Distractions Ch. 10

I tired to quite the anger I felt building in me, then I said fuck it. I shoved Wilson hard in the chest and advanced on him when he stumbled backwards.

"Don't you ever put your hands on me again, or so help me God I will kill you."

Wilson smiled. Like he was humoring a child. I wiped that stupid fucking grin right off his mouth. I socked him square in the mouth and split his lip. "I am not that girl anymore," I said to him as he bent over holding his mouth.

I walked away from him before I could do anything else. I thought I heard him dial his cell and tell someone 'it worked'. I didn't have time to figure out what the hell he was talking about. I glanced at my watch. Our little encounter left me fourteen minutes to drop my application off.

I sat for about a minute in my car debating whether or not to go after Gavin. He would understand that I had to drop off my application right away. Hopefully, he would settle for a phone call until I finished at the school and could find him. Of course, if I'd listened to him in the first place and handed my application in early, I wouldn't be in this situation.

_(*(*(-)*)*)_

How could she be so stupid? How could I be this stupid? What the fuck? She didn't even push him off.

Gavin pressed his foot harder into the pedal trying to let the speed erase the image of Wilson pressing his lips to Red's out of his mind. Angrily, he ripped the bow off the six-pack he bought her, and tossed he roses he'd picked up for her out the window. He'd bought them on a whim, thinking that no matter what, he couldn't go wrong.

But boy was he wrong. Cassie was right. Gavin didn't need this. He tried to give her the benefit of the doubt when he saw her emerge from the hospital with some other guy. He didn't catch the guys face until Red turned toward the guy and the guy stepped into the light. Gavin was already halfway out his car when he saw whose face it was.

As the vein in his forehead was pulsing and his fists were clenching, Wilson looked up and their eyes met. He watched as a knowing smile crept across Wilson's features. Gavin wanted nothing more than to remove that fucking grin with the pavement, but he didn't, he stood still waiting to see what Red would do.

He watched in horror as they exchanged a few more words and then as Wilson's hands clamped around Red's shoulders. Gavin was about to launch himself across the parking lot, but something held him back. He wanted to see how Red was going to react. She shocked the shit out of him – she didn't do anything. Gavin had to stand there and watch as Wilson's lips touched Red's – his Red. His eyes widened further when he realized she wasn't pulling away.

Gavin could barely control his hands as he got back in his car and angrily started the engine. He was peeling out of the parking lot before he had any idea as to where he was going.

Fuck this. If she wanted that prick, she could have him. He was done.

Gavin was done.

_(*(*(-)*)*)_

I knew I was pushing my luck, but I didn't have time to slow down. My right foot pressed dangerously into the pedal as I controlled the wheel with one hand while trying to redial Gavin's number with the other. This was an accident waiting to happen, but I couldn't slow down. I now had nine minutes to make it the Admissions Office before they locked the doors, and I was about thirteen minutes away. It seemed like no matter what was happening in my life, I was always rushing.

I pressed my cell phone to my ear as I sped through a yellow light praying the cops weren't looking, and some old lady hadn't just decided she was sick of waiting for her light to turn. I pressed on as I listened to the ringing in my ear. This was the third time I'd called Gavin, and this was the third time I didn't get an answer.

I was starting to get irritated. Could he seriously think that I wanted to kiss Wilson? I was hoping against all hope and affording Gavin the benefit of the doubt that he was so angry because he was mad at Wilson, not me. If he'd waited around a couple more seconds instead of speeding off, he would have seen me nail Wilson right in the mouth.

My attention snapped back to the road as I took a turn way to fast. I prayed I wouldn't end up wrapped around a tree, but I kept my foot on the gas.

One last time, I pressed redial. The call immediately went to voicemail. That meant Gavin knew I was calling and didn't want to talk to me. Well, that's just too bad because as soon as I'm done at this school, I'm coming to find you.

I was sick of not saying the things that needed to be said, and tonight after I dropped off my application, I would set things straight.

I parked in a handicapped spot and prayed no one with a wheelchair needed see the registrar at this time of night. I also prayed campus police wouldn't come and tow my car while I was inside. I grabbed my application envelope off the passenger seat and tore open my door.

