Chapter Eight

The sun had barely risen when Neil's alarm went off. The sliver of gold streaking through the crack in the blinds lit the room enough to easily reach a bare arm across the bed to silence his phone's ringing chimes. After, he lay prone among the plush comforter and sheets, not willing to get up just yet. He rolled over to sprawl out among the pile of pillows strewn in every direction.

He should be taking the few quiet moments to contemplate the day. Yet all he could think about was the previous night and the impossible task of keeping the satisfied smile off his face in public.

After their soak and impromptu makeout session in his tub, Claire had indeed returned with her laptop and files, ready to tackle the project she needed to finish. He'd already set himself up on the couch with his own laptop and a list of items that needed attention. He turned the TV on for a distraction and put a barrier of snacks and their water bottles between them to stave off temptation.

They worked that way for about half an hour before he started staring at her, which she noticed but chose to ignore. That's how he spotted the string of goosebumps along her arms and offered her one of his sweatshirts. Sheepishly, she accepted, not calculating how her damp hair would seep into her shirt to cause a chill along her shoulders. And what guy could resist a woman wearing his clothes? The sweatshirt swallowed her in that adorable way befitting a lady graciously letting him stake his claim.

Surprisingly, she finished her work first, calling her colleague to ensure the team had everything they needed to file by midnight. That done, she very unfairly planted herself next to him, snuggling into his side as he finished up his overdue paperwork.

He thought they'd really turn up the heat once he stowed his laptop away, but they actually found it quite comfortable to just sit together on the couch, cuddled into each other as they watched TV. It'd been an overstimulating day for both of them, and their energy wasn't what it had been earlier in the night. He held her firmly in his embrace, tracing his fingers along her arm. She seemed to enjoy leaning into the crook of his neck and shoulder; he tried not to smile every time he'd feel her breath whisper across his skin at their close proximity. Occasionally, one of them would reach up for a kiss, which the other would happily abide. Their legs lay intertwined as they stretched them out along the couch.

Claire even stayed awake long enough to catch the evening news, if only by a small margin.

They had one more day to the conference and both had to get up early. Taking in her adorable laziness as sleepiness set in, it'd been tempting to invite her into his bed. An offer to sleep, no more. They both recognized the temptation, though, and agreed that the more sensible option involved Claire making the short trip back to her own room. In a compromise, he insisted on walking her to her door.

"I appreciate you protecting me from the perils of traveling seven floors down. Your chivalry will not be forgotten," Claire joked. He'd even insisted on carrying her bags for her too.

"Chivalry? This is a purely selfish act, I assure you." To prove his point, he took her hand and brought it to his lips for a kiss. Thankfully, the hallway was deserted, which helped them both feel a bit more relaxed being this close out in the open. They were still here in a professional capacity after all. In the elevator, he pulled her in close from behind, wrapping his arms around her and kissing the top of her head. She rested her arms along his, taking hold of his hands as they watched the buttons light up and the elevator descend.

When they reached her door, she took her bags back from him and kissed him softly on the lips. "Thanks again," she murmured. He leaned against her doorframe, reluctant to say goodnight.

He took her hand in his once more. "So maybe we should talk some more. Not right now, but ..." He didn't have the right words to frame all the things they needed to deal with, the consequences of the desire that had been ignited a few hours earlier and would not be denied. He sighed. "I just don't want to leave with things being … I don't know what I'm trying to say really," he chuckled nervously.

Claire joined him, also seeming a little awkward. "No, you're right. We should talk." She looked down for a moment and then back up at him, gaze determined as if she'd decided something. "Are you flying out tomorrow night?"

"Saturday morning, I have a committee meeting tomorrow at five, so I figured it'd be easier to do that and then get the first flight out the next day."

She smiled. "Good." She squeezed his hands. "I'm checking out tomorrow so how about after your meeting, you come over to my place for dinner. I finally pulled out my cute little grill for summer. We can hang out on my patio. And then we can talk. And maybe other things," she added slyly.

The playful yet heated way she was staring at him made him reconsider inviting her into his bed tonight.

