Playing Doctor: A Central West End Story Read Free Page A

you, I’m not giving in here. This isn’t the hospital and I don’t have to do what you say.” She caught herself before she stomped her foot to emphasize her words, but Troy had seen the slight movement.
    Gretchen, Robert, and Sara walked back to them. Troy turned his head to keep Annie from seeing the grin he was trying to keep off his face. “So, what’s the story?”
    Gretchen glanced from him to Annie. “We only have the one apartment. I have a lease coming open in three months, but right now, the best I could do is offer one of you a unit in the Garden Suites units over on Hanley.”
    “How far away from the hospital is it?” Annie’s eyes filled with hope.
    “Ten, fifteen miles.”
    Troy watched the fight drain out of her. He needed a win-win solution. He wanted the apartment and so did she. If he left the decision to the leasing agents, they would do the right thing and giving the apartment to Annie who had been there first. He only had one chance at a solution where both of them would win, hopefully she’d bite, or he’d be driving to work and fighting parking.
    He could do anything for three months to avoid that.
    “What if we share the apartment?” His words flew out of his mouth before he could rethink the saneness of the offer.
    Annie took a step backwards, staring at him.
    He hurried to explain. “Just until the second one comes available. Then I’ll move and you’ll have the apartment to yourself. It has two bedrooms. We both work long hours and neither one of us will be there much anyway.”
    Annie slowly nodded her head, her eyes narrowed in thought as she worried her lip. He could tell she was considering the offer. 
    Gretchen spoke up. “And we’ll waive the deposit for both apartments because of the mix-up.”
    “Sounds fair.” Troy focused back on Annie who still hadn’t said anything. “Thoughts?”
    “This won’t make us friends.” Annie glared at him. “All you’re getting is a roommate. No funny business.”
    “I don’t need more friends. I need an apartment.” Troy held his breath. He hadn’t been joking with Sara when he said the apartment was perfect. He wanted this unit.
    Annie nodded. “We put the lease in my name. You send your half of the rent directly to Gretchen so if your overdue, she kicks you out, not me. And you pay half the utilities.”
    Gretchen nodded to Robert. “We’ll get the paperwork started.”
    Troy relaxed. He had a place to stay. At least three months. Then he’d have his own apartment. 
    He could ignore the spitfire blonde that would be sleeping in the next room for that long. No problem—at least he hoped. He had too much riding on the next few years to be distracted by a woman. Any woman.
    Ninety days and he’d be in his own place.
     

Chapter Two
    A row of treadmills and elliptical machines ran down one side of the building’s gym. The sheer number of pieces of cardio equipment had been one of the selling points during Robert’s walk through. Although if she was honest with herself, the proximity to the park was the one factor that had really sold her on the place. Twenty minutes into her run on the treadmill, she was lost in a daydream. She imagined herself outside in the park, the trees beginning to bud, the birds singing their morning wake up arias, the feel of the path under her feet.
    The sound of a new runner broke her concentration. She glanced to her left, following the rhythmic thump-thump, and almost missed a step. Tall, dark, and all that. A man she could adore from afar. He was gorgeous. And she lived with him.
    They’d been sharing the apartment for the last week and this was the first she’d seen him since the night when they first agreed to share the place. She’d seen his sister every day, stocking the fridge, supervising the movers, handling all her brother’s business. They’d had coffee together two mornings ago before she’d left for the hospital. She liked Sara. She hoped Troy appreciated her.
    He