Sooo I couldn't wait until Tuesday! I managed to find some time to quickly upload this chapter for you all. But after this there won't be another until Tuesday! Here we are, will Juice show up?! Enjoy X
CHAPTER 11
The rest of Cate's shift passed by surprisingly fast after her encounter with Juice in the afternoon, and she couldn't decide if she was excited or anxious. In fact, she was feeling a mixture of everything. Understandably, Cate was a little concerned that the same thing would happen and he wouldn't turn up. If it were to happen, she'd decided that she wouldn't wait... If he wasn't there when she left, she'd go straight home. She wouldn't give him another chance and she wouldn't hesitate to block his number and avoid interactions with him at all costs. The thought made her increasingly more anxious. Charming was a small town and she'd struggle to avoid him, and if she were to continue being friends with Gemma, she'd likely bump into him through her. There'd be no avoiding anyone in Charming, which was one of the downsides of living in a town so small compared to places she'd been before.
Cate sat down on the sofa in the staff room, tying up the laces of her trainers when she noticed that her hands were trembling, which she decided to pay little attention to and continued with what she was doing. She'd already gotten changed and this point into her usual 'after work' clothes, however this time she'd chucked a plain grey vest top into the bag with her leggings. She hadn't expected this was how her evening would end up, she'd left under the impression that she'd be returning home after work to lounge on her sofa and watch TV.
"Any plans for this evening, Cate?" she heard Lisa ask from over by the lockers. Cate looked up and smiled at the nurse.
"Supposedly.. But we'll see" she replied, sounding a little uncertain. Lisa smiled and Cate watched from the sofa as she moved towards the door, but she stopped and turned to face her again.
"It wouldn't have anything to do with that biker dude that was here earlier would it?" Lisa questioned with a playful tone to her voice which made Cate laugh quietly.
"How do you know about that?" Cate asked, rising to her feet once she was sure that she was ready to leave.
"Oh you know me.. I overheard him talking with the newbie a little when he came in. Something about wanting to see you.. He's got quite the smile on him!" Lisa chirped and an image of Juice and his bright smile came to Cate's mind, making her cheeks feel warm. "I don't think she could resist, poor darling didn't stand a chance.. She went looking for you as soon as he asked. That's a smile that'll get you weak in the knees. Am I right?" she continued to tease the doctor. Cate rolled her eyes and moved towards the door where Lisa was already standing.
"I don't know what you're talking about.." She replied coyly and they both laughed together. Cate was fighting the urge to smile upon the news that Juice had arrived with the intention of having her treat him, she'd thought it was a little too weird to be a coincidence and now it was confirmed.
"Whatever you say, honey" Lisa laughed as they both walked down the corridor towards the exit. Cate liked Lisa, she was only a few years older than and they got on well when they were at work. She'd been hesitant at first, not really wanting to mix her work and her personal life. But gradually, things were starting to change and who knew? Maybe soon she'd bite the bullet and finally agree to do one of the things that Lisa was always suggesting they could do. One thing at a time though, Cate didn't want stress of several big changes happening at once.
Cate felt herself growing increasingly anxious as they neared the main entrance of the hospital. Would he be there? No, he wouldn't be. He'd stand her up again and prove himself to be unreliable and unworthy of her trust and second chances. She'd feel upset again, she'd be angry, she'd open herself up to all of that negative energy.. Not that she needed any more of that in her life. Cate was looking at the ground at this point, too worried to look up and be faced with a Juice-less surrounding. Was she ready for that sort of disappointment again?
"Don't know what I was talking about, huh?" She heard Lisa question, confusing Cate slightly.
"What do you mean?" Cate replied and looked up at her colleague as the sliding doors opened and they stepped out into the night. Before Lisa could even answer, Cate's gaze fell on the motorbike down by the sidewalk, Juice sat on it, his big grin in place.
"Have a good night.." Lisa spoke quietly and Cate briefly managed to tear her gaze away from Juice to look at her, eyes falling upon her face.
"Thanks, Lisa.. You too" Cate replied and watched as she left before turning her attention back towards Juice who had climbed off his bike and was now on his feet. She cleared her throat and drew in a deep breath through her nose before making her way down the steps towards him. "You came.." She spoke as she finally reached him, coming to a stop in front of his bike. Perhaps she should've been a bit less pessimistic and had a little more faith in the poor man, she'd spent her whole afternoon fretting about whether or not he'd show up, and there he was. She smiled instantly, not being able to hold it back anymore. "How's your arm?"
"What.. You thought I wouldn't?" He teased, giving her a big grin. He then patted his bicep gently. "Good as new.." he told her in reference to his small wound and she laughed.
