Sorry for the delay on this one, I haven't been feeling inspired! I'm off on vacation until next weekend now so will hopefully come back refreshed!
The afternoon flew by and before they knew it they were heading back to Neil's with their arms full of grocery bags ready for him to spoil them. When Audrey arrived later in the evening, Kevin ushered her towards the dinner table and the room was already flooded with the wonderful aroma of Neil's cooking.
As she passed by the couch she would be camping out on tonight, she dropped the small bag she was carrying, kicking it out of the way and getting an exaggerated wink from Jo as she turned to grab a seat.
"Oh hush" she said, aiming to reprimand her in jest but just earning herself a giggle from her friend. "You need to cut off her wine" she called out to Kevin who had just gone into the kitchen for a top up.
Around ten minutes later, they were all sat in front of steaming plates of enchiladas overflowing with tender beef and others stuffed with shredded chicken, vegetables and beans - something to suit all tastes.
"That's all my handiwork" Kevin joked as he handed Jo the bowl of fresh salad. "Chopped it all myself" he said puffing out his chest.
"Chopped a bit rough isn't it for the best plastic surgeon on the East Coast?" Audrey teased before helping herself to the refried beans. "My favourite" she said to herself before taking a big bite of enchiladas rojas before fanning herself once the guajillo chili began to take effect. Smiling at her reaction, Neil leaned over and added a spoonful of sour cream to her plate earning himself a gracious smile for his trouble.
Once dinner was cleared away, they retired to the sitting room to finish out the evening. They had finished the first bottle between the four of them at dinner so Kevin and Jo opened a second, while Neil and Audrey turned to coffee since they were both due in work in the morning.
Jo told them stories about how balancing her working life and life with a toddler was more crazy than she could ever have imagined. How little Lucas was turning into the cheekiest of monkeys and how she thought it was partly down to Tio Neil and his weekly Skypes.
The stories from Kevin changed the tone for a while as he told them about some of the challenges he had faced working with Doctors Without Borders. For the last month he had been in Monrovia, Liberia where he was part of a team which had performed over forty pediatric plastic reconstructive surgeries one month.
"The surgery should let him use his hand to almost full capacity" he smiled softly at the memory of one particular patient. "Thinking about how he was considered disabled, it's almost a miracle. But now he'll be able to learn to write and eventually work normally. Dr Krieger is amazing. The best I've ever seen" he said solemnly.
"We've got a great case coming in next week" Neil smiled. "A guy is coming in with a neurofibroma that's hit 100lbs and counting. It's crazy, it's even got its own blood supply" he said as they started debating why it would have grown to such a size.
The stories continued with ease just like in their residency days until Audrey was caught stifling a yawn and shrugged nonchalantly when they called her a lightweight.
"I had a busy afternoon" she argued. "We couldn't all just wander around the city drinking coffee" she teased.
"Ah, yes, well! Early start in the morning" Kevin said standing and gathering the empty glasses and cups.
"Leave those until tomorrow" Neil called after him as he went through to the kitchen and smiling as Kevin almost instantly reappeared.
"Don't have to tell me twice!" he quipped.
After saying their goodnights, Neil and Audrey found themselves stood at either end of the couch in a stand off.
"Do you want the inside or the outside?" he asked with a smile which widened as she laughed out loud.
"Outside?" she replied, shrugging her shoulders.
She had kicked off her boots earlier in the evening to tuck her feet up underneath her, making herself at home. He shook his head as she pulled off her sweater and dropped it in a heap on the chair before fishing around behind the couch to reach her overnight bag.
He shucked off his pants and socks in the space of two minutes and had folded them neatly before sitting back to watch her bedtime preparations.
Her hands moved to the buckle of her jeans when she looked up and caught him blatantly watching her every move.
"No funny business, remember" she said, raising her eyebrows.
"I don't think that this is very funny at all" he said gesturing to all of her. "This is actually pretty hot" he grimaced hoping it didn't sound too weird.
"Really?" she asked, sounding surprised. "Why?"
"I don't really know" he admitted, thinking that now he sounded even more crazy. "I just like watching you" he said squeezing his eyes shut and shaking his head wishing to himself that he'd stop talking.
"I get it" she replied, flopping down into the seat next to him, in some lounge pants and a vest. It appeared while he was scolding himself he had missed the part he wanted to see the most. "I kinda like you watching me. You think I don't know, but I do" she smiled. "And I like it" she said leaning over to kiss him in the cheek.
"Shift a minute" he said, nudging her side to get her to stand for just a moment. "Pass that blanket" he directed as he moved to smooth the one he was leaning on along the length of the couch.
Stretching himself out, he shuffled onto his side to make her some room. After shaking out the second blanket, she lay down next to him fidgeting to get comfortable. After a close call with the edge of the seat, she was relieved to feel his arm around her as he pulled her flush against him.
"I won't let you fall" he whispered in her ear before nuzzling his nose into her hair and kissing the back of her neck.
"Stop it" she scolded half heartedly, closing her eyes as his laugh gave her goosebumps.
"This okay?" He asked, resting his hand on her stomach.
"It is" she replied. "Goodnight Neil."
"Goodnight Audrey."
