Tie and night : a Melendaire story
Tonight was not an ordinary night. It was Bonaventure charity event. The moment when rich donators came to the hospital to give a lot of money. Audrey had been clear about this for weeks: they needed money. The earthquake had cost them a lot and Bonaventure needed new materials. And the current funds didn't allow any materials purchase.
« Be nice, smile and make these people sign big checks. »
Neil couldn't listen to this song anymore. He was so pissed, so annoyed by this. He almost skipped the night but he was stopped by Audrey and Marcus who kept reminded him he had to be here because he was « the greatest surgeon, the superstar of Bonaventure ». To be fair, he didn't care about them flattering him all day long.
He used to love this. When he was young and arrogant. And then there had been this earthquake… And Claire. And they changed everything. The earthquake made him realize he didn't even give a damn thing about being famous, having a huge amount of money or being praised by people around him, either his colleagues or his patients. All he wanted was to be happy, even though at this precise moment, his definition of happiness was a little jolted by the reality.
He ended his surgery of the day, a difficult aortic dissection. Hard work but it was worth it. When he saw the smile on the face of his patient's wife as her husband was back in his room after he successfully passed the recovery room, he knew why he had got into medicine. He loved to give people a second chance, as this earthquake did with him. Pretty ironic, wasn't it ?
As he was coming back to his office, he met Audrey who came after him as soon as she saw him.
« You don't forget about tonight! Be polite, smile and promote the hospital. We need this money. Remember all we could buy with it. »
And she disappeared at the end of the corridor… To stalk her next victim, Neil thought. But it was making him smile. Audrey loved to be in power. Maybe too much. That was what cost them their relationship. When he thought about it, he was not sad about it. In fact, it made him realize she was a friend, nothing more. Their relationship ended at the right moment. At least, they still talked, which was easier when you had to work together after a break up.
He entered his office and enjoyed the silence here. He let out a sigh before joining his chair. « Best place in the world, right? » It was Claire. She was hidden in the dark, working on her files. « Hope you don't mind I went here to work on my patients' files ? Everything is so crazy out there with this charity event, I just wanted a little quiet time. »
He smiled at her. She was so nice with her messy hair and the shadows under her eyes. « Be my guest! I'm hiding too. Audrey is like a tyrant remembering anyone to go to this charity when I actually don't care about it. »
She laughed. « Me too! Is it mean if I say she reminds me of the Brain with a touch of Scrooge McDuck at the same time? »
He burst into laughing. She was right. The comparison was not flattering but it fitted perfectly. « You're not wrong. She can be really annoying sometimes… Especially when it comes to money for the hospital. »
They worked for a while until Marcus finally found them. « I know you were hiding! Neil, it's time for you to enter the ring and to seduce the future donators with all your amazing stories about complicated surgeries. And don't forget the happy endings ! » As he turned to the door, he noticed Claire was there too, seated in the sofa. « Oh Dr. Browne, I didn't know you were here too. Hope you're coming tonight too. You're one of our promising doctors and I'm sure you have a lot of stories to tell to these people! Don't be late. It's starting in less than an hour. »
He vanished as quickly as he first appeared.
« I think this is time to go… Show time... »
Claire picked up her stuff and came out of the office. As she was passing the doorstep, she turned to Neil. « I come and pick you before going there. Would rather enter the lions' den with a friend by my side if you don't mind. »
He gave her a faint smile before she left the office. Always this idiotic smile when she was around. He would have loved to hide it but he couldn't. He went to his locker, took the smoking in it and locked in the small bathroom next of his office. When he got out, he saw her in her perfect blue velvet dress. For a moment, he paused. How could he do otherwise? He was in awe.
« Neil, you're alright? »
« He swallowed hard. « Yes… Of course… Why are you asking that ? »
« I don't know. You look… weird… I'm worried… »
« Don't worry, I'm fine. You just surprise me, that's all. Shall we go to the awful evening where they are all waiting for us? »
« We can… But not until I fix your tie. You won't even tie it correctly. I guess you need some help at least… » She let out a giggle.
