"What the hell do you think you're doing?" Rae demanded, grabbing Michelle
by her upper arm and spinning her around to face her.
"I don't know what you're talking about!" Michelle snarled and pulled out of the other woman's grasp. "Get off of me, Rae."
"Stay away from him."
Michelle grasped the intent of the older woman. Warn her away from the Greek Adonis. "Why Rae, what has he done to deserve being completely ostracized from colleagues?"
Rae folded her arms over her chest. "Shel, if he stays here...it's just too difficult."
"For who Rae? For you...because you want the best of both worlds? You want your cake and pudding too?" When Rae didn't answer and only stared, tears forming in her eyes, Michelle went on, "It's his life Rae. If he chooses to stay, deal with it. Let him be and give it a damned rest. If it's over, act like it's over. Don't go running after every woman he might happen to make a passing comment to and run her over like a jealous lover."
"I'm not!" Rae insisted vehemently.
"NO? What do you call this? Jesus, Rae..." Michelle turned and stalked off leaving the speechless Doctor Brennan gaping after her.
***
His shift over for the day, Nick headed down to reception to check out for the day. Norman was quietly talking to a leggy blonde wearing black spiked heels, a tight black mini skirt and lavender tank top. Her back was to Nick while she laughed with Norman.
"C'mon Shel," Norman prodded. "It's not like you don't know how."
"Give it up, Normy...not gonna happen."
"Hello, Dr. Kokoris," Norman acknowledged looking up from his conversation with the blonde.
"I'm gone for the night, Norman. Have a good one," Nick replied. He stopped in his tracks as the woman turned and he realized it was Michelle Chambers. "Good evening, Ms. Chambers."
Michelle smiled and nodded to the handsome doctor. "Have a nice evening, Dr. Kokoris. Norman..."
"Hey, Shel..." Norman called out as she walked away. "I won't give up. And you know how persistent I can be!"
Michelle waved while she continued to walk away. "And you know how stubborn I can be."
Nick watched the exchange with a mixture of amusement and sympathy. He was amused at how playful the two seemed and yet sympathetic that the woman would be so cold in her rejection of the young receptionist.
With a shake of the head, Nick followed Michelle from the building and spied her as she got into her car. Shrugging, he headed on foot to his small apartment. It was temporary, until he decided whether he was staying in San Francisco or returning to Greece. Until he made his decision, he wasn't prepared to put down any permanent roots. His nearby apartment would do for now.
Deep in thought, he was startled when a dark colored convertible pulled up along side him and stopped. "Hey, Doc...wanna lift?" He heard a voice call out and turned his gaze on the driver. He smiled warmly, "Thank you, Ms. Chambers." He slid easily into the passenger seat of the Ford Mustang; once inside he noticed the vehicle's color was a deep green, which he had mistaken for black in the darkness.
"It's Michelle, Doc...or Shel," she insisted with a smile as she pulled the vehicle back into traffic. "And on rare occasion, it's Shelley, but by a very few."
"Ah, and since you admitted that to me, then it is possible I may be among those few," he teased, a playful smile danced on his lips.
"Maybe...given time and my gregarious nature. So, where ya headed, Doc?"
"The name is Nicholas or Nick , whichever you prefer," he stated before giving her his address.
Michelle glanced askance and her breath caught in her throat. His smile was charming, his dark eyes twinkled with the passing of the streetlamps and his presence was a bit overwhelming to her. She had sworn after the exchange with Rae she would keep her distance from the charming doctor, but when she saw him in the lobby and then walking along the sidewalk, she could not help herself. She wanted to be near him, wanted the chance to get to know him. "What if I prefer Nicky?" she asked playfully and watched as his eyebrow rose at her suggestion.
He chuckled. "No one has ever called me Nicky."
"Never?" she replied in mock amazement. "Hmm...guess that's out then."
"For now, at any rate," he replied, a devilish smile touched his lips. "Next light; turn right."
"M'kay," she acknowledged. "So, Doctor Nick...you up for dinner or something?"
He blinked. "Or something?"
"A drink...food...karaoke...what's your preference?"
"Food...drink...you would not want me to sing for you," he deadpanned.
"Damn." Michelle winked at him, as she turned into his apartment complex. "Number?"
"Excuse me?"
"Apartment number? Or I can just dump you out here," she quipped.
"Oh...307. Next building."
Michelle pulled into a parking space and killed the engine. "So, dinner or not, Nicholas? You never answered."
"Dinner," he replied with a wink. "If you'd like to meet somewhere?"
"Sure. I'm headed to the Rite Spot Cafe on Folsom Street. I'll see ya if ya show up," she replied as Nick exited the car. "Any cab driver knows the place."
He nodded. "Til then."
Michelle watched until he disappeared down the dimly lit corridor. She started the vehicle and left the complex seriously doubting the good doctor would show up. No matter, she had friends there, good music and most importantly...food!
