EIGHT

"So, you're going on a date with a guy you met less than three hours ago?"

Erin peeked out the huge walk in closet where she was busy hunting for her shoes and peered at the woman perched on her bed, legs, encased in designer jeans, tucked beneath her lithe frame.

"Is something wrong with that?" Erin asked, adjusting the towel wrapped turban style around her head. "It's just dinner, Kim, not like I'm gearing up for a night of wild sex."

Kim shrugged slim shoulders and bit into a chip, chewing for a moment before she replied.

"Not wrong for me. But it's so completely out of character for you. I mean, you're always so cautious and over analyze every single thing. For heaven's sake, it takes you a good fifteen minutes to decide on what flavor of ice cream you want. Now you're going out with a total stranger on a whim."

"I do not analyze everything," Erin huffed, indignant. "I simply like to make sure I'm making good decisions. And Todd's not a total stranger. He's my dad's surgeon and we talked for a while before he asked me out."

"Yes, for five minutes." Kim swung off the bed and moved to the gilded vanity, motioning for Erin to take the stool, so she could get started on her makeup. "He better be hot though, for all this effort you're putting on just for one date."

Erin moved to sit, staring dolefully at her reflection as Kim unwrapped the towel covering her damp hair and fired up the hand dryer.

"The date might not even happen if I don't find something to wear."

She glanced at the discarded dresses that littered the floor and sighed. "I really didn't pack for pleasure, there's nothing suitable here."

Kim looked sympathetic, large brown eyes narrowing as she pondered the matter. "Hopefully, the hotel boutique will have something."

"Yeah, I hope. You know how hard it is to find clothes that fit me."

Blessed, or cursed (depends on who you asked), with a rather fuller figure than was currently fashionable made buying clothes, especially high couture clothes, a challenge for Erin. Those clothes were designed with the trendy woman - slim, fit and sexy or a curvy, hourglass figure - in mind, not a woman with full breasts, a thicker waist, hips and ass like hers.

Fortunately, her best friend/ lingerie model, Kim, had introduced her to an upcoming designer who had gone on to design wonderful outfits that flattered Erin's body.

Unfortunately, those clothes had been left behind in New York. Finding herself clueless, Erin had panicked and called for back up. Fortunately, Kim happened to be in Chicago, and dropped in. It had been she who'd come up with the idea to try the little boutique attached to the hotel.

Over the sound of the hairdryer, a loud knock came from the living room.

"That'd be the boutique with the dresses," Kim said. She turned off the dryer and strode to the sitting room, Erin trailing in her wake, still clad in a terry robe.

Kim pulled open the door, admitting four ladies, each laden with dresses over both arms.

"Here are the selections available in your size, Ms. Gosling." One of the women, obviously in charge, announced. She laid her offerings on the couch, directing the others to do the same. "I hope you find something suitable."

"Thanks - June, right?" Erin asked the woman, who nodded, her eyes lighting up at being remembered. Erin smiled and moved to inspect the first dress, a maxi length burgundy gown, with sequins and tiny straps. She glanced at Kim who was already busy, lips pursed, as she ran a critical eye over several dresses, quickly discarding several as unsuitable.

Erin felt her heart sink as the reject pile grew. She trusted Kim's judgement implicitly, when it came to fashion, and if her friend didn't find anything, there was little hope Erin could.

She'd already pulled out her phone, intending to call Todd and cancel the date when Kim held up a short, black, halter neck dress and grinned in triumph.

"This one." Kim declared, to the murmurs of approval from the others.

The dress fit perfectly, much to Erin's relief. It showed the right amount of cleavage, emphasized her nearly nonexistent waistline, and best of all, the hem, which ended mid-thigh, showed off her best feature - her legs.

It was the one feature she liked about her body. Straight and long, paired with the right pair of shoes, she could turn heads - as long as those heads remained firmly fixed on her legs and did not move north.

Feeling buoyed again, she sat in front of the vanity while Kim did her hair and makeup. Smoky, bronze shades for her eyes, and a pale, peach nude for her lips.

She eyed the finished product in the mirror and smiled. "You're the bestest bestie in the whole wide world!" She told Kim.

"Of course, I am." Kim grinned, already moving to the wardrobe to hunt for shoes. She eyed the dozens of shoes, all sporting designer labels, and shook her head in bewilderment.

"I still don't understand how you could manage to cram in this amount of shoes for one trip, yet manage to forget to add in one decent dress for emergencies like these."

Erin giggled, abashed. "You know shoes are my weakness."

Shoes never disappointed her the way clothes did. Shoes didn't care whether she were a plus size, or a size zero; whether she was cursed with an apple shaped body, or boobs that gained weight every time she so much as breathed in the same room as a box of chocolates.

As long as it was a size 9, the shoe would fit, regardless if she gained weight or not.

Erin fought a tinge of conscience as she thought of her warehouse sized shoe closet back in Chicago. She tried not to think about how much money she'd spent in the past year alone buying shoes - probably enough to feed a small country.

"Like I could forget." Kim chuckled. She pulled out a pair of bronze, glittery sky high Jimmy Choos and held them up for Erin's inspection. "These will go well with your makeup and jewelry."

"Ooo, I've been wanting to wear those since I bought them last week." Erin took the shoes, slipped them on, and stood. Even in the six inch heels, she only still stood eye height with Kim.

Kim beamed like a proud mama and clapped her hands. "You look stunning, babe. Go forth and kill that poor man tonight."

