HEARTS I

CHAPTER EIGHT

Jamie parked his BMW in front of his parents beachfront house on the Hamptons and got out of the car to open the door for Juliette before they walked up to the front steps the porch. His mother came out of the front door running up to them while his father stood waiting for them on the porch. Katherine Slattery was woman you could pull through a ring dressed in only the finest clothes and wearing only the finest jewelry and perfume. She wore the slightest bit of make-up and her blonde hair was neatly tied up in a French twist. "Oh my boy, I've missed you so much. You hardly ever come around since you moved out of the house." She hugged him and gave him a kiss on the cheek before she turned to look at Juliette. "You must be Juliette. My son told you so much about you. Come on inside. Lunch is ready and I've already set the table."

They walked up to the porch and Patrick Slattery greeted his son with a hug and a pat on the back before he held out his hand to Juliette to greet her. "You must be Juliette."

"Yes sir. It's a pleasure to meet you," she greeted back politely. The continued inside the house and Juliette admired the place that was looked like it came out of a interior designing catalogue. "You have a lovely home Mr. and Mrs. Slattery."

"Well thank you dear. She scrutinized Juliette who was slightly dressed down."

"Are those real diamonds?"

"Yes ma'am."

"Not that home shopping shit."

Jamie looked at his mother shocked and slightly embarrassed. "Mom..."

They then proceeded to the dining room where they sat down at the table to have lunch. Patrick held his hands out to his wife and Jamie to say I prayer. "We thank you Lord for the food we're about to receive. Amen."

"Amen," Jamie replied.

"Guests first," Katherine offered.

Jamie took his plate and dished up his plate with lamb roast, steamed vegetables, mashed potatoes and gravy followed by Juliette who filled her plate with food. Patrick opened a bottle of wine and filled his glass halfway. "Would you like some son?"

"Yes please." Jaime held out his glass to his father.

"And you darling?"

"Thank you Mr. Slattery. That would be nice."

Patrick filled her glass with wine too and gave it back to her.

"So how's your internship going?" Katherine asked her son from across the table.

"It's going pretty well. I'm specializing in trauma surgery now. It took some fighting with the medical board because they wanted to push me into obstetrics and gynecology."

"You made a good choice son," Patrick replied to Jamie.

"And you Juliette? What do you do for a living?" Katherine asked snooping.

"I'm a blogger for the Lifestyle magazine," she replied nervously.

"Oh. Interesting. My husband here is an attorney. He studied law at Harvard. I'm a doctor in political science. A Yale graduate. My son Drew is a business entrepreneur who just recently got his business degree from Harvard. And my Jamie. Up and coming trauma surgeon. So what's your interest with my son?"

"Mom..." Jamie interrupted.

"You're just friends right?"

"We're engaged. We're getting married."

"Oh," Katherine replied somewhat disappointed. "Well it's your choice then. What can I say about it? So who is paying for the wedding dress?"

"I did," Juliette interrupted.

"I hope you're not planning to marry my son in some cheap boutique dress. He only deserves the best." Juliette didn't reply to Katherine's remark. "So how did you two meet?"

"My dad was in the hospital where Jamie is a doctor and..."

"She fell down the stairs," Jamie chuckled. "It was actually not funny, but if it wasn't for that, we probably never would have met."

"So what part of New York are your parents from?"

"Oh no, they're from Detroit, ma'am."

"Detroit. Oh. And what does your father do for a living?"

"He's an auto salesman. My mother is a homemaker. Not exactly university graduates."

"Interesting line of work. And where in New York are you from?"

"Queens."

"Queens...oh dear," Katherine replied clearly disappointed.

Juliette dropped her knife and fork in her plate and pushed her plate away. Jamie looked at her concerned. "You've hardly touched your food. Are you okay?"

"Yeah. I'm fine. Would you excuse me please?"

"Sure," Patrick replied and looked at Juliette concerned.

She stood up and left the house and went to stand outside by Jamie's car and burst out in tears.

"Was that really necessary?" Jamie asked his mom upset before he stood up. "Anyways. Lunch was nice. So if you will please excuse me too." He also left the house to find Juliette sitting on the hood of his car crying. "Hey, don't mind her please."

"Can we just go please?"

"Sure. Let me just go and get my car keys."

"Okay."

