I arrived at the hospital about 7AM in spite of attempting to sleep in. I had called my personal lawyer yesterday on lunch break, and he agreed to be available by phone if I felt I needed him today or tomorrow for the meetings. He gave me a list of do's and don'ts for the meeting. I was not going to incriminate myself and make this easy for Dr. Adams. You'd better believe her illegal ventures were coming to light too if she was attempting to frame me for something I was not guilty of.
"Good morning Dr. Teton," several night nurses at the Nurse's station finishing their charting, said simultaneously.
"Good morning," I replied, but kept walking.
I heard someone say, "I wonder what's up his ass?"
Then another voice said, "no doubt it's Dr. Adams. She was asking questions about that Knutson twin. Supposedly she thinks he did something inappropriate." I slowed down around the corner but did not enter my office to hear the rest of the conversation.
The first voice spoke up again, "I've never heard anything so ridiculous in my life. Adams might sleep her way through the hospital, but Dr. Teton seems as decent as they come."
The second voice laughed before responding, "yeah, I think every nurse here, male and female has come on to him, and he has always nicely declined. I'm not sure what he did to piss off Adams, but she seemed to be on a witch hunt."
Another voice piped up, "I sure hope no one was dumb enough to talk to her. She is the queen of blackmail."
The first voice asked, "whatcha mean?"
The last voice answered, "forget I said anything. Just don't trust her if you know what's good for you. Well, I'm heading out. Have a good day all."
I heard a chair scrape against the tile floor and then I heard foot steps coming in my direction, so I ducked into the office I use when I'm in Rochester. I sat down in the desk chair and took a deep breath. That bitch was really trying to nail me. I suspected she was, but hearing the nurses discuss that Dr. Adams was asking around about me and that she blackmails employees really infuriated me.
I needed to talk to my lawyer before the Board of Directors' meeting started. He needed to know what was going on and to advise me how I should proceed. Damn that woman! After a discussion with my lawyer, we had a plan. I pulled out my phone and sent a text as he suggested.
Dr. Wam Teton: You have offered to meet before the BOD meeting. Did you still want to meet, or is that offer no longer an option?
Almost immediately she responded.
Dr. Kelly Adams: I'd love to meet with you Wam. My office at 8:15AM?
I couldn't help but smile. She may think she is smart, but she isn't nearly as smart as she thinks. I fire a text back.
Dr. Wam Teton: I'll be there!
It was already almost 8AM, so I needed to get moving. I pushed "record" on my cell phone and placed it in my suit coat before heading to Dr. Adams's office. Once outside her door, I knocked and waited, but she didn't answer. A couple minutes later, she came strutting down the hallway and smiled at me as she got closer. I saw her gait change as she neared me, she put a bit more sway in her hips.
If not for her greedy, ugly personality, Kelly Adams would be a very beautiful woman. Unfortunately her lack of morals and willingness to use others to get what she wanted, ruined any chance she had of ever appearing attractive to me. "Well Wam, fancy meeting you here. What can I do for you?" She asked sweetly.
"Cut the shit Kelly. You wanted to meet, so I'm here. Can we talk in your office please?"
"But of course Wam. I'd love to be alone with you. I'm just surprised you suggested it," she answered with a smirk.
I couldn't help but laugh and shake my head. She acted as if she was performing for an audience. What was her game? Kelly swayed her hips as she walked behind her desk and took a seat. She motioned for me to sit across from her, but before I did so, I shut the door behind me.
Once I was seated, Kelly opened her top right desk drawer and rustled around before grabbing a pen and fidgeting with it. "Okay, now we can talk. That cell phone you are attempting to record me on, will not work now that I've turned on my signal jammer. From the moment I opened this desk drawer, all they'll hear is a high pitched hum. So what did you want to talk about Wam?" She smiled like she was a wolf and I was her prey.
"I want to talk about this deal you wanted to make. I did not cross any lines with Kynlee Knutson as long as her brother was a patient under my care. You know I would never cross that line," I accused.
"It doesn't matter what I know. What matters is what the pictures of you with Kynlee are going to prove. I was even able to get a couple of witness statements to prove my suspicions." Kelly smiled like the cat who ate the canary.
"So what are you holding over these witnesses to get these false statements?" I asked.
"It doesn't matter and I don't trust you. You're too much of a Boy Scout aren't you Wam?" She laughed at her own joke.
"So now it's comical to have morals and follow rules?" I asked in a tone that did nothing to hide my contempt.
"Well since you aren't able to record me, I guess I can give you that much…" Kelly leaned forward and placed her elbows on the desk with her hands folded in front of her. "I started out playing by the rules. It got me nowhere. It wasn't until I started trading sexual favors for advances in my career that I started moving up the ladder. That's all men really want anyway. What they don't realize is that once they've slept with me, I have enough dirt to ruin them…most of the pathetic people have significant others, spouses, and they get freaky with me because they just can't pass it up," she laughs as she shakes her head in disbelief. "I mean really, how stupid can they be?"
"So it must have really pissed you off when I kept politely refusing your advances huh?" I ask with just enough of a smirk to seem cocky.
"You've always thought you're better than everyone else," Kelly said sarcastically, then she sneers my name, "'Dr. Teton.' So I had to bring you down a few pegs. I have no need for your 'consultations'," Dr. Adams used air quotes and sneered again.
"So you dislike me because I'm a better surgeon than you are, and because you think, I think, I'm better than others?" I ask, again with just enough smirk.
"You won't think it's so funny when I present enough evidence to prove you are immoral, unethical, and should not have a medical license. I won't stop at your job Wam, I'll have your license too!" Dr. Adams exclaimed.
"So at this point, their is nothing I can do to change your mind? You are set on framing me?" I asked and hung my head in my hands, pretending to be devastated at the idea.
"My how the mighty have fallen…ha ha ha. The only way I would stop now is if you married me. I want in on your casino money… in the off chance I ever lose my side income. I makes millions from rehabilitation. My Head of Neurology title is just an ego boost and a way to feed people into our rehab. The Mafia had it right. It's the illegal activities that pay," Kelly offered.
"Wow! You're even more delusional than I thought you were." I stand from my chair with my hands in my pockets as I again hang my head, "if marrying you is what it takes…. I'd do almost anything to keep my license to practice medicine. It's pretty much my purpose in life. I just cannot believe you'd do this Kelly," I pleaded.
"Well, I'm getting old enough my biological clock is ticking Wam. You and I are both very beautiful people. Admit it, we will make gorgeous children," Kelly smiled brightly at the thought and kicked her feet up on her desk.
Was she dropped on her head as a baby, or what the hell happened to this woman? How did I not know she was this evil before the night she plied me with drinks and convinced me to sleep with her?
"We should go. We have a meeting to get to," I spouted and turned toward the door.
"Shouldn't we seal the deal with a kiss Wam? We are getting married after all."
"Ummm no! You just blackmailed me. I'm certainly not in the mood to kiss you. Now let's go…please," I begged, in a much nicer tone by the time I said 'please'.
"Okay, but it'll happen," she stated nonchalantly. Kelly put her high heeled shoes on the floor, got up, and walked behind me out the door. It took all the restraint I had not to pull away when she touched the back of my suit coat with her palm. I simply did not want her touching me, but for now I had to play along.
"I'll meet you there. I need to grab my brief case," I explained and strolled the opposite direction Dr. Adams was headed.