Disclaimer : I own nothing, guys at WB and NBC do. I just borrow to have fun…
"So how was you date with Clemente?"
"That wasn't a date, Neela." Abby answered smiling.
"Didn't he take you to a French restaurant? I mean that's something."
"How do you know that?" She looked at her friend, not sure she wanted to know how this information was already all over the ER. "Yeah he did, but that was only an incentive to make me say yes."
"So how was it?"
"The restaurant?" Abby teasingly asked.
"Yes that, and all the rest!"
"It was an interesting evening."Abby had to laugh. It had been agreeable. It took her some time to relax at the beginning. Clemente's behavior at the hospital had made her suspicious about his ulterior motives. But he had behaved like a gentleman the whole evening.
"You liked it?"
"Yeah. It was a little weird. I mean I hardly know the guy and he takes me to 'La Bohême'. The place was far too expensive and I was definitely under-dressed for the occasion. And he bought me flowers, can you imagine that?" As they walked they reached Admit where Frank, Chuny and Haleh were eagerly waiting for details.
"Flowers? Wow! What kind?" Haleh wondered.
"Red roses…"
"Oh, that's for passion. He sure knows how to treat a woman. That means something Abby." Chuny chuckled and smiled knowingly at Neela and Haleh. Abby just shook her head. They were all crazy. It had been a nice gesture. The little bouquet had been lovely, 5 tiny red roses with baby's breath. Nothing in common with this morning's bouquet. She still wondered what had driven him to buy her 12 red roses. Had she given him the impression she was interested in him? She frowned. She definitely needed to talk with Clemente. She just wondered where he was. She looked around searching for him.
"Did you go dancing?" Haleh just didn't let go. Abby had to smile, they sure all looked very excited. She almost felt bad to soon disappoint them.
"Yeah we did."
"Did you like it?" Chuny pushed. Getting a complete sentence out of Abby was a complete challenge.
"Yeah, I guess." She smiled, remembering the crazy salsa place they went after dinner. It definitely had been fun.
"Our little doctor has certainly made an impression on you. You look all dreamy and happy. That must have been a hell of a date." Abby looked up surprised by Frank's little tirade. She certainly wouldn't qualify her evening as a dream date, it had been fun but that was all. She saw him look behind her. As she turned, she saw Luka.
"Good morning." His greeting was short and his eyes were immediately on Abby. She smiled until she realized, he wasn't smiling back.
"Hi Dr Kovac. Abby was just telling us about her date with Dr Clemente. What did you take at 'La Bohême'? I heard they have the best chocolate mousse on this side of the Atlantic."
"He took you to 'La Bohême'?" Luka seemed stunned. He definitely hadn't thought that Clemente would take her to such an exclusive place. What was he planning?
"Yeah…" Abby hesitantly looked at Luka. Why did she suddenly feel like a little girl who's been caught with her hand in the cookie jar?
"And after that they went dancing! And he bought her red roses! It's so romantic. Are you going to accept another date with him?" Even as Chuny was speaking, Luka didn't break eye contact with Abby.
"That wasn't a real date." She turned to the others. "We had fun but that's it. I mean… it was… nice." As soon as the last word left her mouth, he felt a cold shiver run down his spine. Abby looked up at him and saw his eyes narrowing.
"Nice?" He repeated the word slowly, as to check its meaning with her.
"Yeah…" She couldn't understand his question. The word was… definitely not the one she should have used. Realization hit her full force. She could have slapped herself. "No! Not nice! Definitely not nice." Luka nodded and finally looked away. Yeah, perfect! After five beers last night, he'd finally convinced himself, that this had been nothing. But 'La Bohême', red roses and dancing didn't really sound like nothing.
"I need to change, see you all later." With that he left, angrily yanking off his scarf. Being just friends really sucked. He had put himself into a living nightmare. Clemente and Abby? Great, that was just great. He felt like breaking something to release the tension.
"What has got into him?" The three women looked at his retreating form. Frank repressed a smile but remained silent.
"I can't believe I just said nice…" Chuny shook her head at Abby's apparent dismay.
"Well considering that he invited you to 'La Bohême', gave you red roses and took you dancing, the word is definitely an understatement."
"An understatement? Do you know what nice means?"
"Yes?" Neela answered, suddenly unsure.
"No, not that!" Abby shook her head categorically as though Neela had no clue what the word meant.
"What?"
"I don't know. I need to change." She had to go back to the lounge. Oh crap the lounge! She pinched the bridge of her nose feeling the mother of all headaches starting there. Those damn flowers! That sure was giving the wrong impression.
"You've already changed!" She looked down at her white lab coat. Damn for once she had been too quick.
"Oh yeah!"
"I need a coffee and so do you. Let me buy you one. It's not as fancy as in this posh restaurant you went last night, but I'm sure it'll do you good. Do you want anything?" Neela asked both nurses and Frank.
"No, we're good." They looked both doctors leave. "Now that was interesting. Clemente is a genius."
"Wait until Luka sees the roses he has brought this morning. They sure look good in the doctors' lounge." Chuny chuckled.
"I just hope Abby left the little card. It took us long enough to figure out what to write."
"You know what that means?" Frank asked.
"What?"
"Hell is going to break loose in ER. I bet Kovac will go for Clemente's throat in the next days."
"Sure, but sometimes sacrifices are necessary." They remained silent for a while. Suddenly Haleh shook her head.
"Nice?" Haleh chuckled. "Why do I have this strange feeling that this word has a completely different meaning for those two?"