and he waited for the female attached to the voice to step inside.

Heidi Ramsay, a nurse on the cardiac unit called out, "Hey Jack…" as she rushed into the elevator. They'd actually been friends since he was in med school, and she generally only added Dr. to his name when they were together with patients.

"Hey Heidi. How are things going tonight; has it been quiet?"

"I'm so glad I saw you, and it's apparently far from quiet."

"What's going on," he asked.

"Maybe I should be asking you that question. It sounds like that benefit was the place to be tonight," she replied.

Jack shouldn't have been surprised how quickly news travelled throughout the hospital, but then again, he hoped she was referring to the new cardiac wing that was being proposed. Anyway, he asked, "Why would you say that?"

"Carter Cavanaugh just came through, or maybe Tornado Cavanaugh would be a better way of describing him."

"What do you mean?" Jack knew Carter was angry, but ordinarily, he would simply set his sights on another woman and just move on. Historically, in Carter's eyes, and for as long as Jack had known him, a woman was only good for a few things, all sexual in nature, and for only one-night, and if they were too difficult to conquer, they weren't worth his time.

"Well, I don't eavesdrop…"

Jack wasn't so sure that was the truth, but in this case, and on this occasion, he was glad she had, so he continued to listen. "Go on…"

"He was talking with Dr. Burnett…"

Jack thought, "Oh great; they are sewn from the same cloth."

"I was in the break room, and the door was open. They stopped outside the door and were talking, and let's just say, Carter was mad and not holding back. It surprised me that they didn't take it somewhere private, but…"

Jack was feeling anxious as he blurted out, "What did he say?"

"Well, they were talking…actually, Carter was doing all the talking, or rather ranting."

"Heidi, what happened…?"

"Well, like I said they were out in the open for anyone to hear…"

"Well, you heard him, and I didn't, so can you spill it…?" Jack was certain he knew, but he wanted to know if anything derogatory was said about Elizabeth.

"He was really ticked off because he said you stole his woman at the auction," she finally got to the meat of Carter's explosion. "Did you really bid $35,000 for a date with this woman?"

Jack smiled, "I sure did…"

"You must really like her."

"Well, I don't know her very well, but I'd like to get to know her, and let's be honest, no woman should have to deal with Carter. He has his own agenda, and I just wanted to make sure she was safe."

"You know, if she's caught your eye, she must be someone very special. And if she doesn't realize how wonderful you are, you just bring her here to see me…I'll fill her in."

"Thanks, Heidi, but I don't think I'll be doing that."

"WOW, $35,000…you are a real romantic, Jack. You paid a sinful amount of money to keep her out of the hands of Dr. Cavanaugh. You are one sweet guy…" she stated as the elevator opened on the 3rd floor and they both stepped out.

Heidi headed for the north side nurse's station, as Jack continued on to the ICU section of the floor.

Before Jack was too far away, Heidi spoke, causing him to stop and turn around. "Hopefully, you and this mystery woman will make it through, because if anyone deserves to have a happily ever after, it's you…"

"Well, I appreciate that. I guess we'll have to see how it turns out," Jack stated as he continued across the hospital to the ICU unit.

ICU Nurse's Station…

Jack headed for Marcus' room, his heart pounded in his chest, and it had nothing to do with the heart transplant patient he was checking in on. Stopping off at the nurse's station, he grabbed Marcus' chart, said hello to Missy, one of the cardiac nurses before briskly continuing on his way.

Stopping before reaching Marcus' door, he turned to ask, "Who is Marcus' nurse tonight?"

Glancing at the board, Missy responded, "That would be Leah, and she's on a break right now."

"Okay, thanks…" he stated as he continued on his way.

Jack tucked Marcus' chart under his arm and headed toward his room.

Marcus' room…

Stepping inside, he found Marcus apparently sleeping, but as he flipped through the chart, first one eye and then the other opened. "Hi, Dr. Thornton…"

"Hey Marcus, how are you feeling?"

"Good…did you get there in time?" Marcus asked.

"Get where?" Jack responded, but truth be told, he knew exactly what Marcus was referring to.

"Dr. Thornton, I may be a teenager, but I'm not stupid. When Mrs. Copeland told you about that bachelorette auction thing, you couldn't get out of here fast enough," Marcus smiled almost as if he were the only person among them who knew a secret. "So, are you going out with Ms. Thatcher?"

"Yes, I made it in time, and yes, we're going out on a date."

"YES…" Marcus pumped his fist into the air. "Wait, are you a good guy, Dr. Thornton?" Marcus asked as he gingerly sat up in bed.

"I'd like to think so."

"Well, I hope you know you should open doors for her, and seem interested in what she's talking about, even if you aren't," Marcus advised.

"And where did you learn that?" Jack asked.

"Well, before my heart got bad, I had my first real girlfriend…actually, she's been my only girlfriend," Marcus stated, and Jack smiled warmly. "Anyway, Ms. Thatcher came over to my foster parents' house several times and taught me how to dance, so I wouldn't be embarrassed, and we talked about how a gentleman should treat a lady."

"You think a lot of Ms. Thatcher, don't you?" Jack asked, realizing that the more he learned about her the more he wanted to know.

"She's the best," Marcus took a breath as he watched Jack flip through his chart. "So, you like her, too, don't you?"

"You don't mince words, do you…?" Jack asked as he closed Marcus' chart.

"I'm not sure what that means, but if you're asking do I get right to the point, I try. As I have found, life is too short," Marcus laid back, placing his head on his pillow. "You didn't answer my question; do you like her?"

"I do, very much…"

"Well, then, send her flowers…girls always like that."

"Do you happen to know her favorite flower?" Jack asked.

"The last time I was in her office, she had some flowers sitting on her desk. They were really colorful, and she seemed to like them. But she also told me once that she loves yellow roses…"

Glancing at the door in anticipation of Elizabeth's arrival, Jack turned back to face Marcus and asked, "Um, the person who sent her flowers, was that a boyfriend?"

"I think so," he replied with a slight giggle. Seeing the drop in Jack's expression, Marcus continued, "I'm sorry; I was just joking…"

"About what…the flowers or the boyfriend?"

"Just the boyfriend. I think the flowers were for her birthday and they came from her parents and a sister, I think."

Jack felt relieved as the oxygen again began to flow into his lungs. "I thought we were buddies…that was mean."

"You're right; I'm sorry…" Marcus admitted with a slight chuckle.

Back at the Nurse's Station…

"Girl, come here…you won't believe what I just heard from Caroline Simpson…" Leah Thomas, Marcus' nurse, and the one who had previously provided Elizabeth with an unflattering view of Jack's dating habits called out to Missy Marks, another nurse.

"What, and who is Caroline?" Missy asked.

"Oh, I'm sorry. I thought you knew her," Leah responded.

Missy was quick to add, "That's okay, what is the scoop she gave you?"

"Well, she's engaged…"

"Good for her, but since I don't know her, it's really not the scoop I was looking for."

"Be quiet, Missy, and let me explain. Caroline is engaged and she went to that benefit thing that was tonight on the garden level because there was a wedding dress being auctioned off." Leah stopped suddenly, "Here she comes, I'll tell you in a minute."

Missy glanced down the hall and observed Elizabeth walking toward Marcus' room wearing a pair of jeans, a sleeveless beige shirt, knotted at the waist, and a pair of heels with a clear band across her feet. "Who is she…?"

"Shh, I'll tell you in a minute."

"Hi, I know I'm late, but is it okay if I peek in on Marcus before I head out?" Elizabeth asked.

"Sure, go ahead," Leah replied, holding her breath until Elizabeth was out of earshot and continuing on her way to Marcus' room.

"Who was that?" Missy asked.

"Girl, where have you been…?"

"On vacation…"

"Oh, that's right. Well, she's the girl who's after Dr. Thornton," Leah responded.

"Is she trying to get her hooks into your man…?" Missy asked.

"Unfortunately, after what I heard tonight, that ship has sailed. I'm devastated, but I won't give up. The wonderful doctor just hasn't realized how great I am."

"Leah, I hate to tell you, girl, but he never pulled that ship into port. Did you really think you would get a chance with him? I mean, he doesn't date people at work…at least that's what I hear."

"Well, Caroline told me that he bid $35,000 for a date with her."

"Are you serious?" Missy asked, taking a seat before her legs gave out. "$35,000, as in real money?"

"I'm serious as a heart attack. She said that Dr. Cavanaugh, old Mr. Smythe and Dr. Thornton were in a bidding war over her," Leah advised. "She also said that Dr. Cavanaugh looked as if he was ready to physically fight Dr. Thornton over her."

