He huffed a sigh. “Does Shae really seem like she would do that?”
No, she didn’t. I had honestly felt more comfortable around Shae than any other woman in recent memory. She could even touch me without me flinching away. I wasn’t quite ready to open up to her, at least not in a significant way, but it might be worth pursuing a relationship with her after all.
Aden ran a hand through his hair and relaxed with an exhalation of breath. “I’m not threatening you or anything, just bringing it to your attention. Either say yes to Shae, if that is what you really want. I know she does. Or do your best to let her down gently, okay?”
“Okay,” I agreed, already deciding on the first option. I just had to figure out what to do to make it up to her.
****
I had been serious about working that night and was still at my drafting table long after everyone else had gone home. I wanted to get the storyboards done so I could have the weekend off. It would be the first time in about a month that I’d had any days off. Which, as I understood it wasn’t really healthy.
After nine PM, I left the office and headed to the hospital, keen on getting there as soon as possible. It would have been most logical to wait till the next day and call Shae when I was reasonably sure that we would both be awake. But I didn’t have her phone number, so I had to come up with something else.
The hospital had pay parking, of course. What was a hospital that didn’t try and make as much money as it possibly could in every way imaginable? Closed, that’s what. I parked as close to the ticket machine as I could and paid for eight hours, hedging my bets. Getting back into the car, I got a spot as close to the door as I could before rushing in, leaving the ticket on the dash before taking off, making sure I had my phone with me before departing.
I figured Shae would be on a swing shift, so there was no way to tell when she would be leaving, but I was determined to be there when she did. My nickname in high school was The Badger. Because once I got a hold of a notion, I didn’t let it go unless acted upon by an outside force. A law of physics Newton never quite got around to.
I was afraid I might be noticed, or someone would ask what I was doing there. Though apparently unless you actually go up to the triage counter and demand attention, no one really took much notice. Noticing an on-site coffee shop, I ensconced myself at a corner table with an MP3 file, a large cup of mediocre coffee that still did the job, and some of the best cinnamon buns I had ever tasted.
It was 3 a.m. by the time Shae came out front, looking very much the worse for wear. I hadn’t seen her in her scrubs before — clean and bright blue, worn with an adorable pair of sneakers. The overall effect was surprisingly sexy.
Finishing off the last dregs of the cinnamon buns, the coffee distant memory, I pocketed the phone and went to meet her as she headed for the door.
“Hey!” I said, catching up to her before she reached the parking lot.
“Oh, Jesus!” Shae jumped, clutching at her chest.
“Sorry,” I said as she caught her breath.
“It’s okay, you surprised me is all. What are you doing here, anyway?”
“I felt bad about declining your invitation for a drink. I really did have to work tonight. I wasn’t just putting you off or anything. The thing is, I really like you, maybe not the same way Aden says you like me, but I would definitely like to go for a drink and see where things go, nothing ventured nothing gained, right?”
“Ever heard of a run-on sentence?” Shae asked, with a raised eyebrow and a crooked smile.
Her eyebrows were a golden blonde color, which I assumed was her natural hair color. At the moment, her locks were a delightful bubblegum pink color. She seemed to like to change it often.
“Sorry.”
“It’s okay,” she said, putting her hand gently on my chest. “Just calm down, Chris. Okay?”
“Okay,” I agreed.
She looked down at her hand, which was still fixed on my chest. “Man, your heart is really racing.”
“I —”
“It’s not me, is it?” she teased, lowering her long eyelashes some.
“A bit, yeah,” I agreed, feeling bashful.
“You charmer, you.” Her smile lit up her whole face.
“Would you like to go for a drink,” I asked when my heart had returned to a more regular rhythm.
“I’d prefer breakfast at this point,” she said.
“I know a diner,” I said, a bit too excitedly.