Sara pushed her chair away from the desk. She had retreated into her office to get some paperwork done, but had lost her usual relentless focus. Earlier in the week, she had experienced some trepidation about seeing Ava in a work situation following their outgoing. Those feelings had changed as the week progressed. It was Friday afternoon and she had not gotten so much as a glimpse of Ava all week. Now a part of her longed to see her, if only just for a few minutes.
A quick glance at her watch confirmed what Sara already knew: Ava was in the department for noon conference. She was lecturing the first-years. She should be done by now. Just go out and say hello. That's what a friend would do. Sara still resisted.
Her emotional insecurities plagued her. As much as she wanted to see Ava, past experience reared its ugly head and made her leery. Sara didn't trust her own judgment. Nyssa had made her extremely gun-shy. Right from the start, Nyssa had not understood the need to keep their professional and personal lives separate.
You're not dating Ava. Besides, she has already proven she's not like that. She hasn't been down here be your best buddy at work. You haven't seen her all week, Sara's more logical side reminded.
A knock on the door interrupted her thoughts. "Come in." Sara said.
The door swung open and the focus of all her thoughts stood in the doorway. Surprised pleasure showered Sara at the sight. It was like unexpectedly turning around a corner and finding a beautiful rainbow painting the sky.
"Hi, Dr. Lance. Got a minute?" Ava asked.
Sara was surprised by the use of her title until she spotted the two residents conversing in the hall just outside the door. See, she's not even using your first name, because there's a chance of someone overhearing her. She knows no one calls you Sara at work.
Sara stood and came around her desk. With a friendly smile, she said "sure, come on in."
Ava smiled and stepped inside, then pushed the door shut behind her.
"What's up?" Sara asked. "Is there a problem with the residents?"
"No." Ava glanced over at the pile of charts on Sara's desk. "I don't want to interrupt if you're busy." She hesitated. "This is more personal than professional."
Springing to alert, Sara's defenses slammed up before she even had a chance to think about it. Her cool and distant ER chief persona came forward.
"I am bothering you." Ava said. "I'll go." Resignation dripped from her voice.
You're overreacting. Give her a chance. Sara's gaze darted to Ava's face. Worry and disappointment were easy to read. Now look what you did!
Three quick steps brought her over to Ava. Without conscious thought she reached out and gently put her hand on Ava's shoulder. "Wait. Don't go." Sara motioned towards the couch. "Have a seat. As long as I don't get paged I've got time."
Ava still looked uncertain but at Sara's reassuring smile finally moved toward the couch and sat down.
Sara joined her. "So, what did you want to talk to me about?"
"I was just wondering if you and Thor were going jogging tomorrow morning? I thought if you wouldn't mind, I'd join you."
"Oh" Sara's expression fell. Damn. It would have been fun to go jogging with her again. "I'm sorry, I already have plans for tomorrow."
The words had barely left Sara's mouth and Ava was already on her feet.
"Maybe some other time." Ava said. Her tone said something totally different. She headed for the door.
An unaccustomed feeling of anxiety gripped Sara. You're screwing this up! She stood. "What about tonight?" Sara asked before Ava could open the office door.
Ava turned to look at Sara. "You want to go jogging tonight?"
Sara shook her head. "Not really." Swallowing nervously, Sara forged ahead before she could lose her nerve. She offered the first thing that popped into her head. "Could I interest you in going to see Gideon Rider's new movie?"
The brilliant smile that lit up Ava's face made Sara's heart pound. Ah, that's more like it.
"Oh! I love her movies. Who can resist a take-charge kind of woman? Much less a gorgeous one who wears leather." Ava said, her expression going dreamy.
Sara's libido stood up and took notice. She didn't know what happy place Ava had just disappeared to, but she would sure as hell love to join her there.
It was time to steer the conversation back to safer waters. We could stop and get some dinner first. I know a good Mexican restaurant not far from the theater. " Now that sounds like we're making a date. A sliver of apprehension touched Sara. She forced away the almost automatic response.
"That sounds great. I love Mexican." Ava gave Sara a knowing look. "Dutch treat, of course."