Instead, he pretended to mull it over, drawing out the moment until she laughed and swung their joined hands to get his attention again. "I think," he said slowly, serious. "I think I might like that idea a lot."

"Good." She let her fingers slide along his, before slipping her hands reluctantly away. "Then it's settled. I'll text you the address before I go to bed, and you can swing by when you're done. It's not too far from here."

"You mentioned going to the nine o'clock lecture in the morning, but maybe you have time for a quick coffee beforehand?" The request came out as casual as he could make it rather than the desperate plea for more of her company that it was.

If she noticed, she didn't let on. "You bet. Meet you in the lobby at 8:15?"

Neil leaned down and kissed her again, a lingering, probing meshing of lips and tongues and breaths. Pulling away, he accepted that he could get used to seeing that blissful expression on Claire's face, eyes closed and savoring the taste of him. He needed to get out of there while good sense still reigned over his libido. "See you then. Good night."

Claire stepped back, pushing him gently into the hall. "Good night. I had fun today."

"Me too," Neil said. "And that's just the beginning," he winked and stepped out of her doorway, heading to the elevators. He could feel her watching his retreat until he disappeared around the corner and he heard the familiar click of her door closing.

With images of Claire dominating his thoughts, he'd fallen asleep quickly.

Now morning, Neil brought one of the fluffy pillows to his chest and hugged it to him, reminiscing about the feel of Claire in his arms. Then he flopped onto his back again to stare at the ceiling. This was getting ridiculous. He couldn't lie in bed all day fantasizing about this new and exciting fling with his former resident. It wouldn't help to pine on how brilliant and beautiful and sexy he found her now that he'd let himself admit to it; now that the distance allowed him to be free to express it. Chuckling softly, he hefted himself out of bed and into the shower.

Twenty minutes later, he headed for the elevator, briefcase in one hand and his phone in the other texting Claire. Since he'd gotten himself together and out the door well before their meeting time, he asked what kind of coffee he could get for her. She put in her request and let him know she'd meet him at the designated time, wanting to check out of her room first.

Frowning, he got a little annoyed at the crowd in the coffee shop, but chalked it up to the morning rush. There really were a lot of people in town for the convention, obviously, since they'd needed an overflow hotel. For being such an off year programming-wise, it hadn't hurt their numbers. Five minutes on the dot, he picked up his and Claire's orders and waited for her at a high top table in the corner of the café area. She'd texted him to say there was a line at the front desk and she'd be over as soon as she corrected the name on her bill that still showed her colleague.

Neil scanned his email, responding to a desperate sounding one from one of his more eager residents and accepting an invitation to a lunch meeting the following week. As he sipped his coffee, he made a note to take his car in for servicing if he didn't have any surgeries scheduled the following Saturday.

"Well, if it isn't Dr. Neil Melendez. The wonder kid."

The voice sounded familiar, although Neil had trouble placing it. Looking over his shoulder, he scowled at seeing Dr. Coyle leaning casually against the bar separating the café from the lobby.

"Dr. Coyle," Neil responded, not hostile, but certainly not friendly. Not one for picking up on subtext, Dr. Coyle reached over to shake his hand, which Neil reluctantly reciprocated.

"Should have figured you'd be at this thing. You're certainly connected. There are so many people here." He nodded toward the full café and lobby.

"I thought you shipped off to NIH?" Neil continued to scroll through his messages, hoping Coyle would get the hint and move on.

"Yeah, I did. Sweet gig. Pay's great, but it's definitely not as sexy as my West Coast travels. You know, before all that unfortunate business went down with your resident. Kalu seems to be doing alright for himself from what I saw the other day."

Back in his younger days, he'd had a hair-trigger temper that he'd learned to control in order to keep himself out of trouble. At times like these, he sort of regretted that.

"I'm sure Dr. Kalu had kind words for you." Incredibly, Coyle laughed at that.

"Nice one. No, I kept my distance. No point in stirring up old drama. Besides, the singles scene is great at these things, and I didn't need a reminder of that when I'm scoring at the bar." He looked around the lobby as if checking out his prospects at the very moment. "Anyway, that was ages ago. So, have you made chief of surgery yet or is Andrews still hoarding it like a megalomaniac?" Coyle let his eyes linger on a brunette standing in front of the cashier and then flicked his head back to Melendez.

