“Thanks for tonight I had fun,” Valerie told AJ as she took off her seatbelt. “Make sure to clean the cut so it won’t get infected ok?” she told him as she leaned in and gave him a peck on the cheek.
“Yes doctor,” he told her giving her a smile.
“Not yet but soon,” she told him as she stepped out of the car. “Call me when you are ready to get your ass beaten again.”
He laughed at her, “We’ll see,” he told her before the door closed. He watched her walk up to the house. She was fun to hang around with and she cursed just as much as he did. Maybe this time they would have a chance to bond more since her best friend Howie was now a married man.
******
“Good morning,” Valerie greeted Dr. Bates who was already drinking coffee.
“Good morning Miss Mendez, are you feeling better today?” he asked giving her a smile.
Valerie smiled back to her mentor just getting lost in his blue eyes. “Yes, you were right I can only do so much. It’s just it was my first patient that…” she looked down. “You know what I mean,” she told him looking back at him.
“Yes I do and call me Russell, if we are going to be working together. We need to feel at ease, you call me Russell and I will call you?” he pointed at her as he looked through some folders.
“Val,” she told him.
“Ok Val, then lets go see our first patient.” He told her as he walked out of his office holding the door open for her. “We are going too see a woman who is complaining of chest pain and numbness on her left arm,” he said looking at her.
“Oh, those are symptoms of a stroke or heart attack,” she told him smiling at him. He had totally changed since she had put her foot down; he was such a great doctor now.
“Yes it is. So Val are you married?” he asked her trying to be subtle.
Val gave him a quizzical face, “No, why sir?” she asked him.
“Ah, what did I say?” he told her stopping and facing her. “I just want to get to know you, nothing more Val.”
“Right Russell,” she cleared her throat, “Yes I am single and you?” she asked him.
“Going through a divorce,” he told her as he finally pointed to the room they were going to.
********
“Howie what the F are you doing here,” Valerie told him as she pulled him to a more secluded area.
“Relax woman,” Howie said hugging her. “I came to take you to lunch,” he told her winking at her.
“Oh my god Howie you have to loose that wink. Again what the hell did Leigh see in you…wait till I share with her some of our adventures!” she told him teasingly.
“Don’t you dare Val or I won’t tell you what else I came for,” he said as he walked with her to his car.
“Fine but aren’t you scared we might get mobbed because of your celebrity status?” she asked him as she looked around making sure no one was paying attention to them.
Howie laughed, “Come Val it’s not that bad. That only happened back in the crazy nineties.” He told her as he opened the door to his car.
“Whatever,” she told him getting in. “So where are we going to go eat?” she asked him.
“There’s this nice deli just a few blocks that is to die for.” Howie told her as he drove out of the hospital parking lot.
“Ok so what else were you going to tell me?” she asked him.
“Wait till we get to the restaurant!” he told her.
“You know I hate to wait just tell me Howie…” she told him getting annoyed by the smirk on his face. He liked the idea of teasing her with his secret.
“Fine I’ll tell you…” he told her as he parked his car. “No wait even better here,” he told her handing her a folder and a key.
She eyed him a crazy look, she opened the folder and read the contract. “No fucking way…Oh my god Howie.” She told him reaching over and hugging him. “Te adoro,” she told him. “So can I move in already?” she asked him.
He hugged her back, “I love you too crazy even if you can beat the crap out of me. Will you be able to afford it? If not I told you I can lend you the money till you can pay me back…” he told her with a concern tone.
“No Howie you’ve done enough. I can afford it I just have to learn to economize a tad bit.” She told him. “Can we go see it? I’m not that hungry anyway.”
“We can see it from here,” he said as he pointed to a building just down from the deli. “The fourth floor,” he said to her with a grin.
She began to cry, she hated to cry but how could she not? Howie was more like her father figure than his own father. “Thank you so much Howie,” she told him again hugging him. “You’re like the bother I never had.”
“You are one of my best friends, normal friend to be exact. Val you know you can always count me,” he told her. “Is something wrong that I don’t know about?” he asked her.
She wiped away her tears, “No it’s just overwhelming that even after not talking in a very long time you and me can still be so close. Leigh couldn’t have found a better husband, I know I tease you a lot but Howie you have a heart of gold.”
“Ok enough of this smoochy stuff I’m starving come on,” he said.
*******
“What happened to you?” Chris asked AJ as he took a seat.
