The Pairing

by Katie Ashley

  “I could once again point out that you had personal knowledge of how well I was able to maintain myself once aroused, but I’ll refrain. Instead, I’ll say no.”

  “Ha, ha, nice way to get your point in.”

  “I had to try.”

  She cocked her head at him, giving him a teasing smile. “If a patient was trying to flirt as much as you are during my questioning, then I would have to remind him that I am a professional.”

  “I see. Then forgive me for trying to undermine your professionalism.”

  “You’re forgiven…for now.”

  He took a long swig of his iced tea. “You did really well back there.”

  “Really?”

  “Yes, you did. For that to be your first case on your own, you managed to keep yourself together and to give the patient the best level of diagnosis and care you could.”

  She couldn’t help the warmth rushing to her cheeks that his compliments caused. “Thank you. I appreciate your confidence.”

  “I think you’re going to make an amazing nurse. I know that there will be many hospitals vying to hire you.”

  Megan shook her head. “I don’t know about that.”

  “Don’t underestimate your talents.”

  “You think they would want to hire me here?” she asked.

  His brows rose in surprise. “You wouldn’t mind a permanent placement here?”

  She shrugged. “It hasn’t been long, but I have been happy here. I like the people I work with. I guess I wouldn’t want to go into the unknown when I know what I have here.”

  He swallowed a bite of his rice. “That’s understandable.” After wiping his mouth, he smiled at her. “I think they would be crazy not to make you an offer.”

  “I hope so.”

  Leaning in over his plate, he held her gaze. The intensity in which he stared at her caused her to shudder. She didn’t like the effect he was having on her in the middle of the hospital cafeteria. A mixture of emotions coursed through her—warmth, safety, lust, happiness. She hadn’t experienced that range of feelings with a man in a long, long time.

  Finally, he spoke. “I know it would make me very happy to have you here, and I would do everything within my power to ensure you stayed.”

  Before she could reply, a tray smacked down onto the table next to her. One of the residents, a young male named Dr. Morris, grinned at the two of them. “So, I hear you two just handled a priapism case.”

  “Yeah, we did,” Megan replied. She didn’t dare look back at Pesh to gage his expression on being interrupted.

  Dr. Morris groaned. “Oh come on. Give me the juicy details. I haven’t gotten to see one of those yet. The best groin swelling I’ve had is when some idiot tried to pierce his balls, and they got infected.”

  When Megan wrinkled her nose, Pesh’s laughter surprised her. Her gaze flew to him, and he winked. “I told you that the conversations we had over dinner were not exactly appetizing.”

  “I’m starting to believe you,” she replied, with a smile. Somehow she managed to devour the rest of her salad while Pesh told Dr. Morris the ins and outs of the case. After she finished, she rose out of her chair. “I guess I better head back. You know, with everything being so crazy.”

  Surprisingly, Pesh didn’t get up nor did he offer to walk her back. Instead, she saw an acceptance on his face that told her he was letting her go so there would be no suspicion raised about the two of them. “Thank you for dinner,” she said.

  “You’re welcome,” he replied, with a smile.

  His smiles were starting to do something to her that she didn’t like. They were no longer igniting her panties on fire; instead, they were making her long to spend time with him. She quickly slung her purse over her shoulder and strode out of the cafeteria. With the chaos surrounding her, she thankfully put Pesh out of her mind for the rest of the evening.

  After two exhausting weeks in her clinicals, Megan was ready for a little R&R. So she was thrilled when Emma called her asking if she wanted to join her for a girl’s day. She was even more stoked when Emma said that Aidan was willing to keep Mason, so he and Noah could play together. Even though she was sure her parents would have watched him, she hated imposing on them so much.

  An hour after the call, she was pulling into Aidan and Emma’s driveway. When she opened the backseat to get Mason out, he was already bopping up and down in his car seat with excitement. He loved Aidan and Emma’s house, and he especially loved playing with Noah, even though they were eleven months apart.

  She grabbed him and his diaper bag and then made her way up the front walk. Emma answered the door with Noah on her hip. “Hey, I’m so excited you could make it.”