X
They woke with their alarm the next morning and stretched out gingerly to make sure Audrey didn't hit the deck. Not being much of a morning person, she was happy to pull the blanket up over her head and get another ten minutes or so while Neil found himself clambering over her to go and set the coffee to go.
One the machine was away, he climbed back in under the blanket to keep warm. Audrey, who was now more awake, propped herself up on her elbow and smirked at him.
"What?" he asked.
"That was not the best night's sleep ever was it?"
"It was alright. You weren't comfortable?"
"Oh, I was comfortable enough" she said, her smile getting wider. "It's just difficult to sleep quite so close to someone so handsy" she teased.
He felt himself blush at the accusation.
"Really?' he asked getting a nod. "Sorry" he cringed.
"It's fine! You can make it up to me" she smiled, leaning down for a kiss.
"Gladly" he chuckled, gently running his fingers into her hair and pulling her down again.
"Are you guys decent?!" came the call from the hallway.
"No!"
"Yes!"
They answered together.
"Well we're coming in, make yourself presentable" Jo teased. "We need coffee!"
"Come in, you idiots!" Audrey called. "Coffee is ready."
Thirty minutes later she was stood near the door to the apartment, her bag casually slung over her shoulder, waiting patiently for the others. They had not packed a thing the night before and were now frantically throwing everything into their carry-ons while nursing mild hangovers.
"Ready?" Neil asked, pulling on his heavy black jacket and fidgeting while he tried to straighten his collar. She stepped in close, batting his hands away and smoothing it flat for him before taking a good handful either side and pulling him in for a kiss just as he had done the night before.
As he took a step in closer, taking advantage of the shift in balance and manoeuvred them until her back was pressed against the wall, jamming her bag and allowing space for his hand to snake around behind her.
With what felt like his entire body touching hers from head to toe, she was distracted long enough for him to slide her bag off her shoulder and was only snapped back to reality as she heard it hit the floor.
He had flung it carelessly into the corner which earned him a questioning look accompanied by the smallest of frowns.
"You're not going home tonight" he whispered in a voice that sent goosebumps racing down her spine. "You're staying here."
"Am I now?" she teased eventually. He didn't reply, he just kissed her again until they heard movement heading in their direction and they slowly stepped apart. The look he was giving her was enough to melt her insides and she had no choice but to look away.
"Really you two?!" Kevin teased. "You'd best stay away from any storage closets today or this will turn into an episode of Grey's Anatomy!" he laughed earning himself a thump on the arm from Audrey.
"Want me to drop you on Broad Street to get your bus?" Neil asked as they stepped out of the apartment to head to the car.
She looked over her shoulder at the other two following behind and smiled. "Not today. We can use them as an excuse and go together for a change" she smiled as she leaned in and kissed his cheek before they stepped out onto the sidewalk.
After loading their cases into the trunk, they got in for the trip to St Bonaventure. Jo and Kevin settled into the back seats, leaving Audrey to lower herself into the passenger seat. Neil looked over and smiled as he got in and after he buckled his belt, he put his hand on her thigh, giving it a quick squeeze before starting the engine and hitting the road.
Driving past their usual bus stop, they smirked at each other feeling like kids trying to sneak a cookie from the jar. The traffic got busier the closer they got to the hospital and the journey slowed significantly and he noticed her starting to shift nervously in her seat.
"You okay?" he asked as they stopped at the next set of lights.
"Sure" she answered abruptly, not looking at him. "Maybe this wasn't the best idea" she grimaced.
He glanced in the rear-view mirror and made eye contact with Jo, shrugging his shoulders in a silent plea for help.
"I'm sure nobody will think twice about you two riding in together today" Jo started in a cool, calm voice. "Will be even less unusual when they see us getting out of the back" she said reaching forward and putting a hand on Audreys shoulder. She could feel the tension in her shoulder like a coiled spring ready to pop.
"We're just getting breakfast and then Jo and I are heading out to the airport. This is perfectly normal friends behaviour" Kevin added. "Let's keep it cool, just like dinner the other night... before your overly extravagant display of affection of course" he finished, feeling relieved when he garnered a snort of laughter from Audrey and a grin in the mirror from Neil.
Neil was very thankful that little talk was done and dusted because as he slowed to take the last corner into the final stretch before the parking lot they saw Reznick and Browne waiting to cross the street on their way to start their shift.
Both of them raising a hand in greeting he heard Audrey mutter a curse under her breathe.
"They are heading right this way and will be walking past just as Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dum are getting out. Just relax" he whispered.
Audrey sprung from the car like a Jack in the Box and quickly opened the rear door to let Jo out for the residents to plainly see they had guests with them.
"Morning Dr Lim, Dr Melendez" Reznick said in passing, getting a nod from them both.
"Morning" Browne added with a smile as they carried on walking.
"Nothing to worry about" Jo whispered. "They barely looked at you guys. Now let's go, I'm starving!"
Walking in through the main entrance, they headed immediately to the cafeteria, making a beeline for the person they were here to see.
"Now, there's a sight for sore eyes!" Dr Glassman exclaimed as the foursome approached his table. He stood to embrace Jo and Kevin with a big smile before turning to offer them the spare seats. "We've got some catching up to do."
