Lasso

“Dr. Phillips, what do you want me to do with all of the messages from Dr. Thorpe?”Chloe Dutch, the medical support assistant for the orthopedic clinic, asked. She held up a stack of papers. “You can throw them in the trash can for all I care,” Nikki answered. “What? Why?” Nurse Corina Eggleton asked, a look of confusion on her face. “What did he do this time?” Nikki didn’t answer. “He said it was urgent,” Chloe replied. “Maybe you should call him back.” “Mind your business,” Nikki replied. She snatched the messages from Chloe’s hand. She rushed into her office and slammed the door behind her. She didn’t bother reading them and tossed them in the trash can. Dr. Winston Thorpe had nothing she wanted to hear. Nikki paced to and fro, twisting the two-carat diamond engagement ring on her finger. Winston had been calling, leaving voice and text messages, since she’d walked out on him last night. The cellular phone in her white lab coat vibrated. She looked at it and read another text message from Winston. We have to talk. She deleted it. “Talk? We don’t have to talk,” she said to herself. “You said everything you needed to say last night when you told me that you were not ready to marry me.” Nikki walked around her desk and sat in the large chair. She tossed her red headband on the desk. Morning rounds were going on; she had to get herself together. She couldn’t believe her five-year relationship with Winston had come to this. How did they get here? She still couldn’t wrap her mind around all that had transpired in the past twenty-four hours. All she knew was that she and Winston had been arguing nonstop the past couple of months. It seemed they were drifting further and further apart. Dr. Nichole Phillips and Dr. Winston Thorpe were considered the ideal couple. Both were smart, attractive, and successful. Both were orthopedic surgeons. Everyone thought they looked good together and knew one day they would be announcing their wedding day. They’d met at Duke University, Durham, North Carolina, School of Medicine. It was her first day of her residency when Winston walked into her exam room by mistake. She didn’t mind. For Nikki, it was love at first sight as her hazel eyes took in all five feet ten inches of him. Winston smiled. Her heart dropped into her stomach. “I’m sorry, I didn’t know anyone was here.” “That’s all right,” the female patient said. “Are you my doctor?” she asked him, looking him up and down. Winston’s brown eyes locked with Nikki’s. “No. It seems like you have the best doctor in…” He looked down at her name tag. “Dr. Phillips. I’m sure she will take good care of you.” “Thank you, Dr…” Nikki stole a look at his name. “Thorpe.” “It’s no problem, Dr. Phillips, but if you need help, I’ll be in the room next door.” Nikki watched him until the door closed behind him. “He was yummy,” the female patient squealed. “Wow. He can examine me anytime.” Nikki didn’t answer. She nodded in agreement. She hoped to run into Dr. Thorpe again. The next morning, Nikki got her wish. On her way to get breakfast, she was waiting for the elevator. The doors opened. Winston and three other residents were getting off on her floor. Their eyes met. He smiled. “Good Morning, Dr. Phillips,” he said in a warm tone. Nikki decided to play it cool, but seeing him again, she felt butterflies in her stomach. “Good morning, Dr. Thorpe. It’s good to see you again.” “Same here,” Winston said. “Where are you headed?” “I’m about to grab breakfast.” “How about I accompany you.” Winston made a U-turn and got back on the elevator. “It’s time to start rounds,” Dr. Morris added. “Cover for me,” Winston said. “I’ll be right back.” “Look—” Dr. Morris began. “I covered for you yesterday,” Winston reminded him. He pointed at him. “You owe me.” “Ten minutes,” Dr. Morris answered then followed the other doctors into the clinic. Winston glanced at Nikki. “We’re on our first date.” Nikki leaned back. “Date? It’s the hospital cafeteria for breakfast. I don’t consider that a date.” Winston pushed the down button. “Then we need to do something about that, don’t we?” Nikki smiled to herself as she recalled their first real date. Winston had taken her to Le Bouche, an upscale French restaurant in Washington, D.C. It was the first of many nights there for them, and also where he’d proposed to her. In the beginning, everything between them was beautiful. Nikki continued turning the ring on her finger. She guessed it was how all relationships started—flowers, candy, fancy restaurants, and hours of hot, steamy s*x. They couldn’t get enough of each other. Inseparable. When you saw one, you saw the other. These days they couldn’t be in the same room five minutes without fighting. How had things changed between them so much? Nikki stood. She strolled over to the window, looking out at the D.C. skyline. The Washington Monument stood in the distance. She loved this city and hoped to settle down here with Winston. Now she wasn’t sure that was going to happen. “You can’t go in there!” Nikki heard Chloe exclaim. The door flew open. Nikki found herself staring in the face of her fiancé, Dr. Winston Thorpe. * * * “I left you a dozen messages,” Winston snapped. “Why didn’t you call me back?” “Call you back? Why would I do that?” Nikki fired back. “You said everything you needed to say last night,” she emphasized. “There’s nothing left for us to discuss.” She walked over to her desk and sat down hard in the chair. Winston looked down at the floor. He stuck both of his hands in his white hospital coat. “Why are you acting like this, Nikki?” Nikki jumped to her feet. “You know why.” “No. I don’t,” Winston said. “Enlighten me.” “Are you going to play dumb?” Nikki asked. “I’m not playing,” Winston said. “So, you are