"I don't know what you're talking about!" Michelle snarled and pulled out of the other woman's grasp. "Get off of me, Rae."
"Stay away from him."
Michelle grasped the intent of the older woman. Warn her away from the Greek Adonis. "Why Rae, what has he done to deserve being completely ostracized from colleagues?"
Rae folded her arms over her chest. "Shel, if he stays here...it's just too difficult."
"For who Rae? For you...because you want the best of both worlds? You want your cake and pudding too?" When Rae didn't answer and only stared, tears forming in her eyes, Michelle went on, "It's his life Rae. If he chooses to stay, deal with it. Let him be and give it a damned rest. If it's over, act like it's over. Don't go running after every woman he might happen to make a passing comment to and run her over like a jealous lover."
"I'm not!" Rae insisted vehemently.
"NO? What do you call this? Jesus, Rae..." Michelle turned and stalked off leaving the speechless Doctor Brennan gaping after her.
***
His shift over for the day, Nick headed down to reception to check out for the day. Norman was quietly talking to a leggy blonde wearing black spiked heels, a tight black mini skirt and lavender tank top. Her back was to Nick while she laughed with Norman.
"C'mon Shel," Norman prodded. "It's not like you don't know how."
"Give it up, Normy...not gonna happen."
"Hello, Dr. Kokoris," Norman acknowledged looking up from his conversation with the blonde.
"I'm gone for the night, Norman. Have a good one," Nick replied. He stopped in his tracks as the woman turned and he realized it was Michelle Chambers. "Good evening, Ms. Chambers."
Michelle smiled and nodded to the handsome doctor. "Have a nice evening, Dr. Kokoris. Norman..."
"Hey, Shel..." Norman called out as she walked away. "I won't give up. And you know how persistent I can be!"
Michelle waved while she continued to walk away. "And you know how stubborn I can be."
Nick watched the exchange with a mixture of amusement and sympathy. He was amused at how playful the two seemed and yet sympathetic that the woman would be so cold in her rejection of the young receptionist.
With a shake of the head, Nick followed Michelle from the building and spied her as she got into her car. Shrugging, he headed on foot to his small apartment. It was temporary, until he decided whether he was staying in San Francisco or returning to Greece. Until he made his decision, he wasn't prepared to put down any permanent roots. His nearby apartment would do for now.
Deep in thought, he was startled when a dark colored convertible pulled up along side him and stopped. "Hey, Doc...wanna lift?" He heard a voice call out and turned his gaze on the driver. He smiled warmly, "Thank you, Ms. Chambers." He slid easily into the passenger seat of the Ford Mustang; once inside he noticed the vehicle's color was a deep green, which he had mistaken for black in the darkness.
"It's Michelle, Doc...or Shel," she insisted with a smile as she pulled the vehicle back into traffic. "And on rare occasion, it's Shelley, but by a very few."
"Ah, and since you admitted that to me, then it is possible I may be among those few," he teased, a playful smile danced on his lips.
"Maybe...given time and my gregarious nature. So, where ya headed, Doc?"
"The name is Nicholas or Nick , whichever you prefer," he stated before giving her his address.
Michelle glanced askance and her breath caught in her throat. His smile was charming, his dark eyes twinkled with the passing of the streetlamps and his presence was a bit overwhelming to her. She had sworn after the exchange with Rae she would keep her distance from the charming doctor, but when she saw him in the lobby and then walking along the sidewalk, she could not help herself. She wanted to be near him, wanted the chance to get to know him. "What if I prefer Nicky?" she asked playfully and watched as his eyebrow rose at her suggestion.
He chuckled. "No one has ever called me Nicky."
"Never?" she replied in mock amazement. "Hmm...guess that's out then."
"For now, at any rate," he replied, a devilish smile touched his lips. "Next light; turn right."
"M'kay," she acknowledged. "So, Doctor Nick...you up for dinner or something?"
He blinked. "Or something?"
"A drink...food...karaoke...what's your preference?"
"Food...drink...you would not want me to sing for you," he deadpanned.
"Damn." Michelle winked at him, as she turned into his apartment complex. "Number?"
"Excuse me?"
"Apartment number? Or I can just dump you out here," she quipped.
"Oh...307. Next building."
Michelle pulled into a parking space and killed the engine. "So, dinner or not, Nicholas? You never answered."
"Dinner," he replied with a wink. "If you'd like to meet somewhere?"
"Sure. I'm headed to the Rite Spot Cafe on Folsom Street. I'll see ya if ya show up," she replied as Nick exited the car. "Any cab driver knows the place."
He nodded. "Til then."
Michelle watched until he disappeared down the dimly lit corridor. She started the vehicle and left the complex seriously doubting the good doctor would show up. No matter, she had friends there, good music and most importantly...food!