C6 Forever Yours: A Billionaire Romance

Estera Roberts’ POV

(Present Time: A Few Days Before)

“Doctor Roberts?” The familiar voice of one of the nurses made me halt my strides. I had just finished assisting one of the attending physicians in major surgery and I was pretty satisfied it had gone well with no hiccup.

“Yes?” I responded, turning around to face the dark skin average-height young woman. She was about my age and I could say part of our clique. Most of the interns in Memorial Hospital often band together for one activity or the other to the point that we even have a popular bar a few blocks from here that we go to unwind at least once a week for a drink and a good time. Meredith was one of the few nurses that had somewhat drifted into the gang. She smiled at me and offered me a file.

“Dr. Yen had a family emergency but was supposed to perform an Appendectomy this evening, she called and asked that you cover for her.”

I took the patient’s file and flipped through it deftly. “Harrison Michaels…” I read the patient’s name aloud, “Is he here?”

“Yes, Doctor.”

“Okay, prepare him, and I will be with you shortly. Let me quickly grab something to eat.”

“You look tired,” she said with a kind smile.

“I am tired,” I replied with a chuckle. “I just got out of an eight-hour surgery.”

“Oh! Do you want me to give this to somebody else?” she asked, obviously concerned for me.

“Thank you, Meredith. I can handle it. This is a simple procedure, and besides, Dr. Yen specifically asked for me. I have to do it,” I said.

“Doctor Roberts!” a voice called hurriedly from my back, and before I could turn in the direction to respond, two firm hands grab me by the forearms and literally drag me away from Meredith while she looks on with widened eyes.

“Hello, Meredith,” my kidnappers chorused in a cheery tone.

“Prepare the patient,” I repeated with a strained grin. Meredith chuckled, before walking away, shaking her head. “Where is the fire?” I said to the two interns dragging me towards the doctors’ lounge.

The one on the left was Ashley Benjamin, a graduate intern from Harvard. And the one to my right was Ameera Rasheed, also an intern, from Cambridge. I met the two the first week my internship started which was a year and eight months ago.

Ashley misdiagnosed a patient on her first day and was working frantically to resuscitate the patient when I and Ameera swooped in to assist. We were able to manage the crisis without any of the attendings suspecting, and after our shifts, Ashley invited us out for a drink. Discovering we had attended the same med school and I was a year ahead fastened our bond. The rest they say was history.

We hit it off naturally and became as thick as thieves. As soon as we entered the doctors’ lounge, the two let go of my arms and went to stand side by side a few feet from me, acting like excited kids eager to present an achievement, but a tad glittery about it.

“Out with it!” I said with fake impatience, folding my arms.

“Okay, remember how you guys said we should find something to do together to help me make my rent, so I don’t have to move out?”Ashley said with barely contained excitement.

“Yes…”I said in a drawl, narrowing my eyes suspiciously.

“I found something fun!”She exclaimed.

“And by fun… you mean…”I said again, arching an eyebrow quizzically.

“Remember those fancy girls living a floor below ours?” Ameera chipped in.

“Yes,” I said with my eyes widening, already suspecting where this was going. “Oh my God, you didn’t!” I exclaimed. The girls in question were high-class strippers that lived a floor below ours. We often bump into them in the elevator either when we close for an early morning shift or late at night. They were friendly, but I have always found them a little too much. We discovered they were strippers when Ameera decided to play detective and made us tail them to a gentlemen's club on the Upper Eastside.

“They said it is totally harmless, just like going to a party---a sexy party---and dancing to tease the guys!”

“I don’t know anything about being a stripper!”I exclaimed, sounding a little scared.

“Ssh! Not so loud, Estie!” Ashley said, darting a glance at the door behind me. I sighed.

“But, girls! I will totally look like a stiff goose trying to attempt to twerk!” I protested and the two laughed.

“I don’t know anything about seductive dancing as well, they don’t teach that in Med school and I was a total nerd back in high school! But we are lucky. The ladies offered to help us prepare, and go shopping for the appropriate outfit!”Ameera said, hopping with excitement.

“I don’t know about this---what if someone recognizes us?”

“We can use masks and be completely incognito… And mysterious,” Ashley said with suave, smiling and wiggling her eyebrows. I giggled.

“Well, it sounds like fun---and scary,” I said, and the two resumed hopping.

“Yes! We are doing this!” Ameera gushed. Ashley let out a sigh and smiled wistfully at the two of us.

“You guys are the best. I owe you big time!”

“We are getting something out of it too,” I said with a wide grin.

“Regardless, thank you for not letting me do this alone.”

“Aw... Bring it in,” Ameera said, drawing us three into a group hug.

Living in New York is quite expensive and a lifestyle way beyond our intern salary, add that to the cumulative College debts, it became a little difficult for someone like Ashley to make rent every month.

When her check bounced last week, Ameera and I offered to help cover her, but she insisted on finding extra work. But then the hospital workload for someone like her who was in the diagnostic department left just a few hours for her to find any other means to generate extra income.

She took on babysitting, and some other night jobs that almost got her in trouble at the hospital. And it even grew worse when the intern occupying the third bedroom in their apartment decided to transfer to another hospital and had to move. Naturally, the girls asked me to move in which I gladly accepted because my old apartment was quite some distance from the hospital and I had to take the subway.

Unlike Ashley, Ameera came from a wealthy family, and paying her bills was not a problem at all as for me, my parents---although not wealthy—were comfortable enough with the foresight to put away college funds for me before their deaths. I will be forever regretful for them.

Aside from the college funds my parents left for me, I also inherited three of their properties and my Aunt Sophia rented out two of those, leaving my childhood home in Castle Ridge vacant for me after my parents died. And there was another staggering amount---which I refused to touch---in an investment savings account - money I intend to return to the owner as soon as I can devise a means. My heart tightened at the thought, and I shook my head to dispel the memory, forcefully blocking it from my head. I heard the door open behind me, and someone called my name.

“Doctor Roberts, Nurse Meredith asked me to let you know the patient is ready for surgery now. They are waiting for you.”

“Thank you,” I said, turning around and discovering it was another intern; a Hispanic doctor from the pediatric department. I have seen her around but she tends to keep to herself. She nodded and shut the door. “Sorry girls, duty calls,” I said to Ashley and Ameera. Realizing I didn’t even get to eat anything.

“I thought you had only two surgeries today,” Ashley said, picking up a sandwich from a ceramic plate beside the coffee machine. I snatched it from her and hurriedly stuffed it in my mouth. She looked taken aback for a moment then slowly passed a bottle of grape juice to me. I gave her a grateful smile.

“I’m starving—” I said with my mouth full.

“I can see that,” Ashley said.

“Poor thing,” Ameera injected and offered me a paper napkin. I took it from her.

“I have three now, filling in for doctor Yen, she had a family emergency,” I explained.

“Meet us here when you are done,” Ameera said.

“Sure thing,” I replied and left the room.