"WOW, can you imagine a man wanting to spend time with you so much that he'd bid $35,000 for one date? I've not seen her before…she must be someone very special," Missy surmised.

"She's a social worker…clearly out of his league," Leah commented.

"Oh, and what league is that, because I'm not so sure I see you in it either?" Missy laughed.

"That's mean. I'm at least in the medical field. I mean, what could they have in common?" Leah sneered as she glanced down the hall and watched knock on Marcus' door before venturing inside.

Turning back toward Missy, Leah continued, "Well, he must be assuming that she's good in bed. No other reason I can imagine that any of those men would bid that much on her." A noise at the end of the hall drew Leah's attention away from her catty behavior. She quickly grabbed a chart and began her duties, wanting to appear as though she were busy, should anyone pass by.

"That's ugly, Leah, and I think you're jealous. WOW, it's like a 'Pretty Woman' scenario…I mean, not exactly, but kinda. But so romantic…"

"Whatever, it won't last," Leah predicted.

Marcus' Room…

"I'll definitely keep the flowers in mind," Jack stated as he and Marcus heard a knock on the door before it opened.

"Hi. Ms. Thatcher," Marcus called out, his voice sounding stronger and cheerier that during recent visits.

"Hey buddy; how's it going?" she asked.

"I don't know. I feel good, but I guess Dr. Thornton is the better one to answer that question," Marcus responded.

Elizabeth turned to face Jack, "So, how's he doing tonight?"

Jack smiled, "All preliminary indications are that his body is accepting the new heart, and as long as he follows doctor's orders," Jack glanced sternly in Marcus' direction, "and takes it easy, I think he's going to do very well."

Elizabeth took hold of Marcus' hand, but directed her comment toward Jack, "Thank you for everything you've done for him."

"It's my pleasure…" Jack grabbed Marcus' chart and headed for the door. "I'll wait for you out at the nurse's station so you two can have a few minutes alone. But don't stay too long; he needs his rest."

Once the door closed, Marcus smiled.

"I love seeing your smile, but what's it for?" she asked.

"I understand that you and Dr. Thornton are going out on a date."

"Well, I'm obligated to go out with him since I assume you already know that he had the highest bid at the auction," she responded.

"You like him, though, right?" Marcus asked.

"He seems very nice," she provided a politically correct response.

"He likes you…" Marcus advised, as if after Jack's $35,000 bid, she wasn't already aware of that fact. "We've talked about you…"

"You have…"

Marcus adjusted himself in the bed, "Well, I've just told him how important you are to me, and why."

"Oh, I see."

"Ms. Thatcher, I believe Dr. Thornton is a good guy. I can feel it in my bones, and well, my heart is also telling me that you two make a good couple," Marcus responded.

"And how did someone your age gain so much insight into who is or is not a good couple?" Elizabeth asked.

Marcus smiled broadly, "Well, both of you saved me at different times in my life. You're a good person, and so is he. It doesn't take a rocket scientist to know that he really likes you, and I think you really like him, too…"

"Well, what happens between Dr. Thornton and me remains to be seen, but I don't want you worrying about that. You need to concentrate on getting well and moving on to that wonderful life that I know you will have."

Marcus released a harsh breath, "Well, I like him. Will you at least give him a chance?"

"I'm all for giving people chances, as long as they don't take advantage of them," she replied. "Now I need to get home, and you should get some rest."

Elizabeth walked out of Marcus' room and found Jack leaning against the counter flipping through a magazine that had been left behind by a nurse. Although he pretended to be preoccupied by the magazine, he would have been unable to state the name of said magazine, type of said magazine, or contents of the article he was 'reading.' Additionally, the fact that he was 'reading' it upside down was a dead giveaway that it was simply a prop.

"Are you done?" he asked as Elizabeth approached, and he laid the magazine down on the counter.

"Yes, but are you sure you have time to drive me home? I really don't mind taking an Uber, or the train…"

"Absolutely not…I mean, I have plenty of time. I don't want you taking an Uber or the train. It's way too dangerous at this time of night."

Jack and Elizabeth headed for the staff parking lot. He opened every door for her, stepped out of the way as his hand on her lower back allowed her to enter the elevator ahead of him, and did his best to control the skip in his step at the thought of being in her company.

Once in the parking lot, Jack led the way to his Mercedes Benz AMG GLE 53 Coupe. He opened the passenger door for her as she slipped inside, and he waited until her seatbelt snapped before closing the door.

He slipped in behind the wheel, snapped his seatbelt and asked, "So, will you go have a cup of coffee with me? I know a nice place that's pretty quiet at night."

"Sure…" she replied.

"Where do you live?" he asked.

"I'm down on Michigan Avenue…"

"That's a big area; is it possible to narrow it down for me, or do you want me to guess?"

"Funny; I'm down around 45th Street."

"Okay…"

They were both quiet, as Jack watched the traffic and Elizabeth hung close to the door, vacillating between relaxing, and disappointment that she hadn't written a "HELP ME, I'VE BEEN KIDNAPPED' sign that she could hold up at the window.

Thankfully, Jack found a parking spot close by the 'Thanks a Latte' coffee shop, and although Elizabeth was very familiar with the establishment, she said nothing.

They walked up to the counter and Jack placed his order, giving Elizabeth a moment to peruse the menu. Turning to face her, he asked, "Do you know what you want?"

She stepped closer and spoke to the barista, listing her regular caffeine concoction, and giving her name to be written on the cup.

Although the shop was practically deserted, Jack led her to a table in the back, feeling the need for privacy in order to talk. He held out her chair and slipped it forward once she'd taken a seat.

"Hey Doc…your coffees are up," the barista called out and Jack stepped forward.

He returned with two cups of coffee, a blueberry muffin, and a slice of iced lemon pound cake. "Take your pick," he stated as he sat the food on the table. Finding her name on the cup he handed it to her. Glancing at her order, he remarked, "WOW, maybe that's a sign…"

"What is?" she asked.

"We both drink maple caramel macchiato coffee."

"Wait, did she call you Doc?" Elizabeth asked.

"Yes, why…? I mean, not that many people call me that so you can still use it if you want," he smiled, doing his best to break the ice cube which seemed to imprison her.

"Have you always ordered your coffee like that?" she asked.

"No," he replied, thankful that they were starting to talk, even if it was just about coffee. "I got through med school by drinking black coffee…the stiffer, the better."

"So, when did you change to maple caramel macchiato?" She was setting him up and he had no idea.

"Well, I stopped off here one morning on my way back to the hospital. I'd spent the night at the hospital following a delicate surgery, and I was exhausted. I came home, took a shower, changed and headed back to the hospital, stopping here for a caffeine jolt…don't tell anyone, but I just may be addicted to it. Anyway, I placed my order, was handed the cup of coffee and headed back to my office. I didn't even try it until I sat down at my desk, and it wasn't mine."

Jack took a sip from his cup before continuing. "I remember expecting a bland, harsh cup of black coffee that would probably sit up without even being in a cup, but instead I got someone else's cup."

"Oh really…"

"Yeah, I remember looking at the cup and seeing that it wasn't black. I saw the name, and said, 'I don't know who you are Eliza…'" He observed her expression.

"Go on…" she encouraged him.

"Oh no, please tell me it wasn't your cup…"

"Oh yes it was. I'd just gotten off the train on my way to work and ran several blocks, and not in tennis shoes, but heels, and had just enough time to pick up my pre-ordered coffee and race back to the station. Needless to say, after one sip of that monstrosity you called coffee, I tossed the cup into the trashcan and raced back to the train, barely making it before the doors closed."

"Oh, I am so sorry, but in my defense, they called my name and handed it to me. I was tired and I didn't look at the name," he apologized profusely.

Elizabeth had held animosity toward 'Doc' since the morning it occurred, finding herself scowling whenever the incident was mentioned. Before now, 'Doc' was some faceless figure whom she could despise without consequence. However, learning that Jack was 'Doc' and he'd been in surgery most of the previous night, seemed to temper her emotions. For one, the cup was handed to him…he hadn't 'stolen' it from the rack as she had assumed, and two, just by virtue of his job, the stress and the life and death situations he experienced every day, he deserved a hard pass.

"Really, Elizabeth…I'm sorry. I definitely know how important a cup of coffee is, especially in the morning. If it helps," he thought back to the moment when he realized the mistake, "I remember sitting at my desk thinking, 'I don't know who you are, Elizabeth, but you sure know your way around a cup of coffee.'"

