I'm going for a set of individual scenarios on how they could be reunited. I've got this one so far and one other which is still in my head! Feel free to drop me a line if you have any ideas you want me to try either via PM here or you can find me on Instagram on TJJ8037 :-)
X
After she left that evening, he just stood in his hall not knowing how he should be feeling. He'd had his suspicions that if it was going to end, this would be the reason why, but he had hoped it wouldn't be the case. Nobody ever enters into a relationship with the intention of separating so her words had hit him hard. It wasn't enough.
The weeks that followed were not easy and he had considered taking some personal time to regroup. Go visit his parents maybe, but they would know there was something 'not right' about it and he couldn't bear the thought of the thousand questions that would inevitably come. When will you settle down? When will we get grandchildren?
The thought of visiting Jo in Florida also crossed his mind but he didn't want to put them in the middle of whatever this might turn into. He didn't know how they would actually break the news to their best friends, who just two short months ago celebrated the news of them finally getting their act together and becoming a couple.
X
Professionally, their lives were good. They knocked surgeries out of the park like they always had, and their communications were getting better. She never would admit it, but Audrey still found herself second guessing her decisions involving him and had yet to figure or a solution for that. One day she would feel herself being too lenient, then the next she would overcompensate and they would bicker like children - just as they had before they broke up.
Remembering to check themselves with the little gestures and touches was the hardest part. The urge to reach out to her was still there for him, except now it was just as forbidden as it was before so he would keep himself to himself both inside and outside the hospital. It was way too soon to consider hanging out as friends, it was too raw.
The biggest test for him would be this year's gala - her first as Chief of Surgery. He was apprehensive about attending and tried to fix the schedule so that he would be on duty. When his plan failed, he told himself that her time would be filled schmoozing with big donors and minor celebrities so he would barely see her. He blocked out thoughts of how amazing she would undoubtedly look and focused on getting the job done. That's all it would be...work.
With his first drink of the evening cradled in his hands, he was propped against one of the tall tables leaning on his elbows and staring into the bottom of his glass. Whoever had the idea of getting rid of even more seating this year needed a good talking too. He understood the logic behind it but that didn't mean he agreed with it. The hospital administration wanted people on their feet, moving around and socializing, not planting themselves at a single table for the night hoping that people would come to them.
"Penny for them" he heard from behind him.
"Not worth that much" he smiled turning to see the ever faithful Mrs Gunther standing there. "How are you?"
"I'm very well" she smiled. "But I've seen you better?"
"I'm good" he replied. "Had a rough few weeks, that's all. Would you like to dance?"
"Yes I would Dr Melendez" she smiled.
"How long will it be until you call me Neil?"
"Maybe when I marry you off to one of my granddaughters" she laughed, linking her arm with his and allowing herself to be led to the dancefloor.
As they moved around, he was suddenly distracted.
"Is she the reason you're in such a melancholy mood" Mrs Gunther asked with a glint in her eye.
"She is" Neil confirmed, giving nothing further away and his dance partner didn't press him on it.
He continued to glance at her as she moved through the crowd, shaking hands and greeting people like it was second nature. He knew that she would be hating every minute but it was now a 'perk' of the job.
As expected, she looked fantastic. Her dress was classically beautiful and he had to concentrate to focus on his dance partner instead of appreciating her form. This evening was going to be just as difficult as he thought.
X
After taking a number of turns around the dancefloor, shaking hands and meeting a couple of new contacts, he decided that a couple of hours was enough and made his escape.
"Where do you think you're going!" he heard her call after him as he walked along the corridor towards the staff entrance.
"Home" he replied, turning to face her. "It's been a long day."
"Without a dance?" she asked, looking nervous but sounding hopeful.
"You don't get to do that" he said flatly. "Not any more."
"Neil" she sighed, his name sounding like a forbidden secret as it passed her lips.
"I'm allowed to be unhappy" he said, frowning at her. "I just need some time."
She had continued her approach while they spoke until they were now just a foot apart. He looked up at her and promptly stuffed his hands into his pockets as the urge to reach out and tuck some errant hair back behind her ear almost became too much. Her heels had given her a couple of extra inches on him and she'd taken extra time to get her makeup just right. She looked beautiful.
"Look, Aud..." he started.
"We need to talk" she interrupted. "Please."
He didn't respond, he just continued to look at her. Her eyes openly showing the sadness that she worked hard to hide on a daily basis. He was starting to lose his resolve.
"Please Neil" she implored. "I feel so alone" she said, her shoulders sagging.
