Read Online The Hunchback of Neiman Marcus by Sonya Sones - Free Book Online Page A

to escape the chanting,
    and somehow manage to trip a man
    wearing sky-blue scrubs,
    whose stethoscope goes flying
    as he crashes to the floor.
    â€œOmigosh,” I say. “I am so sorry!”
    I reach down to help him up
    and when our fingers touch,
    a strange shiver runs through me—
    like I’m a character in a tacky romance novel.
    The man flashes me a dizzying grin,
    and I notice that he’s tall and pale and lean—
    handsome in a vampirey kind of way,
    with incisors that almost make me wish
    he’d bite my neck.
    I take in his graceful forearms,
    his mile-wide shoulders,
    his utter and complete silver-foxiness.
    And when he locks his George-Clooney eyes
    to mine—I’m thirteen again.
    I can feel my cheeks flushing,
    my pulse quickening.
    â€œIs there…a doctor in the house?” I ask lamely.
    And when he starts chuckling
    I nearly keel over:
    it’s Dr. Hack!

THAT’S THE BAD NEWS
    And
    it’s also
    the good news.
    Because now that I know who he is
    I won’t even be tempted
    to jeopardize my marriage.
    Not that he’d ever be interested in me.
    I mean, I’m not exactly having
    a good hair day.
    And he must be
    at least ten years younger
    than I am.
    But when he takes my hand in his to shake it,
    he seems to hold onto it
    a beat longer than he should.
    â€œAnd whom do I have the pleasure
    of being tripped by?” he purrs.
    â€œI’m…I’m Holly…Myra’s daughter.”
    His smoldery eyes widen.
    â€œAnd I’m Dr. Hack!” he says.
    â€œI had no idea you were…coming.”
    I wish I could think of a clever reply
    but I’m too busy trying not to faint—
    because now his eyes have begun to wander
    and I can feel the heat of them
    roaming over every curve
    of my body.
    Or maybe
    I’m just having
    one heck of a hot flash.

I’M BLUSHING IN PLACES I’VE NEVER BLUSHED BEFORE
    No one has looked at me like this
    in a very long time.
    I’d given up hope
    that anyone ever would again.
    Is he interested in me?
    He can’t be… Can he?
    Aw come on, Holly. Don’t be an idiot.
    This whole thing is all in your head…
    But then he bats his ludicrously long lashes
    and says, “It’s so amazing to finally see
    the face that goes with the voice.”
    â€œIt sure is, doctor…” I murmur.
    â€œPlease, Holly,” he says,
    with a smile that turns my legs to linguine,
    â€œcall me Griffin.”
    â€œGriffin…” I repeat, as if in a trance.
    What is going on here?
    Is this guy some kind of hypnotist?
    If he snaps his fingers
    will I start unbuttoning my blouse?
    How can I be swooning
    for a man I detest?
    How can I be drooling
    for such a complete idiot?
    How can I be besotted with a man
    who has proven himself to have
    about as much bedside manner
    as an alarm clock?

I HAVE GOT TO GET A GRIP
    But it’s like Griffin
    is a thousand-watt bulb,
    and I’m a moth with a death wish.
    I watch, transfixed,
    as he lets his thumb drift across
    his lower lip—
    exactly the same way
    I saw Brad Pitt do it once on TV
    when he was flirting with Barbara Walters…
    My own lips begin to tremble…
    Goosebumps rise on my arms…
    My wedding band throbs on my finger…
    Then, Griffin says,
    â€œWhy don’t we go up to my office,
    where we can…talk?”
    Is it just my imagination,
    or by “talk” does he mean
    â€œhave mind-bogglingly hot sex?”
    Of course it’s my imagination.
    Though I take a quick step back,
    just in case.
    And trying hard to remain strong,
    I say, “We do need to talk.
    About my mother !”
    But when he rests his hand
    on the small of my back
    and guides me toward the open elevator,
    I can feel my resolve
    melting faster than butter
    on hot toast.

GRIFFIN PRESSES THE BUTTON FOR THE FIFTH FLOOR
    And even though
    both of us see a nurse
    dashing down the hall
    to try to get here before the doors close,
    neither