Is this destiny?

~ Los Angeles, LA Medical Center ~

5:02 PM

"Since when recent graduates get an office on the top floor?" Emma asked JoAnna while looking around huge corner office which has 'JoAnna Hill, MD' on the door. "And you are not even a full timer here…"

JoAnna smiled mysteriously. She would like to say that she is the majority shareholder and that is why she has this office, but she will break that news to her friend later. "Let's say that I am more than a doctor at this place. How are you doing?"

"You are asking about Brian?", Emma guessed.

"Yes.", JoAnna confirmed. "I thought you hit it off well at the wedding. What happened?"

"He travels a lot, and I am… insecure.", Emma admitted.

"Is that the reason to break up?"

Emma sighed and rubbed her forehead. "That is the thing… I don't know. Is there something to break up? Besides steamy kisses on the beach at the wedding, we didn't go further. Next day he told me that he will go to Europe for few days and immediately all my butterflies got replaced with concerns with whom he will be. It's not a secret that he is surrounded with models. Will he think about me? Will he hold and kiss some skinny blonde? Anyway… I thought about it for few days before I told him that I can't take it. I'm not at an age where handsome, steamy and flirty is enough. I am looking for stability. I need my man to be… present. Am I making any sense?"

JoAnna felt sorry for Emma. She can tell that her friend is troubled, and if situation is different she would not break it off with Brian.

"You tell me. I hear that on one side are your insecurities for which I can tell you to work on and it will get better. But the other part, where he is not present due to work travel, and you need him close… I just hope you don't regret it later."

"Oh, I am regretting it even now." Emma didn't hide how she feels from JoAnna. "I wish that he is here, and that we can hold hands and walk into the sunset together. But he is not here and that is the problem."

"What do you plan to do?"

"What can I do? Focus on work. I took a week off from Franciscan Medical Center, and I will spend time helping you out and taking care of Mr. Smith… I mean Charlie. He is so needy that I'm sure he will keep my mind off from Brian. And by the time I go back to Seattle, maybe Brian will be the last thing on my mind."

"Did you think about moving away from Franciscan Medical Center?"

Emma was confused by JoAnna's question. "Where would I go?"

"How about here?"

"What?" Emma was not sure she heard JoAnna right.

JoAnna smiled when she saw Emma's eyes almost pop out.

"The weather is nicer, more sunshine. Your resume is great with an amazing background as a nurse and physiotherapist. You will have no problem getting a job here, and… I could use a friend."

Emma can't believe what she heard. "Really? I should move from Seattle to Los Angeles because you need a friend?"

JoAnna laughed. "How about if I guarantee a higher salary and additional perks like... no graveyard shifts?"

Emma squinted. "You can do that?"

"I got this office." JoAnna spread her arms. "Do you think there is something I can't do? Think about it. You are free to come up with a list of demands, and I will see what we can do about it. If you decide to come, you can stay at my place until you find something that works for you."

There was a knock on the door.

"Really. Think about it." JoAnna gave a meaningful look to Emma before raising her voice. "Come in!"

Jeff got inside and went straight for JoAnna. He pulled her into a hug and kissed her.

"Hi hubby.", JoAnna giggled when she caught with her peripheral vision Emma who was uncomfortably looking at the wall.

Jeff ignored JoAnna's non-verbal signals that someone else is present. He was not happy.

"We just got back, and you spent the whole day working. It's after five. And technically we are still on our honeymoon! Do you know that your husband is waiting for you at home?"

JoAnna was trying hard not to laugh. Did Jeff just make himself sound like a stay-at-home-husband?

"I'm sorry. Charlie's surgery was today. Do you want to go and see him?"

Jeff frowned. "Why would I see a man with whom you spent the day instead of me?"

"To his defense, he was unconscious and I was mostly looking at his legs."

"Enough with excuses! I came to take you home."

Emma cleared her throat to get their attention.

"Oh, hi Emma.", Jeff greeted her.

Emma was not sure if Jeff really didn't notice her so far or is he such a good actor. No matter which of those cases is true, she feels the need to leave.

"I will go and check on Charlie." Emma told JoAnna and swiftly left the office.

"We have dinner plans." JoAnna said to Jeff when Emma left.

"We do?"

"With Sophia and Sarah." JoAnna quickly said when she saw that Jeff started developing ideas (probably romantic ones) in his mind.

Jeff was not happy about this. Who has meals with extended family members during their honeymoon? "Do we have to?"

"Sarah and Aiden got back from Austin this morning and tomorrow they are heading to Europe. If we don't see them today, it will be a while until we see them next time. And I need to ask them few things. Do you know what they were doing in Austin?"

"Cleanup." Jeff was at home, and he spent the day catching up on things. If there was not so much mess starting from the events at their wedding, he would come and get JoAnna earlier. "Let's talk about it at home. Why is Emma so out of it?"

"Besides the fact that you ignored her? I offered her to come and work here."

Jeff likes to see that JoAnna accepted her role as someone who is in charge this easily. And she is planning for the future. Ah! His wife is a natural! "And?"

"She will think about it."

"It's good to surround yourself with people you can trust."

"My thoughts exactly." JoAnna wrapped her arms around Jeff's neck. "Dinner is at seven."

Jeff glanced at the time. "What do you want to do until then?"

JoAnna looked at Jeff playfully. "This is my new office… and we never tried this desk."

Jeff's eyes flashed in excitement. "Let me lock the door."

JoAnna was impressed how quickly her husband reached the door and came back to her. It seems that during last two weeks his stamina improved. 

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