"You really wanna go there?" She asked with a sarcastic tone in response to his 'you thought I wouldn't' comment, brow rising slightly as she tilted her head. Obviously she was teasing, and she could tell that he knew because he smiled gently and shook his head.
"Definitely not.." he emphasised the last word and gave an awkward laugh, reaching up to rub the back of his neck. "So.."
"Ok, rule number one.." Cate suddenly interjected, stepping towards Juice and his bike. "No awkwardness or feeling bad. We can forget about what happened yesterday.. In fact, what even happened? What were we talking about?" She feigned confusion and shrugged her shoulders. Juice's smile widened and she heard him laugh.
"You know what? I don't remember.." He played along, making Cate grin. She didn't want there to be any awkward feelings because of what happened. She didn't want him to feel bad and thus act weirdly with her, and she didn't want to continue to be annoyed at him. He was here now, he'd made good on his word, and she wanted to forget all about it. It was a second chance, a clean slate. "So.. We taking this show on the road, or not?" He asked, extending a second helmet out towards her.
"That's what we're here for, right?" Cate returned and reached out to take the helmet which she then lifted onto her head and fastened beneath her chin. She was sure she looked like an idiot, but safety first and all that. She watched as Juice climbed onto the bike and he reached back to pat the space behind him, where she would be sitting. Cate moved over to the side of the bike and lifted her leg over it, positioning herself down behind him. It was then that she realised she'd never been this close to Juice, and she'd not once thought about the obvious fact that she'd have to sit right up against him when she agreed to go on this ride. Not that it mattered, of course, but it gave Cate some very obvious butterflies within her stomach, which was something that she'd not experienced in a long time. She got herself comfortable behind him and it was then she got a full look at the back of his leather jacket. 'SONS OF ANARCHY – CALIFORNIA' was written on the back, circling a large reaper. She reached her fingertips forwards, tracing It gently over the patches. It clicked then that it was the same one tattooed on his forearm which she'd commented on when they first met. Another question for another time.
"You better hold on, doc" she heard him say and she complied, slowly moving her hands around his waist where they settled over his abdomen. The leather was cold and smooth against her hands, and she was aware that only an inch or so of material lay between her hands and his skin. Cate mentally cursed her wandering mind. She hadn't been this close to any man in a long time, hell, she hadn't even had inappropriate thoughts about a man until recently. The sound and movement of Juice clearing his throat broke her out of her thoughts. "You ready?" she heard him say in a voice that sounded a little strained.
"Let's go" she informed him and in seconds, he'd started his engine, kicked his stand back and they were off. Cate found that she'd pushed herself closer to his back for some extra security, it was her first time on the back of a bike and she felt a little uncomfortable at first. But it soon settled after some time and she felt herself relax against him.
The ride was exhilarating but she also found it quite calming. The way the breeze whipped in her hair, the scenery flashing by as they sped past.. She liked it. Every time they turned a corner, she found that she'd involuntarily clench her thighs and tighten her arms around him and she wondered if he had noticed.
"You hungry?!" she heard him yell over the sound of the engine and the breeze, she could barely hear him over it all.
"Yeah, I could eat!" Cate didn't shout as loud, as she'd leant forward a little so that she could speak close to his ear so she was sure that he would hear her. She was sure she felt him shudder but with the vibrations from the bike, she couldn't tell. A little bit later, Juice pulled up into the parking lot of a diner and turned off the loud, rumbling engine once he'd parked up. Cate was the first to climb off the bike and once her feet were on the ground she flinched slightly as a twinge shot through her knee. It wasn't awful, it was likely due to the way she'd been sat on the bike for a little while, it was a position she wasn't often sat in, funnily enough. Whilst unclipping her helmet, she noticed Juice climb off the bike and she smiled as she caught his eye.
"How was that?" he asked her, sounding proud of himself as he took off his own helmet, hanging it from the handles of his bike.
"It was great!" she grinned, lifting off her own helmet and passing it to him. "I bet I have awful helmet hair, which isn't so great.." she whined, lifting her fingers to push them through the roots of her hair. Juice smiled at her and shook his head, looking down at her with his big brown eyes. Cate paused then, lowering her hands back down to rest on her hips, smiling gently at him.
"Nah.." He began, lifting his eyes to look over her hair before he looked back down to meet her eyes. His stare was intense and it brought back those butterflies in her stomach. "You look great" he confirmed. Cate gave him a questioning stare before she looked down at herself in her leggings, crumpled vest top and hooded jacket. She did not look great at all. She looked back up at him and gave him a look. "Don't be givin' me those 'I don't believe you looks', doc. Let's go eat." He laughed and gestured towards the entrance, allowing her to go first. Cate made her way over to the door and stopped quickly as Juice swooped in front of her to grab the door, pulling it open for her. He was sweet; she had to give him that.
