Chapter Fifteen:
He smiled warmly at the scene in front of him. Jenny and Josh. Talking and laughing. Josh's mother told him Jenny was a godsend. Josh wore an infectious grin every time Jenny visited. And Jenny visited often. Lifted Josh's spirits when he got down. Made him feel better, not so blue, about the gradual loss of his dark brown hair. His brown eyes shone with happiness whenever he was around her. Happiness and love. One look into Jenny's sparkling blue eyes, and anyone could tell the feeling was mutual.
He walked over to Josh's bedside when the boy looked up from his handfull of cards and grinned. Waving him inside with an exuberant "Dr. Taylor. I'm winning!" "You are, are you? That's great, Josh," he said smiling down at the young boy. "So, Jenny. How does it feel?" "How does what feel? Losing? I HATE it," she said dramatically. "But if I have to lose, I'm glad it's to Josh, here. He's a pro at this." Josh beamed at her words of praise. She knew just the right things to say, Nick thought.
He joined them in another round of cards. And they had a grand time. Laughing and teasing each other. They played until a nurse came by and glared at them. Shocked to see one of the doctors, gasp, was making so much noise. That fact only dazed her for a moment before she kicked them out of Josh's room so she could check his vitals. He stood at the door while Jenny and Josh said their goodbyes. Waiting for her.
They made their way down the halls and outside the hospital's doors in comfortable silence. She was a vision of beauty in the sunlight. He couldn't stop staring. "What? Do I have something on my face?" "No," he admitted. "I'm sorry for staring. Very rude of me." "Oh," she breathed in relief. Another smile lighting up her face. "Good. I was afraid there for a minute. Um...you're doing it again." "What? Oh, I'm sorry. Man, do I feel like an idiot. Such a stupid thing to do..." "Nick. Nick. It's alright. Really. No need to apologize. I need to be getting back. Martin will be worried," she said with a smile. Slightly uncomfortable but wanting to ease his nerves.
"Bye. Tell Josh I'll see him later this week, okay," she said as a farewell. And turned to leave. She got no more than two feet away before his voice stopped her in her tracks. "Jenny." She turned around. Slowly. Met his gray eyes with her blue ones. "Jenny, I was wondering, well I was hoping..." he stumbled over the words lodged in his throat. "What?" she asked quietly. Moving closer to him. Almost unbearably close. Staring at him with those impossibly big, luminous blue eyes. In expectation.
"Would you like to have a cup of coffee with me sometime?" he blurted. The woman in front of him was the only person capable of making him feel like a complete idiot. And he loved that. The way she made him feel. She hesitated. But only for a moment before squaring her shoulders and giving him an answer. "Yes. I would." He couldn't stop the silly grin that stole over his face. He was stunned she had accepted. But obviously not as stunned as she at what he did next. Without thinking, he bent down and kissed her lightly, sweetly on the cheek. He apologized profusely when he saw her eyes widen in shock. She waved him off and said her goodbyes again. And walked away. He could kick himself. But...he was so happy she said 'yes' he soon forgot all about it.
But Jenny didn't forget. The memory of his lips caressing her cheek stayed with her. Well into the afternoon. Something about his gesture felt familiar, she thought. But then she ridiculed herself. A kiss on the cheek was hardly anything out of the ordinary. Hardly enough to go on. Enough to remember her past. But why did it affect her so? Why did she imagine an oddly familiar voice asking in nervousness if he could kiss her? Kiss her goodnight. And why, as she lifted a hand to her cheek in remembrance, did she think of the most beautiful brown eyes? Shining with love. At her. When Nick's eyes were gray. What was happening to her? Who was she? And who was the dark, hazy figure in her mind with the beautiful eyes? She would give anything to know. Anything.
He smiled warmly at the scene in front of him. Jenny and Josh. Talking and laughing. Josh's mother told him Jenny was a godsend. Josh wore an infectious grin every time Jenny visited. And Jenny visited often. Lifted Josh's spirits when he got down. Made him feel better, not so blue, about the gradual loss of his dark brown hair. His brown eyes shone with happiness whenever he was around her. Happiness and love. One look into Jenny's sparkling blue eyes, and anyone could tell the feeling was mutual.
He walked over to Josh's bedside when the boy looked up from his handfull of cards and grinned. Waving him inside with an exuberant "Dr. Taylor. I'm winning!" "You are, are you? That's great, Josh," he said smiling down at the young boy. "So, Jenny. How does it feel?" "How does what feel? Losing? I HATE it," she said dramatically. "But if I have to lose, I'm glad it's to Josh, here. He's a pro at this." Josh beamed at her words of praise. She knew just the right things to say, Nick thought.
He joined them in another round of cards. And they had a grand time. Laughing and teasing each other. They played until a nurse came by and glared at them. Shocked to see one of the doctors, gasp, was making so much noise. That fact only dazed her for a moment before she kicked them out of Josh's room so she could check his vitals. He stood at the door while Jenny and Josh said their goodbyes. Waiting for her.
They made their way down the halls and outside the hospital's doors in comfortable silence. She was a vision of beauty in the sunlight. He couldn't stop staring. "What? Do I have something on my face?" "No," he admitted. "I'm sorry for staring. Very rude of me." "Oh," she breathed in relief. Another smile lighting up her face. "Good. I was afraid there for a minute. Um...you're doing it again." "What? Oh, I'm sorry. Man, do I feel like an idiot. Such a stupid thing to do..." "Nick. Nick. It's alright. Really. No need to apologize. I need to be getting back. Martin will be worried," she said with a smile. Slightly uncomfortable but wanting to ease his nerves.
"Bye. Tell Josh I'll see him later this week, okay," she said as a farewell. And turned to leave. She got no more than two feet away before his voice stopped her in her tracks. "Jenny." She turned around. Slowly. Met his gray eyes with her blue ones. "Jenny, I was wondering, well I was hoping..." he stumbled over the words lodged in his throat. "What?" she asked quietly. Moving closer to him. Almost unbearably close. Staring at him with those impossibly big, luminous blue eyes. In expectation.
"Would you like to have a cup of coffee with me sometime?" he blurted. The woman in front of him was the only person capable of making him feel like a complete idiot. And he loved that. The way she made him feel. She hesitated. But only for a moment before squaring her shoulders and giving him an answer. "Yes. I would." He couldn't stop the silly grin that stole over his face. He was stunned she had accepted. But obviously not as stunned as she at what he did next. Without thinking, he bent down and kissed her lightly, sweetly on the cheek. He apologized profusely when he saw her eyes widen in shock. She waved him off and said her goodbyes again. And walked away. He could kick himself. But...he was so happy she said 'yes' he soon forgot all about it.
But Jenny didn't forget. The memory of his lips caressing her cheek stayed with her. Well into the afternoon. Something about his gesture felt familiar, she thought. But then she ridiculed herself. A kiss on the cheek was hardly anything out of the ordinary. Hardly enough to go on. Enough to remember her past. But why did it affect her so? Why did she imagine an oddly familiar voice asking in nervousness if he could kiss her? Kiss her goodnight. And why, as she lifted a hand to her cheek in remembrance, did she think of the most beautiful brown eyes? Shining with love. At her. When Nick's eyes were gray. What was happening to her? Who was she? And who was the dark, hazy figure in her mind with the beautiful eyes? She would give anything to know. Anything.