YOU MAKE ME FEEL
CHAPTER 1
Doctor Hottie
"Kat!"
The sound of her name coming out of her two bestfriends' combine voices made her smile. Lifting her head from her notes, she gives both of them a wide smile.
"Are you done?" Sutton said as she approaches Kat.
"Almost." She said. "Dr. Carlyle gave me a recent order for my patient. I'm just transcribing it."
"We'll sit here then and wait for you." Jane said, sitting on the chair at the corner of the nurse's station. Sutton following behind.
A few minutes later, Kat stands up and stretches her arms. "I'm done. Let's go. I'm starving." She looks at both of her friends at the corner who were busy reading the magazine. She approaches them. "Hey, what are you looking at?"
Sutton lifts her head. "Have you heard the news? We have a new Nephrologist."
"Nope. Never heard of it. What's the big deal anyway?" She asks, shrugging her shoulders.
"Her name is Dr. Adena El-Amin." Jane said, still looking at the magazine.
"Hmmm… Sounds Middle Eastern-y… " Kat reacts uninterested.
"And she is an out and proud Muslim lesbian." Jane continues.
"How did you know all of that?" Kat furrows her eyebrows.
Jane shows her the magazine. "Here. She is featured in Scarlet."
Kat and Sutton both look at the magazine in front of them. The woman in the article was wearing a hijab and she looks gorgeous in the picture, no doubt, but VERY intimidating. It's probably her eyes. They look so fierce. "Wow! She is pretty but looks intimidating." She said, speaking her thoughts, "She is probably going to be a strict and badass Doctor which everyone especially us nurses, would totally be afraid of." She said nonchalantly.
"You think so?"
Kat furrows her eyebrows as she heard the thick accent of the woman who spoke.
She turns towards Jane and Sutton who mirrors her reaction. Then Kat finally turns around to see the owner of the voice. Leaning against the nurse's desk was no other than Dr. Adena El-Amin herself.
She gulps as she saw the woman; take note 'Intimidating' woman in front of her. "Dr. Adena El-Amin. Hi." She said in a nervous tone. Wow. She mentally chastises herself, as she can't help but gawk at the stunning woman in front of her. Her magazine photos didn't do her any justice. She looks like a goddess in person.
"Kat Edison, is that right? Head Nurse of Medical-Surgical Department." Adena said calmly. She was staring at Kat in a very uncomfortable way, her eyebrow rising.
Seriously, that look can melt any people in sight. Kat told herself.
"Yes. I'm Kat." She replies as she walked towards her.
Adena finally smiles and it was a beautiful sight. "Good. So I'll be working with you from now on."
Kat gives her a nervous cheeky smile. "I'm sorry for what I've said. We were just uhm…" She looks behind her as if asking for Jane and Sutton's help.
"Oh!" Jane reacts. "Hi, Dr. El-Amin, I'm Jane Sloan and this is Sutton Brady. We were just looking at uhm…"
Adena smiles. She knew what they were doing. "It's fine. Ever since that issue was published, I'm kinda used to people looking at my pictures. What can I say? Scarlet is a popular magazine."
Jane and Sutton chuckle after the three of them took deep breaths in relief. Kat mostly.
Kat chuckles nervously, "Uhm, anyway we're still sorry about that Dr. El-Amin…"
"Adena."
"Huh? What?"
Adena leans towards Kat, the nurses' desk between them. "You can call me Adena. I believe your shift is finished right? So you can call me Adena. Dr. El-Amin is too formal." She said then smirked.
Kat smiles widely. "Okay. Alright. Nice to informally meet you then, Adena."
Adena offers her hand and Kat immediately accepts it.
"Nice to meet you too both." Adena said and walk away giving Kat one last lopsided smile.
"Oh wow. That is intense." Jane said as she leans towards Kat's ear.
Sutton went to Kat's other side as the three of them watch Adena walking away from the station. "Did I mention she's into girls?"
