"Hi, Alex Pierce," he grinned down at me. "Fancy meeting you here."
"Hello, Cam Connor," I laughed as I stood up and walked around the station. "I'm not sure why it's such a surprise for you, other than maybe you were hit on the head by falling debris at your last call."
"Good one," he laughed as he bent down and leaned on the counter. "No, no falling debris. Just a car fire that got a little out of control."
"Is there ever a car fire that is not out of control?" I asked with a skeptical grin.
"And again with the astute observation," he laughed before adding more quietly, "I'd like to see you again."
I stared at him for a few seconds until he looked down and muttered, "I mean, if you'd like to see me again, that is."
"Silly man, of course I'd like to see you again!" I laughed as he looked up visibly relieved. "I was just trying to think about when I'll have time what with exams, classes and work this week."
"I could help you study," he said hopefully. "Quiz you on whatever it is you're being tested on."
"You know, that might actually work," I nodded, but when I looked back up at him, I realized that any pretense of studying was likely to be abandoned if we were in a roo
m alone together. I could feel the magnetic pull of his body and a memory of his lips pressed against mine flashed before my eyes causing me to look away.
"Uh huh, sure it would," Cam said as if he'd just read my mind. "Well, at the very least I could take you to dinner to help keep up your strength."
"I'd like that," I smiled.
"How about tomorrow night?" he asked as the guys from the squad signaled that it was time to get back to the station. "I'll pick you up around seven?"
"Sounds good!" I called as he ran for the door. It was only after he'd left that I wondered where he was taking me.
"Got a date with the firefighter, do you?" Leslie asked with a smile. "He's a hottie."
"Do you all conspire to make that same joke?" I laughed as Leslie laughed with me. I looked around and wondered where Liz had wandered off. I told Leslie I was going to go look for Liz and she nodded as she updated more patient charts.
#
It took twenty minutes of searching to finally find Liz. She was standing outside the pharmacy, staring at the poster covered with a diverse group of people, presumably employees, which announced Chicago General would soon be part of a larger network of hospitals throughout the area.
"Liz, are you okay?" I asked as I put my hand on her shoulder and turned her around.
"Yeah, fine. Why?" she said in a brisk voice. "Just learning about the changes coming to Chicago General."
"I see," I said. "We've missed you down in the ER. Want to come back with me?"
"Yeah, sure," she nodded as I took her arm and led her back to the department. I wanted to ask her what was going on, but I knew her well enough to know that she wasn't going to give me any answers until she was good and ready.
"Hey, Cam came in a little while ago and asked me out," I said trying to find a topic that we could discuss hoping it would draw her out of whatever funk she was in.
"Did he, now?" she replied as we walked into the ER, then suddenly she was back to normal. "I hope you told him he needs to take you someplace good, not to another of those dive bars he and his coworkers seem to like."
"Liz! That's rude!" I laughed as she gently punched my upper arm and winked at me.
"You've got enough condoms, right?" she asked with a knowing grin.
"Elizabeth Banks!" I half-gasped, half-laughed.
"Oh, don't be an old spoil sport," she said. "We've had the talk, now it's time for you to get some action!"
Something about Liz's nonchalant tone set me off and I laughed until the tears rolled down my cheeks. She stood looking at me, shaking her head as she watched my complete meltdown, and that made me laugh even harder. When it was over, Liz offered me some water and then said, "But seriously, condoms."
That set off another wave of laugher and it wasn't until Leslie came over to find out what was going on that I was able to stop and catch my breath.