Note to new readers: There is an introductory chapter titled "Perfection-Intro" It is not necessay to the story, but it provides a little background info.
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Michelle’s deep brown eyes followed the stranger in white. “Is that the new doctor?” she asked.
“Of course it is. Just started Friday.” Kimberly Larsen replied, sipping from her coffee cup. “What do you think?”
The two nurses were standing in a vacant hallway of the Beaverlodge hospital, enjoying a morning coffee break and watching the people go by. Michelle Brock tilted her head to the side and examined the doctor as he chatted with the receptionist. He was tall and solid, with broad shoulders and thick arms. He looked like he belonged in a lumberyard or the oilfield. His hair was a very dark blond and although it was slightly longer than what this conservative Alberta town considered normal, it was neatly cut and it suited him. His face was a little too round for her liking, but his smile was warm and his blue eyes were intelligent.
“I don’t know.” Michelle said nonchalantly, “You’ve worked with him. What’s he like?” Michelle had been visiting a cousin for the past week, so this was her first shift with him. She had spent the morning doing paperwork, which is why their paths had not yet crossed.
Kim smiled. “Very polite. Professional. Good bedside manner.” She shrugged. “What more can I say?”
Michelle raised a perfect eyebrow. “A lot.”
Kim grinned. “He’s single.” Her excitement was obvious.
Michelle rolled her eyes. Kim saw any new guy in town as a potential boyfriend. Whenever there was a fresh male face at the hospital, she would always try to catch his eye. “Cool it, Kim.” she said. “You try too hard. You’ll look desperate.”
“Well, at least I’m trying.” Kim replied. “I haven’t resigned myself to spending every night alone.” Quickly realizing the harshness of her words, she said, “Sorry, ‘Chelle, that was low.”
Michelle shrugged it off, apparently unfazed. “I just haven’t found the right one yet.”
“And you never will if you don’t look.” Kim nudged her friend. “Go introduce yourself. I think he’ll like you.”
Michelle glanced at the doctor for a moment then turned away. “He’s busy.”
“No one’s ever busy around here. Go. Strike up a conversation.”
Michelle stood up from the wall on which she had been leaning. Her posture was rather stiff. Although she was only slightly above average height, she towered over her short companion. “You know that I believe the man should always make the first move.”
“Believe me, I know.” Kim said with more than a little exasperation in her voice. “And I think that that is such an outdated ideal. You have wasted so many opportunities.”
Michelle straightened her shoulders, making her look even more rigid. “That’s how I was raised.” She said defensively.
Kim sighed. “You’re twenty-six years old, Michelle. No one pays attention to what their parents taught them after they turn sixteen.” She leaned over and put her hand on Michelle’s arm. “I’m just a little worried about you. I don’t want you to end up alone.”
Glancing down at Kim’s hand, Michelle replied in her usual calm, even voice. “Would that be such a bad thing?”
Kim withdrew her hand. “Well, I guess not,” she said with hesitation. “If that’s what you really want.”
Michelle shrugged and took a quick sip of her coffee. “I enjoy my privacy. If Mr. Right comes along, that’s great. If he doesn’t, then I’ll be fine.”
Kim contemplated Michelle’s words as she finished her coffee. “I guess I can respect that,” she said. “It’s not for me, but to each her own.”
Michelle smiled. “Good.” She turned back and looked at the new doctor, who was talking to a patient in the nearby waiting room. Both looked at ease. “So, does this tall, dark stranger we now work with have a name?”
Kim burst out laughing. “I can’t believe I forgot to tell you! Jeff Baker.”
Michelle nodded thoughtfully, eyes still on the doctor. She then glanced at the clock. “Well, back to work.”
Kim checked the clock for herself, then stretched. "Man, time flies when you're checking out the fresh meat." She laughed when Michelle scolded her.
The two women washed out their coffee cups and put them away. Then they made their way down separate hallways. Neither noticed the doctor look up just in time to see the fluorescent light reflecting off Michelle’s brown hair; nor were they aware of him staring down the hallway after her.
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What do you think? I appreciate any feedback, positive or negative, especially regarding Michelle. I had a really hard time getting her personality right. This is my third or fourth draft, and I think I finally got it, which is good because I was on the verge of insanity. 
Comparing my doctor to Kovach is such a huge compliment. (I'm gushing! 
)
Jessica Rabbit 
I can take a hint!
Also, I'd just skip to the end if you didn't want a major ego-deflation...lol
)
Points: 890
Reviews: 15
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