I rushed up the steps of the old building and tore through the double doors. I rushed down the deserted corridor making my eyes scan the names on the door as fast as I could. I was about to panic because I was nearing the end of the corridor when I still hadn't seen the right door. Was I in the right place?

I caught a glimpse of light peaking out from under the last door in the hall, and pushed myself harder, trying to be mindful that the floor was slick. If I wasn't careful, I'd slip and break my face. I was positive I only had seconds to spare when I lowered my head and pumped my legs. There was no way I was going to be late.

I was so caught up in trying to get to the door at the end of the hall; I never saw the figure step out from a doorway to my left, right into my path. By the time I realized someone was in front of me, it was too late to stop. I dug my heels into the slick linoleum, but my feet slid. My momentum carried me right into the poor bastard that was just trying to leave for the day.

We collided with a loud thud as the wind left my lungs. Whoever this person was, they were solid, and big. My body bounced off the person and I landed smack on my ass. I couldn't help the curse that flowed from my mouth as my manila application envelope when sliding across the floor.

I seriously needed to pay attention to where I was going. I was laying spread eagle out on the cold floor wondering if the person I ran into was in as good a shape as I was. I was out of breath and my ass was throbbing. I probably broke something. I smiled to myself. I should probably know the name of what I could have potentially broken if I wanted a shot at getting into medical school.

I twisted my head to the side looking for my envelope when I saw the light at the end of the hall go out. I let out a strangled cry and tried to scramble to my feet.

"Whoa there, are you okay?" The voice was masculine and made me tingle, but I didn't have the time to look up.

For a minute, I totally forgot there was someone else in the hall with me.

"No, I'm really sorry, but I have to get into that office before whoever tuned out that light leaves."

With a wince, I managed to get to my feet. I was still searching the floor frantically for my application package when the man cleared his throat.

I glanced up at him, and saw him holding onto the manila envelope with a smile tugging up one corner of his mouth. For a second, I was completely distracted. His creamy skin was pulled taunt over high cheekbones revealing shockingly white teeth.

"Oh, thanks," I said as I breathed a sigh of relief. I tried to grab the envelope and take off, but he held onto it. I glanced into his face trying to determine what the problem was. "I'm real sorry about running into you, but, um, can I have the envelope, please?"

"You know, when that light goes out, that's it. The office is closed."

I dropped my hand to my side. If I couldn't hand the application in, he could keep the damn thing. I let out a defeated breath and felt like crying. My car was probably being towed at this point too.

"Where you trying to hand this in?"

I nodded my head. He asked if it was my application and again, I nodded.

"What program are you applying for?"

I was getting irritated by his 20 questions, but decided to humor the guy. After all, I did just run him over in a dark and deserted hallway.

"The medical program. I'd been debating forever whether or not to apply, and I finally decided, but now it's too late."

"Its never too late for anything." This guy still had a bemused look on his face, when my eyes snapped up to his.

"Its not nice to toy with my emotions like that. I've had a very difficult evening."

He tilted his head back and let out a hearty laugh. "I'm not toying with your emotions, I'm serious. It just so happens that I have a few friends in that office, but I'm afraid they probably have all gone home by now."

I sighed. He was toying with my emotions, but I couldn't help taking in his appearance. He was tall and built solidly. That explained why I'd bounced off him when we collided. The mystery stranger was wearing a dark tailored suit with a bright blue shirt. He seemed to be appraising me with the same look, but that didn't stop my eyes from traveling down his body.

I could see strong thighs barely contained by the expansive fabric enveloping them. My eyes traveled further and landed on his shoes. Which were big. And shiny. Very shiny.

He cleared his throat again, and I could see his smile had taken over his entire face, and lit up his eyes. I'd totally just been caught ogling the guy that may have been offering to help me. Mentally I berated myself for not dressing better, but I hadn't thought I'd be rushing like this when I left the house this morning.

"How bad do you want into the school?"

