"Whenever you're free—" Conrad Hawkins, first year resident in internal medicine, began.
"Friday at 8. I'll eat just about anything. I hate white tablecloths, so keep it casual," Nic Nevin, registered nurse practitioner, confidently stated after she and Conrad just went against protocol to save a patient. She sauntered out of the room, leaving Conrad just a little bit flustered by her confidence but all the more eager to get to know more about her.
She remembered the time they first met at the bar when she completely schooled him in a game of pool. She was full of surprises, presenting with this astounding confidence. He tried to play off his interactions with her as cool, but he was really quite a bit intimidated and very intrigued. Given his past line of work in the marines, it wasn't easy for him to feel that kind of intimidation, but she was something else. And he liked it. A lot. He had the perfect idea for where he would take her Friday night.
Hey, it's Conrad. Don't ask how I got your number. Meet me outside the front of the hospital at 8. Bring an extra pair of scrub bottoms, he texted Nic late Friday morning.
She looked down at her phone and rolled her eyes, chuckling to herself as she read his message and put her phone back in her pocket. She had work to do, and she didn't want to be wasting any time thinking about some arrogant, know-it-all intern who she didn't even know well at all. But for some strange reason, she couldn't get him out of her head. They passed each other throughout the day, both giving the other suspicious glances, unsure of how the other felt.
Nic was typing something into the computer at the nurses' station when Conrad walked by, talking in a completely cool tone to his attending. She followed him with her gaze and didn't notice when Jessica, another nurse in the hospital and one of Nic's closest friends, walked up right next to her and asked her a question.
"Earth to Nic!" Jessica half-shouted, inches away from Nic's ear.
Nic was startled and took a step back. "Oh! Sorry, Jess! What's up?" she stammered.
"Mmh, I know that look…" Jess replied, wiggling her eyebrows and elbowing Nic. "Hey, wasn't that the guy from the bar?" she asked.
"Uhh, yeah… That's him. First year, internal medicine, Conrad, uh Hawkins? I think," Nic replied, pretending she didn't know or care.
"Hm, well, what's going on with that?" Jess inquired. She sure loved her drama, and she had a particular talent for sniffing it out before it even happened.
"Nothing, we're just hanging out after we get off work," Nic replied, directing her attention back to the work she was doing on the computer.
"Hanging out?" Jess scoffed. "What are we, twelve?"
"What do you want me to say?" Nic replied, realizing her mistake in telling Jess about her plans with Conrad. "I have no idea what we're doing."
"OOH! I love surprises!" Jess squealed. "You have to tell me everything tomorrow!"
"Okay okay," Nic chuckled, typing away, trying to get Jess to quiet down.
"Also, we're adults, Nic. We don't 'hang out,'" Jess clarified. "We go out on dates, meet up with friends, or hook up. This thing with Hawkins has to fall under one of those three categories. 'Hanging out' is not an option," she added nonchalantly before turning away and walking down the hall.
Nic tried to push her dirty thoughts from her mind, but it didn't help that Conrad was very attractive. Her cheeks felt warm. She rolled her eyes, though, when she thought of the number of women that he'd probably slept with. She furrowed her brow as she was lost in her thoughts and questions.
"Hey, did the computer steal your favorite chocolate or something?" a deep voice inquired.
This was the second time in the past five minutes that Nic was startled today because she was distracted by thoughts of Conrad. Focus, damnit, she thought to herself, don't let him into your head. Her gaze shot up and was met with sweet, deep brown eyes. A smirk spread across the face staring back at her––Conrad's face.
"What did the computer do to you for you to look so mad at it?" he asked again.
"I-It's just being slow," Nic responded, stammering a bit. She was losing her cool, and she didn't like it. God, what is this guy doing to me? she thought.
Conrad noticed that he was getting to her, so he leaned in over the desk and whispered, "see you after work," his face just a few inches from hers. He turned on his heel and walked away, chuckling to himself, but also feeling nervous about his plans for later that day. D-a-m-n, he thought, I hope she likes what I have planned.