They both collapsed in a fit of giggles. When they finally subsided, the two friends sat side by side, each lost in their own thoughts.

Erin hoped all this effort wouldn't go to waste. Even though she barely knew the doctor, he had struck her as a nice guy, bonus points for being drop dead gorgeous.

I wouldn't be adverse to another date if this one goes well. Erin thought.

And another, and maybe a night of raunchy, hot sex, if things worked out perfectly.

Todd Haskell looked to be the kind of guy she wouldn't mind playing doctor/patient with, as long as she got to be the doctor.

"Has Nicky gone back to New York?" Kim's question broke into her thoughts.

The mention of her cousin's name brought the depressing thought of Ethan Lachlan to mind. She still hadn't heard from Nicks since this afternoon, and worry clouded her thoughts as she debated calling Aunt Lorna to find out if she had stopped by their house.

This is all Ethan's fault.

She gritted her teeth in frustration. First the bastard had put her father in hospital and now he'd upset her cousin. God only knew what he would do next - damn his vengeful soul. If Ethan thought he could make her come begging for belittling his precious ego, then he was mistaken.

Come Monday, Erin planned on calling a secret meeting of the remaining board members still loyal to her father and discuss ways in which Ethan could be voted off the board.

"No, she's still here," Erin finally replied. She picked up a bottle of water and twisted off the cap, wishing it were the bastard's neck in her hands instead. "She's probably at home, spending a quiet evening with her folks."

She briefly debated telling Kim about the whole debacle with Ethan. Kim was one of the few people aware of her father's hospitalization, but Erin had yet to tell her who and what had put him there in the first place.

She knew Kim well, and how much she loved Harold, whom she'd taken to calling 'Uncle Harry' right from the first day she'd accompanied Erin home from middle school, and had adopted Erin's family as hers. She wouldn't put it past the fiery South Korean to go find Ethan, knife in hand, and cut off his balls for hurting her dear uncle.

"Oh, okay. We should definitely meet up for lunch and catch up one of these days." Kim replied, happily oblivious to Erin's thoughts. "Maybe after uncle Harry's out of the hospital."

"Hmm...oh yeah, definitely. I'll let Nicks know."

Kim consulted the clock on the wall. "It's almost eight. You should get going downstairs."

Erin stood, grabbing her bronze purse, and together the girls walked out the room, blatantly ignoring the mess that resembled a war zone.

* * *

Todd arrived promptly at eight.

Erin was sitting in the open cafe, sipping on a glass on water when she spotted him striding towards her, carrying himself with a the confidence of a man well aware of his good looks and physique. His face split into a wide smile when he saw her waiting by the magnificent fountain, and Erin felt her heart skip a beat at how dashing he looked.

Sure he'd looked just as good in hospital scrubs, but even more so now he'd changed into a dark blue suit and matching light blue shirt, unbuttoned at the neck to reveal a hint of tanned flesh just begging to be touched.

"Hello there." Todd said, when he came within earshot.

Erin felt a blush creep up her cheeks as she watched his eyes darken in male appreciation when he took in the black dress that molded her figure to perfection, the glossy thick hair, gleaming and hanging loose around her bare shoulders and down to linger on the thigh high hem of the dress that showed off her long legs to full advantage.

"You look stunning Erin. Truly breathtaking."

"Thank you. And you look really nice yourself. Quite a transformation from scrubs, if I do say so."

He chuckled and raked a hand through his hair, a sheepish grin playing across his mouth. "I try to look presentable every now and then, particularly in the presence of a lovely damsel ."

Erin found herself responding to his charms, her mouth curving in an answering smile. "Are you always this charming, Dr. Haskell?"

"Depends on who's asking. My anatomy professor will always remain convinced I'm the devil's spawn."

Todd slid into the seat opposite Erin, undoing the buttons of his suit. His gaze fell to the glass of water on the table before her and his lips quirked in a smile.

"No alcohol?"

Erin laughed, pushing the half empty glass aside. "No. I'm saving myself for your offer. You did promise to wine and dine with me tonight."

"So I did," Todd nodded, eyes twinkling in good humor. "Well then, shall we get on?"

"Of course."

He rose and held out a hand to Erin. "I hope you like seafood? I made reservations at The Frieling- I hear it's the place to go for excellent wine and seafood."

Erin placed her hands in his and rose too, using her free hand to tug the hem of the dress down then grabbed her purse.

"I love seafood! And though I've never been to Frieling's, I've heard nice things about the place."

Outside the hotel, Todd steered her to a sleek black BMW convertible parked by curb. Erin raised an eyebrow at the powerful machine, wondering how much money surgeons made these days.

Must be a lot.

She slid into the equally plush interior, the leather seat adjusting to her weight. Todd shut the door and came round the driver's side.

"Nice ride." Erin said, running a hand over the dashboard feeling the sleek smoothness beneath her fingertips.

"Thank you. Was a gift from my grandfather when I graduated med school." He switched on the ignition and the powerful engine roared to life.

"Very generous of him."

Todd switched gears, and pulled into the light evening traffic.

"Nah, not really. He did it to rub my dad's nose in it. Father and son never got along."

"Oh, why?"

He shrugged, steering the car with an easy grace. "Grandad wanted my dad to go to med school. Dad rebelled and dropped out in sophomore year, met my mother and got married at twenty one. His dad cut him off, they never spoke until I came along two years later. Usual story."

Erin nodded and fell silent, unsure of what to say next without being too inquisitive. To occupy herself, she gazed out the window, watching the buildings and streets flash by until they got to the Frieling.