Note: I changed Dr. to Dra. Peachy Lopez to distinguish her from her father who was also a doctor from the same hospital.
***
Because of the lingering vision of what he had witnessed yesterday outside Belle's home, Eli maintained a heavy, distant silence when she arrived for her shift. For her part, Belle was acutely aware of the toxic rumors swirling about Eli and Dr. Peachy Lopez. Shielding her pride, she consciously decided to keep her distance, matching his cold shoulder with an icy professional resolve of her own.
The extra portions of lunch she had carefully cooked for him stayed sealed in her bag. The moment the clock struck the lunch hour, she promptly grabbed her containers and walked out of the office to eat elsewhere, leaving Eli entirely to himself.
As fortune would have it, she ran straight into Dr. Lopez just outside the office door. Spotting the lunch bag in Belle's hand, Peachy smiled delightfully, looking as smug as if she had just won the lottery.