“I had a little accident last night,” he told his friend.
“So what will you have?” he asked him as he called the waiter.
“Coke and I still have to look through the menu,” he said not looking up to his friend instead just skimming the menu.
“So an accident? What you do?” Chris asked curiously looking at his hand it had been wrapped in bandages.
“Well I had friend over and she asked for a glass of water. You know me being the clumsy man that I am I dropped the glass. It shattered into pieces and I cut myself.” He said giving him the look that said not to ask anymore questions.
“Oh yeah that won’t work buddy spill who is this friend? Did you get lucky last night?” he asked giving his friend a smirk.
AJ rolled his eyes, “No Chris no, she is just a friend. Well actually it’s one of Howie’s childhood friends. She is here doing an internship in Cedars-Sinai…” he looked up to see him grinning.
“That explains why your bandages look the way they do,” he told him.
“Don’t Chris don’t start. Val is just a good friend and we had a nice time together as friends. She is not my type…” he told him regretting what he said right after it was out of his mouth.
“Why not? You seem to have a little glow today,” Chris told him pretending to be wise.
“Fuck you,” AJ told him laughing at him. “You amaze me sometimes. Wait till you meet her, and then you’ll see what I mean. Besides Valerie and I never really got along back then we just sort of had to tolerate each other for Howie’s sakes. She used to pick at me and I would of course pick at her. It was refreshing to have had a good conversation yesterday where non of us wanted to rip the other’s throat.”
********
“Wait Val,” Russell said as he caught her just outside the hospital. “I know tomorrow is your day off and I just wanted to let you know that I am glad I got you as my intern. You’re smart, cute and easy to teach. A very fast learner…” he stopped when he saw Valerie’s arched brow.
“Why thank you Russell. I have to admit at first I hated your guts but now you’re tolerable.” She laughed and looked away knowing she was blushing. Was Dr. Bates flirting with her? No he couldn’t be right men like him didn’t look at women like her in that way.
“So there’s this nice bar just a few blocks away where I go to drink when work was hectic want to come? I mean if you don’t have any plans I mean.” He gave her a smile.
“God yes I’d love a drink at this point,” she told him as she lit a cigarette. “Do you mind?” she asked him.
“No not at all,” he told her as he walked with her to his car.
She felt a little awkward as she took a seat beside him, “So Russell do you always do what you did to me to your new interns?” she asked him.
“No only the ones I know are here to save lives,” he told her smiling at her.
“It’s pretty ironic isn’t it? I mean I want to save lives yet everyday I put my own in danger with this…” she told him as she finished her cigarette tossing it out the window.
“Well, that’s life for you.” he told her as he drove. “So are you a mixed drink or beer drinker?” he asked.
“Eh, both I did live in a dorm you know. Parties all the time.” she told him.
******
“Thanks for the drinks,” she told him as she got off his car.
“Val?” Russell said as he grabbed a hold of her hand not allowing her to leave. He sighed and leaned in kissing her softly on her mouth. “I had a great time too.”
Valerie closed her eyes as she felt his lips on hers, since when did a guy like Russell look at her that way. But damn it felt good, “What was that for?” she asked as she pulled her hand from his grip.
“I just seem to be really attracted to you,” he told her giving her a grin. “I’ll see you at work on Thursday then?”
“Yeah,” was all she said as she got off a little confused and tipsy. What was that for she had to admit she liked it though? She watched him speed away and began to walk up to the house bumping into someone. “Fuck, oh my god AJ!” she said laughing. “I didn’t see you there,” she said still in a fit of laughs.
“Are you drunk?” he asked as he helped her walk.
“Nah I just a couple of drinks that’s all. What are you doing here?” she asked him.
“Oh me I was just here visiting Howie that’s all. He told me the good news about your new apartment.” He said trying to not sound too disappointed with what he had just seen. She had kissed who ever that guy was that brought her home.
“Yeah I’m actually moving in tomorrow since it’s my day off. Want to help?” she asked as she gripped on his hand to not fall.
“Yeah ok sure I’ll come by,” he told her as he helped her to the door. “I think you got if from here, I’ll see you tomorrow.”
She smiled at him, “ok bye…how’s the hand?”
“Good thanks…good night.” he waved at her but quickly came running back to her when he saw her slip…
Chapter End Notes:
Ok so... I am posting the chapters as I edit... please let me know what you think. :)
