A few days later…
Robert bit his lip to keep from grinning as he strolled into work. He hadn't strolled into work for as long as he could remember – he usually walked from his car to the hospital but today it was verging on a strut. He ignored the pile of files on the front desk – not even thinking to make some snide comment about how useless the ER staff were.
Susan watched him suspiciously but quickly got drawn back into her patient.
All day Robert said very little. Anyone who commented on his good mood got a little bit of the torrent they expected. Like when Pratt, bless his soul, said "someone got some for the first time in ten years" Romano nicely handed him an infected rash, two convenient STIs and a vomiting kid, with a wave of the hand and calmly directed, "he really has the perfect surname" at Jerry, who didn't quite know how to handle being on that side of Romano's sarcasm. Everyone was so baffled they proceeded to ignore him – just as he had hoped they would. And when he left the ER ten hours later he managed to stroll back to his car without the usual fuming scowl and dramatic tossing of his cap.
Elizabeth heard rumours. She was on that night, and the nurses must have been running out of gossip because Romano's good mood was still their topic of conversation an hour after his shift had finished. His mood and the potential female causes.
Elizabeth smiled and moved on until she heard her name.
"There's always been something with those two – I mean he's fancied her from the word go but she never looked at him twice unless he was yelling at her."
"True, but she was yelling back and she wouldn't have bothered if she hated him – she would have escaped like everyone else."
"I'll believe it when I see it. Plus, it hasn't been that long since Dr Green."
"It's been a year and plus, she had that thing with what's his name."
"Yeah, but that was different. Did you see Romano's face – that was a grin. I didn't know his face stretched that far except in spite."
They laughed. Elizabeth walked out of earshot and she was kind of grateful for it. She went into her office. She'd had one surgery and now she was on call for the ER till the early hours of the morning. She had a stack of paperwork and not nearly enough coffee. She put an Enya CD on in the dark then shut the door and stood in the dark listening to the soft music. Peace – that was what she needed. Everything was changing – moving very fast. New job, but mostly, new THING with Robert. Whatever it was. It was a good thing but that didn't stop it from being confusing and even scary. She stretched out her neck and took several deep breaths before turning on her desk lamp.
There on the desk was a rose. A yellow rose. She sat on her chair and looked at it for a moment before searching for a note.
"I looked at the red ones but I know this is going very fast. Good, but fast. Yellow for friendship right? Love, Robert."
She grinned and smelled the rose sentimentally.
A few minutes later she had it in a vase and was desperately trying to concentrate on the memo in front of her. Unfortunately her eyes kept drifting to the single yellow rose casting it's delicate shadow on her phone. 'It's a sign' she thought, 'I want to talk to him, the rose points to the phone, so I should just call him.' So she did. But he wasn't there. 'But ages ago. Just before I got here. That's weird.' She tried again. No change in the ringing sound. No answer. But this time she left a message.
Just as she got focused back on her memo someone knocked at her door.
"Come in." She said absentmindedly, finishing the sentence she was reading and putting her finger on the full-stop so she could find her place again. She forgot everything she'd just read when Robert closed the door behind himself.
"Good evening." He stepped timidly into his old office. Happy all day, rumour had it, and now timid – who was this and what had they done with Robert?
"Hey." She smiled and stood up. "I just called you."
"Oh. Really. Well, it's your lucky day, the gods must have known so they sent you the real thing instead."
"Thank you for the rose – it's perfect. Even matches the décor." She tried to keep it light as she stepped around the desk and sat on the other side of it facing him.
"Not really," he looked around, then his eyes inevitably landed back on her, "but you improve the effect."
"Oh, aren't you the charmer? I didn't know you had it in you."
"Well, allow me to prove you wrong."
"No, you'd enjoy it too much." She teased
"Oh, well, let me try." He handed her a paper bag. "Supplies." He explained as she unfolded the top.
She pulled out a paper mug of hot coffee and a gift-wrapped box of chocolate covered coffee beans. "You read my mind." She smelt the coffee.
"Scary thought?" he teased, stepping closer to her.
She nodded, putting the gift on her desk beside her and leaning in to kiss him. "Thank you."
"Pleasure's mine." He shook his head.
"This is too much." She laughed at his gentility.
"It's just coffee and chocolate."
"No, I mean the charming thing."
"Well, you bring out the best."
"But it's not real. Tell me what you really want to say – what you're thinking."
"Okay." He accepted what she'd said faster than she'd expected. He took a deep breath and stepped away from her as though he needed a clear head. He looked out the window to the skyline, which was habitually lit like a Christmas tree. "I'm thinking that you are stunning." He turned back to her. "I want to say," he thought for a moment, "that you go to my head. But I'll save you the pain of listening to me sing it – I'll let Billy Holiday do the honours. I want to say I adore you. I've had a good day – which is surprising considering the circumstances, then I come here, two hours after I leave work I'm back, which is usually a bad thing, and it somehow makes this good day even better. I can see the Chicago skyline with one eye but I prefer you. Sitting on your desk beside a rose I gave you. I was being honest before. The pleasure really is mine."
"Mine too." She whispered, looking at him, amazed at what he'd said.