"Thank you, kind sir" she teased with a little bow of her head before she entered the diner. It was quiet, a few people scattered across the establishment. Cate decided to lead them over to a booth by the window in the corner where she slipped down onto the bench and slid across to sit in the middle. Juice followed and he sat directly opposite her, although he looked a lot bigger than she did, sat in the small compartment. Cate quickly cast an eye at the others within the diner and noticed a couple of them looking over at herself and Juice but they swiftly looked away once they'd noticed her staring.
"Here you go.." Juice sang, pushing a menu across the table towards her, his one already open on the table in front of him. Cate thanked him and opened her own menu, casting her gaze down upon it. She looked over it for less than a minute before she closed it and pushed it back into the centre of the table, Juice looked up at her with a confused expression.
"What? I've decided.." she explained with a shrug of her shoulders.
"Already?" he asked in surprise, his eyebrows rising. Cate laughed quietly and nodded. "Wow.. You're like, the quickest person ever to decide on somethin'.." He chuckled, glancing back down at his own menu.
"What can I say? I'm a woman who knows what she wants." Cate joked and she noticed Juice glance over the table at her, his head still lowered from where he'd been looking down at the menu. She pursed her lips to stop herself from smiling but when he smiled over at her, her façade broke and she smiled too. She watched his face as he looked back down at the menu, taking in the little details of his face. "Where are you from, Juice?" she suddenly asked, as if the filter between her brain and her mouth had decided to have a break. He looked up at her then and closed his menu, sitting back in his seat.
"I'm from Queens, New York.." He answered and she'd expected something along those lines, he had a very distinct accent, one that she happened to like. She'd noticed it the first time they met, but hadn't really found it appropriate to ask.. Until now. "What about you? I mean.. You're obviously not from Charming.." he returned the question and Cate sat up a little to shrug off her hooded jacket.
"Arizona.." she began whilst taking off her jacket, tossing it to the side before looking back towards Juice, sitting back in her seat. "I don't miss the place but I miss the memories.. My Ma, my brother.." she breathed out her last word, as if she realised what she was saying as she said it. She gave him a sad smile and gave a shrug of her shoulders.
"So why Charming? Why didn't you go back home? I mean.. Not that I'm not glad you chose Charming.." he stammered and Cate laughed quietly, reaching up to tuck her hair behind her ears.
"It would have been too much.. If I went back to Arizona after what happened, I think all those memories that I miss would've driven me insane.." She said with a laugh in an attempt to lighten the conversation. "My uncle always lived here.. We were super close despite the distance and long story short, he left me the house along with everything else, in his will.. So it made sense to come out here. Have a new start.." she explained, deciding to sit on her hands once she noticed she'd been drumming her fingers against the seat. Juice went to say something but was interrupted by the voice of a woman.
"Are you ready to order?" The older woman asked, pen and paper in hand.
"I'll just have the cheeseburger with fries and a lemonade, please." Cate asked whilst pushing the closed menu to the edge of the table towards the woman. Cate noticed the woman staring down at her arm with the scar and she slowly drew it back, sitting back on her hands.
"And you?" she heard her say to Juice, but she hadn't been looking, she was staring out of the window now.
"What she's having, but a Coke please." Said Juice, and silence ensued once the woman had left.
"Copycat.." Cate commented as she turned her head away from the window and looked back towards Juice who was watching her intently, although a smile quickly appeared on his face.
"Who? Me?" he asked in a gasp, hand over his chest. "Not at all" he concluded and Cate sunk her teeth into her bottom lip as she smiled. "So.." Juice breathed after a brief pause, leaning forward in his seat, resting his crossed arms on the surface of the table. "What made you wanna join the army?" Cate swallowed and leant forward herself so that she was in the same position as he was. She was sure he'd have questions, and she'd answer whatever she could, to an extent.
"My brother.." She replied honestly, forcing a small smile onto her lips. "I looked up to him, he inspired me.. I was at med school anyway because I wanted to be a doctor but yeah.. He joined the army, told me all about it and eventually I decided that I wanted to be there. I wanted to help people like him who were fighting for us.. Thought maybe I could prevent some loss of life out there.." Cate continued to explain, glancing up to catch eyes with Juice who was listening to everything she had to say. She appreciated that he seemed interested in whatever she was saying.