"I mentioned that particular information, I believe." Jane said.
"Kat?" Sutton looks at Kat, who was still smiling. Then she turns towards Jane who is fighting herself not to laugh at Kat's unusual reaction. "You totally have a crush on her!" She exclaims as she pats Kat's shoulder.
"What?" Kat asks stupidly.
Sutton laughs. "You totally have a crush on Doc Hottie."
"Doc Hottie? Seriously?" It was Jane's turn to laugh.
"No. I'm not. I'm hetero. Out and proud hetero. You both knew that." Kat said as she walks away from them to gather her things.
"Uh-huh." Jane and Sutton replied in unison.
"DH is here. I repeat DH is here." Sutton whispers to Kat's ear as soon as they enter the bar. After their shift ended, they went straight to their apartment to shower and change their clothes. And now they're here to enjoy their much-awaited Friday night.
"What? Who is DH?" Kat asks, clearly confused.
Sutton rolled her eyes. "Doc Hottie, duh!"
It was Kat's turn to roll her eyes. "Stop it." She could feel her cheeks turn red if it's possible for her skin tone.
Jane chuckled. "And here I am, thinking that your skin color prevents you from blushing."
Kat rolled her eyes again. "I am not blushing." She said in an indignant tone. "I'm not gay. I'm hetero." She adds.
"We know that." Jane and Sutton said in unison.
Kat's eyes went straight to Adena and her companion. The woman was practically leaning towards Adena and she felt annoyed. "Ugh. I need a drink."
"Actually, we all need a drink." Jane adds.
"Hi Kat."
Kat recognized that voice. She could recognize it anywhere now. Her thick accent combines with her sexy sultry voice.
"Adena." She greets. "I didn't know you're here." She lies.
Adena just smirks. Kat was alone in the bar because Jane and Sutton both went to the restroom. "Someone suggested this place to me. I just came to check it."
Kat smiles as she stares directly to Adena. She is known for her unwavering confidence and she would never back down to an intense staring contest. "Did you like it?"
Adena looks into her. She raises her left eyebrow, "Oh. I very much like it." She replies.
Kat gives her a cheeky smile. "That's good to hear."
Adena smiles too.
"I just… I want to apologize for what I said earlier in the hospital while we were looking at your picture in the magazine? I'm really sorry if you felt offended by it." She said in a sincere tone, which made Adena chuckles lightly.
"I take badass as a compliment." Adena said. Her luscious lips turn upwards.
"No, not that. The thing about us nurses being scared." Kat replies, looking away.
"Are you scared?" Adena said, her tone teasing.
Kat chuckles and tried to hide the nervousness in her voice. "I'm not actually."
"Hmmm?" Adena smirks. "And why is that?"
"If I do my work properly then there's nothing to be afraid of." Kat replies.
Adena nods. "Exactly."
They smile and stare at each other for a few seconds and this time, it was Adena who looks away first. "Now that everything is clear, what would you like to drink?"
Kat's heart beats fast and she doesn't have any idea what it means.
Kat is a work in progress when it comes to love and feelings. She simply doesn't do feelings. She is happy with one night stands because the intense and passion is there with no complications and drama. And if she's being honest to herself, she hasn't fallen in love yet. So there's no reason for her heart to beat frantically while having a simple conversation with DH. Doc Hottie, as Sutton named the gorgeous lesbian doctor.
"I don't have many friends here in the city." Adena said as she sips her drink.
"Why did you decide to work here in New York then?" Kat asks.
"New York is a nice city. I want change. And there's a very good job offer for me and I took it." Adena replies. "Why did you choose to live in New York? Is it because of your friends?"
Kat chuckles. "No. Just like you, I want changes too. And I like really cheap hotdogs."
Adena laughs. "You pick the right city then."
"I guess so." Kat replies.
They were both being tipsy and Kat already feels the spirit of the alcohol clouding her mind. That's why when Adena asks her next question, she was caught off guard.