  Megan grinned. “You should know by now I have no life except for Mason and work.”

  “I feel the same way sometimes,” Emma replied, as Megan stepped through the doorway. As she walked through the foyer and down the hall to the kitchen, Mason squirmed to get down. Once she set him on his feet, he ran into the living room.

  That’s where Aidan was lounging on the couch with Beau on the floor next to him. “Beau!” Mason cried. He leaned in to hug the massive Lab. Megan never had to worry about Beau and Mason; he was truly a gentle giant when it came to infants and kids. Beau thumped his tail heartily at the attention.

  Aidan glanced up from the TV and smiled. “Hey, how are you?”

  She grinned as she reached down to kiss his cheek. “Good thanks. And you?”

  “Great. Looking forward to having a man’s day with the boys.”

  Megan laughed. “Yeah, with two kids under two, let’s see how much fun you’ll have.”

  Aidan shrugged. “It’s good practice for me when the new baby gets here.”

  “Baby or babies?” she teased.

  With his eyes widening, he quickly replied, “Baby singular. That was confirmed, thank God.”

  Cocking her head, she teasingly asked, “And when is the ultrasound to confirm the youngest Fitzgerald granddaughter is on her way?”

  Aidan huffed exasperatedly. “Not for a few more months, smart-ass.”

  She brought her hand to her chest in mock outrage. “It was just a question.”

  “Yeah and considering you’ve had a kid yourself, I’m sure you know all too well at what month the gender ultrasound is.”

  Megan grinned. “I just think it’s cool that I’ll be the oldest granddaughter, and she’ll be the youngest.”

  With a pained expression, Aidan groaned, “Whatever.”

  She ruffled his still unkempt bed hair playfully. “Relax, Ankle. You’re going to be an amazing father to that little girl. She’ll undoubtedly have you wrapped around her finger before she’s even out of the womb.”

  “A man like me, or I guess I should say, a man like I used to be, does not want to bring forth daughters into the world.”

  “Payback is a bitch,” she mused.

  “Don’t I know it,” he grumbled.

  Emma came into the living room then. She handed Noah to Aidan along with a bottle. “You sure you’ll be all right today?”

  “I’ll be fine—we’ll be fine. Won’t we Mason?”

  Mason glanced up from lumbering around the room on Beau’s back. “Yeah!”

  “See. Stop worrying.” He gave Emma a very pointed look before adding, “A promise is a promise after all.”

  She flushed a little at his words, but then gave him a shy smile. When he winked playfully at her, Megan couldn’t help feeling her chest tighten at the exchange. Seeing her once man-whore uncle now a loving, devoted husband and father was always surprisingly unnerving. But deep down, it was how much she truly wanted what Aidan and Emma had. Love, companionship, and devotion within marriage while having someone else to parent with you.

  If you weren’t so stubborn you could probably have something just like Aidan and Emma have with Pesh! But no, you have to keep believing that you’re too young to get married. You’re probably throwing away happiness with both hands just because
you’re afraid.

  Emma brought her out of her self-deprecating tirade. “So what should we do first?” she asked, as they walked into the garage.

  “Nails and toes?” Megan suggested.

  “Mmm, that sounds good.”

  They both slid into Emma’s SUV. As Megan buckled up, Emma turned to her. “I hope you don’t mind that Casey is meeting us for lunch?”

  “Of course not. The more the merrier. Besides, Casey is a hoot.”

  Emma smiled and cranked up the car. “That she is.”

  Before long, they were pulling into Starbucks to grab some coffee for Megan and tea for Emma. Then they walked around the corner to the nail salon. After relaxing manicures and pedicures, they drove about twenty minutes to meet Casey at their favorite little local restaurant that was housed in an old train depot.

  As they walked up, they saw Casey sitting outside in the sunshine texting. “Hey girl!” Emma called.

  Casey waved to them before rising off the bench. “Hello, hello.”

  A round of hugs was exchanged between the three women. “I thought you two would never get here. I’m starving.”

