Rose

For the first time in a really long time Rose felt good.

It had nothing to do with the fact that she was sitting inches away from Dimitri, a situation she imagined reading in one of those cheesy adult romance novels.

She felt good; amused was a more accurate description, because Dimitri, the calm, cool, and always-collected doctor couldn't have been tenser as he drove beside her pretending to focus on the road.

She didn't catch him glancing at her since she was staring out the window but she could feel his eyes on her every few moments and all amusement she felt would disappear and she'd feel uncomfortable, like she was being scrutinized.

Rose used to love when guys stared at her. It gave her the feeling that she was beautiful enough to catch their attention and she'd spent a lot of time hoping that one day Dimitri would stare at her like that and that it wouldn't end with them immediately falling into bed together.

It felt different now that it was actually happening.

She wondered why he was acting so weird.

Once she felt him glance at her for what felt like the hundredth time she couldn't take it anymore.

"See something you like?"

The question caught Dimitri off guard enough that he swerved into the next lane.

He coughed. "What?"

"You keep looking over here at me, giving off that creepy stalker guy vibe again." She had to admit; she was having more than a little bit of fun at seeing him uncomfortable.

He cleared his throat again placing both hands on the wheel. "I was checking my side view mirrors," he lied.

Rose laughed outright. "No one checks their side mirrors that often. Besides we're the only car on a two lane highway."

"Better to be safe than sorry."

"In other words you mean using the side view mirrors gives you better view of my see-through shirt," she teased.

She had to resist laughing again when he actually squirmed in his seat. She figured this was her earned karma points in action for being so good at staying away from Dimitri and actually giving Adrian a chance.

Sure, she was in the car with Dimitri now and hadn't really thought about Adrian but these were special circumstances.

Thinking about Adrian and Dimitri and these 'special circumstances' Rose pulled out her cell phone to call Lissa, remembering she'd been expecting her. They were supposed to go out for drinks with Mia to celebrate the fact that she was still with the same guy, Ivan, without cheating on him.

"Crap," she muttered, shaking the water dripping from her phone.

"I think it's time for a new phone," Dimitri said reaching for his own phone in the pocket of his shirt as Rose flipped her phone open and close hoping it would turn on.

"Why do you say that?" she said slapping her phone.

"For one thing, I don't even think they make flip phones anymore," he said sounding amused.

"Well not everyone can afford a fancy touch phone like you, moneybags."

She snatched his phone from his hands trying to turn it on and smiled.

"I think it's time for a new phone for you too." She held it up for him to see, smiling. "Waterlogged."

"Crap," he muttered himself reaching into the console between them. He pulled out a second touch screen phone and handed it to Rose after making sure it turned on.

"You keep two phones!" she shrieked in disbelief. "What are you, a spy?"
"It's a backup phone in case my actual phone gets wet while I'm trying to help my sarcastic and teasing employee with her broken down car," he said, smiling for what seemed the first time tonight.

She tried not to revel in the beauty of his smile and instead focused on dialing.

"You should try smiling more often. Maybe I wont be as sarcastic and teasing," she said punching in Lissa's number.

"I don't smile," he said as if repulsed by the idea.

"Why?" she asked putting the phone to her ear.

"Then it gives people the idea that I like them."

"I've seen you smile," she laughed as the phone rang on the other end.

"Have not."

"You smiled a few seconds ago."

"No I didn't."

Finally the phone stopped ringing on the other end and went to voice mail. Rose forgot that Lissa didn't answer unknown calls.

She tried again hoping she'd answer.

"No answer?" Dimitri asked from beside her.

"No, we're just talking telepathically," Rose muttered ending the call.

Dimitri gave her a pointed look.

She handed the phone back to him giving him her own look. "Smile more and the sarcasm stops," she promised.

Dimitri gave her a look that said he didn't really believe her.

"I may have pegged you as a coldhearted, distant man who uses women but you're secretly a smile-er," she said pulling her damp hair back into a ponytail.

"When have you seen me smile? Name one time," he requested.

Rose looked at him, the lightheartedness of his tone catching her by surprise. She wasn't used to it and she wasn't sure had the tension had melted so quickly between them after weeks of awkwardness and avoidance.

