Gotta Get Next To You (6 page)

There was now laughter from both of the young
student nurses. Andrea frowned at her closed office door.

“Lisa and Troylyn sure don’t mind coming to
work these days.” Katy grinned and winked. “Can’t say I blame ’em.
Mr. Turner is one good-looking man.”

“They’d best keep their minds on why they’re
here,” Andrea said peevishly. “Fortunately he’s only hired on a
temporary basis.”

“Oh, Mr. Turner, you’re so funny!” a
delighted Lisa giggled.

“That’s it!” Andrea said.

She sprang from her chair, marched out of her
office and down the hall to the records room. Lisa and Troylyn
stood on either side of Jamal. Both batted their eyelashes at him,
hanging on every word. Naturally his so- called charm would work on
females barely out of their teens. When Lisa giggled and put a hand
on his arm, Andrea clenched her teeth.

“Excuse me.”

Lisa started. “Oh, Nurse Noble. I was just
looking for a file.” She darted to the tall metal cabinet.

“Er, I, er..Troylyn was lost for words. The
best she could produce was a jittery smile.

“You’re supposed to be out front at the
reception desk. Right?” Andrea asked with a stony expression.

“Yes, ma’am.” Troylyn rushed past Andrea, and
then turned to smile at Jamal. “’Bye Mr. Turner.” She waved her
fingertips at him.

“’Bye now. And don’t worry; you’ll do fine on
that test.” Jamal gave her a thumbs-up sign. Then he aimed his
dimpled smile at Andrea. “Hi, boss.”

Andrea bit back the urge to toss out
something flip-pant. “How is it going?”

“Well, Sally Ranger wants me to get you guys
hooked up to the health department’s mainframe. A guy from their
information systems unit has already called me.” Jamal glanced at
her, then down at the computer again. “I’ll be around here
awhile.”

“Great!” Lisa burst out. She turned pink when
Andrea looked at her. “I mean, it will really improve how we can
serve the patients.”

“I’m happy you’re so excited about advancing
health care.” Andrea gave her a pointed look.

“Um, I’ll bet Troy needs some help.” Lisa
made her getaway.

“She’s right, you know. You’ll be able to
access health stats, get E-mail, and communicate faster with the
department.” Jamal beckoned to her. “Let me show you what I’ve done
so far.”

Andrea reluctantly walked over to where he
sat. As she leaned down to see the screen, she caught the scent of
his cologne. It was a delicate but enticing blend of wood and
spice. She had the sudden urge to brush his strong jaw with her own
cheek. She froze. Too many months of celibacy, that’s all, she told
herself. A biological itch that had not been scratched in ... She
did not want to think about how long. Ignore it and it will go
away.

“I should be able to configure this program
soon. Then it’s on to the big hookup.” He looked up at her. “You’re
not paying attention.”

Andrea yanked her attention back to the
computer monitor. “Of course I am.”

“Pop quiz then. What did I just say?”

“That you’re very pleased with yourself, as
usual,” Andrea retorted, standing up.

“Stop trying so hard not to like me.” He
tilted his head to one side. “I’m not Jack the Ripper.”

Stung by guilt, Andrea relented. “I’m sorry.
You’ve helped us out a lot. Now we can track appointments.” “See,
even you think I have a good reason to be conceited.” He
grinned.

Andrea stepped back. Maybe distance would
help clear her head. “I wouldn’t go that far.”

“Seriously, though, you’re the one with a
reason to feel proud. The place was a mess. But you cleaned
house.”

Andrea felt a flush of pleasure at his
compliment. “We’re taking baby steps in the right direction.”

“Lots of rumors about theft.” He raised an
eyebrow at her.

“Gossip is worth about what you pay for it,
nothing.” Andrea leaned against a table and crossed her arms.
“Record keeping was sloppy, so that could just be it.” “Really? How
bad was it?”

“Katy and I had to spend three twelve hour
days sifting through files just to make up a patient list. No
wonder food coupons went missing without anyone noticing.”

“Those things are just like cash,
untraceable.” Jamal rubbed his chin in thought. “What about the
drug stock?”

“I’m looking into an inventory system
next.”

“No, I mean have you found any missing?”
Jamal stared at her intently.

“I’m pretty sure we don’t have a problem
there. But I’ve got to go over at least six months of purchase
orders to be sure. Which is where that program comes in.” Andrea
pointed to the computer.

“What about equipment? You’ve got items
around here that could be sold easily.”

