Chapter 5

"You better have a damn good reason for interrupting us, Ghandi." I growled menacingly. Turk just stood and gaped for a moment before he snapped back to himself, his mouth snapping shut along with him.

"I'm sorry; I was just coming in to lie down for a minute. I guess I should have knocked." Turk looked embarrassed for a minute and I scoffed.

"No one knocks, Ghandi, don't be an idiot." While I was talking Elliot had moved to the other side of the room and started to walk out the door. Halfway through she stopped and looked at me. I shivered. I could feel the heat coming from her eyes this far away. She left me and Ghandi alone.

"So. You and Elliot, huh?" Recovering from the shock, Turk's cocky smile slipped back onto his face and he waggled his eyebrows.

"Like that's possibly any of your business." I sat down heavily on the bed, my head dropping into my hands. Wanting to appear vulnerable or not to Ghandi, I still needed time to sit and think. Even though it seemed simple (I liked her, she liked me and we had great sexual chemistry) I just couldn't make myself relax. Barbie's just not my type, in that she annoys the hell out of me sometimes. But God help me if her quirks have started to become somehow…adorable recently. Without me realizing he was still in the room, Turk came and sat across from me where Elliot had been sleeping.

"You got it bad, huh Big Guy?" Even though I could tell Turk was trying to be nice, I could still hear the mocking tone lurking in his voice.

I sneered up at him. "Once again, Ghandi: none of your business." Turk just laughed at my remark. Why he wasn't scared of me was beyond me. Maybe Carla pumped his head full of compliments of him being big and strong. That seemed very likely. She wasn't scared of me either, so maybe she had something to do with his bravery. Giving up on being the scary one, I just sighed dejectedly. "Tell me, why it is women can get so under your skin, Ghandi."

Once again I received a laugh at my turmoil. "That's just how they are, man, and you know that. Would you really want them to be any other way?" I felt that his question was rhetorical, but I still shook my head no.

I thought about it. Barbie was annoying usually, but I wouldn't have noticed her any other way. When I first met her, I just categorized her as a weak pushover who wouldn't cause me any problems. But she has proven otherwise. I felt a surge of heat go through me as I thought of what just went down on the bed I was sitting on. This had to be continued. I just couldn't let this chemistry go to waste. How often do you really come across someone who makes your heart thump just the right rhythm?

While I was thinking, Turk had lain down and closed his eyes. I patted him on the shoulder sincerely when I stood up to go. "Thanks, Ghandi."

"No problem, Per." I gritted my teeth at the shortening of my name and wrenched the door open a tad too forcefully.

****

Alright. Elliot is standing right over there, chatting with Carla seriously. A thought flitted through my head that I should consider later. Are they talking about what just happened? I brushed that aside and approached her.

"Barbie, I need to talk to you." At a look from Carla that can only be described as incredulous, I amended my statement. "I need to talk to you about your patient over there." I nodded my head in a general direction. She acquiesced and followed me away from the desk. I led her to a supply closet, not wanting to have this conversation in front of inquiring people who would be sure to spread around any sort of gossip they deemed worthy.

I shepherded her into the supply closet and shut the door behind me. Automatically her lips were on mine; her body pressed me back up against the door. I have nothing wrong with strong, willful women. Hell, I married one and I fell in love with a nurse because she could always put me in my place; still can. So Elliot Reid forcing herself onto me was not something to be disappointed about.

But you can't call me passive, that's for damn sure. I turned her and pushed her back against the door, continuing the heated kiss. Why did we always have to start something in the hospital that we can't possibly continue? My pants were not happy about the strain I was putting on them.

I broke away breathlessly (but manly) from the kiss and looked at her, trying to slow my heart and the blood furiously rushing down south. "We can't keep doing this." At her crestfallen look I added, "We can't keep doing this here. I need to get you to my place."

She grinned mischievously. "And how do you propose to get me to your place?" I liked this coy act of hers. Never being one of her lovers I've not seen this side of her; it intrigued me.

"Are you suggesting I couldn't physically carry you to my place?" I asked as I heaved her body up the door and pinned her there. She squealed appreciatively.

"Oh, no, I'm sure you could. But I would be much happier if I were…wooed a little." I stopped short at that. I didn't even think of that. Of course that would be the next step, if you wanted something more with her, which I was pretty sure I did.

"And what would be the best way to "woo" you, Barbie?" I said this a bit gruffly, since I felt woo wasn't a word that a manly man like me should be saying.

"Dinner? Maybe a couple of drinks? You know, Perry, a date." She said this all with a sly grin on her face, and God help me, I found that adorable. I may be feeling all these things about her, but I sure as hell wasn't going to tell her anytime soon. That's how I kept my reputation around here. I kept a steady outpouring of insults and degradation and any sort of fuzzy feelings I had, I kept to myself; no way I was spilling anything to Elliot, considering we might not work out (call me a pessimist).