Nic caught herself breathing heavily, and her cheeks felt warmer than before. Oh God, please, you cannot fall for him. He is a total player, she thought. She placed her hands on the counter and dropped her head down, letting out a sigh. She heard a soft giggle from around the corner, and it caught her attention, so she lifted her head back up.
Jess rounded the corner, smiling ten miles wide. "Ooh, girl! Someone's got the hots for Dr. Conrad Hawkins!" she exclaimed, a little too loud for Nic's wanting.
"Shh," Nic hissed, pushing Jess into the supply closet behind the nurses' station.
"Nic!" Jess protested.
"Jess! What the hell?" Nic whispered as she closed the door to the closet.
"Nic… come on," Jess scoffed.
"I don't like him, okay?" Nic said definitely, with a false sense of confidence.
"And who are you trying to convince of that? Because it sure as hell didn't convince me. I know what I saw, and oooh boy! You looked like a woman who gets to go on a date with one attractive man tonight. And not just that––you know you will enjoy the hell out of it," Jess whispered in response.
"Okay, so what? I think he's attractive. So does half the hospital! What difference does it make? I don't want to be another one of his statistics," Nic sighed.
"What are you talking about?" Jess questioned. "Conrad hasn't slept with anybody here. Trust me, I'd be the first to know. Loads of women, and men, are after him, but he doesn't go out with anyone. Ever. That's why I am so invested in this working out. Oh, and also, I'm your friend. And I want you to be happy and stuff. That too, but… I desperately need the details of what a date with the elusive Dr. Conrad Hawkins is like," Jess replied, excitement bubbling from her voice.
"Wait, what?" Nic asked, totally caught off guard by her first statement. "He's not a total player?"
"Nope!" Jess replied, popping her "p" and giving Nic a quick nose boop. "Well, at least not here," Jess chuckled. "But he practically lives here. Most of his nights are either spent with patients or in the on-call room. I can't imagine he'd have time to do anything else or see anyone else outside this hospital. And if he did, he clearly hasn't made them a priority. So, it seems to me, my dear, that he has taken interest in you. He asked you out, too, didn't he?"
"Yeah, wow… I guess I misjudged him. And hey, how did you know that he asked me?" Nic asked, puzzled.
"I know my drama, girl," Jess giggled. "But don't worry, your secret's safe with me."
Nic felt a smile creep onto her face, and she was grateful that the closet was dark so Jess couldn't see. She was suddenly much more excited––and nervous––for tonight.
The hours remaining in her shift passed slowly, each minute torturous. When it was finally an acceptable time for her to begin the process of clocking out, Nic walked into the lounge to grab her bag, and she remembered Conrad's text to bring an extra set of scrub bottoms. Not sure why she needed them, she snuck a pair as she was walking out to the front of the hospital.
Crap, I'm too early, she thought to herself. She looked down at her watch. It was 7:52. She considered going back into the hospital and making herself look busy, but just when she turned around to leave, she heard his voice.
"You having second thoughts?" Conrad teased as he walked towards her.
"No, just wanting to grab some water before we go," she replied.
"When your water bottle is already full?" he asked, gesturing to the bottle she was carrying.
"It's, um, empty," she chuckled nervously.
"Oh, really? Then what were you doing filling it up right before you walked out here?" he probed, stepping closer to her.
Nic was speechless. He had cornered her. "Fine, you caught me. But I wasn't trying to leave. I just didn't want to be out here so early. It's awkward when you're just standing out here, alone. Turns out, standing alone in front of a hospital results in quite the attention. Loads of people ask questions, 'are you waiting for someone?' 'do you need help finding something?' Ugh… Sorry, that probably sounds dumb. And now I'm rambling…" She felt herself blush as she looked down. She cleared her throat as Conrad smiled sweetly at her. He noted that she was nervous, and he wanted to reassure her, but she jumped in first. "So, um, where are we going?" she asked, still looking at the ground.
"If you're not comfortable with this, we don't have to do it," Conrad reassured her, placing a hand on her shoulder.
She looked up at him, puzzled. She really had the complete wrong idea of him. "No, no, you've piqued my curiosity, so now I have to see it through," she stated, confidently, feeling electricity from where he touched her. "If you still want to go with me, of course," she added.
