I Notice You
Jeremy noticed it had been way over a week now since he last saw Betsy Putch, the ever so sweet receptionist, at work in the office. Her smile is the first thing he is used to seeing whenever he arrives in the morning- and certainly something he looks forward too- but over this past week it has just been a grouchy Beverly complaining about the brightness of the daylight that early in the morning.
The clock in the bottom right hand corner of his computer finally strikes 12:15 midday, and he has quite a lot of time to kill till his next appointment, so he decides to go have his lunch in the staff room. He walks through the office trying to focus on the patients and nurses scurrying around the room; anywhere but the absent seat where she would usually sit at her desk biting away on her candy soft bottom lip whilst concentrating (which was surprisingly endearing).
He walked into the staff room he plonked himself down in his usual seat, where Betsy would usually come and sit down next to him with an awkward brush of their knees under the table (but right now he's trying to ignore her absence), and tucks into his lunch whilst listening to Tamra talk about her current boyfriend Ray-Ron and what they got up too that weekend. He really couldn't care less because at least it offered a distraction as well as humour from the jealous look growing on Morgan's goofy face.
"Yes Danny, I do really think it is necessary that we decide on a date night!" exclaims Mindy as her and Danny walk hand in hand into the staff room.
"I just think a registered date night for a couple is ludicrous, I mean we're not old people who need to remember to go out with each other" shrugged Danny in reply as he turned his back to the rest of the room to put the kettle on for him and Mindy.
"Well I don't know about that, you two are pretty ol-" Tamra started but got interrupted by Mindy: "We are in our 30's, so we are considered a young hot couple okay? We may as well be Jennifer Garner and Mark Ruffalo in 13 going on 30."
Mindy and Danny had been dating for about a month now and they didn't really keep it under wraps around the office, much to Danny's dismay, the staff always witnessed (and sometimes even became involved) in their slight disagreements. It was only a week and a bit ago when Betsy walked in on them doing some of their 'shenanigans' in Doctor Castellano's office causing her to squeal in shock and alarming all the other staff members to come running witnessing the affair.
It finally hit Jeremy like a slap in the face; was that why Betsy has avoided coming to work? She did admit that she was in love with Danny (which made his heart sink down into the pit of his stomach) not too long ago.
"Personally I think a date night is a great idea, what about Friday night?" Morgan chirped in, "I will go ask Betsy now if she will look after Bones for that night!" He grinned as he practically galloped out of the room towards the reception desk.
Jeremy looked up from his sandwich scanning all of his friend's faces; had they really not notice Betsy was missing?
"What is happening right now; he does know he is not invited right? We are not going through a 'date' like that again" Danny says just loud enough for only the people in the room to hear.
Morgan then reappears with a baffled look on his face whilst pointing to reception behind his back;
"Has anyone seen Betsy? She's not at her desk" He asks.
Jeremy feels his body relax slightly, adjusting his purple tie, as the question he has been dying to ask for ages, but did not want to gain any suspicion from his co-workers, was asked. He yet again scanned everyone's expressions for an answer but they all just shrugged in silence.
"She must be in right? I mean I'm still getting a pile of documents about my patients for the day as well as my messages every morning on my desk" Danny said as more of a matter of fact than a question.
Everyone agreed with this, including Jeremy who would walk into his office with everything already prepared for the day, and that Betsy was just making Beverly sort out all recent phone calls. Jeremy let out a cough and sat up straight in his chair earning the focus of everyone:
"Well Betsy's obviously fine if the work is getting done, she is probably just too busy at the moment to be around all the time- I think I remember her saying she was having slight family issues at the moment, which is none of our business. So if you'll excuse me, I'm getting back to work" he left abruptly and went back to his office.
Yes that obviously was a lie to everyone but he just didn't want them to worry further and go hunting for her like the innocent lamb she is. The only explanation for her disappearance was she was feeling uncomfortable around Danny and Mindy; so she is coming in very late at night to complete all her work. He knew what he was going to do, he was going to stay late at the office so he could speak to her. He really needed to see her.
(He really wanted to see her).
Jeremy stayed in his office till everyone else had left, spinning on his chair, rearranging his pens, filling in paper work, and then rearranging his pens again, until he got frustrated and ran his fingers through his now slightly deflated and scruffy hair.
"Oh come on Bets'" he mumbles to himself as he finds his eyes wandering to her still empty desk from the view in his office.
It was then that the sound of the elevator doors opening interrupted his thoughts. As soon as she came into his view, her back towards his office, he was frozen. She was wearing her cute little pink tight skirt (which he always secretly appreciated and wished she would wear more) with a navy knitted jumper which- he was pretty sure no one but her- could pull off. Her hair fell loosely past her shoulders and he could imagine it framing her face for him to tuck a piece behind her ear.