Jamie went back inside the house to get his car keys and came back out of the house before they both got in the car and drove off. "I'm sorry about that. She's always been like that with the women I date."

"Was that really necessary?" Patrick asked Katherine as she was busy clearing the dining room table. "Our son brings home his fiancee and you talk her down like she's a piece of trash."

"Well she's not much better than that. I can't let our son marry that bimbo."

"Well I am sorry to disappoint you Katherine Slattery, but she seems like a decent girl to me. He has my blessings to marry that girl."

Katherine paused and closed her eyes for a moment and let out a sigh. "She's from Detroit for goodness sake Patrick. People from Detroit are trailer trash."

"Seems like you forgot your mother in law is from Detroit too," Patrick lashed back annoyed. "My mother was the daughter of a car factory worker. That didn't pose a problem when you married up."

"Yes and I bloody hate that woman."

"Juliette's not her. And I won't have you disrespect anyone in my house like that ever again. Are we clear?"

"Yes Patrick James Slattery," Katherine replied annoyed. "I had someone else in mind for Jamie, but since you are just as stubborn as he is...it must be a Slattery thing."

"Well if you want her to marry one of our sons Drew is still unattached."

"Oh my goodness," Katherine started to laugh.

"What's so funny?"

"Not with his bed hopping ways. He'll never buy a cow if be can get the milk for free."

"Well he's going to have to get his act together sooner or later or else I'm disowning that boy."

"You can't disown our son Patrick."

"Oh yes I can. And I will."

"We'll watch me disown your favorite son if be continues to marry that blonde good for nothing."

"Well I guess I'll never be good enough for her," Juliette replied teary eyed.

"Don't say that. You're good enough for me, and that's what matters."

"Maybe we're making a mistake getting married."

Jamie looked at her Juliette concerned. "Seriously?" Jamie pulled his car off the road to look her in the eyes. "Are you having doubts about us? Do you love me Juliette? Or did you just stay with me because you had nowhere else to go?"

"I love you Jamie. I really do."

"Then don't listen to what my mother said. She's toxic. Always has been, always will be. I don't care who the hell says what. I love you and I want to spend the rest of my life with you. You mean the world to me Juliette Lloyd. And if I have to lose you, I might as well give up everything else in life, because you're all that I'm living for. You are the reason I get up in the mornings and the only reason I cannot wait to get home after work each day."

"What about your career?"

"For all I care I can flip burger patties at McDonalds and I will be happy because I have you in my life. Even if I still lived in that crappy little apartment I had in Queens, I would still be happy because I would be sharing it with you. It's not my job or my money or my home or my education that makes me complete. It's you. You make me the man I want to be. And I don't wanna lose that. I love you so much Juliette Lloyd."

"I love you too."

"Now. We're going to book a little chapel, and get those invitations printed and sent out. And as soon as it's done we're getting married. And if you want to do whatever makes you happy, then we do it. I will do anything to make you happy. Okay?"

"Okay," Juliette nodded.

"Now smile for me. I hate it when you're sad."

Jamie and Kyle were sitting in the hospital cafeteria having lunch. "So what did your parents say about Juliette?" Kyle asked snooping.

"My father loves her. He called me at home after we left the Hamptons and told me he's crazy about her. My mom...not so much."

"She will warm up to Juliette sooner or later."

"Yeah, that witch?" Jamie snickered. "I highly doubt that."

"You just called your mother a witch?"

"Because she is one. I don't know how my father keeps up with that woman. She wants me to marry a woman with a degree or a wealthy family."

"And Drew?"

"Oh he thinks Juliette is God's gift to this planet. He almost worships her."

"She's a nice girl. The type you want to introduce to your parents. So have you set a wedding date yet?"

"A few months from now. I want you to be my best man."

"Why me?" Kyle asked with a scowl.

"Because you're my best friend."

"I won't say no."

Jamie turned his focus on a new doctor who stood at the serving counter getting his food. "Who's that?"

Kyle turned to look at the guy who seemed quiet nerdy with his hair combed back and thick framed glasses. "That one of our new interns that started last week. Dr. Ayden Fletcher. Where have you been this past week that you haven't noticed yet?"

"Occupied with wedding arrangements and getting Juliette a proper engagement ring. I haven't seen him in E.R. yet."

"He's upstairs with Dr. Sawyer."

"Poor man."

