Paige, Kat, and Honey were discussing him.
"Can you believe all those nurses throwing themselves at him?" Kat laughed. "They're actually fighting to be the flavor of the week!"
"You have to admit, he is attractive," Honey pointed out.
Kat shook her head. "No. I don't."
One morning, half a dozen residents were in the doctors' dressing room when Mallory walked in.
"We were just talking about you," one of them said. "You must be exhausted."
Mallory grinned. "It was not a bad night." He had spent the night with two nurses.
Grundy, one of the residents, said, "You're making the rest of us look like eunuchs, Ken. Isn't there anyone in this hospital you can't lay?"
Mallory laughed. "I doubt it."
Grundy was thoughtful for a moment. "I'll bet I can name someone."
"Really? Who's that?"
"One of the senior residents here. Her name is Kat Hunter."
Mallory nodded. "The black doll. I've seen her. She's very attractive. What makes you think I can't take her to bed?"
"Because we've all struck out. I don't think she likes men."
"Or maybe she just hasn't met the right one," Mallory suggested.
Grundy shook his head. "No. You wouldn't have a chance."
It was a challenge. "I'll bet you're wrong."
One of the other residents spoke up. "You mean you're willing to bet on it?"
Mallory smiled. "Sure. Why not?"
"All right." The group began to crowd around Mallory. "I'll bet you five hundred dollars you can't lay her."
"You're on."
"I'll bet you three hundred."
Another one spoke up. "Let me in on it. I'll bet you six hundred."
In the end, five thousand dollars was bet.
"What's the time limit?" Mallory asked.
Grundy thought for a moment. "Let's say thirty days. Is that fair?"
"More than fair. I won't need that much time."
Grundy said, "But you have to prove it. She has to admit that she went to bed with you."
"No problem." Mallory looked around the group and grinned. "Suckers!"
Fifteen minutes later, Grundy was in the cafeteria where Kat, Paige, and Honey were having breakfast. He walked over to their table. "Can I join you ladies— you doctors—for a moment?"
Paige looked up. "Sure."
Grundy sat down. He looked at Kat and said apologetically, "I hate to tell you this, but I'm really mad, and I think it's only fair that you should know ..."
Kat was looking at him, puzzled. "Know what?"
Grundy sighed. "That new senior resident who came in—Ken Mallory?"
"Yes. What about him?"
Grundy said, "Well, I... God, this is embarrassing. He bet some of the doctors five thousand dollars that he could get you into bed in the next thirty days."
Kat's face was grim. "He did, did he?"
Grundy said piously, "I don't blame you for being angry. It made me sick when I heard about it. Well, I just wanted to warn you. He'll be asking you out, and I thought it was only right that you should know why he was doing it."
"Thanks," Kat said. "I appreciate your telling me."
"It was the least I could do."
They watched Grundy leave.
In the corridor outside the cafeteria, the other residents were waiting for him.
"How did it go?" they asked.
Grundy laughed. "Perfect. She's as mad as hell. The son of a bitch is dead meat!"
At the table, Honey was saying, "I think that's just terrible."
Kat nodded. "Someone should give him a dickotomy. They'll be ice skating in hell before I go out with that bastard."
Paige sat there thinking. After a moment, she said,
"You know something, Kat? It might be interesting if you did go out with him."
Kat looked at her in surprise. "What?"
There was a glint in Paige's eye. "Why not? If he wants to play games, let's help him—only he'll play our game."
Kat leaned forward. "Go on."
"He has thirty days, right? When he asks you out, you'll be warm and loving and affectionate. I mean, you'll be absolutely crazy about the man. You'll drive him out of his mind. The only thing you won't do, bless your heart, is to go to bed with him. We'll teach him a five-thousand-dollar lesson."
Kat thought of her stepfather. It was a way of getting revenge. "I like it," Kat said.
"You mean you're going to do it?" Honey said.
"I am."
And Kat had no idea that with those words, she had signed her death warrant.
Chapter Sixteen
Jrason Curtis had been unable to get Paige Taylor out of his mind. He telephoned Ben Wallace's secretary. "Hi. This is Jason Curtis. I need a home telephone umber for Dr. Paige Taylor." "Certainly, Mr. Curtis. Just a moment." She gave him the number.
Honey answered the telephone. "Dr. Taft." "This is Jason Curtis. Is Dr. Taylor there?" "No, she's not. She's on call at the hospital." "Oh. That's too bad."
Honey could hear the disappointment in his voice. "If it's some kind of emergency, I can ..." "No, no."
"I could take a message for her and have her call you." "That will be fine." Jason gave her his telephone number.
"I'll give her the message." "Thank you."
* * *
"Jason Curtis called," Honey said when Paige returned to the apartment. "He sounded cute. Here's his number."
"Burn it."