Chapter 6

It was nearly 6:45 AM on Saturday morning and the night shift at the ER was wrapping up. Gar, Wally and Kori were busy getting the three patients currently in the ER ready to be handed over to the day shift nurses and finalizing their never ending paperwork.

Dick had disappeared again into his windowless back office. Gar told Kori that Dick never turned on the lights in there, doing his work on the computer or by the monitor's light only. The staff referred to it as Dr. Grayson's 'cave'.

His work long since finished, he found himself thinking about the Kori, the beautiful redhead he had met less than 16 hours before. There was something about her that was familiar, yet at the same time she was mysterious or perhaps just very reserved. Maybe the sense of familiarity was that Dick had spent a part of his childhood in Tamaran. It was for a total of about four years, less the months in boarding school, the years that Bruce was there as the Ambassador to Tamaran from the US.

No matter what he knew that he had to get to know her better. Dick almost always had fun at work and overnight he had a great time working with Kori.

As far as others were concerned, he had already shown more than an interest in her, as Vic, Wally and Gar had pointed out. Not to mention Kitten's reaction to Kori.

Kitten, what had he ever been thinking in allowing someone like her to be involved in his life? He rationalized that he had done it to get Bruce off his back about dating and to really anger (and embarrass) him. Dick would never admit it, but Kitten's ridiculous antics were enjoyable at first. She was affectionate for lack of a better term and though he was repulsed about how sleazy she was, she knew how to turn him on.

Dick had done some particularly poor planning with Kitten. He had broken it off with Kitten after a short time having stopped going out with her publicly almost a year ago. But he had spent time with her privately on occasion up to a few months ago. Thank God they practiced safe sex. That didn't keep him from feeling his skin crawl when thinking of their times together, along with the realization that Bruce and pretty much everyone was right when they told him to stay away from her. He also hated that he had been so weak, physically as well as in character. He was for the first time in his life ashamed of himself and his behavior, but he had not considered any ramifications.

Now Kitten was continuing to insinuate herself into Dick's life. Kitten had done terrible things for his reputation which he never really considered would matter. There were still plenty of women that were not deterred but he had a feeling that Kori was not one of them.

Kori. He really didn't want his past to affect any future they would have. In a few short hours he had gone from being incredibly attracted to her to actually thinking she could be the one – although he really was unsure why. Then again, he had never met the one or it wouldn't be the one. Dick considered his strategy to ask Kori for her number. He chuckled at himself - asking a woman for her number or even asking her out for a date was never difficult for him. This time he was nervous.

Dick looked up and Kori was at the door of the office.

Kori was a bit surprised to find herself there but wanted to get a chance to say goodbye. In her experience, people tended to disappear at the end of their hospital shifts and she wasn't sure when they'd work together again. And of course she felt the attraction as well and she wanted to get the point across that she was interested in him.

"Pardon me Dick, I was just saying goodbye. It was a pleasure working with you."

"It was very nice working with you as well Kori." I'm blushing again. "Hey Kori, I was wondering if you would like to..."

Just then Gar appeared behind Kori, interrupting Dick's question, "Dick, we have to have Kori join us this morning, did you ask her?"

I hadn't asked her anything, yet.

Gar didn't wait for a reply. "Dick, Wally and I always go to Denny's Saturday morning. You have to come with us."

"I would like to but I am working again at 3 PM." She looked over at Dick trying to get a read on him. He had been asking her something, wasn't he?

"You're doubling back, ouch. But you have to eat." Gar was being his persuasive self.

Dick hadn't said anything. He wanted to ask her out or at least get her number. He was not even sure what to ask her. He was still mulling it over when she had come to the office. Maybe even breakfast that morning, but not to Denny's, where everyone knew they or rather he would be, even Kitten.

He had wanted to be with Kori and be with her sooner rather than later, but he wanted to be with her alone.

Kori looked at a mute Dick and then back at Gar, always one to bolster his point, "Kori, they even have some new Grand Slam breakfasts, even a vegetarian one, you know you want to it".

Kori laughed. "I do like the Grand Slam breakfast."

Dick said smiling at Kori, finally finding his voice. "I guess that settles it, we'll head over to Denny's once we report off".

TtTtTtTtTt

please review! Short chapter - first time using OpenOffice so I hope that helps with the scribner's errors! more coming up soon!

Yup, it looks like Dick is an actual playboy. Ugh, and with Kitten. Gross - we all need antibiotics, STAT!

Re: Kori's number: she had handed it to Gar and Wally before she took a break in case she was needed rather than to page her. Dick intended on getting her number the old fashioned way, by asking her.