"So why'd you quit?" Juice asked and Cate felt something pull at her stomach and was instantly aware of that feeling of dread in the depths of her chest. She felt goosebumps rise on her arms as a chill spread through her veins.
"I didn't quit.." Her voice was so quiet it could almost pass as a whisper. Her gaze lowered to her hands, which were now clasped tightly together on top of the table. "There was a uhh.. I got.." she stammered now, not quite able to form a sentence, her heart began to race, drumming away faster and faster within her chest. "Something terrible happened and I.." Her knuckles turned white from where she was squeezing her hands together so tight, she was getting sucked into that black hole and Juice must have noticed something, as suddenly she felt his hands curl around hers.
"Cate?" he asked firmly, trying to capture her attention. "Cate? It's ok.." His voice was laced with concern. Cate snapped out of it then and she blinked twice before looking up to meet his intense stare.
"I'm sorry.. I can't.. " she breathed quietly, feeling her brow dip as she frowned. She felt his hands squeeze hers and she instantly released the tension within her fists, letting her fingers uncurl. She looked down and watched as he took her freshly opened hands into his own, giving them a gentle squeeze over the table. Cate looked back up at him, pushing her lips together, her frown still present. She felt so embarrassed, she could feel a gentle heat at her cheeks and she was sure she probably looked flushed as a result. She'd probably just made this whole dinner awkward and their food hadn't even arrived yet! Juice stared at her and he slowly smiled.
"Sorry about what? Nothing happened.. I don't know what you're talkin' about.." he told her, shrugging his shoulders. Cate smiled then and a laugh broke free from behind her teeth. He was using what she'd said when they met outside the hospital, about her rule of not feeling awkward or feeling bad for anything.
"Thank you, Juice" she was sincere with her thanks, he'd handled what had just happened so well, and she respected him massively for it. She looked downwards again as she felt his thumb move gently over the back of her hand. A throat clearing suddenly captured her attention and they pulled their hands away from each other. The waitress presented them with their food, and they quietly gave their thanks as it was place in front of them. As this was happening, Cate cast an eye over at Juice who did the same thing and they smiled at one another before breaking their eye contact.
The rest of their 'dinner' went really well. They asked each other trivial questions, spoke about random things and mostly just had a laugh and a nice time. Cate found that she felt comfortable in Juice's presence, like she could be herself, how she was before her injury and her army life. Their conversations weren't forced and her laughs weren't fake. She thought they were getting on incredibly well, and she'd not had such a pleasant evening out in a long time.
A couple of hours had passed by the time Cate and Juice pulled back up to the hospital, only this time it was to the side where the staff car park was situated. They probably would have spent even longer together, if it hadn't been for Juice's phone ringing. He'd had to go, he didn't want to, she could see that by the look he'd given her, but she understood. Juice switched off the engine and Cate climbed off the back of his back for the second time that night, handing him over his helmet.
"Well.. Thanks for tonight. I had a really nice time.." she told him, a smile gracing her lips. The parking lot was quiet now, aside from the occasional car passing by and the sound of their breathing. Juice hadn't gotten off his bike, and she didn't need him too either, they were just saying their goodbyes. He looked up at her and returned her smile.
"Same here.. I'm pleased you gave me another shot" he said, bringing his hands down to rest on his lap as he sat there in front of her.
"Me too." She replied quickly, not even second guessing her answer. She was happy she'd given him this second chance. She'd had an amazing evening. Juice cleared his throat and looked towards her car, which he'd parked up next to.
"You sure you'll be alright gettin' home?" he asked and Cate rolled her eyes.
"I've gotten home alright every other night since being here.. I don't think tonight will be much different." She laughed quietly, pushing her hands into the pockets of her jacket. "So.." she added, dragging the word out slowly. "I'll see you around?" Cate asked quietly, looking down at the ground as she asked, before looking back over at Juice for his reaction. He grinned his big old grin and nodded his head eagerly.
"Yeah you will" he replied enthusiastically and Cate shook her head as she laughed. His phone began to ring then and she knew it was time to go. She watched him reach for his pocket, and as he did that she decided to lean forward, resting her hand gently on his shoulder for support and she pressed a small, quick kiss to his cheek. She felt him stop what he was doing and she couldn't help but smile at his reaction as she stepped back, his phone continuing to ring, filling the silence between them.
"Goodnight, Juice" she said quietly, giving him one last smile before she climbed into the car and shut the door behind her. In seconds, she'd starter her engine and was putting her car into gear. She glanced out of her window and saw Juice was now on his phone, however he was still staring at her and had that big grin on his face. He gave her a single handed wave, and she gave him a nod, before driving out of the car park, leaving Juice in her rear view mirror.