Neil pocketed his phone, now actively annoyed. "What do you want, Coyle."

That focused Coyle's attention from the casual rambling he'd been doing up to that point. "What's eating you? Not enough coffee? I mean, you've got enough there."

"I don't understand why you're talking to me," Neil said, his irritation pretty clear. "We're not bros."

Coyle flinched. "What'd I do to you?"

"How about I trusted you with one of my residents and instead of respecting either of us, you perved on her, threatened her, and then lied about it."

In a different part of his life, he would have definitely punched Coyle by now. Maybe his newfound feelings for Claire fueled him or maybe he still felt guilty for allowing the situation between Claire and Coyle to happen in the first place and then not doing enough to support her afterward. He'd been more annoyed with Jared attacking Coyle and getting himself fired and then re-hired than the fact that a colleague had harassed his resident. That he'd presented Claire on a silver platter to be harassed by Coyle, was even worse than the fact that she hadn't felt comfortable coming to him about the situation at the first sign of discomfort.

That last part was on him and it had never sat well.

Coyle stood up and crossed his arms defensively. "So that's what she told you? You know she got around. Kalu couldn't have been the only guy she was banging at the hospital."

Disgusted, he gripped his coffee to keep from lashing out. "Yes, Dr. Kalu and Dr. Browne were exclusive. I know what my residents are up to, even if they think I'm not paying attention. And I don't care if she'd been hooking up with the entire occupational therapy department, that didn't give you the green light to intimidate her into having sex with you."

They glared at each other, Neil daring Coyle to challenge him and Coyle considering whether trying to argue his side of things made a difference.

Claire chose that moment to come strolling from the lobby, suitcase in tow and Coyle's back to her. "Hey, thanks for getting my coffee." She'd set her sights on Neil and the extra coffee on his table. "I didn't mean to be this late on the—"

Claire's happy smile at greeting Neil froze and dissolved as Coyle turned around to see who'd been talking.

"Well, speak of the devil." An unkind smile pulled at his lips at seeing Claire, oily glare sweeping her from head to toe.

"And he shall appear." Claire responded, directing at him a look that could incinerate.

Staring back and forth between Melendez and Claire, Coyle's expression changed from one of irritation to arrogant smarminess.

"Oh, I see how it is. I guess I should have just bided my time and you'd have been more than willing to hang." He looked them both up and down and smirked. "I heard you left the hospital not long after I did," he said to her. Then he turned to Neil. "And I heard you broke up with that smokin' hot fiancée of yours right around the time I got transferred. Now it all makes sense."

As Claire's shock at seeing Coyle faded, she had plenty of space to fume, both at his mere presence and at what he'd insinuated. Neil opened his mouth, ready to spill a dozen different threats, but Claire beat him to it.

"Fuck off," she said, without missing a beat. "Take your bullshit and go." Not at all intimidated, she smirked knowingly up at him. "Or was Bethesda not far enough because I can certainly suggest an even more remote exile if you're eager for other skeletons to find their way out of your closet."

Coyle pursed his lips and tensed. "Still such a little liar. But I'll go. It seems you have some skeletons of your own, so maybe you should watch your mouth." Claire stood her ground and waited for him to make good on his promise to leave.

"I realize you don't handle rejection particularly well, but Dr. Browne asked you to leave. And I suggest you listen," Neil added, not bothering to hide the veiled threat. As the moment lingered, Neil's temper rose and he wondered if this situation might devolve into a brawl in the lobby when he decked the other doctor in his smug face. If Neil wasn't so protective of his hands, there was a decent chance he'd have done it already.

Coyle must have sensed that it wasn't worth the trouble either as he broke the standoff. Scoffing, Coyle slammed a palm against the bar he'd been leaning on, rattling it and drawing a few people's attention nearby. "Dr. Browne," he said nodding to her. "Dr. Melendez," he added, refusing to make eye contact. "Fun reunion." He stalked off not waiting for a further reaction from them.