The sound of a crisp packet opening pulled him back from his day dream as well as a lid popping open causing him inhale the sweet smell of fresh cupcakes. He jumped out of seat and raced to the reception desk, not surprised by the sight of the snacks now surrounding Betsy's desk.
"Betsy, put the cupcake down."
She jumped slightly out of her skin, then pivoted on her feet to face him. Her small hands cradled one of the creamy iced cakes up against her lips, her lips open ready to take a bite but she was now stood still.
"Doctor Reed, I – what are you doing here?"
He had seen this all before but only the other time it was on himself. The guilty gleam in the eye, the mix and match of food to choose from, continuing to eat just because you could not because of hunger – equalled turning to food to solve your problems. Except he knew she was eating her feelings, whereas Jeremy resulted in food because of stress.
He made his way towards her across the room, his fingers lightly brushing hers as he reaches to take the cupcake away from her. But her grasp increases as she refuses to let it go.
"Come on Bets', I know what you're doing" He raises his eyebrow at her as he lightly tugs on the cupcake but she still doesn't seem to budge. Her bottom lip falls into a pout which is almost impossible to ignore.
"Please Jeremy, I need this"
He feels a grin break out onto his face at the sound of her finally saying his first name, but this causes his guard to go down allowing his arms to drop knocking the cupcake towards him landing with a splat on to his shirt and tie then onto the floor. They both stop their movements immediately, like someone had been shot, and stared at the tasty mess on his shirt.
"Oh bollocks" he sighs as he scoops up most of the icing onto his index finger.
"I am so sorry!" Betsy exclaims a light blush raising onto her cheeks, "Here get me back" she grabs his wrist and wipes his index finger down the front of her clothes and his eyebrows nearly bounce of his forehead at the sudden contact.
She stares down at the creamy white smudge against her once immaculate navy jumper and starts to nibble on her bottom lip implying her regret. He notices he still has some icing on his finger so he leant forward and wiped the rest of the icing onto the end of her nose. Her head snapped up and their eyes lock as she bursts into laughter in which he joins her(he notices the gleam in her eye that is normally there finally return).
This was the complete opposite way he thought this evening was going to go; of course he didn't know how this was going to go but he really didn't expect a corny rom-com food fighting scene.
She went for her revenge and wiped icing on his cheek smearing against the corner of his mouth. His eyes widened as his tongue caught contact with the icing. It was possibly one of the best tastes he had ever experienced after so long.
"Oh, hello sugary goodness," he picks out one of the other cupcakes from the box she had brought and takes a bite, "I am in heaven."
He had avoided all treats that was once part of his life that played a factor in him gaining like 40 pounds.
"No no no no, Doctor Reed don't do it, you were doing so well!"
He let out a sigh as she yet again used his more formal name, so he went to go take another bite out of the cake but she lunged towards him.
He turned his back to her, grabbing the other box of treats, and started rushing around the office as she ran after him.
"Please stop, this is all my fault!"
She jumped towards him landing onto his back, he wasn't prepared for the weight and collapsed onto the floor, resulting in all the cupcakes to roll away.
They both let out a defeated sigh and Betsy sat up leaning her back up against the wall, tucking her hair behind her ear.
"I'm so sorry Doctor Reed, this is all my fault and so unprofessional…"
He joined her against the wall, allowing the slight contact of her shoulder against his as well as her bare leg lightly brushing his smart work trousers.
"This is not all your fault, I haven't had something as sweet and sugary as that in a few months, so for a brief moment I became a monster," A smile automatically appeared on his face at the sound of her light chuckle, "And technically it is after office hours so this is not unprofessional, mind you I don't think that word applies to this office with Mindy working here. But Betsy-Bear, please call my Jeremy."
He turned to see her face soften slightly at the intimate use of her nickname (reminding her he is not just her boss but a frien- or whatever he is).
"But I thought you didn't like me calling you Jeremy? That's what caused the first cupcake accident!"
It was his turn to chuckle now, making both hers and his shoulders shake, "I dropped the cupcake because I liked you using my first name, it was a pleasant surprise so please do it more often."
"Really?"
"Really really."
They both lightly smiled towards each other, their noses not actually that far apart.
They sat in a comfortable silence for a little while, Betsy staring up at the ceiling, whilst Jeremy observed their feet side by side. He had never realised how truly small and delicate she was like she could just vanish any minute (and that thought terrified him more than he'd like to admit).
"How is everyone?" She asks filling the silence.
"Oh you know, same as usual…" He observes her, "Everyone misses you."
"No one misses me, everyone has too interesting lives to notice" Her head drops down and her eyes focus on her skirt (Jeremy was trying to not noticed that it had risen up slightly just above the middle of her thigh.)
