by Claire Adams
Around noon, we were called out on a medical emergency that turned out to be nothing much, so I persuaded Mike to stop by the flower shop near the hospital so I could run in and pick something up.
"Can't you just do what the rest of us do and buy them at the gas station, Connor?" Newsome yelled as I returned to the truck with a dozen pink roses in a large gold box.
"And you wonder why you're still single." I laughed, shaking my head. I left the flowers in the engine, knowing we'd probably be stopping by the hospital at some point, and helped Mike do an equipment check that took the rest of the afternoon.
"New girl, eh?" Mike asked after I'd tucked the box under the seat.
"Yeah, well, she's nice," I said, trying not to let on how much I liked Alex.
"Hey, you know it's okay if you fall for someone else, don't you?" he asked as he pulled out the checklist and began reading from it as I checked the supplies and gear. "No one would think any less of you if you fell for someone. It doesn't take anything away from what you had with Quinn."
I was quiet as he spoke. None of the guys had ever talked to me about the fire or losing Quinn because I'd shut it all down. There was no room for anyone to ask me anything aside from whether I was okay or not, and I hadn't wanted to talk to any of them about it once I'd returned to work.
"It's just..." I began, not knowing how to talk about this. It had been ten years that I'd kept the feelings bottled up, and in that time, I hadn't met anyone who I'd wanted to open up to. Sure, I'd slept with a handful of women on the nights when getting my physical needs met outweighed the feelings of guilt that would flood over me the next morning, but I hadn't fallen for a single one of them. "She's different."
"I can tell," Mike said as he focused on the list. "And that's okay, Cam. The guys from opposite shift said she’s cool. You should bring her around the station sometime and introduce her to the people you work with."
"I don't know..." I said, trailing off.
"Does she know about Quinn?" he asked quietly.
"Yes, I think that's why I'm so drawn to her," I said. "It's like she doesn't dwell on the sadness, but she doesn't want to force me to put it all behind me and forget."
"Oh, she's a keeper, man." Mike nodded. "Grab her and hang on with everything you've got."
"Yeah," I murmured. "Yeah."
We finished the equipment check as the guys were staring dinner, so I jumped in and cut up vegetables for the salad. Victor had returned and was studiously ignoring me from the other side of the room. Danny shot me a questioning look, and I simply shrugged and said, "No idea."
#
We didn't go out again for the rest of the night, so the next morning I drove to the hospital before going home. I knew that Alex had worked the night shift because she'd told me that she'd volunteered to help out in exchange for additional internship hours.
"Be a good girl for ten minutes," I said to Tesla, who tipped her head and woofed softly as I grabbed the flowers from the backseat. "I'll be right back."
The ER was quiet, but I didn't see Alex anywhere. The charge nurse looked up when I walked in and smiled.
"You looking for a patient?" she asked.
"No, actually, I'm looking for Alex Pierce," I said. "She's a nursing student, an intern?"
"Oh, I know Alex." She smiled as she picked up the phone and called for Alex over the intercom. "Hold on, she's around her somewhere."
I nodded as I stepped out of the way and waited. A few moments later, Alex came striding down the hall carrying a laundry basket full of towels and linen. Her long blond hair was pulled back in a high ponytail and she looked much younger than her twenty-four years. She was singing something under her breath as she did a little dance step with the laundry, but when she saw me standing there, she stopped and blushed bright red.
"Don't stop." I smiled as I walked toward her holding out the box. "Just switch with me."
"Cam, what are you doing here?" she asked as her eyes moved from my face to the gold box I held out.
"I wanted to bring these to you last night, but just my luck we didn't have any calls," I said as she set the basket down and took the box. I grabbed the basket and followed her to the nurses’ station where she set the box down and opened it.
"Oh, Cam!" she gasped as she saw the roses. "These are beautiful!"
"I'm glad you like them." I smiled. "I was wondering if you'd have time to grab some breakfast with me or maybe dinner tonight is better?"
