Max flicked the kettle switch, leaning against the counter as he gazed around the kitchen with sleep filled eyes. Half a cold pizza lay on the top and he grabbed a slice, chewing absent-mindedly as he waited for the water to boil, his sleep addled brain sifting through the events of last night. It had been Fletch's leaving party and he hadn't been able to take his eyes off Zoe all night. Her dress had been sinful and it had taken all his willpower not to rip it off her there and then, instead brushing against her any chance he got and playing footsie under the table. She'd drunk far too much and it had given him the perfect excuse to leave with her - he'd announced he was going to give her a lift home and thrown his jacket over her shoulders, gently ushering her out of the pub before pushing her up against the wall. He smiled to himself as he remembered how she'd dragged him to the car, whispering in his ear the whole way - she really was filthy when she wanted to be.
"That is disgusting." Zoe appeared at the doorway, gesturing at the pizza. She held up a hand to shield her eyes from the morning sun, wincing as she did so.
"Hello to you too." He handed her a coffee. "You look rough as." Max wrapped his arms around her waist, nuzzling her hair softly as she lent her head on his chest.
"We're on shift in an hour." Zoe pulled back gently, throwing back her coffee and raising a hand to her pounding head. "We should get moving." Max murmured his agreement before kissing her, slowly backing her onto the worktop. "Max." He pushed her dressing gown from her shoulders, watching as it pooled around her hips before turning his attention to her neck. "Max-" she broke off as he scraped his teeth across her collarbone. He took her moan as surrender and grinned up at her, taking her hand and leading her back upstairs.
"You're late." Zoe spun round guiltily to see Tess stood by the lockers, a knowing smile on her face.
"Only ten minutes." Zoe watched as the tablet fizzed in her glass of water, grimacing as she took a sip.
"What time did you leave last night?" Tess wandered over, pouring them both a cup of coffee and laughing as Zoe shrugged. "You know, I remember when this was a daily occurrence."
"Those were the days." The two women smiled at each other, enjoying the peace and quiet that was so rare in the ED. "I'd better get going. Her ladyship's waiting." Zoe nodded towards Connie, who was stood by reception bawling Max out - he'd turned up ten minutes after Zoe and was paying the price for his chivalry. Tess rolled her eyes and laughed, watching Zoe as she made her way to cubicles, ducking her head to avoid Connie's wrath. Just as she was about to turn back to her coffee, she saw Max wink at Zoe, who blushed slightly, a small smile gracing her lips. Bemused, Tess stood frowning for a minute before heading over to Charlie, lowering her voice to avoid being overheard.
"Has Zoe said anything to you?" She whispered handing him some notes.
"No. The entire seven years I've known her, she hasn't uttered a single word." Charlie laughed as Tess slapped him lightly.
"I mean about anyone new. Romantically." She sensed Rita glance up and pulled Charlie to one side, smiling politely at the younger nurse before looking at Charlie expectantly.
"Are you looking for gossip?" Charlie teased - he knew full well why Tess was asking. Given Zoe's track record, there was every chance that her new bloke was a serial killer. He dropped the teasing tone, quickly glancing around to make sure no one was listening - gossip spread like wildfire when you worked in such close vicinity with people. "She did mention someone, but I didn't get the impression it was something she wanted to talk about so I let it slide."
"You don't know if it was anyone here?" Given how understanding and discreet Zoe had been about everything that had gone on with Fletch, Tess was unwilling to divulge any hunch she might have about Max, even to Charlie.
"No idea." Charlie shrugged apologetically before heading over to resus. Frowning, Tess looked over to Zoe, who was chatting to Ash with her hand resting on his arm. That was Zoe all over - she was naturally flirtatious, and that was probably all it was. She and Max were very similar in that respect so it was inevitable that there would be chemistry between the two. As she watched however, Max slid past the pair, his hand lingering on Zoe's back. Zoe's eyes followed him until he disappeared round the corner, the pair of them grinning like teenagers - there was definitely something going on between them.
Hope you enjoyed the chapter! It's going to get a bit dark so bear with me. Please R&R people it would be fab! X