"I wouldn't want it any other way," he replied, smiling wide. "Shall we?" he asked, extending his arm for her to grab.
She did so hesitantly and they started walking away from Chastain.
"You did bring the extra set of scrub bottoms, yeah?" he inquired, dodging her original question.
"Yes, but I don't know why," she said, a hint of impatience in her voice.
"Ah, that's for me to know and you to find out," he replied, his overly confident tone both exciting and annoying at the same time.
They continued walking and were making small talk until they reached the bus stop. "You are taking me on the bus to our date?" she asked, sarcasm rising in her tone.
"Oh, this is a date now? I thought you said that we were, how did you put it, 'hanging out,'" he teased, making air quotes with his hands on the words "hanging out."
"Were you listening to my conversation with Jess?" she asked, a little offended.
"Well, when someone is talking about you in the middle of the entire ICU floor, one is inclined to listen," he replied calmly, chuckling softly.
Crap, his laugh is even hot, she thought, agh, get a grip, girl. "Okay, enough games, where are we going?" she asked, this time with greater demand.
"If I told you, I'd have to kill you," Conrad replied, his face completely stone cold. "Kidding, sorry," he quickly added, letting his smile spread across his face again. This time, it was his turn to look at the ground. "It's a two-parter. I, uh, hope you like dirt and good wine," he said, smiling at her. "Because I also hate 'white tablecloth' atmospheres and was relieved when you also said you didn't want that."
She smiled back at him, "sounds like it's going to be a fun night," she said, chuckling softly, "just so long as there's no dirt in the wine."
He laughed and she joined him. Damn, her laugh, he thought, agh, get a grip, man.
The bus arrived within a few minutes, and Conrad paid for both of their tickets. She was taken aback by those little gestures that he did, showing that he was caring underneath his rogue cowboy persona. He stepped aside, letting her take the seat closer to the window, and he sat next to her. Their shoulders touched, and both of them noticed, without saying anything. But they secretly liked that little bit of physical contact between the two of them.
They started talking about random little things not related to work, and both were relieved to know that they had some sort of connection beyond Chastain. The 30-minute bus ride went by in a flash, and before they knew it, they were completely out of the city.
"Do you trust me?" he asked as they stood up to get off the bus.
"Strangely, yes," she replied, holding his gaze.
He felt himself become a little more nervous when she looked at him. Her chocolate eyes were so soothing yet exciting at the same time. There was something about her that was just enchanting. It was beyond the fact that she was very attractive, which she was. It was something he couldn't explain. It was something deeper. He chuckled, "good, because we'd have to wait quite a while before the next bus, and that would just be awkward." She laughed lightly and stepped off the bus. He followed.
She looked up at the stars and was mesmerized. "Wow, there's so much light pollution in the city, even just half an hour out makes a world of difference. I can see so many stars!" she exclaimed.
Conrad really liked how she was multifaceted. She could be a total rogue badass one moment, comfort a terminally ill child and worried-sick parents the next, then speak truth to power (ahem, HODAD, maybe?), and after that be completely blown away by the smallest of things. He smiled at her, and he let his eyes wander over her. She caught him staring at her and smiled.
"Well," she breathed, "let's get going! I can't even try to predict what is going to happen: 'dirt and good wine,' you say? Yeah, I've got no good guesses," she joked.
He laughed, slipping his hand into hers. She shuddered slightly as her hand fit into his and their fingers intertwined. But it felt right. They began walking away from the road, up a little dirt path. "Have you ever driven an ATV?" he asked as they approached a small building.
"No, but I have always wanted to!" Nic said, her excitement rising. "Wait, is that what we're doing?" she asked, feeling giddy.
Conrad chuckled, relieved, "welcome to part one of the night: fooling around with ATV's. One of my buddies runs an ATV rental business, and we like to come and do 'quality checks' some nights. You know, to make sure everything is 'operational,'" he said, winking at his last words.
"Oh yes, I am sure the quality sale to the customers is the number one priority for you all during your little quality checks," she said sarcastically.
They both couldn't help but laugh as Conrad opened the door for Nic.
"Yo, Hawkins! My man. It's been a while––where you been?" a tall, large man exclaimed, slapping Conrad's back before enveloping him with his massive arms.