"Well, it's my turn to be honest; I remember saying, 'I don't know who you are, Doc, but you sure know how to ruin a cup of coffee." She took a much-needed sip of her coffee, "Truthfully, I was mad, but I got over it," she responded as her thought continued, 'I maybe have just gotten over it, but I'm over it nonetheless.'

"I didn't get a chance to tell you, but you looked beautiful in that wedding dress…" he stated. He smiled hoping to turn the direction of their conversation into something more pleasant before tackling the sensitive topics that he knew needed to be discussed.

"You don't have to say that but thank-you; they roped me into that one."

"Well, you will find, if you give me a chance, that I don't say anything just to say it. You were beautiful in that dress, and you are beautiful now…I mean every word."

Elizabeth was somewhat uncomfortable with the compliments. She always found them difficult to accept, but even more so when they came from a man.

She blushed, "Well, thank you, but all of my work was supposed to be behind the scenes…hmm, so much for that. The 'wedding dress' model had to leave town, and who knows what happened to the bachelorette that dropped out," Elizabeth explained.

Glancing up from her cup of coffee, she caught his smile that seemed to radiate up through his eyes, "Wait a minute," she stated and suddenly his smile faded. "I called your office several times to see if you would be a model in the fashion show, but you initially didn't respond. I finally spoke to your secretary, and she said you were too busy, but" Elizabeth suppressed a laugh, "she offered a medical procedure on your behalf for the silent auction. That was so kind of you…"

Jack's jaw dropped, and it was now Elizabeth's turn to smile, as she continued to hold her laughter inside.

"What kind of procedure did Stacy offer?" he asked, feeling his chest tighten.

Watching as his expression change, she stated, "Oh, I'd have to check my records, but I think it was something like a bypass, or something like that. I'm sorry, I'm not familiar with all the medical jargon, but I do have it written down."

His eyes widened, large like saucers, "She what…?"

Elizabeth laughed, "I'm just kidding. She was very nice and said that you would be making a donation…"

"And I did," he replied.

"You most certainly did. Thank you; it will go to good use," Elizabeth responded before glancing down at the table, remaining quiet for a moment. Looking up, she caught Jack staring at her, "Um, is it possible to just go ahead and address the elephant in the room?"

"Given that there are several elephants in the room, which one would you like to tackle first?" he asked.

"Why on earth did you bid $35,000 for a date with me? I mean, is this some FRAT-boy competition you have with Dr. Cavanaugh? Oh, and what's the deal with the older gentleman?"

"Oh, okay…we're just going to jump right into it. Well, first of all, there is no FRAT-boy competition, at least not where I'm concerned. As for Mr. Smythe, he sits on the Board of Directors. He's quite wealthy with no heirs to leave his money to. I'm not sure what his deal is, but I think he just got out of marriage number six or seven. I mean, really…I'm not even sure he can still name them all," Jack responded. Feeling slightly jealous at Mr. Smythe's interest in Elizabeth, he continued, "One thing is for sure, he sure fancied you…"

"Well, the whole thing makes no sense to me. So why did you do it…?"

Jack laughed softly as his gaze again met his coffee cup before looking up to catch her eyes. "Well, I'm always in favor of community improvements, and I know the money will go to good use."

"I appreciate the donation, and the sentiment, but is that really your reason?"

"It's one of them…"

"Okay, Jon…I…I'm sorry, I'm having a hard time with the name thing." For some reason, she felt her anger toward this man waning somewhat. "Jack, suits you. Is it okay if I stick with Jack?"

"I'd like that…"

"Okay, Jack, what are the other reasons for your crazy, bizarre, out-of-this-world bid. I mean, what are you expecting from this date?"

"Nothing. I'm not expecting anything from you, Elizabeth. I just want to spend some time with you; have a chance to get to know you better."

"Jack, you are aware that this is not a sleepover, right? You don't get me for the month to take care of cleaning your place and other non-specific duties…"

Jack laughed. She was nervous and he watched as she fidgeted with her hands, finding her awkward straightforward approach to be quite appealing. "I'm well aware of what I was bidding on. Unfortunately, my colleague, Dr. Cavanaugh, and I suspect Mr. Smythe, were both a bit foggy regarding that aspect of the date."

"Excuse me?"

"Look, Elizabeth, I don't have a sister, but if I did, I wouldn't want her going out with either of them," Jack admitted.

"Would they say the same thing about you?" she asked.

"I would hope not. I'm a nice guy…"

"Yes, you've said that, but I believe that Ethan, you know the lawyer who gave me a black eye and broke my nose, told me the same thing…"

Jack was angry; certainly not at Elizabeth, but at the narcissistic bully who was giving good men a bad name. Because of him, Jack could tell that Elizabeth questioned everything, all motives, all compliments, all attempts to put her at ease, and made her fearful of men in general. He couldn't blame her. Lying on the floor with a broken nose, and black eye as a man, he assumed to be much bigger than her, stood over her would tend to do that to someone.

Although Jack didn't expect her to trust him immediately, he did observe chinks in her armor, times when she smiled, seemingly relaxed, only to back away, becoming cautious and untrusting again.

Reminded of the comments made by the auctioneer, Elizabeth asked, "Okay, as for Dr. Cavanaugh, the auctioneer also told me he shut down the auction after your bid, because he was basically protecting me from him. So, what's the deal, is he a psycho, or physically aggressive?"

"Um, I'm not a psychiatrist, but I'd assume he is not psycho," Jack responded. "I can't say he's aggressive, but maybe extremely persuasive would be more like it. He did tell me that you and he had dated…"

"Excuse me…? I barely know the man," Elizabeth was livid. "I called his office to see if I could get him to be a model at the benefit. Surprisingly, he answered the phone, and only wanted to discuss it in person. I met him for coffee, and he basically told me that he'd model if I did something for him."

'Another man; another bad apple,' Jack thought. "I'm sorry; not all men are like him…"

"Well, he asked me to go away with him, and seemed shocked with I declined his offer. I should have dumped my coffee on him…if I'd had ice water, I would have."

Trying to regroup, she sat back in her seat with her coffee cup in hand. "Are you jealous of Dr. Cavanaugh for some reason?" she asked, knowing little about Jack and even less about Carter, but finding nothing that Jack should feel inferior for. "Please, just tell me…"

Jack hesitated, "Look, I have known Carter Cavanaugh since we started medical school, and sadly, he feels that women are good for one thing…no, I'm sorry, three things. One, he thinks they should wait on him hand and foot, and the other two things, are sex related, and I'm too much of a gentleman to tell you what they are."

Elizabeth's heart was pounding, as she was again thrown back to the night when Ethan attacked her, and before Rosie arrived and put him in his place, he let her know that a man can take what he wants, when he wants it. "Are you telling me the truth, or is this some college 'one upmanship' between the two of you?"

"Look, he has money and has always felt that people, women in particular, will fall all over him because of it. Trust me, if I hadn't been late getting to the benefit, and there had been other seats available, I wouldn't have taken the chair next to him," Jack stated, his voice sounding quite sincere. "I won't deny that there is no love lost between us. We basically tolerate each other because we have to."

Until her experience with Ethan, Elizabeth thought that she was a good judge of character. Sadly, he had made her jaded, and she was skeptical of everyone, but particularly men. "Would you have bid on me if you weren't trying to beat him?"

Jack smiled broadly, bringing about the deep dimples she remembered the first night they'd met. "That's why I showed up. I'd heard about the benefit, but I've been so busy with surgeries and then Marcus came in on an emergency, and I wasn't planning to attend." He thought for a moment, "Mrs. Copeland told me that you had been roped into being a bachelorette, and…well, I'm a doctor and I had to make sure my patient was okay, but as soon as I left Marcus' room, I ran. I can't say I knew to where I was running, but thankfully I got there in time."

"Really…?" she asked.

"Yes, really." Jack took another deep breath, inhaling her perfume which seemed to combine rich musk, along with fruity scents such as Mandarin oranges, and peaches, while adding in notes of basil and vanilla. The scent…her scent was intoxicating.

After a moment, he opened his mouth. His tone was romantic, and his words were soft and gentle, "Elizabeth, I think the better question for the night may be, 'would I have shown up if you weren't going to be here?' and the answer is a definite 'no.'"

