Jennifer Mikels - The Fertility Factor

Nearly at the entrance doors of Manhattan Multiples, Lara slowed her pace in response to the ring of her cell phone. Before saying hello, she’d guessed who was calling. Only her family tracked her down before eight-thirty in the morning.

Her sister Angela rushed a quick, airy hello, one that put Lara on the defensive instinctively. Angie’s previous matchmaking efforts had been disastrous. “I called to learn if you bought a new dress for Danny’s wedding,” she said.

Lara didn’t dare admit that she’d forgotten about her cousin’s wedding. “Not yet.” More important to her was who she’d take with her. “How is the baby?” she asked as she left the elevator.

“That tooth came through this morning.”

“Oh, how wonderful. How many does that make?” Lara asked and paused next to the nurses’ station to finish the conversation.

“Six. He has six. He bit Tom yesterday. What does your doctor say about biting?”

“My doctor isn’t a children’s doctor.” She resumed walking toward the staff lounge. “He’s an ob/gyn.”

“That’s right. Why do I keep forgetting that?”

Because it’s your way of mentioning him.

“I couldn’t believe how handsome he is.”

Lara remembered. Her sister had sat gaping when Derek had walked by their table during one of their sisterly lunches. “I know.” Lara tucked her shoulder bag into a locker. “You told me.”

“And he’s still unattached?”

“Still unattached.”

“Lara, I’d be happy to cook lasagna or my chicken primavera or anything you’d want. You could invite him here for dinner and—”

“Angie, thanks but no.” She left the staff lounge. “He’s not interested.”

“In you? Is he blind? Why wouldn’t he be interested in you?”

“In anyone here,” Lara said, hoping that would end the conversation.

“Oh. Why didn’t you say so right away?”

Lara knew she was getting the wrong idea, but it was easier to say nothing. “I have to go now. I’ll call you later this week,” she said at Carrie’s approach.

“Why didn’t you tell us?” Carrie asked in a loud whispery voice.

“Tell you what?”

“That you were stuck in the elevator with him.”

Mentally Lara groaned.

“Everyone is talking about it.”

“When the lights went out,” Lara said with a casualness she didn’t feel, “it was a little creepy for a while.”

Carrie smiled. “The lights went out?”

This was getting worse. “Carrie—”

“I’m teasing,” she said with a laugh. “How was the date? Did you like Zack? Isn’t he great looking?”

And dumb, Lara mused. “Is he really an attorney?”

Carrie squinched her nose. “He hasn’t passed the bar exam yet. That’s really difficult, you know. But he does work as a document clerk at the district attorney’s office. What did you think of him?”

“Interesting,” she said noncommittally. To avoid more talk about him, she waved goodbye on her way to the door, then hurried forward to usher a patient into an examining room.

At Lara’s announcement that Derek wasn’t there and another obstetrician would see her, the woman frowned, but a tease colored her voice. “Dr. Cross isn’t supposed to have days off.”

I miss him, too. Lara kept the thought to herself, but that didn’t stop her from thinking about him during the next few hours. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t forget those moments with him. And then what about yesterday? Why had he touched her? Perhaps she was making too much of a gesture that meant nothing to him.

She returned to her station off the hall of examining rooms. Taking a seat behind the counter, she spotted a lab test Derek was waiting for and pushed buttons to print the results.

“Hello, Lara.”

Looking up, she smiled at Derek’s ex-wife. “Hello, Dr. Clayson.”

In her early forties, she appeared younger because of a faint sprinkle of freckles across her nose. “I haven’t seen you in a week. Are you working more hours at the hospital?”

“No, I’ve been here.” Though staff had scheduled hours, the doctors often were late or called back to the hospital because of emergencies.

“Congratulations, Rose,” another doctor called out as he passed by.

Something great must have happened to her. “I guess I should be congratulating you.” Lara sent her an apologetic look. “But I don’t know why.”

“It hasn’t been officially announced yet. I’ve been offered a position in Paris.” She mentioned a research facility known for ground-breaking accomplishments.

“That’s wonderful.”

“I’m quite excited.” As her name was called over the center’s paging system, she smiled. “Talk to you again.”

What had Derek thought about the news? Lara wondered. Rose Clayson’s decision to leave the country had to affect him and Joey in a big way. Standing, she snatched up the printout and pivoted away from the computer.

“I hope that’s what I’m looking for,” Derek said suddenly behind her.

Lara leaned back against the counter to give him her full attention. If only he’d kiss her again. Then she’d know he’d really wanted to. “Isn’t this your day off?”

“We detoured from our trip to the zoo.”

She noticed now he was dressed in jeans and a white polo shirt. Her gaze shifted to Joey, standing beside him.

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