How does she do that? Sara wasn't used to anyone being able to read her so easily. She was already looking forward to an enjoyable evening spent in Ava's company.
Twinkling white lights and colorful decorations were hung around the restaurant's large patio. The area resounded with the sounds of conversation and laughter. Muted strains of mariachi music from inside the restaurant added to the festive air.
Ava sat at the outside bar, sipping a glass of wine while waiting for a table. Since the restaurant didn't accept reservations, she had offered to head there and secure a table while Sara made a quick trip home to take care of Thor.
While making the plans on where to meet, it had been a pleasant surprise to learn that the condo she was renting was only twenty minutes away from Sara's home. It made the logistics of doing things together that much easier, especially taking Thor into consideration.
Sara's initial reaction to her overture this afternoon had, at the time, filled Ava with doubt that she would be spending any more time with Sara outside of work. Happy that she hadn't scared Sara off with her emotional breakdown on their last outing, she silently vowed this time would be different. No matter what, no tears this time.
Feeling a presence behind her back, Ava smiled. who it was before she even turned around.
"Hey, Sara." Ava said as she turned to face her. Ava took a moment to admire the dark blue sweater Sara had added over her shirt. It deepened the colour of her already striking blue eyes.
"Hi." Sara reached past Ava and snagged a tortilla chip from the basket on the bar. "Sorry. I'm starving. I didn't get any lunch."
"Help yourself." Ava pushed a bowl of salsa closer to Sara. "I think I've already had half a basket." Moving over on the bar stool, Ava made room for Sara to squeeze in next to her at the crowded bar. "Get Thor all settled?"
Sara nodded, her mouth full.
Ava grinned, pleased by Sara's relaxed attitude. The pager Ava was given when she arrived at the restaurant began to flash. "Table's ready. Let's eat."
Ava pushed her plate away with a satisfied sigh.
"Was it okay?" Sara asked.
"It was wonderful. I spent the year I was in Detroit looking for a good Mexican restaurant. I tried a few of them, but nothing even came close to comparing to this one."
Sara smiled. "Well that sure won't be a problem around here."
Conversation had been sporadic during dinner, confined to the weather and neutral topics. The silences had been comfortable ones as they each concentrated on the meal.
Now that they had relaxed and eaten, Ava allowed her curiosity to come forward. She was still feeling a little emotionally exposed after their previous outing. Not only had she shared with Sara her less than stellar experiences at Memorial, bit her family's lack of support as well.
Ava hoped to not only learn more about Sara but share more positive aspects of her own life with her.
Although she would rather talk about something besides work, it was a major part of both their lives, so a good place to start.
"So, how long have you worked at LA Metropolitan?" Ava asked.
Sara's eyebrow quirked at the change of subject. "Almost seven years."
"But you haven't been in charge of the ER all that time, right?"
"No."
"How long have you been chief?"
"Two years." Sara said.
"Do you like it?" Ava asked. She wondered at Sara's short-worded answers. She didn't seem to be intentionally unfriendly, just not particularly forthcoming.
"For the most part."
Ava waited, hoping Sara would talk more.
She didn't.
This is when Ava stopped and took a closer look at Sara. She realized her body posture had changed. Sara was leaning back in her chair with her arms pulled in close to her body. Ava mentally compared it to Sara's relaxed stance when talking about Thor. She's not used to talking about herself.
"How about you?" Sara leaned forward and placed her arms on the table. "Now that you've had a chance to see how working at LA Metro is like, do you think you'll stay?"
"Yes. I think the hospital is a good fit for me." Ava said.
Further conversation was halted by the arrival of the waiter. He was carrying a tray filled with sweets. "Could I interest you ladies in some dessert? The specialty of the house is our own freshly made flan."
Ava didn't even have to think about it. "I'll have the flan and a cup of coffee."
"Not for me." Sara said. "I'll just have a cup of coffee."
The waiter set a piece of dessert in front of Ava, then left for their coffee.
"You don't know what you're missing. I love this stuff." Ava picked up her spoon and dug in. The combination of flavors inundated her taste buds, creating a sensory bliss.
