The Game of Seduction (Arrington Family Series) by Candace Shaw Page B
Authors: Candace Shaw
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doctors consulted and brainstormed with each other for positive solutions.
She glanced up from her doodling of stars and crescent moons on her notepad to find her brother Cannon staring at her with a curious expression.
“Bria, you haven’t said anything during the meeting. Is there something you need to discuss?”
She’d contemplated all day whether or not to mention her trip to Atlanta in a few days. The trip wouldn’t be a problem, but where she was going while there could be.
“Bria’s probably just excited about her one month vacation coming up,” her mother interjected, patting Bria’s hand. “She’s worked here for a year now and definitely deserves the break.”
She smiled at her mother’s comforting gesture. Her mother knew when she was quiet— which was rare, for Bria always had something to say—meant she was deep in thought over a matter of importance.
“Yes, Mother I’m excited about my vacation. I’m leaving for Atlanta the day after New years.” There, I said it. Well, not all of it.
“Atlanta, dear? I thought you were going to south Florida to get some sun.”
“Nope. I need to take care of some business.”
“Business?” her father asked. “What kind of business would you have there?”
She hesitated for a moment. She wasn’t expecting her father to question her in a harsh tone. He was usually in a pleasant mood. She cleared her throat and avoided eye contact with him.
“Well, you all remember my friend and mentor, Dr. Taylor Banneker. I haven’t seen her in ages, so I’m going to hang with her for the month, visit with the twins, and check out Taylor’s practice.”
“What kind of practice is it, dear?” her mother asked.
“Oh, it’s a women’s wellness center. There’s a dermatologist, an ObGyn, a dietician, and of course Taylor is a fertility specialist. The doctors there incorporate naturopathic approaches if necessary,” she said, still avoiding eye contact with her father and only looking at her mother. “So, I’m going to go check it out.”
Raven coughed and Sean simply whistled the Andy Griffith theme song quietly.
“Bria.” Her father cleared his throat as he placed his glasses on his salt and peppered hair. “While I’m proud that you have an interest in naturopathic approaches and you’ve even gone as far as becoming certified in some areas of that field, we don’t offer that here, so I fail to understand how going to Dr. Banneker’s wellness center will give you any ideas that you can bring back and incorporate, young lady.”
Bria hesitated to answer him as she looked around the conference table. Her father sat at the head of the table, with Sean and Raven flanked on either side of him. The three nurses sat on the side where Sean was and across from them were the receptionist and two medical assistants who looked as if they couldn’t wait for Bria to spill the tea so they could gossip about it later. Her mother, who sat at the opposite end of the table to her father, looked back and forth between Bria and her husband, while continuing to hold Bria’s hand. She sat to her mother’s left with Cannon sitting directly in front of her.
All eyes were on her except for Sean whose face held a serious expression as he typed something on his iPad. Probably trying to analyze me as always. Taking a deep breath, she remembered the pep talk Rasheed gave her that morning. She squeezed her mother’s hand for support as she answered her father in a professional tone and this time, gave him full eye contact.
“Well, Father, Taylor has an opening for an allergist with all of my qualifications and certifications which would allow me to still practice traditional medicine but incorporate alternative medicine as well.”
Dr. Francis Arrington stood and stared at Bria so hard she thought surely she would explode right there in her chair.
“Everybody out!”
Chapter Five
“Francis, go easy on her, dear,” Darla pleaded. She was the last
She glanced up from her doodling of stars and crescent moons on her notepad to find her brother Cannon staring at her with a curious expression.
“Bria, you haven’t said anything during the meeting. Is there something you need to discuss?”
She’d contemplated all day whether or not to mention her trip to Atlanta in a few days. The trip wouldn’t be a problem, but where she was going while there could be.
“Bria’s probably just excited about her one month vacation coming up,” her mother interjected, patting Bria’s hand. “She’s worked here for a year now and definitely deserves the break.”
She smiled at her mother’s comforting gesture. Her mother knew when she was quiet— which was rare, for Bria always had something to say—meant she was deep in thought over a matter of importance.
“Yes, Mother I’m excited about my vacation. I’m leaving for Atlanta the day after New years.” There, I said it. Well, not all of it.
“Atlanta, dear? I thought you were going to south Florida to get some sun.”
“Nope. I need to take care of some business.”
“Business?” her father asked. “What kind of business would you have there?”
She hesitated for a moment. She wasn’t expecting her father to question her in a harsh tone. He was usually in a pleasant mood. She cleared her throat and avoided eye contact with him.
“Well, you all remember my friend and mentor, Dr. Taylor Banneker. I haven’t seen her in ages, so I’m going to hang with her for the month, visit with the twins, and check out Taylor’s practice.”
“What kind of practice is it, dear?” her mother asked.
“Oh, it’s a women’s wellness center. There’s a dermatologist, an ObGyn, a dietician, and of course Taylor is a fertility specialist. The doctors there incorporate naturopathic approaches if necessary,” she said, still avoiding eye contact with her father and only looking at her mother. “So, I’m going to go check it out.”
Raven coughed and Sean simply whistled the Andy Griffith theme song quietly.
“Bria.” Her father cleared his throat as he placed his glasses on his salt and peppered hair. “While I’m proud that you have an interest in naturopathic approaches and you’ve even gone as far as becoming certified in some areas of that field, we don’t offer that here, so I fail to understand how going to Dr. Banneker’s wellness center will give you any ideas that you can bring back and incorporate, young lady.”
Bria hesitated to answer him as she looked around the conference table. Her father sat at the head of the table, with Sean and Raven flanked on either side of him. The three nurses sat on the side where Sean was and across from them were the receptionist and two medical assistants who looked as if they couldn’t wait for Bria to spill the tea so they could gossip about it later. Her mother, who sat at the opposite end of the table to her father, looked back and forth between Bria and her husband, while continuing to hold Bria’s hand. She sat to her mother’s left with Cannon sitting directly in front of her.
All eyes were on her except for Sean whose face held a serious expression as he typed something on his iPad. Probably trying to analyze me as always. Taking a deep breath, she remembered the pep talk Rasheed gave her that morning. She squeezed her mother’s hand for support as she answered her father in a professional tone and this time, gave him full eye contact.
“Well, Father, Taylor has an opening for an allergist with all of my qualifications and certifications which would allow me to still practice traditional medicine but incorporate alternative medicine as well.”
Dr. Francis Arrington stood and stared at Bria so hard she thought surely she would explode right there in her chair.
“Everybody out!”
Chapter Five
“Francis, go easy on her, dear,” Darla pleaded. She was the last
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