Oh God, he loved this noise. It might have become his favorite noise in the world since Claire became her best platonic friend. Even if he knew he had no right to feel like this. He couldn't fight this feeling. His body couldn't either. When she was around, he felt like an electric power running through all of his members, an urge he couldn't explain. Never had he felt like this and it made him feel weak, feverish. For the first time in his life, a woman was driving him crazy.
"Could we go to your bathroom? Light is so much better there. I will see clearly."
"Um… Of course."
She came closer to him. She took the tie off and looked at it with caution. She put her hands around his neck to pass the tie. Her fingers running through the back of his neck. He shivered. He loved the contact of her skin with his. It was mesmerizing, hypnotizing.
"Are you alright? You're shivering."
He nodded. It was hard to keep all the emotions he was feeling right now only to himself. Her tiny body was almost stuck to his. He could feel every one of her moves while she was taking care of his tie. Her hair was so close of his nose. Her face was almost in front of his. He took a short moment to immerse in her curly hair. This was the moment she chose to raise her head.
"And… It's…done…"
Her eyes locked in his. She could feel the attraction. She was pushing it away for years now. But here at this precise moment, she didn't care. She got taller on the tips of her toes and came closer to Neil's face. He was not moving as if he was paralyzed. She continued to come closer to his face, his mouth. He was looking at her, not losing a piece of what was happening. She finally reached his lips. He didn't push her. Indeed, he even let her in. She didn't have to force anything to find his tongue.
When hers finally met his, fire came out of their body. All the emotions, the passion contained for more than 3 years were eventually coming out. Her mouths were locked, merged, only making one. They only stopped to kiss for a few seconds to breathe. As they kissed, Neil took Claire by the waist and pressed her against the sink. She now could feel Neil's desire pointing through his pants.
"Do you think we should?"
For only answer, Claire kissed him back. He did the same and then lost himself in her hair and neck. She let out a moan and hammered her nails in his back. She jumped to him and put her legs around his waist. She was ready. She was all yours. He understood and undid her dress with delicacy. She took off his jacket, his shirt and the tie she just made long minutes to tie. Her hands finally reached his trousers. He hold her closer to him. She made her pants fall on the floor.
He kissed her all along her neck, her breast. She kissed his torso, his tattoos, his neck too. And then it happened. This moment they both wanted so much and restrained because they were afraid of their feeling. Claire moaned. Neil let out a sigh of pleasure. They were both connected, making only one person. They made it last, taking any second of stolen pleasure they could, this pleasure they had driven back so hard.
Finally they released the embrace. They had to but they didn't want to. They were only a few inches away and their bodies were always missing each other. But they could hear Audrey looking for them in the office next door. They held themselves from laughing. They had the impression to be two teenagers almost caught by one of their parents.
When she was finally away, they burst into laughing. Both naked in a tiny bathroom and now connected as ever.
"What do we do now?" Claire asked Neil as she was resting her head against his warm chest.
He put his arms around her waist and pressed her against him. "We go to this event, we grab some money to please Audrey and then who knows?"
"You're a naughty man, Neil Melendez." She kissed him on his antler tattoo she started to like.
"Thought you hate my tattoo, naughty Claire Browne."
"I'll get used to them…"
He stole a kiss from her before picking their clothes on the floor. "Time to put some clothes on." He hold Claire her dress. They quickly got dressed and left the bathroom where they finally admitted how they felt about each other. Just before leaving the office, Neil grabbed Claire by her arm and kissed her deeply. "Now it's show time. But we will keep talking later, Dr. Browne."
He winked at her. "Don't know if I'll be available…"
"You better to."
"In that case…"
She grabbed his hand. She kept it tight until the elevator door opened, leading them to the charity event. Just a few hours and they could be together again. Both were impatient to meet the skin of the other again. The beginning of a new era. But first they had to raise some money…