  Emma grinned. “Sorry. They were a little behind at the nail salon.”

  They pushed through the front door and were quickly seated by the hostess who knew them well. Once they eased into a familiar, comfortable booth, they took stock of the menus.

  “You have to order alcohol on our behalf since we’re both two knocked-up ladies now,” Casey insisted.

  Megan’s eyes widened. “I didn’t know you were pregnant.”

  Casey grinned. “Yeah, Nate finally wore me down.” She then shook her head. “Sometimes I think he’s the chick in this relationship.”

  “He must’ve done some heavy convincing,” Megan said.

  With a nod, Casey replied, “He comes from such a large immediate and extended family that he’s been itching to have a child. We’ve been married a year and together eight, so I guess it was just time. And while I wasn’t thrilled with the idea of having a baby when his internship was so crazy, his hours will be better by the time the baby gets here.”

  “When are you due?”

  “Around the same time as Emma.”

  That statement made Emma beam. “Our babies are going to be best friends, too. I just know it.”

  Casey grinned at the sentiment. “Or boyfriend and girlfriend…”

  “That’s a thought.” Emma jerked her chin up. “I’m not sure I want your son corrupting my little girl.”

  With her dark eyes widening, Casey huffed, “And what if it’s my daughter that your son is corrupting?”

  Emma giggled. “If my son takes after his father, then that would be the case. But I think we also have to consider that if your daughter is anything like you, she’ll be the one doing the corrupting.”

  Casey laughed. “That’s true.”

  “Guess I should keep Mason clear of her too, huh?” Megan asked, with a smile.

  “Probably,” Emma replied.

  After the waitress appeared to take their drink and food orders, Casey pinned Megan with an intense stare. “So,” she began, quirking her brow at Megan. “I hear your doing your clinicals under Dr. McDreamy Bollywood.”

  Megan couldn’t help but laugh. “If you mean I’m doing them under Dr. Nadeen, then the answer is yes.”

  Emma nibbled on her bottom lip before speaking. “Have things been awkward considering what happened the night of Noah’s baptism?”

  Before Megan could reply, Casey’s eyes bulged. “Whoa, whoa. Hold the phone. Something happened between you two?”

  Megan felt heat rising in her cheeks. It was almost too mortifying to repeat, but finally, she filled Casey in on each and every embarrassing detail that had happened.

  “Man, he’s so freakin’ honorable, isn’t he?” Casey mused.

  “Yes, he is,” Megan replied, glumly.

  Emma shook her head. “There’s nothing wrong with his honor. It’s what attracted me to him in the first place. There are so few gentlemen left on the planet.”

  Before she could stop herself, Megan blurted, “But I didn’t want a gentleman. I wanted to get laid.”

  Casey grinned. “Don’t we all?”

  Emma rolled her eyes. “Just when I think your pregnancy hormones haven’t made you even more sex crazed, you go and say something like that,” she grumbled.

  Megan twirled the straw in her Diet Coke thoughtfully. “What’s bizarre is even though he should have been completely and totally turned off by what happened that night, he’s still interested in me. I mean, the man is gorgeous and has half of the women in the hospital panting over him, and he still wants me.”

  “Then what’s the problem?” Emma asked.

  “He’s interested in dating, not sex.”

  Emma’s brows furrowed. “But wouldn’t you have sex eventually if you were dating?”

  Megan sighed. “We’re at a stalemate—I just want straight sex without dinner and a movie, and to quote him, he wants to show me a whole new world through a date.”

  “How Aladdin of him,” Casey quipped to which Emma shot her an exasperated look.

  With a shrug, Megan replied, “Basically we’re going to stay forever in the friend zone because neither one of us is willing to give in.”

  “Would it really kill you to go out with the guy?” Casey asked.

  Megan widened her eyes in surprise. “You mean, you of all people are actually advocating me giving in to him?” She jerked her thumb over at Emma. “I’d expect that out of her but not you.”

  Casey dabbed the corners of her lips with her napkin. “It’s just a date. I don’t think he’s going to drug you and drag you to a wedding chapel.”