He seemed a little lost as he walked up to their table. "You're interns right?"

"Yeah," Kyle replied.

"Do you mind if I sit with you guys?"

"Sure. Take a seat," Kyle offered.

"I'm Dr. Ayden Fletcher."

"Dr. Kyle Whittaker," Kyle held out his hand.

"I'm Dr. Jamie Slattery," Jamie greeted.

"You two are surgeons, right?"

"Dr. Slattery is in trauma surgery and I am in general surgery hoping to further my career in orthopedics."

"So how is ob-gyn working for you?" Jamie asked inquisitively.

"I think I'm more suited for neurosurgery. It's more my thing. But if all else fails my second option would be orthopedics."

"See. Another surgeon," Jamie bragged to Kyle. "We need more surgeons on our team.

"I can teach you a thing or two about neurosurgery Dr. Slattery." Ayden replied. "I've heard some good things about you."

Just then Jamie's pager went off. "They need me in E.R. I'll see you around." Jamie stood up and left the cafeteria in a hurry. He rushed up to Agnetha who paged him. "You paged me."

"There's a patient for you in bay 2. She specifically asked for you."

"Who is it?"

"Your hand patient," Agnetha said rolling her eyes.

"What's wrong with her?"

"Having issues with the hand you and Dr. Gareth Carver operated on."

"Dammit." Jamie stepped into the treatment bay to find Angela sitting on the bed. "Third time visit and I still didn't get your name."

"It's Angela Murphy."

"Nurse said you're having issues with your hand." Jaime took the hand he operated on and took out a pen to gently pull it across from her wrist to her middle finger."

"It tickles."

"Can you do this?" Jamie squeezed with his hand and opened up his hand before he made a fist again.

She did the same. "Yeah."

"It seems fine to me. What seems to be the problem?" Jamie asked confused.

"I need you to examine me." Angela stood up and pressed her hand on his chest before she moved in and attempted to kiss him.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa." Jamie held up his hands to block her off. "Hold your horses. That's not gonna happen."

"Really. So what happened between the last time you had your fingers up my snatch and now bad boy? You even came down with a boner."

"I was your ob-gyn then. I switched to trauma surgery. That's what happened."

She stepped closer to Jamie until he was with his back against the wall before she grabbed onto the elastic of his scrubs and almost pulled it down together with his boxers. Jamie grabbed onto his pants just in time. "Hey, hey, hey, hey. Whoa...Dammit!" Jamie exclaimed. "No means no. This is s****l harassment."

"Really? Since when do patients sexually harass their doctors pretty boy?"

"With all due respect, I think you should leave. And please don't ask for me again when you come to this hospital again." Jamie watched as she left upset and left the E.R. bay before he walked up to Agnetha. "Geez, some patients..."

"Dr. Slattery...What was that about?"

"If that woman comes here again, I'm not available. I'm in surgery or whatever else you want to make up. Let Dr. Ford or Dr. Whittaker treat her from now on."

"If I may ask, what happened?"

"She tried to force herself on me. It's not on with me."

"What?"

"If she comes around looking for me again, tell her I transferred to another hospital. Anything to keep her away from me."

Katherine walked up to Lana's desk and threw the pile of documents she typed on her desk. "Are you always going to be this useless? Please type these over?"

"But ma'am I spell checked and grammar checked all of them."

"Type the damn bloody things over okay. And please don't waste my time with those documents. I want it now."

"Yes ma'am."

Just then Angela barged through the doors and chucked her jacket, handbag and car keys on the desk in front of Lana. "Get me some coffee and tea for Katherine," she demanded before she barged into Katherine's office and closed the door behind her.

At that moment the phone rang and Lana answered. "Slattery and Associates..."

It was Gregory. "Lana my dear. Is Mrs. Slattery in?"

"She's in a meeting at the moment. Should I ask her to call you back?"

"No problem. It's not urgent. I'll give her a call later."

"That son of yours is the most hard headed i***t I have ever known."

"What happened this time."

"I tried to get close to him and he accused me of s****l harassment. Another man would have fallen for me by now. I will never get him to fall into that trap."

"We have to think of something else to get him and that blonde bimbo to split up."

"What do you suggest?"

"If I pay you 25 grand will you do what I have in mind?"

"If I get Jamie I will be willing to do anything."

"Okay here's the deal..."