I nodded and slid her down the door, making sure she knew how difficult it was on me to let this situation go. She gasped a little which made me smile. She made her eyes flutter open to look at me. "Tomorrow night? I get off work at 4 tomorrow, so I'll be ready to go for dinner."

"Alright. I'll swing by your place and pick you up at 5." We stood there, looking at each other.

"You gonna tell me what we're doing?" Elliot asked, and she actually batted her eyelashes. I leaned forward and kissed those eyelashes.

"Not a chance." I breathed. Man. The effect she had on me. I was actually softening. Not good. I kissed her softly on the lips and opened the door, stepping out first. I didn't look behind me to see if she came out immediately after, but it seemed everyone in this hospital should know about us by now; apparently I'm not very subtle.

Now I definitely had something to look forward to, even if I didn't want to admit it out loud. I hit the showers and got ready to go home. I'm not sure when Elliot's shift ends, but I decided to not think about her until I saw her tomorrow. Fat chance of that happening.

****

I made it back to my apartment, managing to only think of Elliot every time I stopped. Or drove. Let's face it; I couldn't get her off my mind. I subconsciously licked my lips thinking of our multiple encounters today. Mm, I couldn't wait to get her back to my place.

Wait. My place. Jordan. Damn it. She should still be away at her mother's so maybe I had a couple of days to think about this. And to have the apartment for me and Elliot…I unlocked the door to my apartment and was hoping for silence.

"Hi Perry. Welcome home." Shit. Jordan was sitting on the couch watching television while Jack was playing on the floor with some of his toys.

"Daddy!" Jack yelled, running towards me with his arms already open. I scooped him up and gave him a big kiss, so happy to see him. It didn't matter how long you were away from your kids; you always missed them.

"Have you had dinner, already, Jacky?" I asked, setting him down with a hair tussle.

"Yes, but mommy burnt it and it tasted bad so I threw it on the ground." I grinned at Jordan.

"Safe to say he's been a handful today?"

"Isn't he always?" Jordan had turned off the television. I think she actually sensed something coming from me. "Hey Jack, why don't you go play in your room? Daddy and I need to have a talk."

I swear Jack shot me a look that said "I'm sorry" before he shot off to his room. Coward. I would face her; even if I was trembling slightly.

"You haven't insulted me once since you've gotten home. What's going on?" Jordan scowled, her plastic face contorting in something resembling a frown.

I laughed nervously. "Geeze, Jordan, I've only been home for two minutes. Gimme a minute, okay?" Her frown didn't abate any. If possible, she frowned even more.

"Alright, now you're starting to worry me."

I ignored that and posed a question at her instead. "You're back early from your mother's. That was a very short trip."

"It seems I can only take a small amount of my mom at a time. She can be a real bitch when she wants to be." Jordan said this with a blank expression. If Jordan had a talent, it was to be passionless while insulting. I hadn't mastered that.

I made a sound and moved to the liquor cabinet, my usual escape route from Jordan.

"Ah." She said quietly, making me turn around to face her questioningly. "Your crush. Not so small, I take it?" Okay. Here it was. I was going to have to face this sooner or later, and I guess it was going to be sooner.

"No." I said, equally quiet.

"So you gonna take her on a big date, hm? Is she too classy to just hop in bed with you? Need to wine and dine her first?" Jordan sneered, bordering on the loud side. I walked over to Jack's door and shut it.

"I'm not going to get into this with you, Jordan. You and I have been good lately, we've had fun. We have Jack. But we have to face what it means if I have this-this crush…" I trailed off, wanting desperately not to let this escalade into a huge blowout. Jack didn't need to hear what we were arguing about. Especially if we were breaking up. Possibly for good.

She scoffed scornfully and when her eyes met mine they were blazing with heat. "It means that you are weak. Weak and not worth my time." She spat. I tried not to let this fan my temper, but I could feel the sparks catching on.

"I'm weak?? Should I point out you came running back to me from your mother's in record time?" Low blow but I couldn't think of anything else to throw at her. I was intent on not letting this get too out of control.

"Alright, Perry. I'll just get out of your hair so you and your little whore can have the apartment together for your 'big date'." I flinched. I didn't like her referring to Elliot as that, but she didn't know that's who I was taking out and I could see that Jordan was hurting. Like this was easy for me.

****

She had a suitcase packed in record time for herself and Jack. I could see she wasn't going to let me keep Jack while she was fuming.

"And to think I was going to put my apartment up for sale next week." She said coldly with a mean smile plastered on her face, probably for Jack's benefit. It certainly wasn't for mine. "I'll call you later about Jack." She wouldn't have thrown this in if she didn't know Jack would want to see me soon. It took a lot of effort to even speak to me, because she wasn't looking at me.

I gave Jack a kiss bye and shut the door a little melancholy. The apartment was big and empty. And quiet. I wasn't used to this. Without hesitation, I picked up my keys and left. The bar sounded like a good place to be right now.