She thought for a moment.

"You smiled my first day of work."

He had a thoughtful look on his face, thinking back. "When?"

"The girl that came in, with the bruises and scars. I was reassuring her and right before she left you gave her one of your rare, reassuring, sweet, I'm-not-as-big-of-a-jerk-as-I-appear-to-be smiles," Rose described leaning back against her seat looking over at Dimitri.

He smirked to himself remembering, nodding slightly. "I remember."

There was a long moment where they sat thinking back. Rose was thinking of the little girl, remembering how she herself had revealed a bit of her personal life; the scar that sat ran from her arm to her shoulder.

"Do you ever think we'll see her again?"

"I don't know. Part of me hopes not," he answered honestly.

Rose could understand that

"I don't see how parents can hit their kids."

"They think it's a form of discipline."

"That's a lie they tell to make themselves feel better, to make it seem like they're doing nothing wrong."

Dimitri glanced over at her most likely wondering when and why the mood had shifted so quickly. Rose couldn't help it, her short rant. She'd spent most of her life focusing on what was happening in the present and thought little about the past or the future. It hurt to much thinking about so many memories she'd rather forget, except the one's with Liss.

"Sounds like you're speaking from experience."

Rose didn't want to talk about it. The only person she ever brought this up with was Lissa and even then, they didn't really talk about it.

"I just understand, is all," she said simply hoping he'd leave it at that.

There was a brief silence and then Dimitri spoke, barely above a whisper that she wasn't sure she'd heard him.

"Me too."

They shared a brief glance. She was admittedly more than curious as to what Dimitri's life had been like before meeting her, growing up. She found it hard to imagine and think back to her life before now and didn't want to share her own past but she couldn't help being curious about his. As if fate was stopping her from pushing the conversation any further, her stomach growled.

"Sorry," she apologized sheepishly. "Haven't eaten since this morning."

"You went out for your lunch break," Dimitri observed.

"To get a manicure," she said holding up her somewhat clear polished nails, a new of them chipped from when she'd been rooting around beneath the hood of her car.

"You went to get a manicure when you can't even afford a new phone?" he asked in disbelief.

"A girl has to treat herself. Besides what do I really need a cell phone for? The only people I really talk to, I'm always around them.

"Maybe you should've thought about eating."

"I would've been more likely to eat if we still had our little lunch dates."

He tensed again and she laughed.

Instead of apologizing or saying anything about the fact that he'd basically been avoiding Rose, he said, "How about something to eat…unless you had plans to eat elsewhere?"

She guessed that was his subtle way of asking if she was going out with Adrian. She knew this was probably a bad idea since it seemed like the more time Dimitri and Rose spent together the more likely they were to eventually get into a fight most likely involving Adrian. This couldn't end well yet Rose didn't want to miss the chance that things were going to be okay with her and Dimitri and the chance to spend more time with him than she had in weeks making up for lost time.

"I guess I can grace you with my presence over a nice dinner," she said nonchalantly as if the matter didn't make any difference to her.

"A nice dinner? I was thinking drive-thru."

"And I was thinking you owe me for being a jerk and you're taking me to the pier for a nice slice of the best pizza in existence and a churro."

Dimitri was silent as if considering.

She looked over at him for the hundredth time that night when he still didn't say anything. She turned back toward the window where the passed a sign that said they were now headed toward the pier.

She smiled slightly, ignoring the warnings in her head and the drop in her stomach when she thought about Adrian and how disappointed Lissa would undoubtedly be, even Mia.

For now, though she decided to put her worries off until later and enjoy the moment.

Leaning her head back against the seat again and smiling to herself she thought, what could happen? nothing's going to happen. We're two…people with an odd…employee and boss relationship with a confusing friendship going out for a pizza. It's not like anything is going to happen.

Secretly, though, she hoped she was wrong.


A/N: A short, slow filler chapter. Since applications are do tomorrow, I'll be able to Update more often and soon! Also, I promise, there is a plot to this story I'm just moving it along very slowly. Reviews loved and appreciated. XD