"Can I ask you a personal question?" Adena asks.
"Fire away." She said.
"What is your sexual orientation?" Adena asks like it was nothing.
So Kat answers her question without thinking, "Out and proud hetero." As soon as the words come out of her mouth, she realizes that those words might have offended Adena. "Sorry."
Adena chuckles. "It wasn't a come-on." She said in her thick accent of hers.
Kat bits her lips. It wasn't? Oh. Kat wonders if she wishes that it was actually a come-on. "I actually get it. The whole girl thing, you know." She tries to save herself. "I just can't get past this." She made a circular motion on her private part.
Adena chuckles. "For me it's never been about that." She mimics Kat's gesture. Then she lifts her hand towards her heart. "It's more about this."
Kat smiles. "I don't do feelings either." She replies in all honesty.
"Oh?" Adena's reaction was pure curiosity. "Why?"
Kat was about to reply when her phone rings. "I have to get this." She said. Adena nods and sip her drink.
"Sutton?" She answers her phone.
"Hey Kat. Quit flirting with DH, we need to bring Jane home. She passed out in the restroom."
Kat was about to deny what Sutton had just said about flirting and all that but realized that the subject of their conversation is right beside her. "Okay. I'll be right there." She ends the call. She turns towards Adena. "I really need to go, Adena. It was nice having conversation with you though."
Adena smiles. "It was nice having conversation with you too, Kat Edison." She offers her hand and Kat immediately takes it.
They were staring at each other while their hands are connected and it took Kat a lot of willpower to tear her gaze.
As she walked away from Adena and goes straight to the restroom, she realizes that her heart hasn't calm down yet.
That woman. She told herself. Why does their conversation have to be that intense?
"There was a lot of staring." Kat answers. It was Saturday morning. After they jog around Central Park, they decided to have breakfast at their favorite coffee shop.
And then questions were fired away obviously.
"Staring? Would you care to explain?" Sutton pushes.
Kat shrugs her shoulders, "She is nice. She is intimidating but I handled it with flying colors."
Jane smirks, "Oh really?" And then, "So who won the staring contest between you two? I mean, obviously there's a lot of tension in the air."
Kat rolled her eyes. "It's nothing. Anyway, why don't we talk about Dr. Hunter? Really Sutton? You like old men?"
Sutton huffs before answering, "He is really hot you know."
Kat and Jane both rolled their eyes. To be honest, Kat was just glad that the conversation shifted away from her and Adena.
It was a typical Sunday morning for Kat. She went to the supermarket to buy groceries. She is in charge of this week's grocery shopping while her two roommates / best friends have their separate plans for today. Sutton is probably with Dr. Hunter while Jane is probably in the coffee shop nearby writing something on her blog.
At she turns around the corner, her body collided with another person. "Oh shit. I'm so sorry… ADENA?" Her eyes turn wide when she sees Adena.
"Oh. Hello Kat." Adena responds, her eyes are smiling."Fancy meeting you here."
"Hi. Adena." Kat gulps and smiles cheekily. She stares at the woman in front of her. This woman will be the death of her if she continues to be enchanting every time they see each other.
"Grocery shopping by yourself?" Adena asks.
"Uhm… yeah." Kat smiles sheepishly. "And you?"
"I just moved in a few days ago. This is the only time I could do grocery shopping. I've had enough of take-outs anyway." Adena replies.
"You live by yourself?" Kat asks. Do you have a girlfriend? Is the question she really wants to ask but decided that it's too personal. They're not that close yet. Kat scolds herself mentally for wanting to know about Adena's personal love life. What for?
"I live by my own." Adena replies. "My apartment is just nearby. I'm planning to cook dinner. Do you want to come?" Adena asks which made Kat widen her eyes. "Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable. I just thought that it's lonely to eat alone. And-"
Kat interrupts her. "Of course. I would love to."