“Not anymore. Katy and I are on top of
it.”

“But if you don’t have a detailed list...”
Jamal gazed at her.

“Denny keeps a daily list for me,” she said,
referring to the young man who functioned as a ward clerk and
pharmacy assistant.

“Lotta money at stake.” Jamal stared off as
though talking to himself. “Bad management is one thing, but—”

Andrea stood straight. “Excuse me, but I have
man-aged a clinic before, thank you.”

Jamal glanced at her sharply. “Just a few
random thoughts.”

Andrea felt a rise of aggravation. She’d had
to fight sexism and racism for much of her career. Ellis had
second-guessed her decisions, too. Her ex-husband had let Andrea
know in subtle ways he didn’t think much of her ambitions or
abilities. Jamal was behaving like the grand inquisitor. Being a
man did not give him the right to assume he could instruct her on
management.

“I’ll run the clinic. Just take care of the
duties I assign to you.”

“Sure. You’re in charge. I’ve got it,” Jamal
said in a curt voice.

Andrea swallowed hard at the tight look on
his hand-some face. His brows were drawn together, making his
handsome face look rugged, dangerous, and seductive at the same
time.

“I’ll let you know when I select the
inventory application we’ll use.” She gave a crisp nod and walked
out on rubbery legs.

Andrea escaped to the safety of her office.
Once the door closed, she took a deep breath. Being close to him
was dangerous. She had almost given in to a stupid romantic flight
of fancy twice in the space of only a few minutes. She’d have to be
more careful to guard herself against that sexy smile and those
smoky eyes.

***

Lee sat at the front desk and pretended to be
engrossed in the words on the computer screen. He listened to
Andrea give instructions to the student nurses in an efficient
tone. She seemed to be a very together lady. He smiled, remembering
how anger made her eyes flash with fire. She had a habit of pursing
her lips before she tossed out a smart answer. The soft
rose-colored lipstick she wore most days made him think her lips
would taste as sweet as candy. Her voice was like liquid silk. He
supposed nurses should have a soothing voice. He wanted to run his
fingers through her shoulder-length hair, which was the color of
bronze with red highlights. Then his mind formed an image of the
rest of her. Andrea’s curves, full breasts, firm hips that flared
out deliciously, could not be disguised even under the prim outfits
she wore. Her walk was smooth motion, a sensuous rhythm that hinted
at hidden passion.

As though in tune with his thoughts, Andrea
laughed at something Katy said. The sound washed over him in a wave
that set off a pulsating hunger that started at the base of his
spine then spread to his pelvis.

“You okay, Jamal? You’re sitting so
quiet.”

It was only then that Lee realized he’d
closed his eyes, the better to picture Andrea. When he opened them,
Troylyn stood only two feet away, going through a file cabinet.
Thankful her back was to him, he inhaled and exhaled a few times to
recover. It only took an instant to pull himself together, although
he still felt a bit off balance. He’d let thoughts of a woman sneak
up on him and rattle his concentration. That would not do. This was
just another assignment: get the information the client paid him
for and get out. He had to remember why he was working here.

“I’m concentrating on all this work the boss
lady has given me.”

“Miss Noble is not one to mess around, huh?
Came right in and took over.” Troylyn closed the metal drawer and
walked over to him. She leaned against the desk.

“Yep, all business, for sure. She’s got a lot
to clean up.”

‘Tell me about it.” Troylyn’s voice dropped
low and she looked around as though to make sure they were alone.
“If you ask me, she’s riding on a sinking ship.”

“What do you mean?” Lee now turned his full
attention to her.

“She’s still got some of the old staff left,
like Miss Cresson.” Troylyn nodded when he glanced at her.

Lee thought about the fifty-year-old
registered nurse. She’d practically ruled the place before Andrea
had come. Andrea had cut her hours until she was only part-
time.

“Miss Andrea can handle her, though,” Troylyn
said.

Lee thought back to his last conversation
with Mandeville. As usual with clients who hired a private
detective, he’d held back information from Lee. Mandeville had
controlled the clinic through the last three directors. Now the
board wanted him to clean it up. Despite his wealth and influence,
several of the board members were just as powerful. In fact, they
were challenging Mandeville’s power in other ways. Lee had no doubt
there was more Mandeville was hiding. He seemed to get a strained
expression whenever Lee probed about Andrea. Six years as a cop and
five as a private investigator gave Lee a sixth sense when someone
was holding back. Could there be some scam that involved Andrea
Noble? If she was involved, then the wrongdoing could be more than
petty employee theft. He definitely wanted to know more about her,
strictly for purposes of the investigation, of course.

