“Ugh,” Valerie moaned as she opened hers eyes. The sun had woken her up hitting her eyes.
“Good morning,” Russell said as he yawned and stretched.
Suddenly Valerie was wide awake and was staring at Dr. Bates who was lying beside her in her room! “Holy poo on toast,” she said softly realizing she was naked underneath the thin sheet.
“Are you ok?” Russell asked as he kissed her bare shoulder.
“What happened?” she asked him as she stood up with the sheet around her. “Fuck,” she muttered as she ran into her bathroom. She didn’t remember anything from the night before. She was startled by the knock on her door, “Yeah?” she said staring at the door.
“Val are you ok? Did I do something wrong?” Russell asked her.
She sighed and spoke, “No I’m fine I just felt a little awkward being naked around you…” she said being half honest with her response.
“You shouldn’t your beautiful,” he said as he attempted to open the door. He smiled as he was successful and the door opened. “What’s wrong?” he asked her as he went toward and wiped away her tears.
She stepped away from him and cleared her throat, “I can’t do this can you please go?” she told him as she held to the bed sheet around her body. “I just need time, I’m sorry I think you’re a great guy but I need time.” Valerie said as she walked out of the bathroom.
She sat on her bed watching Russell pick up his clothes and after changing he looked at her, “I had a great time last time, I hope you can accept it and we could be more than just co-workers. I’m sorry if I have upset you in anyway that was not my intention,” he told her as he opened the door to her room. “I’ll see you at work tonight right?”
She looked down and then she spoke, “I’m sorry and you have done nothing wrong. I will see you there and we will talk ok?” she told him.
********
“Thank you,” Valerie told the pharmacist as she took the pill. She didn’t want to take any risks after not remembering what exactly had happened. This would a least assure her of not getting knocked up, “hello,” she said to her phone as she saw who was calling her.
“Hey are you busy?” he asked her.
“No I was just shopping,” she told him as she exited the Walgreens. “What’s up?”
“Well Nick wanted to know if you wanted to joins at his house for a cookout.” He said as he ran to little James crib. “What do say?” he asked her as he grabbed his baby and began to rock him.
“I have to work tonight,” Valerie told him. “I don’t think I can.”
“Oh whatever just take your scrubs with you and you can change there. I will drive you to work or Leigh. Come on its going to be fun,” he told her. “Wait even better I’ll pick you up in an hour,” he told her hanging up on her before she could protest.
She sighed heavily and realized she should hurry. “I can’t believe he still thinks he can do that choose what I can do,” she said in frustration. Suddenly she was furious at her and everyone. What was she going to do now; she was going to feel very awkward with Russell. Could she even see him as more than friends? How could she not know this was bound to happen when she allowed him to kiss her before?
********
She grabbed her bag and walked out of her apartment, “I will be alright,” she told herself as she walked out the lobby and into Howie’s car. “Hey,” she told both Leigh and Howie. “Hey munchkin,” she told the little baby in the car seat beside her.
“He just fell asleep,” Leigh told her as she turned to look at her. “You ok?”
“Yeah I’m fine why?” she asked her giving her best smile.
“You look different today…I don’t know but it’s a good thing,” Leigh told her as she turned back to face the front. “Your going to like Nick’s house…it’s gorgeous.”
“Yeah? I can’t wait,” she said as she stared out of the window. “How long is the ride over there?”
“Half hour to forty five minutes,” Howie told her as he smiled at her through his rearview mirror.
“Wake me up when we are there,” she told them yawning. Sleep was the best way to keep from making conversation with them. She was just not in the mood to talk she had a big dilemma to solve as it was.
*******
Valerie put on her sunglasses as she stared out into the ocean, “Ok seriously consider me as the fifth Backstreet boy,” she told Howie as she stood by him. He looked in trance as he stared out into the ocean, “Do you miss Orlando?” she asked him.
“Yeah sometimes I do but I can go anytime I want I just need to make the time,” he told her as he smiled at her. “So how is your internship going?”
“Good, I actually get to treat people and diagnose of course with Russell by my side,” she told him biting her tongue when she realized she had used Dr. Bates name.
“Russell?” Howie said arching his brow at her. “Since when did you start calling him by his first name?”
She shrugged her shoulders and sighed, “It just happened he’s actually a really cool guy.” She bit her lip as she saw the look on Howie, “He is not involved with anyone Howie he’s in a middle of a divorce. You know I wouldn’t do anything stupid quit making me feel guilty,” she told him slapping his arm slightly.
“Hey I didn’t say anything you’re the one thinking that I am thinking that way.” Howie told her as he patted her arm. “Just I know how easy it is for you to fall and how hard it is for you to forget. Be careful ok?”
“Thanks it’s been noted I won’t screw up.” She told him as she smiled when she saw AJ walking toward them. “Hey looser you finally made it,” she told him happy that he was coming so Howie wouldn’t continue to ask her questions.
“I’m no looser I was being a gentleman so I let you win,” he told her as he joined her and Howie.
“You beat him again?” Howie asked her laughing at AJ.
“I sure did,” Valerie said with a grin on her face. “Just admit it AJ I am better than you at Pool.”
“Hey Food is ready,” Nick said as he called them over. “So what are we laughing at?” he asked Howie, Valerie and AJ as they approached him.
“At AJ cause he can’t accept that I can beat his ass in pool.” She told Nick as she looked at the food. She suddenly felt nauseous; she hadn't had real food in a while mostly it had been just salads. How was she going to pull this off, “Do you have salad?” she asked Nick.
“What? No you have to eat meat,” Nick said as he gave her a goofy grin, “I cooked it myself…”
“Oh hell then lets order take out,” AJ said teasing Nick.
*******
She had had enough of the picking on the chicken and she just couldn’t swallow it. She had barely eaten the side salad when she felt a tap on her shoulder. She smiled as she saw AJ standing there, “Hey you know I was messing with you earlier right?”
“Yeah I know,” AJ told her as he looked at her plate, “You didn’t eat your food?”
“Uh, well I’m not that hungry really I had a big breakfast,” she lied as she looked at her plate. “I’ll take it to eat at work,” she told him.
“Val you can count on me,” he whispered to her as he took the plate away from her. “I hate to say this but I honestly have caught you not eating. I can see better because I once hid something similar per say to my friends and family too. I won’t pressure you to tell me but just remember I’m here,” he told her. “So how was your date?” he asked her trying to change the conversation.
“Uhm good,” she said looking up at him. “I like him he’s good I don’t know if he really likes me though… I mean I’m no girlfriend material especially here in LA.”
“What? You are a great girl with a great personality your real,” he told her as he smiled at her. “I’m sure he is head over heels for you, I mean I did catch the smooch the other night between the two of you.”
“Oh my god,” she said blushing as she heard him confess he had seen the kiss between her and Russell.
*******
“Thanks for bringing me to work,” Valerie told AJ as she opened the door. “Thanks for the talk earlier and I would appreciate it if you didn’t tell Howie any of it please? Just not yet please.”
“I won’t you can trust me and know that you can talk to me about anything,” he told her as he handed her the lunch bag with her food. “Make sure you eat this ok?” he told her.
“I will don’t worry,” she told him as she kissed his cheek and walked away. She could feel the weird feeling in her stomach she was about to face Russell. The thing was she didn’t know what to make of the situation.
Chapter End Notes:
yay two more up... like I said I am rewriting them but some chapters will stay the same especially in the beginning... comments are appreciated. :)