When he was finally out of sight, Claire unclenched her fist from the handle of her suitcase, eyes closed tight for a few moments as she calmed herself. Neil reached over to rub her arm and her attention snapped back to him. She smiled sadly and took the offered cup of coffee he held out.

"Forget about him," Neil said. "You weren't doing anything wrong then, and you're not now either." He could tell that the encounter had shaken her. He could have throttled Coyle for disturbing the amazing, carefree woman who'd approached him two minutes ago, ready to start her day with his company and a cup of coffee.

Claire shook her head. "I know. It's just—" She sighed. "Bad memories."

He led her around the café barrier, pulling in her suitcase and rubbing her back briefly. She tensed at his touch and looked around. Neil's heart sank.

"Hey," he said, putting some distance between him. "Don't let him get to you. He's a sad, broken man who knows that you wrought consequences to his sorry life and wants to make you hurt for it. Don't give him the satisfaction."

Lazily sipping at her coffee, she finally glanced at him, seeming to relax at whatever she saw in his expression. A weak smile met his tentative one. "Thanks, Neil."

"I don't want him to ruin our morning, so let's forget we even saw him." He took another sip from his coffee. "You get everything squared away with the room?"

Claire straightened, a few curls floating along her cheek as she tilted her head in his direction. She looked even lovelier to him today, in a professional gray suit and silky black blouse underneath. She'd pulled her hair back from her face in a loose, low ponytail, simple, yet elegant. She'd left her lips mostly untouched, only a shiny clear sheen to match the minimal makeup she wore.

Now focused back on him, she smiled more naturally at his company. That was more to Neil's liking.

"Yeah, it's all set. They just had to change the name. I didn't want accounting to get all huffy when I submit my reimbursements."

"No, you definitely don't want to get on their bad side," he confirmed. "Now tell me, what's on your schedule for the day before I get you all to myself." Claire grinned again, eyes twinkling in anticipation. They spent the rest of their time together comparing notes and making plans as they walked to the conference center together. If she kept a little more distance from him than she had in previous days, he didn't think it a good idea to comment on it.

The morning went quickly with lectures and more networking that he needed to do on Andrews' behalf. He'd made an empty promise to play golf with a senior cardiologist from one of St. Bonaventure's sister hospitals; he'd agreed to review a proposal from one of his former classmates. And he still had to find a few moments to review his notes for the committee meeting at the end of the day in between the last of the presentations he wanted to attend. The load was more than he liked on the last day of a conference, but he tried not to appear too giddy thinking of the reward that awaited him when it was all done.

Right before 4:00, he got a text from Claire saying that her last panel had just ended and she was heading out. She asked him to meet her in the courtyard before she left. He really only had a few spare minutes, but didn't want to pass up the opportunity to spend a few moments alone with her before the last push of the day.

"There you are," he called out from behind her, spotting her immediately. She turned, stress written all over her face. "Hey, what's wrong," he asked taking a seat next to her in the secluded corner of the courtyard.

"No, nothing's wrong. I just wanted to talk to you before your meeting."

"Really? Because you look and sound like something's wrong." He wanted to take her hand, and then thought better of it. In her state, he didn't think she'd take well to it. All of it gave him a bad feeling.

"I was thinking," Claire said slowly. No, he didn't like the sound of this one bit. "Maybe we should take some space from all this." She gestured between the two of them, and at the moment, seemed to have a hard time looking him in the eye.

Neil blinked, taken aback by her request. "Why?" It's the only thing he could think to ask.

Claire sighed. "After the thing with Coyle this morning—"

"Claire, forget about Coyle. He doesn't matter, least of all about anything having to do with us."

"I can't forget about Coyle. He may be an ass, but his reaction wasn't an anomaly. We need to consider what people would say about what we're doing. How it would look."

"How it would look," Neil said, trying to keep his calm, "is that two friends and colleagues are maybe exploring something more between them. Something that feels nice." He sincerely meant that and hoped she hadn't spiraled so far that she didn't recognize both their good intentions for what they were.

"Or they could say, that a resident is hooking up with her attending as a way to get a leg up."

"Claire, you said it yourself. You haven't been my resident for a long time."

"I know that," she said, frustrated at having her own point turned around on her. "But other people will just see that you used to be my boss."