Jack continued, as his eyes never left hers, "When you came out, and you were breathtaking in case I didn't mention it…sorry, I digress," he shook his head trying to remove the image of her in the wedding dress and refocus. "Anyway, Carter made a point to tell me that you'd be going home with him tonight, and it made my stomach turn. I remember what you told me at the club about the lawyer, and I didn't want you to have to deal with him. So, I outbid him."

"I'll pay you back, Jack. If he is like you say, I appreciate what you did, but that's too much for you to pay to go out with me."

"I would have paid more…" Jack blurted out, a statement that seemingly took Elizabeth's breath away. "Apparently, I shocked him, and they ended the bidding before he thought to counter bid," Jack responded, "and no, you won't pay me back. Now that we've addressed that issue, is it possible to move on to the night we met…why did you leave, did I upset you somehow? I mean, I know we had our misunderstanding, but I thought you forgave me."

"Okay, first of all, I did accept your apology. But let's start at the beginning' why did you lie about who you were?" Elizabeth asked.

"That's a fair question…one that you will also need to answer," Jack responded. "But since you asked me first, I'll start… Elizabeth, I didn't want to go that night."

"Neither did I," she stated. "Sorry, I didn't mean to interrupt. Please, continue…"

"Anyway, I was exhausted; I hadn't had much sleep, and I was tired of meeting women who…" he stopped.

"Women who what?" she asked.

"Unfortunately, when the women I meet find out I'm a heart surgeon, and I don't mean this in a conceited way, but they see money and status and they don't see me; present company excluded, of course."

"When you say, present company excluded, how do you know I'm not like that?" she asked.

"Well, you didn't turn up your nose at the guy who was a mechanic, and you seemed very interested in him. Most women would have wished me well and moved on," Jack replied.

"I was interested; Jonathan was a very likeable guy…"

"I hope you'll give me an opportunity to show you that I'm the same guy."

Elizabeth smiled. She found herself more willing to listen without passing judgment than she thought she would have been. However, still having a nagging thought, she asked, "I don't generally go to clubs, because men there always seem to be looking for a hookup." Realizing that she'd lumped him into a general category, she quickly added, "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to imply…"

"Oh, but aren't the women who go with the men apparently looking for the same thing?"

"I guess so, but that's not me."

"Elizabeth, I didn't get that impression from you. Anyway, did I ever imply when we were talking at the club that I wanted you to go back to my place?"

"No…"

"Did I ever ask if you wanted to go someplace more private?"

"No…"

"Did I make you feel as though I wanted more from you than just conversation…?"

"No…"

"I respect you, Elizabeth. Sleeping around is not something I do…it's certainly not what I'm looking for."

"I'm sorry; I didn't mean to imply…"

"Yes, you did, but it's okay; I understand. You have to be cautious. I'm a nice guy…"

"So, you've said," Elizabeth smiled, and Jack reciprocated.

"I am a nice guy, but there are bad apples everywhere…men and women."

"Okay, I get it and I apologize for questioning your intent. Now, I know why I gave a fake name, and for the record, Grace is my middle name, but why did you lie about yours?" Elizabeth asked.

"Like, I said, I didn't want to go, but it was the club's grand opening, my best friend is the owner, so, I went. It was his suggestion to use a different name and occupation in order to weed out those who weren't really interested in me," Jack explained. "If it means anything, like you, Jonathan is my real name, I didn't really fib about that."

"Let's call it what it is okay…it's a lie."

"You're right, I lied," Jack admitted. "I wasn't looking to meet anyone. I was actually biding my time until I could comfortably leave, you know, feeling as though I had appropriately supported my best friend," Jack began to explain. He looked into her eyes, but released a soft laugh as he glanced down at his cup of coffee. He inhaled and released a deep breath, and along with it some of his nervousness. "That's when I saw you sitting at the table, and I waited, because there was no doubt in my mind but that you had to be there with a boyfriend, a fiancé or husband. When no man sat at your table, I took the chance that you were alone. The moment I met you, things changed. I no longer wanted to leave. I wanted to get to know you, but by that point I'd already fibbed…I mean, lied. So, what's your excuse?"

"I didn't want to go either, but my best friend wouldn't take 'no' for an answer. I guess I did it…and I've never done it before, but I lied for safety reasons," Elizabeth admitted.

"Safety reasons?" he asked.

"You know, if you turned out to be a psycho-killer, you'd be looking for a teacher named Grace."

"And I was…I mean not the psycho-killer part. I was trying to find a teacher named Grace. I almost had a date with one, too, but realized she wasn't you." Jack's eyes were warm, and kind, and he smiled softly as he set out to apologize, having forgotten that he'd done so on the night they met. "I get it, and I understand. I will give you a hard pass on the safety issue. Just like with the drinks that night…you felt the need to ask me to have the waitress bring them, because you didn't know me."

"Technically, I still don't…just like you don't know me."

"But Elizabeth, I want to get to know you. No pressure. No expectations. The night at the club, I wasn't thinking, and you shouldn't have even had to ask me to have the waitress bring the drinks. I should have been thinking about what would make you comfortable with me, and done that without you being in the position to ask or wonder if your drink was safe. So, for that, I'm very sorry."

"Well, you were very kind and understanding when I asked. You apologized then, and you made me feel like you truly wanted me to feel safe…like you weren't put out by my request."

"I do want you to feel safe with me, Elizabeth," he admitted. "Maybe not for the same safety reasons, but my lie was for safety too, I guess, since I was trying to protect my mental health."

Elizabeth laughed. "So is your mental health intact?"

"Right now, my mental health is doing quite well, thank you for asking," he replied with a smile.

Usually, one to wait before springing her father's wealth on possible suitors, she assumed that now was just as good a time as any. "Look Jack, I know where you're coming from. My father is president and CEO of a major company in Boston, with branches in several parts of the country. He has worked extremely hard to provide a great life for his family. However, I wasn't raised to feel entitled or to think of myself as better than anyone else." Feeling such love for her family, her eyes became a bit glassy, and she wiped under them, catching several tears before they fell down her cheek. "My father put me through college, but I worked for my extra spending money. After graduate school, I wanted to remain in Chicago. My parents, on the other hand, wanted me to come home to Boston. My dad finally conceded, but only if I found a place to live that he felt was safe."

"Well, you're still here, so I guess you came to an agreement," Jack responded. "I'm really glad you stayed…"

"I had worked for years during the summers and holidays in the mailroom of my dad's company, and asked him to keep any money I made until I needed it in the future. Without me knowing, he invested my pay, and presented it to me at graduation. It was enough for a substantial down payment on an apartment that my father could agree to…so I stayed."

"He sounds like a conscientious father…he got a bit of peace in where you live, and you were able to stay, knowing that you worked, and saved to make it happen. It has to make you feel good."

"It does, but…"

"But what…?"

"I love my apartment building, and Henry the doorman is such a sweet man, but after Ethen attacked me, my parents… actually my dad, showed up at my door expecting me to move home," Elizabeth admitted. "I didn't want to give up my independence, and I certainly didn't want Ethan thinking that he'd beat me. I mean, he'd beat me up, but I wasn't beaten…you know what I mean?"

"I do, and it angers me that a man would put his hands on you like that," Jack responded.

"Well, as a result, I took a self defense class with a guy in my building…oh, he's a doctor, too, but at a different hospital."

"A guy in your building?" he asked, feeling a twinge of jealousy.

"Well, he's the type who would go to a club looking for a hookup. We're just friends, and running buddies…"

"You like to run?"

"Nope…hate it, but I love how I feel when I get back home. Anthony and I usually run at 6am, and I feel safe being out at that time of the morning with him," she explained as Jack visualized a very muscular, and athletic, Anthony.

"So, you haven't dated him?"

"Oh, heavens no. He's asked me out many times, but his apartment seems to have a revolving door, and I can't compete with his bevy of beauties…"

"You should never have to compete, Elizabeth…"

"Well, anyway, he took the self-defense course with me so I wouldn't be alone," she stated. "I learned a lot, and I'll be prepared the next time."

"You shouldn't have to worry about the possibility of a next time."

"I know, Jack, but the world is what it is, and there are always people out trying to take advantage of those they assume to be weaker than themselves," she replied. Thinking back to her assault by Ethan, she took a deep breath, "Ethan will never lay his hands on me again, and if he does, I'll fight back."

"So, your dad let you stay, I assume…"

"He didn't want to. He was scared, and it was one of the few times I've ever caught him crying. When he came to my apartment, I wasn't expecting him, and I hadn't prepared him for how I looked. I glanced through the peephole, and for a moment, I didn't want to open the door, but when I did, he stepped inside and hugged me. I went into the kitchen to get him something to drink and when I came back into the den, he was standing by the window, and tears were rolling down his cheeks," Elizabeth admitted as she wiped away her own fallen tears.