I raised my eyebrows. "Bad enough to break every traffic law in the book, park in a handicapped spot, which is probably where the campus police are dispatching a tow truck to as we speak, and come barreling down a hallway and into a complete stranger who keeps making vague comments." He laughed again, and it sent a tingle down my spine. He was cute when he smiled, but he wasn't cute enough for what he might have been suggesting. "But, not bad enough to indulge in whatever fantasy one may have about a poor college student stuck between a rock and a hard place whose is willing to do anything, and I mean anything for some help." He laughed again, but I didn't think it was so funny.

"Follow me," he said turning on his heel. He didn't turn back to see if I followed, but when he didn't hear the sounds of my shoes hitting the floor behind him, he threw over his shoulder, "I promise no indulgent fantasies about poor college students. My name is Ben by the way."

I rolled my eyes and set off after him. "Isabelle," I said to his back.

He didn't seem like a serial killer, and plus he came out of one of these rooms, so he had to be somewhat trustworthy. I sized him up from behind. He didn't look that big. Just tall and lean. His back looked strong – his muscles shifting this way and that as he walked down the hall. If I could take my brother, I could take him. I nodded at my assessment and slid my eyes down the back of his body. My smile disappeared when my eyes landed on his bottom.

Dear god, you could bounce a quarter off that thing.

I pulled my lip between my teeth and had to remind myself that I was with Gavin. That thought turned into a mental groan. Actually, I wasn't sure if I was with Gavin or not, because currently Gavin wasn't talking to me. I shook my head. Now was not the time for that. I had to have a clear head if this guy was really going to help me.

He stopped in front of a door and pulled a set of keys out of his pocket. I couldn't see what was written on the door, so for all I knew it could have been the janitors closet where he was planning on raping me. It didn't seem likely though, he didn't seem like the kind of guy who would ruin his expensive suit trying to screw some chick in the janitor's closet. But then again are rapists rational? If it were an expensive suit, and if he were a rapist then he'd have money to get a new one.

I shook my head and tried to quiet my imagination. That's when he pushed the door open and flicked on the light. He stood in front of the door holding it open for me so I would have to squeeze past him to get in. Innocent gesture, right?

I stepped onto something soft, and on reflex looked down at my feet. The floor was covered in nude plush carpet. My mystery stranger stepped around me and told me to take a seat in front of his mammoth desk. He walked quickly in front of me and sat on the edge of the desk facing me. It would have been uncomfortable, but my chair was placed far enough away from him that I didn't feel crowded.

I sat down into the roomy armchair and looked around his office. Degrees, plaques and pictures covered every wall except for one, which was lined with volumes of medical texts. Well, I guess he's a doctor. That's a good sign.

I didn't realize my gawking at his possessions may have been rude until I turned back to face him and saw the knowing smile on his face. I blushed at being caught.

"You have a very nice office." I didn't know what else to say.

"Nah, I know it's too cluttered with stuff, I just can't seem to get rid of anything."

I shrugged my shoulders. "No its not. It gives off the feeling that you like what you do, and you like spending time in here."

I watched his face as he assessed me. He must have liked what I said because he nodded and opened my application envelope. I glanced down at his desk trying to catch a glimpse of his nameplate, but he scooched himself further onto the desk, obscuring it from view.

"So, you said you know someone in admissions that may be able to help me?" I didn't want to be rude, but the idea of this handsome man, I just decided that's what he was, opening my application and rifling though it was irking me. What if this wasn't his office? What if he didn't even work here? That application had all my personal information in it.

"Yep." He pulled the application out and began to leaf through it. He read silent for a few moments then tossed it down on his desk.

His green eyes were boring into me, and I was starting to feel uncomfortable under his gaze. Not because he was creeping me out, but because it seemed like his eyes were trying to tell me something his mouth didn't want to say.

"I'm sure they went home already, but I will give your application to them tomorrow, I promise."

I nodded because I wasn't sure if it was going to make a difference.

"Okay, well then thanks for your time. I'm sure you would like to get going. And I'm real sorry about running into you before," I said with a small smile. I made the motion like I was going to get up, but he motioned me to sit back down.