"Your turn – what are you thinking?"
She sighed, "I'm thinking I have an awful lot of work to do and your being here is a serious risk to that. And I'm thinking I should care more than I do that that paperwork needs to be done by tomorrow night. And it might just be possible. But the odds are not in it's favour – they weren't before you got here, but now… what's the point? I'm thinking that I don't deserve the look in your eyes and that you're standing far too far away from me." At that he stepped toward her, smiling softly. She continued, her heart speeding up, "I'm thinking that my mind has gone completely blank."
He stopped her with a kiss so desperate it took away what little breath she had left.
Eventually he pulled back. "The whole slowing down plan is about to go out the window," he warned her.
"What plan?" she teased.
He smiled as he gave into her kiss again.
"This one." He forced himself to pull back and took a step away from her.
"Probably a good plan." She smiled mischievously.
"Maybe. Doesn't feel so good." He nodded "Drink your coffee before it goes cold."
She picked up the mug and drank if fairly fast as it wasn't so hot anymore. She offered him a chocolate covered coffee bean and then took a couple for herself. "I should probably get onto this," she gestured to the pile of paper on her desk, "but the caffeine will hopefully make up for the distraction you are."
"My apologies. If I were your boss I'd understand, I'd let you off the hook…"
"Ha!" Elizabeth cut him off, "Wasn't so long ago, my memory is a little more vivid than yours obviously."
"Well, it was worth a try." He grinned
Elizabeth laughed.
"Gosh, you're beautiful." He breathed.
She smiled at him. "I don't want you to go. And not cause my ego is growing a mile a minute. Just…" she wasn't sure what she wanted exactly, "stay?"
"Only if I can nap on your sofa – I'm on again tomorrow morning. My best instincts tell me I should go home to bed but I think my body and all the rest of it might just downright refuse."
"Well, I'm pretty keen on your body and all the rest of it – instincts are overrated."
"Ta, I'm keen on your body to, but I didn't plan on coming right out and saying it."
She laughed, returning to her chair, "you're distracting me. Make yourself at home, but keep it down."
"Yes ma'am." He fell back on the couch. "Oh, I remember this. Many a peaceful night. Never long enough though."
"No, they never are. Try having a daughter."
"I'll borrow her sometime," he lay down, rearranging the pillows under his head.
"Careful, I might just take you up on that – unless you expect to get paid for babysitting."
"Only if you're offering. You know my folks haven't put my allowance up in years – a bit of pocket money wouldn't go astray." He yawned.
"Goodnight Robert." She started reading the memo from the top.
Robert bit his lip to keep from grinning as he strolled into work. He hadn't strolled into work for as long as he could remember – he usually walked from his car to the hospital but today it was verging on a strut. He ignored the pile of files on the front desk – not even thinking to make some snide comment about how useless the ER staff were.
Susan watched him suspiciously but quickly got drawn back into her patient.
All day Robert said very little. Anyone who commented on his good mood got a little bit of the torrent they expected. Like when Pratt, bless his soul, said "someone got some for the first time in ten years" Romano nicely handed him an infected rash, two convenient STIs and a vomiting kid, with a wave of the hand and calmly directed, "he really has the perfect surname" at Jerry, who didn't quite know how to handle being on that side of Romano's sarcasm. Everyone was so baffled they proceeded to ignore him – just as he had hoped they would. And when he left the ER ten hours later he managed to stroll back to his car without the usual fuming scowl and dramatic tossing of his cap.
Elizabeth heard rumours. She was on that night, and the nurses must have been running out of gossip because Romano's good mood was still their topic of conversation an hour after his shift had finished. His mood and the potential female causes.
Elizabeth smiled and moved on until she heard her name.
"There's always been something with those two – I mean he's fancied her from the word go but she never looked at him twice unless he was yelling at her."
"True, but she was yelling back and she wouldn't have bothered if she hated him – she would have escaped like everyone else."
"I'll believe it when I see it. Plus, it hasn't been that long since Dr Green."
"It's been a year and plus, she had that thing with what's his name."
"Yeah, but that was different. Did you see Romano's face – that was a grin. I didn't know his face stretched that far except in spite."
They laughed. Elizabeth walked out of earshot and she was kind of grateful for it. She went into her office. She'd had one surgery and now she was on call for the ER till the early hours of the morning. She had a stack of paperwork and not nearly enough coffee. She put an Enya CD on in the dark then shut the door and stood in the dark listening to the soft music. Peace – that was what she needed. Everything was changing – moving very fast. New job, but mostly, new THING with Robert. Whatever it was. It was a good thing but that didn't stop it from being confusing and even scary. She stretched out her neck and took several deep breaths before turning on her desk lamp.
There on the desk was a rose. A yellow rose. She sat on her chair and looked at it for a moment before searching for a note.
"I looked at the red ones but I know this is going very fast. Good, but fast. Yellow for friendship right? Love, Robert."
She grinned and smelled the rose sentimentally.