Jack wished he'd been sitting beside her. All he wanted to do was pull her against his body and hold her close. "How did you manage to talk him into letting you stay?"

"We had a doorman, but no security. Then all of a sudden there were security officers, one in the lobby and another in the elevator. I don't know who my dad complained to, but I believe he did, and suddenly the calvary arrived," she smiled. "I won't complain, because I personally appreciate the addition. I guess sometimes money and influence can get things done that benefit not only me, but all of the other residents in the building."

"That's using what you have available to take care of more than just yourself. Your father sounds like a very good man."

"He is, but I remember people assuming that just because my parents were wealthy that I'd graduate simply because they would fund some new wing onto the university. There were even several guys who asked me out simply trying to fast track it to the company's internship program. So, I get your concern about not knowing what people are after."

Without thinking, Jack reached across the table and placed his hand on top of hers. She looked up and caught his glance but didn't withdraw her hand. "Just so you know," she continued, "I'm not interested in your money."

Both were feeling more comfortable, but now their final elephant needed to be exposed.

Elizabeth pulled her hand back under the guise of taking hold of her coffee cup. "Okay, we've addressed the name and occupation lies, so, I guess I really don't understand. I mean, I know you heard me talking to my friend, and I don't know exactly what you heard, but I assume you realized that maybe I was a bit more than you wanted to deal with. If that was the case, you could have simply told me to have a nice night and then been on your way…" Elizabeth practically presented a dissertation, not allowing him a word. "You didn't need to sneak away…"

"I told you before, I didn't leave…"

"Jack, I watched you walk away from the table…"

Trying to lighten the mood he asked, "Did you like what you saw?"

"Oh, get over yourself…" she responded. "You said you were going to the bar to order drinks, but I watched as you walked right past the bar. You didn't stop to order drinks, or talk to the bartender. Although I've only been to the women's restroom, and I'm not privy to all the secret places in the club, after I waited for nearly thirty minutes, and you didn't return, I could only assume you ran out the back door as fast as your mechanic's feet could take you."

"Will you let me explain, because you couldn't be farther from the truth…"

"Sure, go ahead," she gave him the floor as she leaned back in her seat.

"As I walked toward the bar, I caught a glimpse of Kasie, one of the waitresses. She's a single mom, and a friend of my best friend, Lee…the owner of the club. Anyway, she's a single mother, and is very proud; she won't take any tips unless she's done the work. So, I ordered the drinks through her, so I could drop a tip into her jar. You couldn't see us from where you were sitting, but I promise you, I ordered the drinks before I went to the men's room."

"Okay, so you ordered drinks, why didn't you come back to the table?" she asked.

"When I got to the men's room, I heard arguing inside. I opened the door, and two guys were fighting over some girl name Becky or Barbara or Bitsy…something like that. There was blood on the wall, the mirror, the floor, and being a doctor, I had to help them."

"Oh my, how bad were they hurt?" she asked, still not certain that she believed him.

"One guy had a broken nose, which is where all the blood was coming from, and the other guy, I suspect, had a fracture in his hand," Jack explained. "I couldn't leave them, because every time I turned away, they started fighting again. Someone found friends of theirs in the club and they came and took them to the ER. I did what I could for them, but I didn't have the necessary supplies and I'm not an ER doctor," Jack felt a weight lifted from his shoulders as he explained. "When I returned to the table, Kasie was dropping off the drinks, but you were nowhere in sight. She went into the bathrooms looking for you but came back and said that you must have left."

"Well, by that time I had left," she admitted. "WOW, I didn't know…I assumed you left me."

"I ran outside to see if I could find you, but you were gone," he stated, his eyes still making contact with hers. "I even stopped by that marshmallow store you told me about, hoping maybe you were there."

'Right, like I believe that,' she thought. Trying to catch him in another lie, she asked, "Did you order anything?"

"Well, the only thing you mentioned loving were the S'mores, and they had just finished a batch when I walked in, so yeah, and you were right, it was really good."

Remembering during her visit to XO Marshmallow that there was a wait on the S'mores treats, she realized that he wouldn't have known that unless he'd visited the store close behind her. So, if he was telling the truth about that, she had to assume that he was being truthful about the other information as well.

"Please tell me that you believe me…" Jack broke the uneasy silence between them.

Elizabeth, having nursed her coffee until it was lukewarm, glanced up from her cup, "I do believe you, and I'm sorry that I left, but after thirty minutes of waiting, I just assumed…well, I think we know what I assumed."

"I guess I don't blame you; I may have thought the same thing if the situations had been reversed," Jack replied, thankful that she'd listened and accepted his explanation. "I want you to know, Elizabeth, I was really enjoying talking to you, and for someone who really didn't want to be there in the first place, I didn't want the evening to end."

"Excuse me," the barista approached, "I'm sorry, but we're getting ready to close up."

Glancing at her watch, Elizabeth realized that they'd been talking for several hours, and it was nearly 2am. Jack stood, "Are you finished?" he asked.

"Yeah, it's no longer hot."

"Do you want a cup to take with you?" he asked.

"No, thank you, I'm fine," she replied.

Jack took their cups and the remnants of their muffin and lemon cake, wiped them off the table and threw the trash away.

She had the impression that what he'd done (cleaning up their mess) was second nature, and by no means an attempt to impress her. In her mind, she put a few brownie points in his 'PRO' category, having already wiped away the deductions for lying from the 'CON' side.

He held the door open as she stepped out onto the sidewalk. Standing just outside the coffee shop, the streets seemed practically deserted.

"Thank you for the coffee, and the talk, Jack. I don't live too far away, and the train station is up just a few blocks. It's late and I'm sure you have an early morning at the hospital, so I can get myself home from here."

"No…"

"What…?" she asked as she'd turned in the direction of the train station, only to turn back around to face him.

"I'm giving you a ride home," his tone was firm.

"I just don't want to put you out, and I'm sure you're exhausted," she replied as she stuck her hands into the pockets of her jeans.

"Actually, this is the best I have felt since the night we met at the club. Please, I just want you to be safe, so let me give you a ride home."

"Thank you; I really would appreciate a ride," she stated as they headed toward Jack's car.

As they pulled up to Elizabeth's building, Jack was quite intrigued by its grandeur, and thankful that her parents had agreed to allow her to stay. "So, was this my date, or are you willing to go out with me?" He found himself holding his breath as he awaited her answer.

When she didn't immediately respond, he continued, "Look, I've never had to pay a woman to spend time with me, and if you'd prefer, I'll just consider the bid a donation," he stated, the smile having left his face. He turned to face her, "Why are you laughing?"

"For two reasons; first of all, I'm sure your mother would be glad to hear that you don't pay women to spend time with you…"

"Uh, it sounded quite different in my head. That's not really what I meant."

"I know…"

"What's the second reason…?"

"Well, I really liked Jonathan, and I was disappointed when I didn't see him again."

"E-liz-a-beth, my name is Jack, but Jonathan and I are truly the same person. Everything I said to you that night as Jonathan was the truth. Well, everything except my name and occupation. Jonathan enjoyed talking with you, and I have too. So, will you go out with me?"

"I would love to go out with you, Jack."

"Really…?"

"Don't sound so surprised," she responded.

"May I have your phone?" he asked.

With her phone in his hand, he called his cell number. Plugging in her contact information, he handed her phone back to her. "I'll call you," he stated as he shut off the engine and opened his door.

Before she grabbed the handle, her door opened and he held out his hand, which she took. He saw her safely inside the building, which was monitored, as she had previously mentioned, by a doorman, and security.

"Thank you for the ride home, the talk and the coffee," she stated.

"I'll call you tomorrow. Take a look at your schedule and see what night would be good for you, and where you'd like to go."

"I'll let you decide the place…" she responded.

"Oh, the pressure," he stated as both of them laughed.

Jack stood and watched as she stepped into the elevator, already occupied by a security guard. He waved in response to her like action, only walking away once the doors closed. "She is safe getting to her apartment, right?" he asked the doorman.

"Oh, yes sir. Ms. Elizabeth is perfectly safe. No one gets through here to the elevator unless they live here, are expected by one of our residents or they knock all three of us out."