"Well I noticed, that's why I am here at 2:05 in the morning covered in cake icing"
"I just feel so embarrassed, I mean I keep going after the wrong guy, I don't even know why I thought I even had a chance with Danny, I'm not pretty or curvy or confident or attractive… I'm just me. Guys like you and him, or any guy for that matter, don't even see girls like me. And when I walked in on him and Mindy I felt so bad and just thought it would be easier to avoid them for a while, I don't like awkward situations, and in all honesty it has actually helped me to get some distance."
She stayed looking down at her hands in her lap. Jeremy sat there stunned as he tried to digest everything he just heard; how could she think so little of herself? And does she really think that little of him?
Betsy really had no idea that she was what had been filling his mind every day over the past few months. Just the thought of seeing her once a day would make his day. Of course he hooked up with the usual booby blonde that was as skinny as a hand rail but it wasn't real, it was just instinct that was acted upon because he knew they wouldn't reject him. Whereas Betsy makes him want to be a better version of himself, her rejection would destroy him. She deserved so much better than his usual routine of just hooking up.
He stared at her face which did not flinch or change emotion throughout that outburst implying she was being completely honest.
"Come on Bets, just because Danny isn't interested, doesn't mean there isn't a guy out there who thinks you're amazing"
"I really doubt that," She scoffed, "I may as well just go to the cat store right now and start the family; wait cats don't eat turtle's right?"
Wow that was such a Mindy thing to say, she really has been hanging out with her too much filling her head with ideas about no love results in cats.
Jeremy started pacing about in front of her; he knew he needed to tell her how he feels, he really wants to tell her how he feels. She is irresistibly sat there with her beautiful bold eyes following him around as she stays sat on the floor.
"What is it Doctor Re- Jeremy?" She corrected herself.
"You don't have to go to a cat store okay? There are guys are interested in you because all of those things you said before are not true. What I'm trying to say is I am- what I'm trying to say is…" Why was he finding this so difficult? This is ridiculous, Peter would be pissing himself laughing right now if he was here. "…would you like to go and get coffee?"
She stood up from where she originally sat and scrunched up her nose in confusion (which he couldn't help but smile at - what really wasn't making this any easier), "Yeah sure, you have it milky with one sugar right?"
She walked past him and into the staff room flipping on the kettle. Jeremy stood there dumbfounded about the fact she didn't understand what he meant. He sucked in a sharp breath and composed himself before following after her in to the small kitchen area.
"Err Betsy this is not..." he flailed his hands around trying to gesture what he meant but he lost his trail of thought as she turned around with that still confused look on her face.
"This is not what?"
"I didn't mean I wanted you to make us a coffee…"
"Oh… then what did you mean?"
Was he really not making it that obvious? How could she not see that he wanted her? Betsy really was so naïve in thinking that no one like him would want her. But he really did want her. She was stood there leaning against the counter, twiddling with the sleeves on her jumper with her thumbs, not knowing a single thought that was running through his head right now. Did he have to paint it on a banner and hang it from the Empire State Building just to get her to notice him? Ok maybe that will be taking it too far but he definitely needed to try a new strategy.
Before he could stop himself he walked over to her, cupping her face into his hands and pressed his lips against hers - ravishing the taste of her watermelon lip balm -holding himself back from pushing her too far. She was frozen beneath him, not expecting this at all. Her arms slowly went up and wrapped around his neck, her fingers lightly playing with the back of his hair as she let herself kiss him back. His lips were soft as she allowed his tongue to explore her mouth causing her to let out light whimpers. He felt himself smile against her mouth, lowering his hands to her waist, lifting her up to sit on the counter and, much to his surprise, she wrapped her legs around his waist pulling him even closer. She never realised how easy everything was with him making her crave more, how could she have been such a oblivious fool.
The loud whistle of the kettle burst their little bubble. They pulled apart from each other both of their faces mirroring each other's smiles, he still had hold of her waist, his thumbs rubbing gentle circles over the fabric of her skirt on her hip bone.
"Jeremy-" she tries to start but he cuts her off.
"Look Betsy, what I'm trying to say is forget Danny, forget every other guy on this planet who has been a fool to not want to date you, and go out with me instead?"
His confidence was now back after she hadn't (and still isn't) pushed him away, so maybe she will see the best in him and give him a chance. He watched as her eyes scanned his face looking for the truth behind his words and she found it.
"I would love too" She grinned planting another quick kiss onto his lips before jumping down from the counter and turning her back to him to start making the coffee.
"Great, so I'll pick you up at around 7pm then?"
"Sounds perfect."
He leant over her, giving her a kiss on the cheek, and picked up both of the coffee mugs and placed them down where they usually sit. She sat down next to him, wrapping her hands around the mug of coffee in front her (both of them now realising it's that early in the morning there is no point going home now as work will start soon – as well as they're going to have to be the ones to clean up that mess in reception), and allowed her legs to entwine with his.