A few minutes later she had it in a vase and was desperately trying to concentrate on the memo in front of her. Unfortunately her eyes kept drifting to the single yellow rose casting it's delicate shadow on her phone. 'It's a sign' she thought, 'I want to talk to him, the rose points to the phone, so I should just call him.' So she did. But he wasn't there. 'But ages ago. Just before I got here. That's weird.' She tried again. No change in the ringing sound. No answer. But this time she left a message.
Just as she got focused back on her memo someone knocked at her door.
"Come in." She said absentmindedly, finishing the sentence she was reading and putting her finger on the full-stop so she could find her place again. She forgot everything she'd just read when Robert closed the door behind himself.
"Good evening." He stepped timidly into his old office. Happy all day, rumour had it, and now timid – who was this and what had they done with Robert?
"Hey." She smiled and stood up. "I just called you."
"Oh. Really. Well, it's your lucky day, the gods must have known so they sent you the real thing instead."
"Thank you for the rose – it's perfect. Even matches the décor." She tried to keep it light as she stepped around the desk and sat on the other side of it facing him.
"Not really," he looked around, then his eyes inevitably landed back on her, "but you improve the effect."
"Oh, aren't you the charmer? I didn't know you had it in you."
"Well, allow me to prove you wrong."
"No, you'd enjoy it too much." She teased
"Oh, well, let me try." He handed her a paper bag. "Supplies." He explained as she unfolded the top.
She pulled out a paper mug of hot coffee and a gift-wrapped box of chocolate covered coffee beans. "You read my mind." She smelt the coffee.
"Scary thought?" he teased, stepping closer to her.
She nodded, putting the gift on her desk beside her and leaning in to kiss him. "Thank you."
"Pleasure's mine." He shook his head.
"This is too much." She laughed at his gentility.
"It's just coffee and chocolate."
"No, I mean the charming thing."
"Well, you bring out the best."
"But it's not real. Tell me what you really want to say – what you're thinking."
"Okay." He accepted what she'd said faster than she'd expected. He took a deep breath and stepped away from her as though he needed a clear head. He looked out the window to the skyline, which was habitually lit like a Christmas tree. "I'm thinking that you are stunning." He turned back to her. "I want to say," he thought for a moment, "that you go to my head. But I'll save you the pain of listening to me sing it – I'll let Billy Holiday do the honours. I want to say I adore you. I've had a good day – which is surprising considering the circumstances, then I come here, two hours after I leave work I'm back, which is usually a bad thing, and it somehow makes this good day even better. I can see the Chicago skyline with one eye but I prefer you. Sitting on your desk beside a rose I gave you. I was being honest before. The pleasure really is mine."
"Mine too." She whispered, looking at him, amazed at what he'd said.
"Your turn – what are you thinking?"
She sighed, "I'm thinking I have an awful lot of work to do and your being here is a serious risk to that. And I'm thinking I should care more than I do that that paperwork needs to be done by tomorrow night. And it might just be possible. But the odds are not in it's favour – they weren't before you got here, but now… what's the point? I'm thinking that I don't deserve the look in your eyes and that you're standing far too far away from me." At that he stepped toward her, smiling softly. She continued, her heart speeding up, "I'm thinking that my mind has gone completely blank."
He stopped her with a kiss so desperate it took away what little breath she had left.
Eventually he pulled back. "The whole slowing down plan is about to go out the window," he warned her.
"What plan?" she teased.
He smiled as he gave into her kiss again.
"This one." He forced himself to pull back and took a step away from her.
"Probably a good plan." She smiled mischievously.
"Maybe. Doesn't feel so good." He nodded "Drink your coffee before it goes cold."
She picked up the mug and drank if fairly fast as it wasn't so hot anymore. She offered him a chocolate covered coffee bean and then took a couple for herself. "I should probably get onto this," she gestured to the pile of paper on her desk, "but the caffeine will hopefully make up for the distraction you are."
"My apologies. If I were your boss I'd understand, I'd let you off the hook…"
"Ha!" Elizabeth cut him off, "Wasn't so long ago, my memory is a little more vivid than yours obviously."
"Well, it was worth a try." He grinned
Elizabeth laughed.
"Gosh, you're beautiful." He breathed.
She smiled at him. "I don't want you to go. And not cause my ego is growing a mile a minute. Just…" she wasn't sure what she wanted exactly, "stay?"
"Only if I can nap on your sofa – I'm on again tomorrow morning. My best instincts tell me I should go home to bed but I think my body and all the rest of it might just downright refuse."
"Well, I'm pretty keen on your body and all the rest of it – instincts are overrated."
"Ta, I'm keen on your body to, but I didn't plan on coming right out and saying it."
She laughed, returning to her chair, "you're distracting me. Make yourself at home, but keep it down."
"Yes ma'am." He fell back on the couch. "Oh, I remember this. Many a peaceful night. Never long enough though."
"No, they never are. Try having a daughter."
"I'll borrow her sometime," he lay down, rearranging the pillows under his head.
"Careful, I might just take you up on that – unless you expect to get paid for babysitting."
"Only if you're offering. You know my folks haven't put my allowance up in years – a bit of pocket money wouldn't go astray." He yawned.
"Goodnight Robert." She started reading the memo from the top.