Initially feeling comfortable, the last possibility mentioned by the doorman had the hair on Jack's neck standing on end. He sat in his car for a moment, giving her a chance to get into her apartment. Then he texted her…

"Just making sure u got inside ur apartment ok…"

Once inside her apartment, Elizabeth reached into her purse and pulled out her phone. Having placed her phone on 'silent' mode for the benefit, there was no ding signifying Jack's text, but it still lit up her screen.

"Yes, TY 4 ur concern, but I'm inside, my door is locked and I'm safe. TY again for 2night…"

"My pleasure. TTY 2morrow…"

Elizabeth turned on her ringer, and immediately realized that Rosie had repeatedly called her, leaving several messages, each one becoming more frantic than the last.

"R u awake…?" Elizabeth texted her.

No text response was received, but Elizabeth's phone immediately rang. "Hello, Rosie…"

"WHAT IS GOING ON?"

"Stop yelling," Elizabeth responded.

"I have been trying to reach you for hours; are you okay?" Rosie asked, her tone was now less out of control, but still concerned.

"I'm fine. It's been quite the night, though."

"I had this visual of you being sold to the highest bidder and it being some freak who took you home and we never saw you again," Rosie reacted, her voice sounding quite dramatic. "You're okay, though, right?"

"I'm fine, but you aren't going to believe this?"

"What…?"

"Take a guess on who bid on me…?"

"Um, Prince Harry comes to mind. You know, he was always a rowdy sort," she giggled. "How am I supposed to know? Did you break $100.00 in the bidding."

"More like $35,000…"

Rosie laughed. I need to get my ears cleaned out. I could have sworn you said $35,000…"

"I did…" Elizabeth responded, and there was immediate silence. "Rosie, are you there?"

Rosie swallowed hard, "Who bid that much and is he planning to take you away to some secret island where he'll keep you forever?"

"Well, this is another shocker…"

"Wait and let me sit down," a moment later, Rosie continued, "Okay, I'm sitting, go ahead."

"Do you remember Jonathan, the mechanic that we met at the club opening?"

"How could I forget…Mr. Hunk-a-licious who treated you like crap. What does he have to do with all this?"

"Well, it appears that 'Jonathan' the mechanic, is actually Dr. Jack Thornton, a heart surgeon and head of the cardiothoracic department at Northwestern Memorial."

"Nooo…" Rosie gasped.

"Yep…and he bid $35,000 for a date with me."

"WOW, I've always told you you're special, but this goes way above what I was thinking."

"I know; it's hard to grasp. I don't think it's really sunk in yet… Jonathan, or rather Dr. Jack Thornton actually bid $35,000 for me. Oh, and there were two other people bidding. Jack apparently has a concern about the other two men, so, he implied that he bid enough to win in order to protect me from them."

The phone went silent.

"Rosie, are you there?"

"$35,000…?"

"Yes."

"See I told you that you needed to give him a chance to explain. There's your explanation in 35,000 words."

"Don't get ahead of yourself. I'm not positive that you're right. I mean, some doctor he went to medical school with bid $25,000, and there was an older gentleman who was also bidding. I think he got up to $22,500 or some crazy amount like that. But listen, I'm not positive that Jack and the other doctor weren't just trying to beat each other out," Elizabeth explained. She knew they had talked, and she wanted to believe him, but she was hesitant to trust everything he said. "Besides, one of the nurses told me that he doesn't date the same woman more than once, so, if that's the case, I think he's going to be quite disappointed in our $35,000 date. I mean, I'm certainly not spending the night."

"WOW, just WOW…"

"I know, tell me about it. Oh, and guess what else happened today…"

"You lost your virginity; you're getting married; you bought a car… Seriously, Elizabeth, if it isn't one of those three, I don't have a clue," Rosie responded.

"Well, do you remember the job at the hospital that I interviewed for?" Elizabeth asked.

"WOW, that seems like forever ago."

"It was, and I actually forgot about it. I mean, I interviewed I think two or more months ago, and then went back in the next week for another interview…then nothing. Anyway, I forgot about it. I figured I wasn't qualified, because they want someone with more supervisory experience than I have."

"So, did you get it?" Rosie squealed.

"I got a call just before the benefit started…if I want it, it's mine."

"I remember you telling me that the money was so much better than working for the city, and the benefits were fabulous. I mean the medical package alone was top notch. So, when do you start?" Rosie asked.

"Well, I haven't actually accepted the position. And I'm not so sure now that I want it…"

"Why not…?" she asked.

"I just think it would be best to consider everything before jumping headfirst and giving up what I already have."

"Elizabeth, why the hesitation; is it because of Jon, I mean Jack?"

"Well, I certainly wouldn't have thought twice if they'd offered it to me before I met him, but I just don't want him thinking that I'm following him."

"Okay, girl, you have to look out for you. Is this job good for your career?"

"Absolutely, and more than that, I think I could help some of these families with sick children; you know, help take some things off their plate, at least for a little while."

"Then you need to do it. I mean, sleep on it tonight, but don't let the fact that he also works there impact your decision. After all, it's a big hospital. You guys probably won't ever see each other."

"You're right. I guess I just wasn't expecting the call and didn't know what to say."

"Do you want it?"

"I do. I mean, these families are so overwhelmed and need someone to help them navigate the system of services," Elizabeth admitted. "Even with being a supervisor, I will get to work hands on with these families. I lost a lot of that when I moved up to supervisor in social services. Oh, and I'm not limited to working with juvenile patients…I'd be helping all ages."

"WOW, my grandma could have used someone like you when she was in the hospital the last time."

"I know. These families need someone who will work to help them and not force them to have to fight for everything when they're dealing with the stress of illnesses or injuries. I could be that person…"

"Well, it sounds like you want to take it." Uncharacteristic for Rosie, she became quiet, allowing Elizabeth to continue talking through this offer.

"Rosie, I was told when I moved up to supervisor that I would still be able to carry a caseload, but with everything that goes a long with supervising a staff of 10 social workers, there is so much paperwork that I only get to help out one-on-one when my staff is on vacation. It's not really what I wanted it to be," Elizabeth admitted.

Barely taking a breath, Elizabeth continued, "I'll be making more money, and you know how I hate my dad sending me checks. I mean, he feels like I need help, and after the first three times I sent it back and the argument I ran into, I just put it into an account and one day, if the stars align themselves, I may have a baby, and I'll put that into a trust for him or her."

Hearing Elizabeth pause as her hard breaths softened, Rosie stated, "Girl, I think you've answered your own question. Now, the only thing left to ask yourself is…do you want it?"

"I do. I really do. Thanks for talking me through it. You're the best, Rosie…"

"I'll never be as good as you, Elizabeth." Taking a breath, Rosie continued, "So, how long have you been home?" Rosie asked.

"I actually just walked in the door," she replied.

"Is Marcus doing, okay?"

"Yeah, he's doing great, or I guess I should say he's doing as well as they expected. He'll be in ICU for at least a few more days."

"Then why are you so late getting home?"

"Jack gave me a ride home and we stopped off for coffee at 'Thanks a Latte,' and talked."

"And you wanted to lead in with the new job instead of your date with the doctor? Well, I guess for $35,000, a little extra time was expected."

"Rosie, he knew I was upset with him, and maybe I shouldn't be, because I lied too, but he actually said that he wouldn't push me to go out with him just because he won the auction. If I didn't want to go out, he'd just consider it a donation."

"WOW, he sounds really sweet. You are going out with him though, right?"

"He's going to call me tomorrow…or, I guess it's today, I mean," she stated as she glanced at the clock on the wall.

"So, what do you think of the doctor? Do you like him as much as you liked the mechanic?"

"Rosie, they are the same person…"

"I know that; so, what do you think?"

"He seems nice and considerate. When we got to my building, he walked me inside, and I think he was going to go with me upstairs…and before you say anything, I didn't invite him in. It's just that I think he wanted to make sure I got in safely."

"So, what happened?"

"You know my doorman, Henry, is kind of protective of me, and between him and the security officer in the lobby and the one on the elevator, I think they may have intimidated him," Elizabeth responded. "Anyway, I guess he felt comfortable seeing me off in the lobby, and maybe he didn't want to assume too much; you know, like I was going to invite him in for a drink or someth..."

"Well, a shady guy would probably be expecting "something," so, maybe you should just relax and give him a chance," Rosie suggested. "Besides, your place is pretty safe, and since Ethan's little escapade, and they hired the security team, it's even safer."

"Yeah, but it was sweet, because Jack texted me from outside the building to make sure I'd made it into my apartment."

"You like him, don't you?"

"He's very nice, but…"

"Please don't tell me, but…"

"But, it's too soon to say for sure."