"Why would you wanna come to this shit hole?"

My smile dropped and I raised my eyebrows.

"Excuse me?"

"Here," he said waving his hands around. "Why here? This place is a shit hole."

My forehead creased, and before I could think, the words just flew out of my mouth. "Well, this shit hole seems to have done you well," I said motioning to his suit.

"This is true. But why you? Why here?"

"Why not?" I was starting to get agitated. Was this white man suggesting that I didn't belong here because I was black? "Why wouldn't I want to go here? This school is a staple in this community. It's been here since the 1800's."

"Its predominantly a male school – a white male school," he said as he crossed his arms over his chest.

I could feel my fists wanting to clench. This guy was a prick and he deserved to be shoved off his high horse. "So. All the more reason to attend this school."

"It wouldn't bother you that your classmates might resent your presence?"

"Why would it? Its not about them, its about me."

"You sound as if you have something to prove."

"Do I?"

"This is a very competitive school."

"It would be stupid to attend a school that wasn't," I said as I crossed my own arms over my chest. I was trying to hide the fact that my fists were balled.

He smiled.

"What kind of doctor would you want to be?"

I let out a heavy sigh and tried to relax myself. "A surgeon. Possibly a heart surgeon, but I think I would want something with more diversity. I'd probably get bored seeing the same types of cases day in and day out."

"You realize that women only make up 5% of surgeons, and most of those women fall into pink collar surgery. Do you know what I mean by that?"

My head tilted to the side and I wanted to choke him. I took another deep breath. "Just because a woman decides to perform breast surgeries because it affords her the opportunity to raise a family, doesn't mean her accomplishments as a surgeon are less stellar than a man's."

"But you want to be a cardiac surgeon, so where does that leave family?"

"If it happens, it happens. I will cross that bridge when I come to it."

"What makes you think you can do it? I looked over your undergrad transcript. Not the most spectacular thing I've ever seen."

I could feel my nostrils flaring. "If I didn't think I could do it, I wouldn't try. As for undergrad – things happened in my personal life that slowly began to interfere with school."

"Whose to say that won't happen again?"

"No one."

Ben's head was tilted to the side, and I could feel my pressure beginning to spike. I took one look at his twinkling green eyes and I wanted to bolt. This guy was fucking with the poor college student, and I was sick of it. I wasn't going to be his water cooler story tomorrow.

"Well, Ben, I'd like to say it was a pleasure - " He interrupted me as I pushed myself up from the plush seat.

"You seem to handle pressure well."

"But I'm going to get going." I continued like I hadn't heard him. Honestly, I was sick of hearing him talk even is his voice was oddly soothing.

I stood to my full height and straightened my clothes, more tired than I had been in awhile. Ben stood as well and walked around the other side of his desk. I would have been struck by his rudeness, but the nameplate on the desk struck me more.

Oh shit. I wanted to smack myself in the head and give myself a pat on the back at the same time. Dr. Benoit Villouix MD. Dean of Admissions. I stood staring at the nameplate on his desk wondering if the chat we just had been good or bad.

"You were late in handing in your application, if you'd done it earlier, I'm sure there would have been space for you here this semester."

My eyes moved from the front of his desk to his face. He was shuffling papers around on his desk as he spoke.

"But seeing as how you didn't," he said as he found whatever it was he was looking for. "There is a seat open at out sister school in California."

My heart stopped. "What?"

Dr. Villouix's smile widened. "I said –"

"I heard you. But – but what about the Admissions Office?" I wasn't sure what to think.

"Well, I figured, since everyone in the office had left already, it would just be easier to do everything myself. Unless of course, you would like to go through the traditional avenues?"

I had to check myself before I sounded too eager. "No – no, thank you Dr. Villouix."

"My name is Benoit, but please, Isabelle, call me Ben. Why start with the pleasantries now?"

"Was that an interview?"

He nodded. "I find you get the most truthful answers from people who don't know they are being interviewed, or who they're talking to."

I sighed. "Well, obviously you found what you were looking for."

"Indeed I did," he threw in under his breath.

"So, when does the program in Cali start?"