“How long have you known Miss Noble?” Lee
said.

Troylyn blinked her wide eyes a few times.
“Not long. Just since I came here for my fieldwork.” She shrugged
and raised her eyebrows. ‘Tell you what, though, she’s got her
favorites. And I’m not talking about the females either.”

Lee felt an unfamiliar sensation in his
stomach. “Who is he?” His voice held an edge that he hoped Troylyn
did not notice.

“Well, I’m not a person to spread gossip,
but—”

Denny Kincaid strolled in. The tall, lanky
man wore an affable smile. At twenty-one, he was the youngest
employee at the clinic. He worked as an assistant to the part-time
pharmacist dispensing medication.

“Hey. What y’all doin’ still here? It’s time
to close up,” Denny said.

Troylyn cut a significant glance at Lee
before speaking. “You and Miss Andrea still here.”

“There’s always something I’ve gotta do. She
stays on me about keeping stuff in order.” Denny’s pleased smile
showed he didn’t mind at all.

“Oh yeah, it must be rough working late with
Miss Andrea.” Troylyn cleared her throat and gathered up a set of
notebooks. “See y’all tomorrow.”

She gave Lee another meaningful look before
walking out of the reception room. Lee got the message. He swiveled
in his chair so that he was facing Denny. Denny was nine years
younger than Andrea, eleven years younger than Lee. Denny went to a
stack of files left on the end of the counter and sorted through
them. He mumbled words to a rap song as he worked. Lee frowned. Why
would she be attracted to this guy? He was barely out of training
pants. His stomach roiled with displeasure at the thought of them
as a couple.

“Hey, Miss Andrea, I found that statistical
report for ya,” Denny called out as he walked down the hall.
“Fantastic, bring it to me,” Andrea answered.

Lee drummed his fingers on the desk as he
listened to their voices mingling together. When Andrea laughed,
Lee’s frowned deepened. Maybe they were in on some game at the
clinic together. It wouldn’t be the first time an otherwise
levelheaded woman did something stupid because of a man.

Lee fingers drummed harder and faster on the
surface of the desk. Okay, self-examination time. He was letting
himself get distracted from his job when it came to Andrea Noble.
But that buttoned-down, I-mean-business fine woman got under his
skin. She ... intrigued him. Yet he knew better than to let himself
be fooled by a pretty package. Not to mention, the lady did not
seem blown away by his charm. Lee did not think of himself as
conceited, but he’d never had a problem attracting the ladies.
Andrea Noble appeared to be totally under-whelmed. Smart lady, so
forget about it, Matthews.

When he heard the last employee call out a
weary “See ya tomorrow,” he realized that now was his chance. Lee
waited a few more minutes just to be sure, then quietly made his
way down the hall to the file room. Four rows of gray metal shelves
held patient records. A large copier sat in one corner and a long
table in another. He glanced in to see if anyone was there. Finding
it empty, he moved on to the small room that served as the clinic
pharmacy. Lee tried the door. It was locked as he’d expected. The
office the pharmacist used on the days he came was next to it. This
door was not locked. It took him only a few minutes to find two
drug logbooks from the past three months and a hefty bound set of
computer printouts.

After closing the blinds and turning on the
desk lamp, Lee spent the next half hour studying the records. The
logs were handwritten, with a list of drugs dispensed, with
quantities and dates. The pharmacist initialed each entry, with
Andrea or Katy signing at the bottom each month. The computer
sheets were a record of drugs ordered and received. He would need
to find time at least once a week to really dig deep.

Lee glanced up to find it was almost six
o’clock. Evening shadows lengthened as the last light of a
Louisiana summer day faded. He stretched, and then turned off the
lamp. As he stepped into the hall, he heard a rustle and the sound
of soft music. Only the fluorescent lights of the hallway were on.
Light spilled through the open door of Andrea’s office. Lee walked
to it and looked in. Andrea sat in one of three chairs arranged in
a semicircle around a small table near the window. A blues song
came from the clock radio on her bookcase. She’d taken off her
comfortable shoes and propped her feet up on another chair. Her
skirt hitched up one thigh and she rubbed it absentmindedly as she
read. He gazed at the way a thick lock of her hair kept falling
across her forehead. She pushed it back three times.