"Ah, I've been busy with work recently. I just started at Chastain, and it's been eating up all of my time," Conrad explained.
He turned back slightly and noticed that Nic was standing a few steps back, unsure of what her place was in this little reunion.
"Hey Frank, this is Nic. We, uh… we work together," he said, stammering a bit.
"Yeah, is that all you do together?" the tall man asked, teasing Conrad a bit. Nic blushed. "So, what did you bring your little angel in here for?" he continued, gesturing towards Nic.
"I was hoping you could set us up with a little something tonight. Though Nic's never driven an ATV, she's down to get dirty," he leaned closer to Frank and whispered, "this one's special, brother. Can you do me this favor tonight?"
Frank smiled and raised his eyebrows at Conrad, and Nic wondered what Conrad said to elicit that reaction from Frank. "Sure thing, brother," Frank replied to Conrad. He then turned to Nic and said, "I hope you actually like getting dirty, pretty lady, because we had lots of rain the past few days. It's going to be muddy out there, but it should be safe for riding."
"Hey, Nic, now's probably a good time to put those scrub bottoms on," Conrad said, smiling towards her.
"Alright. Do you have a restroom I could use?" she asked.
"Right over there," Frank gestured.
"Thank you!" she replied.
As she walked away, Frank leaned in towards Conrad. "She's got you whipped, man. How long have you two been sleeping together?"
"See, that's the thing. We haven't," Conrad replied, slightly confused himself.
"Damn, look at our cowboy now," Frank chuckled. "Don't go too soft," he said, playfully punching Conrad in the shoulder.
He chuckled, shaking his head just as Nic walked back out from the bathroom in dark blue scrub bottoms. "Ready," she said, twirling as she approached the two men.
Conrad swallowed hard and Frank chuckled. "You must have some magic powers, young lady, because Hawkins never reacts like this to––" Frank started.
"Oookay, that's enough Frank, thank you," Conrad interrupted, patting Frank on the back.
Frank rolled his eyes, looking at Nic, "keep an eye out on him, he's acting strange tonight," he said, handing her the keys to the ATV. She giggled, thinking about the fact that she was making him just as nervous as he was making her. "Blue and white, first one all the way on the left."
"Thanks, Frank," Nic replied, starting to walk to the back. "You coming, Hawkins?" she asked, twirling the keys around her finger.
"Oh, hell yes," Conrad replied, loving the way his name rolled off her tongue. He started speed walking to catch up with her and mouthed "thank you" to Frank.
Conrad found their rental for the night and Nic tossed him the keys. They put on the jackets and helmets next to the vehicle and took a moment to look over each other again. He climbed on top of the ATV, motioning for her to get on behind him. She dropped her bag down and slid right behind him, pressing her body into his. His breathing quickened as he felt her warm body against his, and he couldn't hold back his smile. Nobody ever had this kind of effect on him before, and he really liked it. She wrapped her arms around his waist, and she felt excited. His touch calmed her nerves but also made her feel like she had injected caffeine directly into her veins. She had never felt like this with anybody. She liked it. A lot.
He popped the key into the ignition and started up the ATV. They slowly moved out of the garage but picked up speed when they hit the terrain. The ground was a little moist, some places more wet than others, so their legs were instantly muddy.
"You doing okay?" Conrad asked Nic, tilting his head slightly back while maintaining his focus and gaze on the terrain in front of him. The headlights illuminated the ground in front of them, casting dancing shadows onto trees and rocks.
"This is epic," Nic replied, wrapping her arms tighter around Conrad to stabilize herself. She couldn't help but feel electricity when she got closer to him, breathing in his scent and feeling his warmth intertwined with hers. They rode around for a while like that before Conrad slowed and came to a stop.
"Everything okay?" she asked.
"Definitely! It's just your turn to drive," he replied. "If you're up for it, of course," he added.
