What She Doesn't Know

Chapter 4

With clipboard in hand and pen in the other, Isabella took the vitals of each baby. All but one was healing properly, and she feared she would not be capable to nurse it back to health. The baby was born three months early.

Setting her clipboard down at her desk, she put in all the information needed so as to inform the next nurse about the progress of the babies. One little girl, Beatrice, the one who was born to an addicted mother, would not stop wailing and the beginner nurses chimed in to coddle and comfort it.

Isabella leaned back in her chair and sighed. Today was not going as rough as the day before for which she was more than thankful for; however, she still missed her friend Janice. She had called in sick again and the only possible reason as to why she was so sick was because she was either pregnant or had a virus that would not leave her body.

Glancing at the time, she took note that it was her time for a break, to which she informed the other nurses about and asked them if they wanted anything. They replied that they would get something later and to not worry.

She grabbed her jacket and headed out of the room and down the steps. Opening the door, she bumped into one of the doctors. "I am so sorry, Dr. Hans. Please excuse me. I was just heading out to grab some lunch."

A smile adorned his face as he saw that it was Isabella. "Oh, no worries at all, Bella. I was just heading out as well. Would you care to join me?"

Isabella knew she should have rejected Dr. Hans' invitation, especially when she saw his eyes travel down and away from her eyes. She would have, but she wanted the company of someone since her husband would not give her the time of day and her friend was sick.

Plastering on a sweet smile, she replied, "I'd love to."

He returned her smile with a brighter one of his own and placed his hand on her back to guide her to his car. He had asked her where she wanted to go. She didn't have a preference so he drove them to a little cafe to which she recalled her and Leo eating at three of four times.

A memory of him laughing at one of her embarrassing moments came to life. Her cheeks had turned pink and his laughter resounded more, attracting the eyes of others.

To go back to a time such as that would mean that she and Leo would actually have to communicate with others instead of passing glances and shallow remarks. He had opened up to her earlier to call him Christian instead of Dr. Hans so as to help their conversation become more facilitated.

They had gotten a table rather easily and she was surprised at how their conversation went smoothly without any awkward pauses. Dr. Hans was an attractive male in his late twenties. Whenever a woman had him come in, she would notice their cheeks tinge pink and even red.

Perhaps she could have had dated him once or twice, maybe even married him if she weren't married to Leo. She was shocked by her thought process and willed it to never reenter her train of thought.

"So tell me, Isabella, do you have any children?"

The question surprised her and she almost spat out the water she was drinking through her nose. She used a napkin to wipe away any water the trickled out of her mouth to save her from embarrassment. "Uh, no. Not at the moment."

An eyebrow lifted easily as he retained the information. "Aren't you married?"

"Yes. My husband and I aren't ready to have children yet. We are waiting for the right time." That was what she told herself, anyway. She doubted Leo would ever be ready to have children with her, and if that was the case, well, she didn't know.

Christian leaned back in his chair as he looked at the woman in front of him. If he were her husband, she would be pregnant the night of their honeymoon. He could not help but feel attracted to her, and having her here with him for lunch enabled him to feel somewhat superior to her husband.

An evil thought crossed his mind and he entertained it for a while until he was aware of the question she asked. "I'm sorry, what was that?"

"Do you have any children of your own?"

"Sadly, I do not even have a wife."

She looked down at her empty plate of food. Her fork gently played around with the little bit of sauce left on her plate. She felt a hand reach out to hers and felt warmth seep in from where he touched her.

Her blue eyes stared into Christian's brown eyes which reminded her of her husband's. Leo's were a finer brown, a cappuccino color she found herself getting lost in. Still, Christian's eyes were warm and welcoming.

"I want to take you out to lunch tomorrow." Noticing her startled features, he rephrased smoothly, "I mean as colleagues. I want to go over some things with you."

She cleared her throat and said, "I would like that; however, I do not work tomorrow."

He cocked his head to the side. "When is the next time you do work?"

"Monday of next week."

She had the weekend off. He calculated the days of work he had and made a mental reminder to switch days with another doctor. "Monday sounds perfect."

Her eyes widened as he told her. She was not expecting him to pounce on an opportunity so quickly. A part of her was excited to have someone else to talk to, even if he just wanted to meet with her about medicinal purposes.

"Alright, I look forward to meeting with you, then." She took out her purse and reached for her wallet when she saw two twenties on the table.

A smile adorned his features and Isabella instinctively compared it to Leo's. Of course, Leo's won, but it did not take away the beauty of Christian's. "A gentleman always pays."

An uneasy feeling arose from the pit of her stomach. She brushed it aside as easily as it came, advocating that it was because of the food she had just consumed. Monday was just around the corner and she could wait for it to arrive.