dumb?” Nikki threw back. She noticed a twitch at his lower jawline. He was trying his best to remain calm. She’d hit a nerve. “See, there you go,” Winston pointed out. “That mouth of yours. You never think before you speak. Last night, you ran out of the apartment. We didn’t get a chance to finish talking. We have been together too long to play games.” “Yes, we have,” Nikki said, coming from around the desk. “So why don’t you tell me what brought about this new attitude about marriage? We talked about getting married; you proposed to me.” “I know I did.” “Then what?” “Why don’t we meet later? I will drop by your place after work, and we will finish talking.” “Tell me now,” Nikki insisted. “This isn’t the time or place,” Winston said. Nikki couldn’t help the ominous feeling flowing through her. Winston was unable to look her in the eyes. Something was going on. He was hiding something. She didn’t like feeling left out. “It’s as if you have bad news,” Nikki said. “Why won’t you tell me now?” “Because I do not want to discuss it here.” “Then why did you come?” “Because you wouldn’t answer my calls or my texts, and I wanted to see if you were all right.” “I hate it when you do this,” Nikki exclaimed. “I can take it, whatever it is. Good news. Bad news.” She was on the verge of tears. “Just tell me!” “I don’t want to hurt you,” Winston said. “Last night I…” His voice trailed off. Nikki closed her eyes. She had a feeling what he had to tell her was going to be bad. Winston clasped his hands together; she could see hurt written all over his face. What he was trying to tell her was difficult. She was even more uncomfortable. “There is no easy way to say this, Nikki, so I’ll just say it.” “Winston. You are scaring me. Just tell me, please.” “It’s over, Nikki,” he spat out. The words hit her like a ton of bricks. She stumbled back. Her mouth gaped. She couldn’t believe what she was hearing. It explained the reason he hadn’t wanted to discuss marriage. He was dumping her. “Bastard. We have been together five years.” Nikki placed a hand to her chest. “Five years I have invested in this relationship, and now you’re telling me it’s over. Without warning. Without a reason.” “What about me?” Winston threw back. “You’re not the only one that invested in this relationship. I have also given my time and energy. I can’t do it anymore.” Nikki sniffed. “You can’t do it anymore. That’s rich.” “You are making me out to be the bad guy,” Winston said. “In case you haven’t noticed, we haven’t been getting along. Arguing nonstop.” “Winston, all couples go through rough patches,” Nikki replied. “But they work through them. They don’t just call it quits.” “We are way past that, and I think you know it,” Winston answered. “We have been growing apart the past couple of years, but the last six months have been the roughest. It’s time to end this.” This?” Nikki repeated in disbelief. She couldn’t believe how arrogantly and nonchalantly he referred to what they had. “You called it a ‘this’?” “There is more.” Winston cast his eyes down. “Much more.” Nikki gave him a look of disdain. What was he going to tell her next? He’d fathered a child? He was married. Gay? “What else could there be?” Winston took a deep breath. “I’m getting married,” he mumbled. “To someone else.” Nikki felt like someone had kicked her in the solar plexus. She snapped her mouth shut. “Wait. What? Did you just say you were marrying someone else?” She covered the small space between them. “Who the hell are you marrying?” “You don’t know her,” Winston quickly added. “She’s a friend of the family.” Nikki placed her hands on her hips. “Which family? Yours? They know we are together. Why would they?” “My family never liked you,” Winston said. Nikki blinked. “This is the first I have heard of it.” Winston tilted his head to one side. “I never told you.” “Oh really? Looks like there are a lot of things you never told me,” Nikki exclaimed. “The wedding is next week,” Winston managed to get out. Nikki rocked in her pumps. “Next week?” Her head was spinning. She was telling herself that this wasn’t happening. Maybe she was being punked. Because there was no way that the man she loved for the past five years would tell her he was getting married in a week to another woman. She swallowed the lump in her throat. “You’re standing there telling me that you are marrying another woman next week? Who is it? Be a man and tell me who it is right now!” “Fine, if you want to know,” Winston barked. “It’s Aliessa Coffer.” Nikki tilted her head to one side. She was sure she’d heard the name before, but she couldn’t remember where. “Wait a moment.” It was as if a lightbulb went off in her head. “Isn’t she the daughter of the Bartholomew Coffer that is on the board of directors for the hospital?” “Yes, that is the one,” Winston said. “Her father is the CEO of Dandelion Pharmaceuticals.” Nikki’s heart dropped into her stomach. She remembered where she heard the name Aliessa Coffer—her name was always mentioned in the society section, and the paparazzi followed her all around D.C. She was a successful art buyer who owned a trendy gallery. She remembered Winston taking her to a couple of exhibits. She couldn’t help but think maybe that was where they met or maybe were meeting each other. Why wouldn’t he? She was beautiful, rich, younger, and now she was becoming Dr. Winston Thorpe. “You bastard!” Nikki exclaimed. “Keep your voice down,” Winston hissed. “People will hear you.” “I don’t care,” Nikki yelled. “The staff should know what kind of asshole you are.” Tears that she was holding back began to fall. “How could you do this to me?” Winston stepped forward. Nikki stepped back. “I’m sorry, Nikki. I didn’t plan for any of this to happen; it just did.”