"Okay, you go get some sleep, and dream about that gorgeous doctor and forget about what happened at the club when you met. Apparently, it was all a misunderstanding…" Rosie suggested. "Hey, his name is Jack, right?"

"Yeah, why…"

"Well, that's Lee's best friend's name; you know, the guy we were trying to hook you up with. Do you think it could be the same guy?"

"Yes…"

"YES, yes, it has to be."

"That's what I just said. He mentioned being at the club to support his best friend."

"WOW, there's your sign, Elizabeth."

"What sign…?"

"Your best friend is dating his best friend. I don't care what you say, that's a sign right there…"

"You're too funny, Rosie. Go to sleep."

Elizabeth plugged her phone into the charger and left it on the kitchen counter. She grabbed a bottle of water from the refrigerator and headed for her bedroom. Sitting on her bed, she pulled her journal from her bedside table along with her favorite writing pen.

Thinking about the comments made during their phone conversation, Elizabeth thought, 'how ironic was it that her best friend was dating Jack's best friend. Then she thought, "Rosie and her boyfriend have been trying to get me and his friend, Jack, together, and I've fought it tooth and nail, and I can only assume that he has, as well. "WOW what a small world we live in," she whispered as she opened her journal and flipped to the next blank page…

"I don't like to think of myself as being jealous of others, a definite character flaw I would not be proud of, but when I look around, I can't help but to be envious of those who have what I seek… family and friends, a career of which to be proud, a home, and the love of a good, patient and kind man. I should be satisfied, for I do have three-quarters of what I'm wanting, but is it greedy to want a man in my life who will care for me just because I am, and not because I crawl into bed and service him like a wench from medieval days? Although I'm so happy for those who have found it, I'm sad for me.

I know what I want, or maybe better yet, I know what I don't want. I don't want a man who towers over me…not physically, but emotionally. I don't want a man who assumes that he controls me; that my thoughts, and feelings are insignificant. I don't want a man who expects me to blindly follow him, just because, and that any concerns or suggestions I have are ridiculed and met with contempt, or God forbid, physical or mental abuse. I want to feel secure in his company; to know that his arms around me are done so lovingly and not in an attempt to imprison me, and I want someone who honestly wants the best for me, as I will always want for him.

So, I have to wonder, is a man who pays $35,000 for a date with a woman, so rich that money means nothing? Is he someone who's used to getting what he wants? Is he a player like the nurse implied, or is it possible that he is truly a kind, gentle man who wants to get to know me while throwing an obscene amount of cash into the bucket to help his community and volunteer programs? Is it possible that he, too, hopes to find someone special in this world of so many where dishonesty runs rampant, and trust is in short supply? Sadly, at least in this instance, I must count myself amongst the dishonest.

Whatever the case may be, he seems different…I mean, like good, different, and I hope he doesn't prove to be disappointedly like so many others I've met, because right now, I do like what I see…"

Elizabeth closed her journal, held it to her chest, and inhaled deeply. The masculine scent of the outside leather binding was quite strong, but what was contained between the hard bound covers were years of a woman's dreams, feelings, thoughts and emotions.

Elizabeth had experienced a lot in those years, both good and bad. The good parts left her wanting to trust others, giving her the ability to open her heart to someone special. However, the bad parts, left her scared and hesitant, and it was going to take someone special to get her to trust again.

Only hours later, Elizabeth's phone was going off with text after text. Barely able to open her eyes, she observed the time, 6:04 am, and the texts were from Anthony.

A: "Hey, you running 2 day…?"

A: "U OK…?"

A: "I'm worried. Please, u OK…?"

A: "I'm coming up…?"

Finally, her eyes focused, "No, I'm fine. Got home L8 from benefit. I'm not running 2day…W8, I though u were out of town…"

A: "Plans were cancelled. Hope the benefit went well. Want to go get coffee b4 work…?"

E: "It went well. Made lots of money. May b on coffee, still in bed…"

A: "Oh, the vision of u in bed. Do u want company…?"

E: "Stop…u know I'm not sleeping w u…"

A: "Really…I could rock ur world…"

E: "My world is rocked enuf already…"

A: "I'm disappointed, but we can do coffee, or u can go out to dinner w me…"

E: "Coffee-mayb. No 2 dinner. Can't compete w ur bevy of beauties…"

A: "No competition. Just u is all I need…"

Elizabeth texted a series of laughing emojis. "Sorry, it has 2 b friends. I'd never b able 2 trust u…"

A: "At least we r talking about it. That's progress. I'll wear u down b4 2 long…"

E: "Don't count on it…"

Anthony presumably went on his run while Elizabeth sleepily crawled out of bed and made her way to the shower. If she didn't have mounds of paperwork on her desk, and a possible new job to contemplate, she would have considered calling in sick.

Freshly showered, and dressed, Elizabeth slipped into the elevator. Hoping to ride it down without stopping. However, she felt the car slow down and stop, picking up Anthony as they rode down to the lobby together.

"Do you have time for coffee?" he asked.

"No, I think I'm going to have to suffer through the monstrosity they call coffee in our break room," Elizabeth stated as they walked together toward the train station, but separated when she took the green line, and Anthony waited for the red line.

Northwestern Memorial Hospital… (9:30am)

Having finished his rounds, Jack was in his office looking over his schedule, not wanting to contact Elizabeth too early. He didn't sleep much last night, his hours of conversation with her putting a smile on his face. He was also excited about their upcoming date, and had already started planning a night to remember, and what he hoped would be the first of many more.

Watching the clock tick away, he held off contacting her until 11am. When he did so, she answered on the third ring…

"Hello…"

"Hi, Elizabeth; it's Jack…did I catch you at a bad time?"

"Good morning, and no, I'm just going through some paperwork on my desk." Actually, that was the truth, but she had also called the hospital's human resource manager several times to discuss their offer but hung up each time before the call connected. Suddenly she was reminded of the fact that he was not only her upcoming date, but Marcus' doctor, "Is Marcus, okay?" she blurted out.

"He's fine. I checked on him a little while ago, and we may look toward moving him to the 'Step-Down' unit by the middle of the week," a comment that had Elizabeth breathing easier.

It had been quite some time since Jack had asked a woman out, and possibly the nurses were correct in that he didn't date a woman more than once, but it was by no means a 'hit and run' situation. Although he wanted to find a woman with whom to share his life, he was rather quick to know when the chemistry was lacking, choosing to thank the woman for a lovely evening, and leave it at that.

However, Elizabeth was different. He didn't know why, or what it was about her, but she had been on his mind since the night he met her at the club, and their conversation last night, and their upcoming date, had him both nervous and excited.

"Um, did you get a chance to check your schedule?" he asked.

"Well, since the benefit is over, I really don't have anything pressing, so your schedule is probably the one in more need of consideration."

"Are you available on Saturday night?"

"Sure; where are we going?"

"It's a surprise…"

"Oh, well, will you at least tell me what to wear?"

"Dress up, but it doesn't have to be too fancy."

"Um, Jack…you don't need to take me any place fancy. I mean, I'm not high maintenance, and I'm happy with pizza or a hot dog."

A bit disappointed, Jack asked, "Are you trying to get out of our date?"

"No, certainly not. I just mean that I'm not hard to please, so don't feel like you have to…I'm sorry, I'm not saying this right. I just don't want you thinking that I expect anything special," she stopped, frustrated by her inability to effectively say what she felt.

She heard silence on the other end of the phone. "Jack…"

"Um, yeah…"

"I'm sorry." She didn't know why, but tears were beginning to sting her eyes. She liked him. She didn't know why. He'd lied to her, but then again, she'd lied to him as well. They were basically even.

"Can you tell me what's wrong?" His voice was soft, and soothing.

"I'm sorry. I'm just trying to say that you don't have to go out of your way for me. I have fun walking along the beach, going to a high school basketball game, talking while we enjoy an ice cream cone. I guess I'm trying to say that although dress up is nice, you don't have to do anything fancy for me," she released a hard breath. "That still didn't come out right."

"I know what you're saying, but I have had something I wanted to do with you ever since I met you that night at the club."

Elizabeth's skepticism had her asking, "Um, and again, you know this isn't a sleepover, right?"

"Hey, I like you, but I also respect you, and I've wanted to get to know you since the night we met. I'm not expecting anything from you, but I am hoping that you will have a nice time."

"Jack Thornton, I know it will be a wonderful evening. But still, no hints?" she asked.

"No… I'll pick you up at 5:30, is that okay?"

