So here's the next chapter. Hope you like it :)

Two days before New Year's

Charlotte's standing at a nurses' station in the ER, looking through a patient chart, and bossing around the nurses at the same time.

Violet comes up next to her and leans against the counter. "Charlotte."

She looks up at the brunette and bites her tongue. "And what do I owe this surprise meetin'?" She pauses. "I thought you'd be touchin' monkeys by now."

"So you and Cooper are really sleeping together?"

She grabs Violet's shirt and pulls her down. "Not so loud." She pauses. "Keep your trap shut."

"So it's true?"

She rolls her eyes. "You heard it straight from the horse's mouth. What do you think?" She lets out a breath. "Now, I have work to do." She pushes past the brunet and heads for her office.

Charlotte's sitting in her office when there's a knock on her door. She's not really in the mood. She has a ton of paperwork and today's not going exactly like she wishes it would. Nonetheless, she lifts her head. "Come in."

The door opens and Cooper walks into her office, shutting the door behind him. "You're still mad?"

"If Violet keeps her mouth shut like I told her to, we'll be business as usual." She pauses. "You come here for somethin'?"

"You got plans for New Year's?"

"What is your obsession with holidays?"

He laughs. "I'm American. It's in my blood. So?"

"No, I don't have plans. New Year's equals drunken stupidity, so I'll probably be here. Lucky me."

"You want some company? We can bang in the New Year in a supply closet—or right here."

She laughs, looking at him while sucking on her lip. "Whatever. I have work to do, so—."

"I'll let you get back to it." He smiles and disappears down the hallway.

She picks up her pen and rifles through her paperwork. She's horny, but she needs to get this work done so she can go home at a decent hour tonight.

Her door opens again, startling her. Cooper pops his head in. "Sorry." He steps in and shuts the door. "You don't really wanna do that paperwork, do you?"

She puts her pen down and shakes her head. "But I have to."

"Who says you have to have work and no play?" He smirks, starting to unbutton his shirt.

"I can't—."

"But you want to."

"I want to do a lot of things."

"Come on." He pulls off his shirt, exposing his upper body.

She swallows as she watches him take off his belt, his pants, and then his boxer briefs. She shifts uncomfortably on her office chair and looks down at the stack of files on her desk. She chews on the inside of her lip, keeping her eyes trained on the ink.

"It's cold in here—nice breeze."

She nods, gripping the arms of her chair, crossing her ankles.

"Problem, Dr. King?"

"No."

He sits on the couch and props his legs up on the coffee table.

She glances up at him and grunts. "I hate you."

He laughs. "Well get naked, woman."

"I'll get naked when I wanna get naked." She stands up. "And let's be clear, I'm takin' my clothes off right now 'cause I want to, not 'cause you ordered me to. I don't take orders from anyone."

"Understood." He smirks, leaning back on the couch.

She just grunts and strips down to her lace nude panties.

New Year's Eve

Charlotte's coming out of a patient room when she runs into Cooper. She blinks and looks around. "Hello, Dr. Freedman."

"Am I ever gonna be Cooper?"

"Um, no." She hands a chart over to a nurse and walks down the hallway.

Cooper follows her, pulling her into an empty room. "I got champagne, noise makers—."

"For what?"

"It's New Year's Eve."

"I'm workin'."

"Should I go?"

"I didn't say that, did I?"

"No." He pauses. "Come on."

"Champagne is fine, but the noise makers got to go."

"Fine." He smiles.

"Meet me in my office later."

He presses his lips against hers, letting the kiss linger. "You can be a little excited, Char."

"This is me…excited."

He laughs. "Course it is."

She leans against the wall and smiles. "Happy?"

He kisses her again, pressing his body against hers, holding onto her hips. "Mmhmm," he mumbles against her lips.

She pushes at him and smoothes down her lab coat. "I'm guessin' you have a corny card for me?"

"No."

Her face falls a little.

"I sent you an E-card, instead." He kisses her, pushing her flush against the fall. "You like my corny cards, don't you?"

"No."

He laughs. "Check your email." He smiles and opens the door. "I'll catch up with you later." He shuts the door behind him and disappears down the hallway.

She smiles to herself and lets out a breath. She composes herself and walks out of the exam room.

Charlotte's sitting at her desk, staring at her computer screen. She opens up her email, and responds to the ones that are most prevalent, reads the ones that need to be read, and deletes the random ones. She sees the email from Cooper and she lets the curser hover over it. She's curious. She double clicks and presses the link in the body of the message. Her browser opens and soon the E-card is on her screen. She clicks the play button and she's already shaking her head. "He needs help," she says under her breath as she watches this fat, bald guy dance naked on her screen. Thank God she's alone because she's laughing at the ridiculousness of the whole thing. She smiles a little. She hates to admit that she kind of needed this today. She scans the rest of her emails, and then hears a knock on her door. "Come in."

The door opens and Cooper's standing there, with a bottle of champagne and wearing 2008 glasses. He shuts the door and locks it.

"Anyone see you?"

"Place is deserted, though the ER is a zoo."

"Tell me about it. It wouldn't surprise me if I get paged."

