The Unlucky Turn by Mark Twain 221
Hale watched Leilani closely. He blinked and asked, “Dr. Sloan, is that a spam message?”
“Mhm.” Leilani set her phone down, her tone indifferent. “Just someone irrelevant.”
Hale rested his chin on his hand, looking at her thoughtfully. He couldn’t resist prying. “Dr. Sloan, you’re beautiful and your medical skills are top-notch. You must have a lot of guys chasing after you, right?”
Hale’s gossip radar was pinging wildly.
Leilani shot him a cold look and didn’t answer. “While you’re here, don’t ask things you shouldn’t ask. I’ve already written your prescription. Go to the front and pick it up.”
When Leilani got angry, she was genuinely intimidating. Hale raised his hands in mock surrender.
“I’ll shut up.”
Then he took the prescription and left.
With Hale gone, Pure Spring Clinic returned to its usual tranquility.
At noon, Leilani checked the time and clocked out. She was carrying a bag of groceries and was just about to swipe her card to enter her apartment complex when she heard a rough voice shouting from behind her.
“Hey! You there! Stop!”
Leilani didn’t stop, nor did she turn her head.
“Hey, woman! I’m talking to you! Are you deaf?”
“Whoosh!”
Suddenly, a black Mercedes screeched to a halt right in front of Leilani. The door was shoved open, and a man with a bloated face and large ears squeezed out. His suit was strained tight against his beer belly, and his tie hung crookedly around his neck. He narrowed his beady eyes, compared her face to a photo on his phone, and grinned, revealing yellow, smoke-stained teeth.
He strode forward, blocking her path. “You’re Leilani Sloan, right?”
Leilani raised her eyes, her gaze frosty. “Who are you?”
“Padgett Lambert!” The man puffed out his chest, as if the name were some golden ticket.
“Mr. Sloan didn’t mention me? I’m doing this out of respect for the Sloan family. Honestly, with my background, I could have any woman I want. It’s only because the Lamberts and the Sloans go way back that I’m willing to overlook the fact that you’re an ex-con!”
Leilani finally remembered who this was. Hackett had mentioned the Lambert family’s only son before. He was a trust-fund playboy who relied on his father to survive.
But hadn’t she clearly rejected the idea? She had even caused a scene at the Sloan residence about it. Was Hackett insane? Sending someone to her door without even a warning.
16:15
As Leilani processed this, she looked Padgett up and down, her eyes flashing with disdain at his slovenly appearance. She let out a scoff, her words sharp. “Mr. Lambert, I think you’re mistaken. I never agreed to any blind date.”
Padgett’s face darkened. He assumed she was playing hard to get. “Stop acting so high and mighty. Everyone in our circle knows you’ve been to prison. It’s your lucky day that I’m even interested in you! You should be grateful!”
As he spoke, his gaze swept over her lecherously, lingering on her chest and waist.
“But… seeing as you’re actually pretty hot, I’ll be the bigger man. As long as you agree to the marriage, I promise I’ll treat you well.”
Padgett reached out, trying to touch Leilani’s face.
“Snap!”
Leilani clamped her hand around his wrist and twisted it back hard. Before Padgett could process what was happening, his world spun.
“Bam!”
He was slammed heavily onto the pavement, his back hitting the ground with a sickening thud. Two buttons popped off his suit jacket from the impact.
16:15
admin