"I don't care about other people's speculations." Claire raised an eyebrow at that, unbelieving. "I don't, Claire. I've had over a dozen residents at this point and no one has ever accused me of playing favorites or being inappropriate. And you've been off my rotation and at another hospital longer than when you worked with me." Frustrated, he turned more fully toward her. "I don't think most people even know we ever worked together much less would think to question the fact that we're keeping each other's company. There's nothing nefarious to attribute either of our intentions here."

Claire sighed. "Maybe people wouldn't think poorly of you. It's different for guys. But that's not true for me."

Neil tensed. "Did someone say something?" Claire startled and struggled to respond, which told him all he needed to know. "Who?" Claire shook her head, clearly upset. "Claire, who was it," he asked again, gently this time so as not to upset her further."

"Mulaney made some comment when I left my last panel—"

"Mulaney's an idiot." Neil rubbed at his temple. He should have figured that Mulaney would be buddies with Coyle and that they'd both jump at the chance to start trouble. "What did he say?"

"He didn't say anything really, just asked if I had seen you and how you were doing, like he knew something. I know it sounds stupid. But even though I've been gone and he's at another hospital, he knew enough to put two and two together. People talk, Neil. Without context and no matter if they get the facts straight. You know that. I was sleeping with Jared; there's the whole situation with Coyle, and how's it going to look for us to be seen having some kind of torrid affair?"

"Is that what you're calling this?" Neil shot back, annoyed.

"No, it's just …" She twisted her body around so that she sat in profile to him. He hated the instant distance. "Neil, I'm so unsure of how I'm feeling and that's new for me. I'm scared. And I feel … cornered by what Coyle said about us." She twisted her fingers together in her lap, nervous and tense. It's just this is all going so fast and I don't know how to process what I'm feeling. How much I want …" She shook her head, confused and overwhelmed.

Neil propped an elbow on the back of the bench, trying to figure out how to pick up the pieces of this unraveling situation. She was hurting and that hurt him too. Watching her fight with herself, a calmness settled over him. All the other stuff was noise, and this he could handle because he understood exactly what was going on with her. This thing between them felt real. It came with a weight, a welcome one for him, but right now, it overwhelmed her. Maybe it's because of the extra years or his outlook on life, but he was sure of what he felt. Confident, arrogant even as Shaun liked to rib him about.

He didn't want to push her, but he couldn't just let this go.

"What do you need, Claire."

She sat for a moment, looking at the tree branches swaying in the breeze. "I just need some space, that's all. I'm not saying no or giving up. I just need to breathe for a minute." Turning back slowly to face him. "Maybe we should hold off on dinner tonight. Just give me a little time. I'll call, I promise."

Looking around them and finding the courtyard deserted, he reached over and took her hand. Surprisingly, she let him.

"Of course, I can do that. It'll be torture," he joked. "But I'll get through it." He rubbed her palm with his thumb, hoping to soothe her and communicate that he was willing to handle her with care. "I'll miss you tonight, though. The food and the company."

She gazed into his serious face. "You won't be missing much with the food. I'm not exactly a gourmet cook." He smiled sadly at her. "But you're right about the company. I'm sorry. It feels like I'm letting you down."

He hushed her, squeezing her hand before caressing it some more. "No, you're not. You're being sure. I can be patient. Just don't pull away. Not without us talking it through. Mulaney and Coyle don't matter. They're toxic people. Only we matter and I'm ready to answer for whatever we call this between us."

Not breaking contact, she nodded, determined. "I'll call. I promise."

"Okay," he said. They sat side by side for a few more moments, trying to make sense of where they stood. Neil's emotions were all over the place too. He wanted to be hopeful. He was hopeful. Yet he knew that Claire could be skittish and the ball was in her court.

Checking his watch, he noticed that he needed to get ready for his meeting. Giving her hand one last squeeze, he leaned over and kissed the top of her head, a chaste press of his lips to her crown.

"I have to go. We'll talk soon."

"We will," she promised again. He grabbed his briefcase and rose to his feet. She held onto his hand for as long as she could as he walked away. He didn't look back. He couldn't bare it.

TBC…