AND???? ~ Kelly
We're meeting tomorrow morning! EEK! :) ~ Aurelia
WOO HOO! ~ Kelly
I want details later :) ~ Kelly
I'm about to pass out, talk tomorrow ~ Kelly
LOL Night! :) ~ Aurelia
Aurelia closed her laptop and after setting her alarm, she set both it and her phone on the nightstand. She turned off the light and laid down, but it was at least an hour before she drifted off to sleep.
Chapter 9
Daniel
He'd been getting ready to go to bed when his phone had chimed with an incoming email. Thinking it was work related, he'd turned the light back on and opened his email account. Surprisingly, it was from Aurelia, not the hospital. Curious, he'd opened it. His heartbeat had sped up reading her words and it had taken him a moment to decide what to do. He knew that he should decline. In fact, he'd actually started to say no, but he just couldn't send it. So, he'd erased it and started over, accepting her invitation to coffee. It was just coffee, right? Nothing had to happen. They'd just meet for coffee and talk, no big deal. Right?
Yeah right. What are you doing, Daniel? he questioned himself. He was risking his entire career for her. Okay maybe that was a bit of an exaggeration, at least over this particular coffee date. It could be explained away. Wasn't like they were actually dating. Not yet. And that was the problem because he wanted to. For the last week, he'd been having dreams of her, of them, of dating her, being intimate with her. And it was because of those dreams that he couldn't say no. He had to know if his feelings for her were real or if he was imagining the spark between them.
So here he was, driving across town, trying to avoid being seen. He'd taken care with his appearance, dressing casual in a royal blue polo shirt and jeans. He'd even splashed on a dash of aftershave. It wasn't very strong, he always feared triggering a patient's allergies, so he kept it light. He pulled into the parking lot at five minutes to nine.
He wished he could have picked her up, but that might have called attention to the fact he was seeing her outside of his office. So, he went into the coffee shop and got a booth in the back, seeing she wasn't there yet.
"What can I get you, hun?" the waiter asked.
Daniel glanced up at him and smiled. "Can I have a few minutes? I'm waiting for someone."
"Sure, doll, just give me a wave when you're ready." He winked and walked back over to the counter.
Daniel perused the menu as he waited, hoping Aurelia wouldn't be too much longer. He didn't think she'd stand him up, this coffee date, if it was indeed a date, had been her idea. So, he sat, glancing over the menu. The shop was fairly new and served mostly coffee and pastries at breakfast time, but for lunch they did paninis. He'd have to remember to check it out, he liked paninis and several of them on the menu sounded pretty good. For now, he'd just go with a coffee and a blueberry scone. He set the menu down and glanced up. Standing in the doorway was Aurelia looking a little lost as she scanned the coffee shop for him. Daniel raised his hand and when she saw him, she smiled and approached him.
Standing, Daniel greeted her, taking her hand in his and squeezing her fingers as he said, "Good morning. I was starting to think you changed your mind." He smiled.
Aurelia's cheeks turned slightly pink. "No. I just missed the stop and had to walk from the next one. I guess I was daydreaming and didn't realize until the bus had already moved on to the next stop."
She giggled, and it sounded so lovely to Daniel's ears that he smiled, wishing he could make her giggle like that all the time. She slid into the booth across from him as he too resumed his seat.
"Was it far? You should have texted me. I would have come to get you."
"Oh, no, it was just three blocks further, and it's rather nice out. I didn't mind the walk." Her cheeks grew a deeper pink in shade.
"I see your friend has arrived, hun," the waiter said, returning to the table, "do you know what you'd like?"
Aurelia turned her gaze up to the man and smiled. "Hi, um, can I get a decaf, with cream and sugar? And I'll have a blueberry scone too if you have them?"
"Of course. Our scones are the best, and for you, doll?" he asked, looking at Daniel.
Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Aurelia grin. "I'll have coffee, black and a blueberry scone also."
"Have those out in a jif, don't go anywhere," he replied, giving Daniel another wink.