  “I’d certainly hope not.”

  “So what’s wrong with having an innocent dinner and maybe a movie?” Casey asked.

  “Because that’s not fair to him. I’d just be leading him on, and I think we can all agree that he doesn’t need that.”

  “Exactly,” Emma agreed.

  Cocking her head, Casey eyed Megan thoughtfully. “Deep down, you like him, don’t you?”

  Megan rolled her eyes. “Of course I do. Everyone likes him.”

  “No, you really like him. You find yourself thinking about him more than you should. And you’re kinda wishing you weren’t such a stubborn ass about dating him. Because even though you’d kill to know how well he uses his wang, you’re even more intrigued about what being loved by him would be like.”

  Dumbfounded, Megan could only stare at Casey. She’d certainly hit the nail on the head about her feelings. Finally, she sighed. “Look, it’s a no-win situation. I’m a nursing student. I can’t get involved with a physician. It just wouldn’t look good on my record. That’s just one of the many reasons it wouldn’t work between us.”

  “Fine. You just keep telling yourself that.”

  “Why don’t we talk about something else?” Megan suggested.

  “Who’s up for a movie after we hit the mall?” Emma asked.

  Megan chewed her lip. “Oh, I don’t know if I should be gone that long. I don’t want to take advantage of Ankle’s kindness for watching Mason.”

  Emma shook her head. “He won’t mind. He’s happy to do it.”

  As Megan raised her brows skeptically, Casey snorted. “Lemme guess, you bribed him sexually to get him to give up a perfectly good Saturday watching two kids who are under two.”

  A red flush entered Emma’s cheeks. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

  Casey laughed. “Oh Em, you are so busted!” Leaning forward, she put her elbows on the table and stared straight at Emma. “So what was it? Green lingerie? A blow job? Maybe a blow job while wearing green lingerie?”

  Refusing to meet Casey’s inquisitive gaze, Emma finally murmured, “It was a blow job in the shower this morning, okay?”

  Casey snickered. “I knew you had done something. Hmm, that was fun. It was like solving a sexual game of Clue�
�it was Emma in the shower with a blow job.”

  Megan brought her hands up to cover her eyes. “Umm, hello? That’s my uncle you’re talking about.”

  “Sorry, sorry. I’ll refrain from making any more comments about Aidan and Emma’s sex life.”

  “Thank you,” Megan and Emma replied in unison.

  “Shopping and a movie then?” Casey questioned.

  Megan reluctantly agreed. “I’ll just blame you two if Ankle gets all pissy.”

  Casey winked. “Just blame Emma. Then he can take it out on her later…in the bedroom.”

  “I seriously hate you,” Emma grumbled.

  Thankfully, the food arrived then and all sex-based conversation was forgotten. At least for the moment.

  Brushing his hand across his sweaty brow, Pesh leaned back against the glass door of the trauma area. As the adrenaline began depleting from his system, he needed to prop against something hard for support. Regardless of how physically drained he felt, he was emotionally on cloud nine. A beaming smile lit up his face as he stared across the room at the gurney. On it, a young woman was getting acquainted with her newborn son. She had been brought in just twenty minutes before after a car accident sent her into early labor. The paramedics had gotten her through the roughest patches, but thankfully, they had made it to the hospital in time. Because her labor was so advanced, they hadn’t risked getting her up to the Labor and Delivery floor. Instead, they’d wheeled her in, and Pesh had gone to work. It really was an amazing moment considering he’d only delivered three other babies in the history of his medical career. Each one was an experience he treasured.

  The woman glanced up at him and smiled. “Thank you so much, Dr. Nadeen.”

  “You’re very welcome. They will be taking you up to maternity in just a few minutes.”

  As he stepped out of the room, he found himself ambushed by Kara, one of the shift nurses. “Hey there. How’s the good doctor doing today?”

  The way she spoke was more of a purr, which was a pretty apt summation since she basically acted like she was a cat in heat anytime he was around. He cringed as she ran her hand up his arm. “It’s fine, thank you. How are you?” he questioned politely.