"I hope you don't." He smiles. "Do you want to watch the Ball drop or just pop some bubbly and watch the clock?"

"Second one's better."

"Works for me." He pops the cork out and sets the bottle on her desk. His phone vibrates in his pocket, so he stops pouring and pulls his phone out. He walks over to the corner and answers the phone. "Hey, Vi, what's up?"

"You wanna come over? Late night pizza and we can watch the Ball drop."

"Um, I kinda have plans."

"Oh, you're with Cru—Charlotte?"

He nods. "Yeah."

"Oh, ok."

"Vi, don't be like that."

"Like what? I'm happy for you."

"I'll spend the whole day with you tomorrow before you go on your trip. I promise."

"I'll hold you to it."

He smiles and glances at Charlotte. "Look, Vi, I gotta go."

"Bye."

"Bye." He hangs up the phone and slips his phone in his pocket. He walks over to the desk and continues pouring the champagne into the glasses. He hands Charlotte one and sits on the edge of the desk. He lifts his glasses, setting them on the top of his head, and looks at his watch. "Ten minutes."

"I can read a clock, Coop."

He makes a face at her.

She takes a sip of her champagne and swallows, setting her glass back down on the desk. "That E-card was absurd."

"I can imitate it for you if you'd like. I've been practicing my Happy Nude Year dance all day," he says, getting off her desk. He starts to take off his belt, but she holds up her hand. He laughs. "I assure you I have better dance moves than that dude."

"I'll take your word for it."

He sits on the edge of her desk and looks at his watch again. "Eight minutes."

She glares at him.

"I know you can tell time, Char. It's just what you do on New Year's Eve."

"Yeah, yeah, yeah. Why don't ya save it for the one minute mark? I'm keepin' an eye on the clock."

The room falls silent, quiet enough for them to hear the ticking of his watch's hands. He swings his leg and looks at the watch face. "Five—." He stops, seeing her face, and laughs.

Four minutes go by and Charlotte looks at Cooper. "Um?"

He blinks and looks at her. "One minute."

She laughs. "Whatcha lookin' at?"

"Your fuzzy pen."

"You want it? It's from a patient."

"Just thinking about what I can do with it." He picks it up and brushes the pink feathers against her hand, smirking at her.

"Hmm." She looks at the clock. "I ain't gonna look like a fool countin' down, so go ahead. I know you're dyin' to."

He smiles. "10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1—Happy New Year." He leans over, pressing his lips against hers, scooting closer to the edge of the desk and resting his hand on her shoulder, his thumb brushing against her neck.

She leans into the kiss, her hand wrapped around his wrist. She nibbles on his bottom lip, her nails grazing his skin, as they kiss.

He breaks away and picks up his glass. He holds it up. "Cheers to the New Year."

"Cheers." They clank their glasses together and take a sip at virtually the same time. "Take off your pants."

"Yes, ma'am." He hops off the desk, throwing back the rest of his champagne and setting his glasses down on her desk. He then unbuckles his jeans, smirking at her.

She stands up and helps him—he's taking too damn long, in her opinion.

Charlotte's lying in a contorted, sweaty ball on the floor of her office. She pulls her hair out of her face and lets out a breath. "God, that's the stuff."

Cooper laughs, rolling on his side. He places soft kisses on her shoulder, brushing his hand down her arm, across her lower abdomen, and down her leg.

She angles her head when she hears her phone buzzing. She sighs and sits up. She stands, wrapping herself in the blanket as she walks over to her desk. She picks up her phone and scrolls down. "I hate New Year's."

"I should go anyway." He rolls onto his back and looks at her. "By far my favoritest New Year's."

"Favoritest isn't a word."

"So? Fine, this is the best New Year's I've ever had—better?"

She smirks. "Yeah-huh." She scoops her clothes up and sets them on her desk. She quickly dresses, struggling with her dress zipper.

"Here, let me." He pushes himself up and walks over to her. He pulls up her zipper, brushing her hair to side and pressing his lips against her neck.

She melts into him, letting out a breath. She swallows and adjusts her panties.

He kisses her again, his hand sliding up her side.

She makes a sound of contempt and flips around to face him. She presses her finger against his lip and stops him from kissing her. "I have to go." She grabs her lab coat off the back of her chair and slips it on. She adjusts her name badge and smoothes down the front of her dress. She walks over to the mirror and runs her fingers through her hair. "I'm a sweaty mess."

"You look fine." She looks beautiful.

"I'm a sweaty mess."

"A cute, sweaty mess."

She glares at him. "You are not helpin'."

He laughs. "You're in change of a hospital. You could easily get that sweaty from going up and down the halls, running around the hospital."

"Whatever." She pauses. "I have to go." She throws back her room-temperature champagne and walks over to the door.

"Uh, Char?"

She whips around. "What?" She says, frustratingly.

"You forgot to put on your shoes."

She looks down at her bare feet and sighs. "Oh." She walks back to her desk and slips into her heels.

"Calm down."

"Bye." She opens her office door and disappears down the hallway.

He laughs and pours himself another glass of champagne before getting dressed and leaving her office.

Please review :)