"I'd love to have dinner with you," she said as she ran her fingers over the soft petals, and I felt myself responding knowing all too well how her fingers felt on my skin.
”I'll pick you up at seven. Dress up, we're going somewhere fancy!" I said.
"Cam! You don't have to do that to impress me, you know," she said. "I like you just fine."
"I know, but I want to take you somewhere special tonight," I said as she tucked the tissue back into the box and put the lid on. Then quickly changing the subject before I got too carried away, I asked, "Do you need a ride home this morning?"
"No, I'm good, thanks," she said as a small frown flickered across her lips. "I've got to stay a while longer and wait for Liz."
"Everything okay?" I asked as I marveled at how fresh she looked despite the fact that she'd been on duty all night. I rubbed my chin realizing the scruff had popped up and knew I'd have to shave before our date.
Just then, three young women all dressed in matching blue scrubs walked into the ER.
"Well, if it isn't Cam Connor!" the tall brunette said. "It's so good to see you, Cam."
Alex looked back and forth between me and the brunette with a surprised look. I shrugged as I tried to figure out how this woman knew me.
"It's Violet," she said, lightly laughing. "Violet Metzler? You know my father, Richard."
"Oh, yes, of course," I said, suddenly feeling a wave of dread wash over me. If Violet outed me as the owner of CSC before I'd told Alex about it, there would be a lot of explaining to do. "It's good to see you, Violet."
I held out my hand and the woman took it, but instead of shaking it, she pulled herself in close and whispered, "Oh, come on, you can do better than that, certainly," as she hugged me.
I saw the dark look cross Alex's face as I was pulled into Violet's forced but polite hug. I looked back at Alex and shook my head trying to covey the fact that I had no idea who this woman was.
"Have we actually ever met?" I asked as Violet stepped back and looked up at me. She was a pretty girl, but there was something about her that felt slightly off.
"Oh, you silly guy!" She laughed a little too loudly as she swatted my shoulder. "You know my daddy, Richard Metzler! You should know me, too!"
"Ah, I see," I said without commenting further. I knew that to address this issue here and now would bring up a lot of questions that I wasn't ready to answer. "Good to see you, then."
"You should come out with us sometime," Violet said. I knew she was after something other than a date with me because there was a hard look in her eyes as she issued the invitation.
"Yeah, well, my schedule's pretty booked these days," I said, looking over Violet's shoulder and trying to catch Alex's eye again. Alex refused to look up from the chart she was reading, and I knew I was going to have to do some explaining later. As a polite afterthought, I added, "But thanks for the invite."
"I see," Violet said, narrowing her eyes, then remembering she had an audience, she laughed lightly as she said, "Well, if you change your mind, we'll be over at Ricky's Diner for breakfast later."
"Uh huh, thanks," I said as I moved around the three girls and headed toward Alex. I stood behind her and quietly said, "I can explain all that. I don't know her, but I have done business with her father. It's nothing."
"Hey, no big deal," Alex said with a forced smile. "You gotta do what you gotta do."
"Alex, don't be like that," I said as she turned back to her file and ignored me. "I'm still picking you up at seven, so dress up, okay?"
"Uh huh, sure, I'll be ready," she said as she picked up the file and moved behind the desk, pointedly ignoring me.
"Fine, if you're going to be that way, then it's going to be a quiet night for us both, but I'm still picking you up at seven!" I said a little more loudly than I'd intended causing the staff behind the desk to look up.
"I'll be ready," Alex said before she walked away from the desk.
I marched out of the ER and back to the truck where Tesla lay curled up sleeping in the front seat. I started the truck and then slammed my fists on the steering wheel as I muttered, "Women!"
Tesla lifted her head up off of her paw and let out one quiet "Woof!" before she put her head back down.
"Not you, too?" I said in an exasperated tone. She ignored me the whole ride home.
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
Alex
After Cam left the ER, I went to find Liz. Leslie had been gone looking for her for a long time, and I'd started to get worried. As I walked down the hallway toward the pharmacy, Liz rounded the corner looking much better than she had a few hours before.