He physically felt the pain of her words as they hurt his heart and against his better judgement, he held out his hand to her and just said "let's go".
"Where do you want to go?" he asked as he started the car. He'd nursed a single drink all evening and was well within the legal limit.
"Home?" she asked, looking over at him and the corners of his mouth twitched in response.
The drive was silent and pulling up outside fifteen minutes later, he got out to open her door. He automatically held out his hand to give her some balance and took a deep breath as her fingers tangled with his and she pulled herself to her feet. Heeled shoes were not a friend of Audrey Lim and she couldn't wait to kick them off.
He heard her sigh as he let go of her hand and turned to close the car door. A few weeks ago they would have walked to the door with their hands intertwined, not wanting to let go. Following him to his front door, she paused a moment before crossing the threshold. They were going to talk and she needed to compose herself. This wasn't going to come easily for her, she was a woman of action but that wasn't what either of them needed right now.
She closed the door behind her and walked through into the kitchen. He had already put some music on in the background and was fixing them a drink on autopilot. He handed it to her as she came to stand next to him and he subsequently moved to the opposite side of the counter, a move which spoke volumes about how he felt right now.
"Let's talk" he said flatly, his eyes boring into hers, daring her to go first.
Her eyes flickered down to her glass and nothing came. She felt tense and under a kind of pressure she hadn't felt before. Letting out a shaky breath, she began.
"I miss you" she said sadly. "I miss us."
He shook his head as if he didn't quite believe her.
"I do" she continued. "I miss feeling safe with you and I miss... you. Just you."
"You miss the idea of us" he replied. "The happy ever after that we're all meant to have. Marriage and kids and everything that goes with it" he stated.
She nodded.
"We tried and it didn't work. Why should I put myself out there again for you to change your mind when it gets tough again. Because it will get tough" he said calmly.
"We did it wrong last time" she said, pausing to take a sip. "Hiding it set a precedent we couldn't come back from. We weren't doing anything wrong but it set us on the wrong course from the start."
"And what would you do differently this time? You're still my superior."
"I want to go to Glassman. Tell him we want to pursue this and come to an agreement. You could report to him maybe?"
"I suggested this already and you dismissed it without consideration and now that it's your idea..." he said, sitting up straight and getting agitated.
"Wait!" she exclaimed, worried that she'd pushed to much too soon. "It was a mistake to not consider it before. I thought that me being the boss was the most important thing. But it isn't" she added quietly.
"We will argue?"
"I know" she replied.
"How are you going to stay objective? We are going to disagree professionally" he challenged.
"I know" she repeated. "I wasn't objective before and I'm not objective now. Nothing changed after we broke up, my feelings didn't change. You're the second best surgeon I know and I will always put my faith in you. I actually love how you argue so hard for what you think is right" she confessed.
"Second best?" he asked, tilting his head.
"After me, of course" she laughed "Let's do it properly this time. We go see Glassman together, declare everything and date properly" she smiled.
"Date?"
"Yes, date" she smiled. "We can go to soccer games or dancing or concerts?" she suggested. "And..." she paused.
"And?" he asked, wondering just how far she would go.
"Maybe we shouldn't just jump back into bed" she said quietly, feeling a little silly saying it out loud. "Maybe we're shouldn't let the sex cloud our judgement."
"And if it doesn't work?"
"Then we deal with that like grown ups too" she replied. "But I don't usually get into a relationship already thinking about how to deal with the breakup" she teased!
He smirked at that. He had missed her and what she was saying seemed to make sense.
"Okay" he replied after a few seconds, draining his glass and walking back around the counter to put it in the sink. "We can do all that" he smiled, stopping in front of her.
She took his face in her hands and looked at him adoringly. "You are a beautiful man" she said, before hesitating and giving him the quickest of kisses. "I should get going. This dress definitely isn't getting any more comfortable and I should put those shoes on while I still can" she smiled.
"It's late" he said. "You could stay?"
"What did we just talk about?" she said incredulously.
"I'll take the guest room" he smiled. "Come on, I'll get you something to sleep in" he said taking her hand and pulling her towards the stairs.
She perched on the edge of the bed she had slept in many times before and watched as he rummaged around in the closet. He eventually emerged victorious, brandishing a pair of sweatpants and a t-shirt and held them out to her.
She stood to face him again.
"Thank you" she smiled. "For these, and for all that."
"Goodnight Neil" she smiled, kissing him lightly on the lips.
"Goodnight Audrey."