I grinned as Perry finished off yet another glass of scotch. It would be better if he was a little drunk, so I could have my way with him. A - a midnight kiss, I mean. He'd promised to give me all the kisses I wanted when we get back to his place, just "nawt at the hospital party, Newbie, for Gawd's sake, we're keeping this thing a secret, Princess." But I was determined to make my fantasy a reality, just this once. I saw it play out perfectly in my head…
I sit in the corner, looking sad but still, of course, sexy. Carla and Elliot try to pull me up into the crowd to watch the ball drop on TV. I decline goodnaturedly, as I'm far too mysterious - and sexy - for that sort of thing. Suddenly, a pair of strong arms lifts me up and spins me around and I smile to see it's my Per-Bear. "I love you, JD," he declares loudly before he dips me, kissing me right as everyone yells "Happy New Year!"
Perry said he wanted to keep "us" quiet for the time being, to make sure it was what we wanted. But it'd been three months. I wasn't going anywhere, and I knew he'd never been happier as long as I'd known him. There weren't even that many people at the party in the break room. So I concocted a plan. Somehow, I'd use my seductive power to lure him to a supply closet just outside the the break room, close enough to hear the countdown on TV. He wouldn't be afraid to kiss me there. We'd done worse things in pretty much all the supply closets. All I cared about was my midnight kiss.
I took a sip of my appletini and tried to refocus myself on the story Ted was telling. It was difficult because Perry kept glancing at me throughout his conversation with Carla. I politely excused myself from Ted, who was beginning to sweat through his shirt, and went to fix myself another drink. Too much tini, not enough apple. Another hand appeared on the shaker as I reached for it.
"Don't talk, Newbie, I know how you like it." Perry said in a low voice as he gathered the necessary ingredients and started mixing the drink.
I stared at him. Offering to make me a drink, in public, and smiling while he did it, in public? "Uh, Dr. Cox? What are you doing?"
"Just doing something nice," he said innocently, handing me the glass with a flourish. "You've been buttering me up for something all day. It worked, I am sufficiently buttered, out with it, Princess."
I looked around the room. Everyone was wrapped up in their own conversations, and the corner with the drink table was fairly secluded. Most people were drinking from the keg in the center of the room anyway. All right, be cool, I thought. Just tell him you want to kiss at midnight - just don't be pathetic about it.
"Are you keeping this a secret because you're really not ready to tell people or because you're embarrassed?" Way to go.
He just stared at me incredulously. What was I thinking? Of course he was - well, maybe not embarrassed, but the relationship would obviously strip away his precious intimidation, take several layers off of his manliness. He uses girls' names to intimidate people, no wonder he would hate to be seen as gay, something most people associate with femininity…
"JD?" he said softly, bringing me out of my head. "You done overthinking yet?"
What?
"Geez, Newbie, I thought we had each other figured out. Here I thought I was doing you a favor. I mean, Gandhi and Barbie, not to mention Jordan, would be teasing the gel right out of your hair. And I knew that somehow you'd manage to move into my place, probably without me realizing it, and I re-he-heally don't want you to bring that dead dog with you because God knows Jack would get attached."
"I-I just thought… maybe you had over-thought things or maybe it would ruin your reputation or something…" I mumbled. As the words came out of my mouth, I realized how stupid they were. He could send interns running if he was wearing a dress.
"You know, I think that is the dumbest thing I've ever heard come out of your mouth. I really do." I smiled. It just goes to show, sometimes you can be happier than you thought you could ever be, even if you didn't get what you wante-
"Dr. Cox, leave Bambi alone. The countdown's about to start!" Carla skittered back to Turk.
"When did she get over here?" I said under my breath, slowly noticing a very uncharacteristic grin on Perry's face.
"You ready?" he asked mischievously. Realization dawned on me.
"Pe - Dr. Cox, are you sure about-" My voice was drowned out by everyone starting to chant.
"I know you'd like me to dip you, don't deny it," Perry shouted over the counting. "But it would be very inconvenient for me later tonight if you hurt your back."
I'm sure there was a very loud "HAPPY NEW YEAR!" but I didn't really pay attention because Perry was already kissing me. We were still in the corner, so we got in a good 30 seconds before anyone noticed.
"JD?" I recognized Turk's voice behind me.
"That's his 'shocked and confused' voice," I whispered to Perry before Turk grabbed my shoulder and whipped me around.
"What the hell, man?"
As I tried to come up with something to say that would make him freak out the least, Perry piped up behind me. "Yes, we've been - what do you kids call it these days? Bumping uglies, doing the dance with no pants, something about dividing legs and multiplying, only obviously not the multiplication part, whatever - pretty much since Jordan and I went down the crapper. Real observant of you there, Gandhi."
"I'm still yours, Chocolate Bear," I said lovingly, pulling Turk into a hug. He hesitantly reciprocated and patted me on the back.
"Aaand I'm still worried you like him more than me," Dr. Cox interjected. "C'mon, Newbie. I think out of your three appletinis, I think you maybe had about half a drink's worth of alcohol, so you're driving." He tossed me the keys to his Porsche, and I shrugged.
"I'll need to swing by my apartment and pick up my slippers."
Perry rolled his eyes. "Yeah, sure, Princess. Grab some condoms, too, I'm all out."
I nodded and waved goodbye to everyone. They looked a little weirded out about the fact that I was leaving with Dr. Cox, but they went back to whatever they were doing pretty quickly. Still, Turk told Carla and Carla told Laverne and the entire hospital knew in probably about ten minutes. Perry and I savored our last night of freedom, ignoring the occasional call from various gossipers. But getting to ride with him to work every morning, actually having the chance to show affection to him every day, being able to listen to him snore every night without making excuses… I wouldn't have it any other way.