"I'd love to learn!" she exclaimed. They both hopped off and switched positions, this time Conrad's body was pressed to Nic's, and he felt the electricity, too. He placed his hands on top of hers to help guide her as she was learning to operate the ATV smoothly. They started excruciatingly slow, Nic a little nervous, but after she felt more confident, she sped up. Dirt and mud were flying everywhere, catching their faces and clothes. Smiles were permanently residing on their faces, and pure joy rushed through their veins. They rode around for what felt like forever and no time at the same time. They wanted to pause time in that moment, but Nic also knew that wine was on the docket. She loved her wine, so it was a tradeoff that she was willing to make. They were also getting a little chilly from being covered in wet mud, so they started to head back in. They continued laughing and riding through the mud until they returned back to the garage. Frank was standing in the doorway as Nic tossed him the keys. "Thanks so much, Frank! I can bet you that I'll be back soon," she chuckled.
"Yeah, see you around, pretty lady," he replied, nodding his head to Nic politely.
"Thanks, brother," Conrad said to Frank. "She was a total natural," he explained, looking at Nic. She had mud all over her face, in her hair, and her pants were complete toast. He never thought that anyone could be so beautiful completely covered in mud, but somehow Nic became even more breathtaking in her current state. Conrad quickly realized that he was obviously staring at her and cleared his throat.
She smiled at the ground, noting Conrad's attention to her. "I, uh, should probably change. I don't know if these really count as pants anymore," she said gesturing to her mud-caked scrub bottoms. "Sorry if I took half of the property with me on my pants," she chuckled, grabbing her bag and heading off to the bathroom. Conrad's eyes never left her, and even when he could no longer see her, his eyes lingered.
Frank chuckled again, "invite me to the wedding," he started. "I've never seen you like this, brother. This is huge!"
"Woah, woah," Conrad began. "This is our first date. Let's not get ahead of ourselves. Yeah, okay, I will admit, I do really like her. Tonight sealed that deal––she's a total badass. But I don't know how she feels about me yet. One thing is certain, though. She's worth fighting for." He removed his scrub pants that were on top of his black skinny jeans, ridding himself of the muddy mess that was his lower half.
"Damn, is my cowboy turning into a sappy sentimentalist?" Frank cried out, "the universe is so confused right now," he joked.
They were both laughing when Nic came back, still muddy, but at least she had clean pants. She felt really bad for stereotyping Conrad before actually meeting him, but she was so glad that she decided to go out with him tonight. Honestly, if it weren't for Jess in the supply closet, she might not have showed. She silently thanked Jess in that moment before returning to her reality.
"So, are we onto part two now?" she asked, wrapping her arm through Conrad's.
"Ah, Frank, that's my cue. Good catching up with you, and seriously, thank you for organizing this on such short notice," Conrad stated as he and Nic started walking out the door.
"Hey, show your face around here more often, Hawkins," Frank replied. "And bring Nic with you!" he added.
They both chuckled as the door closed behind them. Conrad glanced down at his watch and saw that they had about two minutes to catch the bus. "Think we can make it back to the road in less than two minutes?" he asked her.
"If we travel at the speed of light, why?" she inquired.
"Because that's when the bus comes," he answered nonchalantly.
"Conrad! What the hell? Let's hurry up!" she exclaimed, grabbing his hand and pulling him.
They sprinted down the path and just barely caught the bus just before it pulled out of the stop. They were both breathing hard and laughing uncontrollably when they made it onto the bus.
"That was close!" she breathed.
"You are so fast," he replied. "I wasn't sure I could keep up with you," he added as they sat down side-by side. They rode a couple of stops, talking about their ATV experience and Conrad telling stories of him and Frank when they were in Afghanistan in the military together. Conrad was a medic while Frank helped with the technology of the vehicles. Frank knew how those machines worked inside and out, and Conrad knew the body––a different kind of machine––well. The two of them quickly became acquainted and kept each other sane in times of deep tragedy.
Conrad and Nic's story sharing was cut short when the bus arrived at their next stop, back in the city. They exited and started walking through downtown. They meandered through the streets of downtown Atlanta, the string lights illuminating their path and creating a very romantic atmosphere. Nic couldn't help the smile that was spreading across her face as she found his hand with hers, intertwining their fingers again. Conrad inhaled deeply, finding his gaze drawn back to Nic again. He had never felt like this with anybody. Nic was different. And he liked it. A lot. As they walked a few more blocks, Conrad pulled out a set of keys and unlocked a truck that was parked on the side of the road.