"Yes, that's perfect."

"Hey, is it okay if I call you tonight?" he asked.

"Sure…"

"Okay, I have an appointment due any time, so I guess I should go, but Elizabeth…"

"Yes, Jack…"

"I'm looking forward to Saturday…"

"Well, I can't say that I wasn't a fan of this bachelorette thing, but thank you for bidding on me, and not making me feel like the prize cow at the State Fair."

Jack laughed, "What's that about?"

"Just the way the auctioneer said 'SOLD,' made me feel like the prize heifer at the fair."

"Trust me, you are a prize, but you are far from a heifer. Wait, did that come out okay?"

"I gue…ss so. Anyway, I'm looking forward to Saturday, too," it surprised her, but it was the first date in a very long time that she was truly excited about.

"I'll call you tonight."

"Okay, go fix somebody's heart."

"I'll do my best…" Jack stated before the call ended.

"Dr. Thornton," Stacy called out, "Dr. Cavanaugh would like a word with you."

"I believe I have an appointment, so I'll have to catch up with him another…"

Jack's office door burst open, "Just like I figured, you have time for a chat."

"I'm sorry; he blew right past me," Stacey nervously called out as she followed Dr. Cavanaugh into Jack's office.

"That's okay, Stacey. Please let me know when my next appointment arrives," Jack stated.

"Should I call…" Stacey stopped but Jack knew she was implying security.

"Oh girl, go back to your desk. I'm just here to have a friendly conversation with Jack."

"It's okay, Stacey," Jack watched as she hesitantly closed Jack's office door.

"Before you say anything, let me advise you that Stacey is my secretary, a valued employee, and I won't have you treating her disrespectfully."

"Get over it, Jack. I'll apologize on my way out," he promised, but Jack was fairly certain that he had no intentions to do so. "Now, what happened last night…"

"What about it?"

"You knew I wanted that girl. What happened to the 'Bro code?'"

"First of all, we aren't 'Bros,' but most importantly, I know her, and frankly, she doesn't deserve you…"

"Well, I know I'm a catch, but…"

"Carter, it wasn't a compliment, and maybe I should have said that you don't deserve her," Jack was emphatic as he sat behind his desk, his voice firm, and his eyes refusing to look away.

"Look, Jack, I know I've had a bit of a reputation, but I have a feeling that she's the one who could make me a changed man."

"Let me have her, Jack…"

Jack laughed, "You beat all, Carter. You act like we're arguing over baseball cards, instead of a woman."

"A beautiful woman," Carter added.

"She certainly is, and if she wants to go out with you, it's a free world. I can't, nor would I ever try to stop her."

"Okay…game on!" Carter stated as he opened Jack's door and stormed out, and as Jack predicted, he neglected to apologize to Stacey.

"Hey, are you okay?" Stacey asked as she slipped into his office and closed the door.

"I'm sorry for the way he treated you. We went to med school together, and for some reason, he's always had the feeling that people are on this planet to serve him."

"Well, I had the phone in my hand, and I was preparing to call security," she stated.

"He knows better than to pick a physical fight with me. In our last year of medical school, he picked a fight with me, and to be honest, I don't even remember why. Anyway, I broke his nose, so I don't think he'll go that route again."

"Okay; I just wanted to make sure you were okay," she stated as she turned to leave.

"Hey, Stacey, do you have a minute…I wanted to talk to you about something."

"Sure…do I need my notepad?" she asked.

"No, I just need to talk to you about something."

Stacey stepped back into his office, closed the door behind her, and took a seat.

"Look, I know how the rumor mill works around here, and I just want to tell you something, before you hear other versions that may be passed around."

Looking confused, she stated, "I'm sorry…?"

"I guess you may have heard about the benefit that was held last night in the social hall to benefit the volunteer programs, and communities served by Cook County Social Services."

"Yes, and if this is about your bid, I'm sorry but the word is already out."

"WOW…" he stated.

"WOW, is right. Did I hear correctly, you bid $47,550 for a date…?"

"WHAT…?"

"Well, that's what I heard, but I would never pass that info around…it's just that you brought it up."

"You see, that's exactly what I mean. It was not $47,550, it was $35,000…" Jack shook his head. Although he would have gladly bid $47,550 to keep Elizabeth out of Carter's slimy hands, just the thought suddenly made him realize what Elizabeth meant about the prize-winning heifer.

"Well, is she pretty?"

"Excuse me…?"

"I'm sorry; I shouldn't have asked."

Jack smiled, "She's beautiful, but she's also smart and funny, and considerate, and thoughtful. I actually met her a few weeks ago, and I couldn't get her off my mind."

"Well, it's just a thought, but maybe if you had asked her out when you met her, you wouldn't have to shell out $35,000 now."

"I'm considering it a donation for a worthy cause."

"Well, you do remember that you sent them a check for $10,000, right?"

"Yes, that's money well spent," he responded. "Anyway, I didn't want anything ugly going around about Ms. Thatcher, and for some reason, my private life seems to be interesting to everyone."

"Ms. Thatcher, what's her first name?" Stacey asked.

"Elizabeth…why?"

"Hmm, Elizabeth Thatcher, I wonder…"

"What is it, Stacey?"

"Well, a woman called to talk with you about the benefit. She wanted you to be one of the models…I believe her name was Elizabeth Thatcher."

Realizing that he had missed several chances to meet Elizabeth following their encounter at the club, he responded, "She was involved in helping to put it together, and I feel bad, but she did call to get me to be a model for the benefit. I wouldn't have been able to do it anyway…you know, patients come first."

"Well, if her voice is any indication, she's beautiful…" Stacey remarked.

"That, she is."

Elizabeth's office- End of the day…

Elizabeth picked up her desk phone and finally followed through with her call to the HR department at Northwestern Memorial Hospital. Unfortunately, she received a message advising that that the person she needed to speak with had left early. She left a message and was actually thankful that it would give her another night to think it over.

She gathered her purse and phone and was heading toward the door of her office, when her secretary called…

"Hey Jenny, I was just getting ready to leave…"

"Um, did we miss your birthday or some other special occasion?" Jenny asked.

"No, why…?"

"Well then, somebody here is very popular. Wait in your office and we'll be right there…"

Elizabeth hung up her desk phone and took a seat in her chair. The door opened and two people stepped into her office carrying floral arrangements that completely obscured their faces.

Brooke held a vase with at least two dozen red roses, and Jenny's arrangement was full of colorful wildflowers. The two women sat the vases on Elizabeth's desk, one on either end.

"So, do you have anything you need to tell us?" Jenny asked.

'I might be accepting another position' was what she thought about saying. However, what she actually said was "They're probably from my family. They do send me flowers from time to time."

The two women stood fixed on the flowers waiting on Elizabeth to open the cards. "Well, thank you for bringing them in. I guess I'll see you guys in the morning," Elizabeth stated as she ushered them out the door.

Rushing back to the flowers that sat on her desk, she grabbed the first card she reached, the one stuck by a pick into the vase of red roses. Her hand shook as she read the card…

"Red roses for a beautiful woman.
I'll be calling soon, so keep a night
free to have dinner with me. If you'd
like, we can fly to New York for dinner
and a show, and then whatever else
we want to happen…

Carter"

Elizabeth was shocked at Carter's assumption that she'd go anywhere with him, let alone New York, with the idea that anything could happen. The flowers were beautiful, but extremely inappropriate. "Doesn't he realize that red roses mean 'love'?" she whispered.

She glanced over at the other arrangement, full of bright colors including orange spray roses, yellow roses, red carnations, yellow daisy spray chrysanthemums, green button spray, blue delphinium, purple stock, and lemon leaf. She hesitantly pulled the card from its pick and read…

"Thank you for the engaging conversation and
enchanting company. I'm looking forward to
our date and the opportunity to get to know
you better.

Jack"

Elizabeth pulled the arrangement from Jack closer as she thought about the flowers used. The orange roses expressed admiration and attraction, while the yellow roses symbolized friendship. She had no idea if he'd simply placed the order or if he had actually put any thought into it. Most men jumped to sending red roses for any occasion without thought of their meaning. Jack's arrangement, however, was thoughtful and appropriate. Carter's gift, on the other hand, simply showed her what he was expecting, and with which brain he was thinking…

Elizabeth placed both cards in her purse, called for an Uber, grabbed her phone and headed out of the office. She wanted to go visit Marcus, grab some takeout from the taco food truck down the street from her apartment and settle is while she waited for Jack's call.

To be continued…