"Are you okay?" I asked with genuine concern.
"Yeah, I'm fine," Liz said, waving me off as she looked down. I could tell she was embarrassed, but I had no idea what had happened. "Just wasn't feeling very good earlier."
"That's bullshit and you know it," I said, grabbing her arm and forcing her to look at me. "What's going on with you, Liz? Are you okay?"
"Yeah, yeah, I'm sorry, Alex," she said, looking very apologetic. "I don't know what's going on, I just felt incredibly tired."
"Liz, if you have a problem..." I began not knowing how to say what I was about to say. "If you have a drug problem, I can get you help, you know."
"Me? A drug problem?" Liz said incredulously. "Jesus H. Christ, Pierce, not you, too!"
"What? You were acting strange, Liz!" I shot back as she moved away from me crossing her arms over her chest and setting her jaw.
"I don't have a drug problem," Liz said again. "I thought you were my friend."
"I am your friend, and if you have a problem, I'll help you," I pleaded. "Just tell me what's going on!"
"Go to hell, Alex," Liz said as she wiped angry tears from her cheeks before turning her back and walking away.
"What did I do?" I shouted after her. "I just want to help!"
I threw up my hands and walked back to the ER where Leslie cheerfully informed me that my shift was over and I was free to go. I went to the locker room to gather my things hoping that Liz would be there so we could talk about what had happened, but she was gone. Her locker was open and empty, and as I pulled on my coat, I wondered if I should pick up breakfast and take it to her place as a peace offering.
"Hey, Alex," Leslie called as she ran after me hold the gold box containing the roses Cam had brought. "Don't forget your flowers!"
"Oh, yeah, thanks," I said, taking the box and tucking it under my arm.
"You okay?" Leslie asked. "You look a little down."
"I'm fine, just worried about Liz," I admitted. "There's something wrong and she won't tell me, but we always tell each other everything."
"I'm sure she'll tell you when she's ready," Leslie reassured me.
"But what if it's too late?" I asked, "What then?"
"I'm sure if she needs help, she'll ask," Leslie said as she turned and headed back inside to the warmth of the ER. "If you need to talk, I'm here!"
I trudged home through the snow, deciding to skip breakfast and sleep. I was supposed to go out with Cam at seven, and I'd been awake for more than twenty-four hours. I shoved the image of Violet Metzler hugging Cam out of my head, and by the time I got home, it was all I could do to shed my scrubs, set my alarm, and fall into a deep sleep.
I woke up before my alarm went off, and for a moment wasn't sure where I was. The sun had set and the streetlight cast strange shadows on the wall of my bedroom. I grabbed my phone and saw that Cam would be picking me up a couple of hours, so I got up and made a cup of coffee as I ran a shower.
The caffeine and hot water combined to jolt me out of my sleepy state, and I decided that I wasn't going to start the evening by being mad at Cam for what Violet had done in the ER. I'd been tired and worried about Liz, so I'd read more into Cam's interaction with Violet than I should have. Besides, it was me he'd brought the flowers to, not her.
I wound my hair into a loose bun at the nape of my neck and swept black mascara on my lashes and a bit of red lipstick on my lips before I slipped into a form-fitting, little black dress that had a deep v-neck and a pair of black, patent leather stilettos. The overall effect was quite sexy, and I smiled as I looked at myself from all angles in the mirror next to the front door.
Cam arrived a little while later and let out a low wolf whistle when I opened the door. He looked handsome in a grey suit that was obviously custom made since it emphasized his wide shoulders and cut in at the waist. He'd shaved, and although it looked like he'd made an attempt to tame his wild, rust-colored curls, they defied him.
"You ready to go eat?" he asked as he helped me with my coat.
"I'm starving," I said. "I hope this place serves big portions!"
"Well, we're not leaving until you're full, that's for sure." He smiled.
We drove to Grace over on Randolph Street where Cam handed over the keys to the truck to the valet after making sure I'd made it safely to the door. The hostess led us into the dining room and seated us at a quiet table off to one side. I looked around, awed by the fact that I was inside this beautiful place that was so in demand that reservations had to be made months in advance.
