Here's the next update, thanks for the continuing support with this. Please review :) Thank you, Laura xx
Chapter 10 – Something to celebrate
The staff were heading out for a meal to celebrate Ethan, Lily and Cal passing the last lot of tests. The three of them had barely had any spare time recently so they were looking forward to a night off. Cal knocked on Connie's office door before walking in. "Hey, are you still coming out tonight?" Connie turned around to see him standing behind her. "Of course I am, why wouldn't I?" Connie walked forward and hugged Cal while he spoke. "I don't know. I wasn't sure if you would want to."
Connie moved backwards and picked up some patient files. "I'll be there okay, stop thinking about things all the time. Where are you staying tonight?" Cal smiled "Mrs Beauchamp I don't think I'm okay with that upfront question." She pushed his chest to get past as he laughed and answered her. "At mine, I finally have a bed for us to try out… Not like that, I meant sleep in... Stuck my foot in it didn't I?" Connie nodded "Little bit yeah, but I'll forgive you." He laughed before walking out of the office with her.
The ED was pretty quiet all day but Connie was stuck in meetings. Zoe was running the department while Connie was busy, not that there was much to do. She sat at the nurses' station with Max talking while there was nothing that needing doing. "Tonight should be nice, a chance for everyone to relax again." Zoe nodded and leaned back in the chair. "Think I'll give the drinking a miss tonight though, I've had enough of the hangovers." Max just laughed before taking a patient upstairs to another ward.
Most people were already arriving at the restaurant by 7 but Connie was running late. Grace had caused a fuss about being with her grandmother for the night and so she was late getting ready. By the time she was dressed it was 7 and knew she'd be the last to arrive. Connie put on a long dress which had a tight black top half, and a flowing chiffon red skirt. She wore a pair of black heels and had her hair down.
She had already phoned a taxi which was outside just as she got downstairs. 7:15, so it wasn't too late but she knew someone would moan. Zoe was outside having a cigarette when Connie turned up. "Hey, everything alright?" Connie nodded "Grace…" That's all she said and Zoe smiled walking inside with Connie. Zoe showed her to the table and Cal looked up to see her and smiled. Connie walked over and sat next to Charlie with Cal the other side. "You look beautiful as always shortie" Cal laughed. Connie smirked before speaking to Charlie.
The evening was full of everyone laughing and questioning about Cal's girlfriend, again. "So is she actually real? Because you know, anyone is yet to meet her." Cal laughed before speaking again "She's pretty real, thanks for asking. Anyway I remember you complaining about 21 questions not so long ago, so do you fancy giving it up for a bit?" Max smiled and gave Cal a break for a bit.
As the evening went on everyone broke off into smaller conversations. "How come you were late, is everything okay?" Connie checked her phone before putting it back in her bag. "Everything's fine, it was just Grace causing a fuss." Cal rested a hand on her leg "If it's trouble then I can always take you home after this-" "No it's fine. I could do with a child free night today." She smiled and turned back to the others. Cal kept his hand on her leg and nobody was paying enough attention to notice.
Connie got up to go to the toilet and was followed by Zoe. "Alright there?" Zoe smiled nodding, "Fine yeah, just needed some quiet for a moment. Not exactly somewhere I want to sit with a banging headache." Connie looked over "Go home then Zoe, come on I'll get us a taxi sorted."
The girls walked back to the table and Connie picked up her phone again. "Everything okay?" Cal looked worriedly at her before she reassured him. "Zoe's not feeling good so I'm going to phone a taxi and get her home-" "I'll come with you then." She shook her head, "It's fine you stay and enjoy your night-" "What and miss out on a night with you? It's fine let's go."
The four said there goodbye's before Rita and Dylan joined them. "You guys alright if we jump in with you? I'm shattered and need some sleep!" Connie laughed and let them get in first. They dropped Dylan and Rita off first as they were closest, before getting Max and Zoe home. "Take some aspirin and get some sleep, okay? Max look after her." He nodded smiling before walking inside with Zoe.
Connie sat back and closed her eyes as they drove towards Cal's new flat. "You sure you're okay, you're quiet." Connie got out of the taxi with the help of Cal and walked towards the door. "Just being out tonight made me realise how much things have changed." Cal opened the first door and held her hand as they began walking up the several sets of stairs. When they reached his door he unlocked it and let Connie in first. "There's still boxes about, I haven't really had much chance to put it all out."
Cal showed her round quickly and she noticed the view out of the city from the balcony. "Lovely isn't it?" Cal wrapped his arms around Connie from behind and rested his head on her shoulder just standing there. He left her there while going to get a drink from the kitchen. He came back in and saw she had sat down with a picture that was on the table. It was one of them and she was smiling at it. "Didn't have you as a picture at the bed side kind of guy-" "Next best thing to the real one I guess…"
Connie put the picture back down before Cal wandered round the room looking for something. "You okay there?" He nodded and she stood up "I'm going to get changed quickly." She picked her bag up and went into the bathroom. She took her make-up off and pulled her hair up into a pony tail before taking off her dress and putting on a strappy black dress. She picked her bag up and walked back to the bedroom chucking it down in the corner. Cal had put some music on quietly and was sorting the bed sheets out. He looked up and noticed her from the corner of his eye.
Cal picked up the glass of water again and had a drink as Connie sat on the edge of the bed. Cal walked back across the room and opened the door onto the balcony slightly. "Will you stop doing things and just stop for a few minutes?" Cal stood in front of her and leant down to kiss her. Connie reached her hands up and around his neck kissing him back.
Cal leant further forward pressing Connie down on the bed. As he did his phone began ringing. He stood up and went to find it in the kitchen. By the time he got there and answered it Connie was standing in the doorway looking at him. He walked towards her while talking "Mum I can't really talk at the moment… Yes I've moved in to the place, what do you mean alone? Yes it's my place… Did he now, well it's not his place to tell you. Look I gotta go, love you mum. Bye, bye."
Cal threw his phone onto the sofa and walked back towards Connie and picked her up kissing her. "What did she say about living here?" Cal laughed "Put it this way, she knows I wasn't hanging up to wash dishes…" Connie smiled as Cal kissed her again pushing her back. With her back against the wall he deepened the kiss before walking towards the bed. He took off his shirt and began kissing her again.
Soon enough Cal took off Connie's dress and was kissing her on the bed again. A few minutes later and Cal pulled Connie on top of him still kissing her. They carried on like this for a while until Cal rolled over above her. "I love you." Cal looked down at her and thought he hadn't heard her properly. "You mean that-" "It's not something I say a lot without meaning it." He smiled before kissing her again. "I love you too…"
Connie woke up later that night in Cal's bed with his arm around her. She saw the balcony door was still open and got up to close it slightly. When she went back to bed she picked up her phone and checked for any messages. Connie felt Cal's arm tighten around her waist as he rolled over to face her. "That was definitely better than I had imagined it would be." He felt her laugh against his chest before she looked up at him. "I don't think I want to know how many times you imagined this night thanks… Anyway I should really get some sleep, some of us have to work tomorrow." He smiled before she got comfortable and quickly drifted off to sleep with Cal doing the same.