"Conrad, what is this?" Nic asked, a little uncertain about what he was doing.
"Me dragging you into the woods wasn't causing you to worry but this is?" he chuckled, "but I should have clarified, this is my truck," he reassured as he opened the passenger's side door and grabbed a bag.
"Where are we going?" she questioned when he closed the car door and locked his car again.
"You'll see," he replied, his voice trailing off as he began to march down the street.
Nic shook her head and couldn't help but smile. She followed him as they ducked between two buildings and started up an outdoor staircase that led to the roof of an apartment building.
"Don't worry, this isn't illegal. I live here, so this is okay," he reassured as he sensed Nic's uneasiness. She sighed in relief after his comment, and he chuckled in response. "I'm not trying to get either one of us arrested tonight," he stated.
"But tomorrow?" Nic teased.
"Oh, tomorrow is a different story!" Conrad replied jokingly, reciprocating her tease and bringing his face close to hers as they walked up the last few stairs.
He pulled out a blanket from his bag, along with a bottle of wine, two glasses, and a few smorgasbord food items. He poured both glasses and Nic sat down and covered herself with the blanket. He handed her a glass and she thanked him. She took a sip and was so happy and at peace.
"Conrad, this is amazing," she said, swirling the wine around in her glass.
Conrad smiled at Nic as he took a seat right next to her, wrapping his arm around her shoulders. He sighed and focused on the happiness of this present moment with Nic. "So… better than white tablecloth, right?" he asked, giving her shoulder a soft squeeze.
"Much better," Nic replied. "I may not enjoy fancy dinners, but I do stand by the belief that everything tastes better in a wine glass. And the fact that you brought two wine glasses––that was so sweet." She took a deep breath and smiled. "Thank you for tonight," she added.
"Nic, it has been truly amazing spending time with you today," Conrad said as she gently nuzzled her head between his cheek and shoulder.
"Mmh, I agree. Maybe we could do this more often?" she asked.
He could hear the nervousness in her voice, and he was a bit relieved that she was feeling just as nervous as he was. She could probably hear his heart beating rapidly inside his chest, but he focused his efforts into replying to her. "I would like that very much," he replied.
She looked up at him, their faces inches apart. They stared at each other for a moment before they began moving slowly towards each other. Their eyes closed and their lips met, and it was like lightning had traveled down both of their bodies. Conrad moved his hand to brush some of Nic's hair back as she inched herself closer to him. Her lips were soft, and his stubble tickled her chin and cheeks. Everything felt right about the way their bodies fit together, and they both knew it. They parted lips and opened their eyes to find that they were both smiling at each other. He brought his lips to hers again, feeling that same electricity coursing through his veins, and she reached around his body to pull herself closer to him. They were suddenly addicted to each other, needing to feel the other's touch and warmth.
"Wow," he breathed as they both pulled apart again.
"That was––" she began, "'wow' is a good way to put it," she giggled.
Conrad couldn't hold back his grin, and Nic felt her cheeks getting hot. They both could see the effect they had on each other, and they liked it. They liked it a lot.
They resumed their snuggling position and enjoyed more wine, food, and story-sharing before deciding to call it a night. Conrad walked Nic back to her place, and before she climbed up her porch steps, she gave him a quick kiss goodbye. Neither of them could sleep the rest of that night, and when they saw each other at Chastain the next day, they couldn't keep their eyes off of each other.
Conrad felt his phone buzz, and he grabbed it from his pocket to quickly read the message as he was walking through the halls of the hospital.
Hey you! Meet me after work. Same place, same time, the message read.
He slowed his walk and smiled wide at his phone. Do I need to bring anything? he replied.
Bring that smile ;) she answered.
Conrad looked up from his phone and saw her standing behind the nurses' station, looking right at him, and chuckled at her. "For you? Easy," he whispered in a low voice to her as he continued walking through the hall, maintaining eye contact with her for as long as he could.
Just then, Jess walked up to Nic and stood directly in front of her. "Spill," she demanded.
Nic blushed as Jess dragged her into the supply closet, but she was only thinking about one thing: seeing Conrad again.