The Final Countdown

Chapter 10

Maddie

The following week, my boss was able to get me a meeting with one of the hospitals near Cameron's apartment. We still haven't had the opportunity to go house shopping with him being busy with football, but if I get this job, we'll have a general area to begin our search.

This hospital is one of the most prestigious in not only California but the entire country. The large building in front of me is daunting as I stop on the pavement to scale the sides, attempting to calculate how many stories it reaches. Ambulance sirens wail nearby, and doctors and nurses are either coming or going from their shifts, everyone seeming to hold a cup of coffee in their hands. It's so different from Germany. The past year has given me a culture shock from how busy Los Angeles is.

With a nervous exhale, I clutch my briefcase closer to my side. and stride for the automatic doors. I've never done an internship with a hospital before. My previous internship was held at a doctor's office, and it was nothing like this.

When was the last time I had an interview? I'm racking my brain as I approach the guest services desk, but nothing comes to mind. I mean, I had to do an interview for my internship abroad, but I don't count that. It wasn't a job. I wasn't getting paid for that. This is my first big-girl adult interview.

God, am I dressed okay?

Glancing down at the fitted black pants and pink satin blouse tucked into the waistband, I feel as much of a businesswoman as possible. This is my dream career, and this internship is all I've ever wanted. If I can get in here, I'll have a better shot at conducting my residency here next year. And for whatever reason, knowing that makes me all the more nervous.

The woman at the front desk instructs me to take the elevator to the fifth floor, where the offices are located. I'm to check in with them, and they'll let the interviewer know I've arrived.

I'm thirty minutes early, mainly because I had a fear I wouldn't be able to find parking, so I decide to wait ten minutes or so in the cafeteria before I head up to the offices.

Before I can sit down, my phone vibrates.

Cam: Good luck today, baby. You've got this! I believe in you.

The message has warmth bubbling in my chest, and a newfound confidence seems to seep into my veins. His words make it easier to breathe, and my palms aren't as sweaty as I text out a reply to him.

Me: I love you. How's Iz?

Cam: Currently eating mac and cheese, happier than ever. Stop worrying. We're fine :)

Cam: Oh, and I love you too.

I felt bad asking him to watch her. It's his first day off after eight days of work, and I know he's got to be exhausted. If he wasn't training, he was in meetings. If he wasn't in meetings, he was practicing. I've hardly seen him other than a few hours in the morning for breakfast. By the time he gets home, Izzy and I are already asleep.

But he ushered me out the door without a complaint. He said he needed a daddy-daughter day with Iz, so I didn't push him. I know being away from her because of work affects him more than he lets on.

"Maddie?"

Glancing up from my phone, my body stills as I take in the man in front of me. I haven't seen him in years, and for the life of me, I'm trying to figure out what exactly he's doing here in Los Angeles. In scrubs.

"Tre?" I'm still dumbfounded, staring up at his height and wincing from the reflection of the fluorescent lights. I haven't seen him since I broke things off between us. Last I knew, he was a bartender in Phoenix. Certainly not working at a hospital in Los Angeles.