hapter 110
<b>Chapter </b>110
“Looks like you’re eager to pick up the trash I threw away.”
Elissa said this lightly, ncing at the food she’d brought, then turned to the nurses. “Waste not, want not–let’s not let good food go to waste. Dig in, everyone.”
With that, hands in her coat pockets, she strolled off.
Back in her office, she finally picked up her phone and saw a WhatsApp message Lorraine had sent two hours ago.
“Elissa, do you have time for lunch?”
She checked the clock. It was already past one.
She replied honestly, “I just finished up–I only just saw your message.”
She started typing a second message, about to suggest rescheduling for another day since it was sote, but Lorraine replied instantly.
“No problem! I’m actually nearby. Want to grab a bite together?”
Elissa could already guess what was on Lorraine’s mind. Maybe it was time to clear the air anyway, so she grabbed her bag and headed to the little bistro where they’d agreed to meet.
It was the lull between lunch and dinner, so the ce was quiet, just a few scattered
customers.
Elissa walked in and immediately spotted Lorraine waving from a window booth.
She made her way over. Lorraine, ever the social butterfly, took her bag for her and grinned, “I always thought doctors had crazy schedules, but this is something else.”
“It’s not so bad,” Elissa replied,
Truthfully, she was never entirelyfortable with such warmth from people she didn’t know well.
Lorraine, on the other hand, had grown up surrounded by people–and most of them went out of their way to please her. Especially after bing Rowan’s assistant, she was never short of admirers. But someone like Elissa, who kept her at arm’s length time and again, was a novelty–maybe even a first.
But then, Elissa was Rowan’s sister. That made all the difference.
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Lorraine didn’t seem bothered. She slid the menu across. “I have no idea what you like, so I thought I’d wait for you to order. Take a look–see what you’re in the mood
for.”
“Sure.” Elissa took the menu.
She’d been to this bistro plenty of times since it was right by her clinic. She picked two dishes at random and handed the menu back.
Lorraine nced at her choices and teased, “You and Mr. Murphy really are siblings. It’s not just your personalities–even your taste in food is nearly identical.”
Elissa took a sip of her lemon water. “We grew up under the same roof. I guess it’s bound to happen.”
But that wasn’t quite true.
She’d started getting taller and thinner when she was barely a teenager. She’d always been a picky eater, and thebination only made her skinnier. Rowan hated seeing her waste away and told the kitchen to make everything to suit her tastes.
She loved sweet, sour, and spicy things–anything but bitter.
Rowan, who preferred mild vors, eventually got used to her preferences too. Over time, even his pte changed.
The food came quickly. Lorraine pushed the dishes Elissa liked closer and, as if by ident, asked, “So, Elissa… Has Mr. Murphy ever had a girlfriend?”
Elissa hesitated, then shook her head. “I wouldn’t know.”
He hadn’t, at least back then.
But for the past eight years, she’d been out of his lifepletely. She had no idea what he’d been up to–or who he’d been with.
“Wow, I thought if anyone knew, it’d be you.”
Lorraine looked a little let down, but perked up almost instantly. “Well then, do you know if there’s someone he likes? He always keeps a picture in his wallet–he’s so protective of it…”
For the first time, Elissa realized just how sharp the lemon water tasted in this ce. The sourness lingered at the back of her throat, spreading through her chest and leaving her heart feeling oddly tight.
“Secretary Lynn,” she said, drawing a breath to steady herself, “Honestly, I haven’t
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spoken to Mr. Murphy in years. If it weren’t for this Murphy Group project, we probably still wouldn’t be in touch.”
“So whether he likes someone–or who that might be–I really don’t <i>know</i><i>.</i>”
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