"Oh God. This is incredible. You have to try some." Ava scooped some of the dessert up on her spoon to offer it to Sara. Her hand was halfway across the table when the realization of the intimacy of the gesture struck her. What are you doing? Her cheeks flushed red and she started to draw her spoon back.
"Hey" Sara reached over and gently took hold of Ava's wrist and guided her hand back across the table. Sara grinned and quickly leaned forward to capture the offered treat. She smacked her lips. "That is good."
Ava froze in place, her spoon hanging in mid-air. Heat rushed through her. Her brain frantically tried to catch up with her body's reaction to the sight of Sara's lips closing around her spoon.
Sara waved a hand on front of Ava's face and laughed. "Earth to Ava. You okay?"
"Sure. Fine." Ava was sure Sara could feel the heat radiating off her skin all the way across the table. She was saved any further embarrassment by the arrival of the waiter.
He served each of them a cup of coffee and then placed an extra spoon in front of Sara. When Sara looked at him questioningly, his gaze darted to Ava's dessert and he winked.
Sara blushed.
Ava felt her own face heat.
The humor of the situation hit them both at the same time. They burst out laughing.
The dazzling full moon hung suspended in the crystal clear night sky. Combined with the bright overhead lighting, it chased away the darkness, painting the parking lot in vivid relief. The huge lot served not only the multiplex theater but the shopping mall as well. It was a sea of cars.
"Sorry about the movie." Sara said as they made their way across the parking lot. They had not seen the movie they had planned.
"You had no way of knowing it would be sold out." Ava said.
"I should have checked online. But I wasn't talking about that. I mean the movie we ended up seeing." Could it have been any more stupid? Sara shook her head. "Should have just skipped it."
Ava moved close enough to Sara to gently bump shoulders with her. "It wasn't that bad." She said with a smile.
Sara's eyebrows arched. "Oh, so you weren't the woman sitting next to me making fun of the inane dialogue?" Sara grinned at the endearing blush that rapidly covered Ava's face.
Sara had never experienced this type of interaction with the women she had dated. This friend thing is even better than I thought it would be. Now, if I can just learn to ignore the attraction, I'll be all set.
A sudden sharp breeze cut Ava's laughter short. She shivered. Her blouse provided no real protection against the chilly night air.
Ava rubbed her hands up and down her arms.
"It's so warm during the day it's easy to forget how cold it can get at night." Sara instinctively stepped close and wrapped her arm around Ava's shoulder. It was only when Ava's body came to rest against her that she realized what she had done. What are you doing? Her first impulse was to pull away, but she managed to stop herself. After all, it really had been an innocent gesture of comfort. She darted a quick glance at Ava to see her reaction.
"Thanks. I hate being cold." Ava smiled at Sara and inched a bit closer.
They reached their vehicles in the outskirts of the parking lot too soon.
Sara dropped her arm from around Ava's shoulder and motioned for her to step between the vehicles and out of the wind. "We might not have gone jogging but we still got a good walk in."
Ava laughed. " I needed it after that big dinner. Not to mention the huge popcorn we ate."
Sara laughed. "Oh, and speaking of jogging, how about we go next Saturday? I'm sorry about this week but I promised my sister I would come down for her softball game." She wanted to make sure Ava didn't think she was reneging of the offer to jog together. Thinking of Laurel's game, Sara was struck by the sudden urge to invite Ava to go with her. She pushed it firmly away. No. It's too much, too soon. At least for me.
"Oh." Ava frowned. "I have a hair appointment at nine next week."
"No problem. Maybe some other time." Sara struggled not to let her disappointment show.
"Wait." Ava touched Sara's arm. "Would you mind going later, say eleven? Then maybe catch some lunch afterwards?"
Sara smiled brightly. "That would be great. Thor and I will meet you at the park."
"I-" A sudden gust of wind whipped between the cars. Ava gasped. She wrapped her arms around herself and shuddered.
Sara moved close to block the worst of the wind. "You better get going before you freeze." Even with her shirt and sweater, Sara was starting to feel the cold.
"Okay." Ava opened the door to her car and climbed in. "If I don't see you at work, I'll see you and Thornext Saturday at the park."
"See you." Sara said before closing Ava's door.