"How did you get a reservation here for tonight?" I asked as I looked over the menu.
"I've got some friends in high places." Cam smiled as he gave the waiter our drink order. He looked back at me and said, "Actually, a friend of mine already had the reservation, but he had to cancel, so he offered it to me."
"Ah, I see, so Violet's friendly greeting had nothing to do with this?" I said with a playful smile on my lips.
"I'm sorry about that, Alex," he said in a tone that was far more serious than I'd expected. "I don't know her at all. I know of her father, but we're not close or anything."
"It's okay, Cam," I said as the waiter brought our drinks and told us about the specials. We ordered before returning to the topic at hand. "I had other things on my mind this morning, and Violet, as a rule, gets on my nerves."
"I can see that," he said, holding up his glass. "Well, let's put it behind us and toast to a wonderful dinner and another nice date, shall we?"
I lifted my glass and clinked it against his, smiling as I brought it to my lips. Cam grinned as he changed the subject, and we ate until I thought I would burst as we talked about our career plans, politics, and the Cubs.
"So, what was it like growing up on the South Side?" Cam asked as he dug into a dessert that looked almost too beautiful to eat.
"Probably like anywhere else," I said, trying to figure out how to change the subject. I avoided talking about my childhood as much as possible because it wasn't a pretty story and I didn't want any pity. "It had its ups and downs, but mostly it was just a lot of looking ahead, you know?"
"That's pretty general," Cam said as he watched my expression then quietly said, "My childhood was rough, too."
I stared at him across the table for what felt like an eternity, but was probably a minute at most. I debated whether to let him in or tell the sanitized version of my upbringing. It was his smile that tipped the balance.
"Rough has its benefits," I said, holding his gaze. "And I turned out okay."
"It's okay if you don't want to talk about it," he said as he finished his dessert. "I get it. I don't talk about mine much, either. But sometimes it's good, you know?"
"I was bounced around between relatives from the time I was a toddler," I said without looking away. "My parents both disappeared by the time I was ten, and then my mother showed up years later, when I was a senior in
high school. She was sick and had nowhere else to go, so I nursed her until she died. We tried to get along, but she was someone who was used to being in charge of sick people. Her illness made her angry and mean. I've made peace with it, though. I'm on my own and free to decide what makes me happy."
"Sounds like a hell of a trade off," Cam said as the look in his eyes softened. “I’m sorry you had to go through that, Alex.”
"Don't you dare pity me," I said.
"Wouldn't dream of it," he smiled. "Besides, you're not the kind of woman who really inspires pity. You're pretty tough, even if you do come in a package that is soft and beautiful."
"Oh my God, did you just say that out loud?" I laughed as the tension was broken and I suddenly felt at ease again. There was something about Cam that challenged me, but also made me feel like everything would ultimately be okay.
"I believe I did." He grinned as he stood up and held out his hand. "Would you like to head out now?"
I nodded as I took his hand. All I wanted was to be alone with him, and as we waited for the valet to bring the truck around, I said so. Cam looked at me with a questioning expression to which I replied, "Yes, I'm sure."
Neither one of us said a word the entire drive. Cam simply reached over and rested his hand on my leg. I slipped my hand under his and laced my fingers through his as he pulled into the parking lot. He put the truck in park and turned to me.
"Are you okay?" he asked, squeezing my hand.
"I'm fine," I said, looking into his eyes. "I just really want to be alone with you right now."
"Your wish is my command," he said as he got out of the truck and came around to open my door.
Once inside my apartment, I slid out of my coat and wrapped my arms around Cam's neck, pulling him to me so I could kiss him hard and deep. He seemed a little surprised by my bold move, but quickly recovered and wrapped his arms around my waist as he returned my kiss. I slid his jacket off and then unbuttoned his dress shirt as he slipped my dress off of my shoulders leaving us both naked from the waist up.
