The Great Pick Up Line
The Doctor’s Secret. Take it away Heidi!
“Call me Jack.”
Lane’s eyebrows lifted. “Oh, that’s your first name? Huh, not what I expected. Do most people in Taiwan have Western names these days?”
The beer had relaxed Hong-Wei’s tongue to the point of no return. Or perhaps it was Lane’s smile and gentle eyes. “No. Jack is the name I use with people outside my family, since Americans don’t have an easy time with Asian names.”
“Would you mind telling me your given name? I’ll use Jack if you prefer, but I’m curious about who you really are.”
Who you really are. He was both Jack and Hong-Wei equally at this point, but Lane was so clumsily charming, Hong-Wei couldn’t resist him. He shifted on his chair. “Wu Hong-Wei.” Why did he give it in Taiwanese order instead of Western order, with his surname first? Now he was just being silly.
You’re an idealist. Grace Albertson’s voice came back to him. Hong-Wei had to agree. Though now he wondered if he didn’t have to admit to being a romantic as well.
“Wu Hong-Wei.”
Hong-Wei shivered and went still.
Lane’s pronunciation came out as clumsy as any American’s attempt, maybe worse because he was clearly trying to mimic Hong-Wei
Ever since the airport, the yearning to connect had been apparent in Simon Lane’s gaze, but it was in this moment Hong-Wei saw the truth behind the nurse’s longing for what it truly was, a truth his escort probably didn’t want him to see. He’d come all this way to pick up the new surgeon because he’d been asked, because he was a nice guy…and because he was lonely.
Without a moment to prepare for the attack, Hong-Wei’s walls crumbled into dust.
He finished off the first beer and picked up the second, indulging in a long draught. He set the glass down, though it somehow felt heavier empty than when he’d first lifted it.
“You may call me Hong-Wei if you like, Simon.”
Simon smiled so wide it lifted his ears and made his hazel eyes twinkle.
[/quote]The Doctor’s Secret by Heidi Cullinan
The brilliant but brooding new doctor encounters Copper Point’s sunny nurse-next-door… and nothing can stand in the way of this romance.
Dr. Hong-Wei Wu has come to Copper Point, Wisconsin, after the pressures of a high-powered residency burned him out of his career before he started. Ashamed of letting his family down after all they’ve done for him, he plans to live a quiet life as a simple surgeon in this tiny northern town. His plans, however, don’t include his outgoing, kind, and attractive surgical nurse, Simon Lane.
Simon wasn’t ready for the new surgeon to be a handsome charmer who keeps asking him for help getting settled and who woos him with amazing Taiwanese dishes. There’s no question—Dr. Wu is flirting with him, and Simon is flirting back. The problem is, St. Ann’s has a strict no-dating policy between staff, which means their romance is off the table… unless they bend the rules.
But a romance that keeps them—literally—in the closet can’t lead to happy ever after. Simon doesn’t want to stay a secret, and Hong-Wei doesn’t want to keep himself removed from life, not anymore. To secure their happiness, they’ll have to change the administration’s mind. But what other secrets will they uncover along the way, about Copper Point… and about each other?
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About Heidi Cullinan
Author of over thirty novels, Midwest-native Heidi Cullinan writes positive-outcome romances for LGBT characters struggling against insurmountable odds because she believes there’s no such thing as too much happy ever after. Heidi is a two-time RITA® finalist and her books have been recommended by Library Journal, USA Today, RT Magazine, and Publisher’s Weekly. When Heidi isn’t writing, she enjoys cooking, reading novels and manga, playing with her cats, and watching too much anime. Find out more at heidicullinan.com.
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Giveaway
Heidi is giving away an eArc copy of The Doctor’s Secret. Comment below to enter. Giveaway ends March 7, 2019.
Shari
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Ooh, I love that scene! It rather perfectly conveys that moment when it just happens for some people. These two really click. Thanks for sharing a Great Pick Up Line! 🙂
Oh I confess that it’s the first time i hear about this one!
Count me innnnn! This sounds good!
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