"Really?" Adena asks, her voice unsure.
Kat shrugs her shoulders, "It's not everyday that I'm invited by a badass doctor." She smiles and then continues, "And it's free food. So…" She smiles cheekily.
Adena's face lightens up. "Okay then."
"Okay." Kat said, still smiling.
"Can I get your number so I could text you the address?"
"You're going out on a Sunday night." Jane said.
"Uh-uh." Kat replies.
"You're going on a date, aren't you?" Jane pushes.
"It's not a date." Kat answers.
"With whom?" Jane asks again.
"Don't make it a big deal, Tiny Jane. I'm just meeting a friend." She said as she rummages on her closet trying to look for something nice to wear.
"And who is this friend?"
Kat looks away. She didn't know if she should tell Jane but then she decides that she should. Jane is her best friend and maybe she could help her in figuring this thing with Adena.
She sighs deeply and sits on her bed beside Jane. "Adena."
Jane's eyes widen like saucers. "Oh my god!"
"She invited me for dinner. She doesn't have any friend. We met earlier in the supermarket. No, don't give me that reaction. It is just a friendly hang out." Kat explains continuously as Jane gapes at her.
"Okay." Jane replies calmly.
"Okay?" Kat furrows her eyebrows.
"Well, you explained everything to me in gigantic sentences. So, okay." Jane replies.
Kat nods.
"So what do you plan to wear?" Jane asks calmly.
"Ugh. I don't know." Kat replies.
"Do you want to be beautiful in her eyes or just be plain-looking?" Jane asks giving her a toothy smile.
"JANE!" Kat exclaims, rolling her eyes at her friend's teasing smile.
"Hi." Kat greets as soon as Adena opens her door. "I'm not too early, am I?" she said with a grin.
Adena, who was still wearing her hijab, smiles. "It's perfect." She said. Kat wonders what her hair probably looks like.
They awkwardly stand in front of each other for a few seconds before Adena decides to welcome her with a warm hug. And that caught Kat off guard.
Oh. My. God. She screams internally.
Adena cleared her throat. "Come in, Kat." She said, stepping backwards.
"Wow. Your place is amazing." Kat admires the paintings and photographs hanging on Adena's apartment wall.
"I love art. And I love photography." Adena answers.
"Oh yeah. I remembered. I read the article about you by the way. Is that weird?" She asks, feeling self-conscious because she just admitted to Adena that she low-key stalked her.
Adena chuckles. "That's fine. But it would be better if you just asked me those questions. It's much more real and personal, don't you think?" Adena smirks at her.
"Uhm, yeah you're right. Well I could ask them again." Kat said smiling.
Adena chuckles lightly.
"You cook very nice. I wish I was as good as you." Kat said as she finishes her dinner. The food that Adena cooked was Middle Eastern Cuisine and Kat is probably going to be addicted to Adena's cooking from now on.
"Thank you. And I'm glad that you liked it." Adena said, then she takes a sip on her glass. "You don't cook?" She asks.
Kat shakes her head. "Jane does most of the cooking."
"I could teach you if you like." Adena offers which made Kat grins widely.
"Really? I mean, if it's totally not a bother to you or anything." Kat said.
"It's not a bother, Kat." Adena said.
"Okay then." Kat smiles. So it means there will be a second not-a-date dinner then? Kat is totally in.
"So what do you want to know?" Adena's sultry voice chimes in. Kat wonders if she always speaks this way. It feels like the sultriness in Adena's voice is very natural. It could make any girl… you know, wet. If they're not straight… like her… Is she? Now she's confused because for some reason, she feels tingling sensation down her belly.
"Why did you choose to study and live in the US?" Kat asks the safe question.
"Almost everybody wants to live in the US. There's a lot of freedom especially when it comes to my sexuality, as you know. I'm not entirely welcome in my country." Adena said in a sincere tone.
Kat finds herself nodding. "What about your parents? And your relationship with them?"
"They learn to accept it. I guess. I talked with my mother sometimes but Inhave a very complicated relationship with my father and older brother." She says and then Kat felt there is more into it but she didn't ask questions about it. " How about you? How did you know you're into boys?" Adena asks, shifting her seat as she stares directly towards Kat.
Kat gulps. "Uhm… well. I'm always into dudes. I didn't think about my sexuality that much." She said. "I've never been with a woman so I think I'm totally hetero."
Adena nods and smiles. "Have you ever been in love?"
Kat swallows nervously. Seriously, Adena's eyes can bare your soul in just a second. "Nope." She takes a sip of her drink and looks away. "Love is so overrated." She chuckles lightly.
Adena nods.
"How about you? I read in the magazine that you're dating a hotshot model. Coco. That's her name right? Are you in love with her?" Kat asks. She wants to know what's the deal with Model Coco. And this is her opportunity to ask.
Adena chuckles. "Coco is my ex. We dated a few years back but now, we are just friends."
"And… you didn't answer my question." Kat said, teasing her.
"Oh. Guess the right answer for that is, yes I WAS in love with her before. But things changed." Adena replies.
"See? There are no forevers." Kat singsongs, which made Adena chuckles lightly.
Adena shakes her head at Kat's antics. "Would you like a dessert?" she asks.
Monday came and Kat was busy training the recently hired nurses. As she was explaining the rules and regulations of her department, Adena came and greets her.
"Good morning Nurse Kat." Adena said, in a strict yet professional tone.
"Good morning Dr. El-Amin." Kat said with a smile.
"Would you like to assist me with my patient?" Adena asks.
"Of course." Kat answers, she picks Adena's patient charts and walked towards her.
"How are you today?" Adena asks as soon as they're out of earshot with the other nurses.
"I'm fine. Just busy with the newly hired nurses in my department." Kat replies.
"I cook something for lunch. Would you like to join me at the doctor's office later?" Adena asks.
"Really?" Kat's grin was wide.
"If you like." Adena answers.
"Okay. Who would say no to free food especially if you're the one cooking." Kat smiles and ignores the jumping of her heart at the sight of Adena's return smile.
Adena opens the door of her patient's room while Kat savors Adena's intoxicating scent as she follows behind.
"You have a lunch date with DH again?" Sutton exclaims as she came out of nowhere. Jane follows behind.
Kat pulls both of them inside the nurses' office. "It's not a date. And please be quiet." She reprimands them.
"Sorry." Sutton apologizes and then continues, "DH really seems enamored with you."
"She isn't." Kat rolls her eyes. "It's just the way she is."
"Well she isn't with the other nurses." Jane interrupts. "Others are naming her the terror doctor, you know. She is very strict with the other nurses. Well except for you."
"Huh?" Kat furrows her eyebrows. "She is just intimidating sometimes. Don't let her get into you. She is the sweetest person I've ever met."
"And you have a crush on her."
"And I have a crush on her. Wait, what?" Kat scrunches her eyebrows at her friends. "I'm not, okay? We're friends."
"And yet you don't have that googly eyes whenever you're talking to us or talking about us." Sutton said, smiling.
"What are you talking about? I do not have that googly eyes. Whatever." Kat rolled her eyes.
"Can we join you for lunch? I would love to try DH cuisine." Sutton smirks.
"What? No!" Kat shakes her head. "Don't be weirdos."
"We wont be weirdos if you admit to us that you kinda have a little girl crush on her." Jane's voice was teasing.
Kat was cornered. She knew to herself that she already has a thing for Adena. But it would feel real as soon as she said it.
She sighs deeply. "Yeah. You're right. I kinda have a little, just a tiny one okay… girl crush on her."
"I knew it!" Jane and Sutton exclaim.
"What will you do about it?" Sutton asks after a while.
"I actually don't have any idea." She answers truthfully.