A/N: Hi lovelies! Almost forgot to update! Sorry for the short chapter, i'm quickly catching up with what I have already written so lets hope I find the motivation to keep writing otherwise these updates will be a lot less regular.
It wasn't strictly true when Zosia said she was familiar with big surgical research conferences. The strained relationship with her father usually meant Zosia was glad when he was off attending conferences because it gave her a little respite from the constant bickering and precious time with her mother. In truth she had never attended such an occasion and she was too deep into the lie to admit she was out of her depth.
It was being held in a fancy hotel and she was glad she had dressed up otherwise she'd have looked even more out of place than she already did as the only person there below the age of 35. It was stupid of her not to realise that, Zosia was miles off the amount of years of studying medicine these people had undertaken in order to reach this level.
She filed into the conference room and took a seat close to the back, flipping open her notebook to give off less of an impression that she was gatecrashing or had got lost on her way to a wedding reception. She was thrilled, she was probably the first F1 to infiltrate such an event and this would certainly put her streets ahead of the rest of her junior doctor cohort in terms of demonstrating a wider commitment and interest in medicine. Even if she did earn her place here through not so legitimate means.
She'd be lying if she said she was solely here for the good of her career, the prospect of seeing Jac all passionate and animated about medicine was unbelievably attractive. She was the guest speaker and apparently a pretty big deal judging by what the group of middle aged men in suits had been saying when Zosia was loitering beside them in the hotel lobby.
When the host speaker announced Jac's name, a hush fell across the floor. Zosia gripped her pen and craned her neck to see. Jac confidently strode to the front, she wore wide leg, high waist trousers and a slim fitting blouse, her hair a perfect curtain of amber and a pair of tortoiseshell framed glasses perched on her nose.
It took her less than five minutes to spot Zosia in the audience of easily over 200 people. Their eyes made contact and her previously composed speech faltered momentarily. A fiery blush spread over Zosia's cheeks, she'd been caught. However she kept Jac's intense stare and dared to smile back at her. Jac's face gave little away, ever the professional public speaker, she tore her eyes away from Zosia and cleared her throat before continuing with her speech. Zosia unashamedly stared at her, her eyes just one pair of the many who were solely focused on Jac. She let her words flood her ears and her pen dropped from her hand onto the forgotten notebook.
Afterwards, Zosia wandered behind the men in suits into the reception and graciously accepted the complimentary wine. In truth she didn't need it, she was still positively abuzz from the experience of witnessing Jac at her absolute best, and from the thrill of being caught.
She meandered around the room, catching gobbets of people's praise for Jac and her research and Zosia's chest was almost bursting with pride for her. Despite that she was probably technically the least qualified Doctor in the room, Zosia quietly revelled in the fact that she was personally and intimately acquainted with the star guest speaker on a whole other level than any of these people.
"Excuse me gentlemen." Jac pushed her way past a group of suits with the politest smile she could muster and headed in Zosia's direction.
Reaching the girl obviously stood on the outskirts of all the other groups of esteemed surgeons, Jac took the wine glass out of her hand and placed it on the tray of a passing server and gripped her by the elbow.
"What the hell are you doing here?" She hissed, glancing over her shoulder before steering them further away from the centre of the room.
"I'm here on behalf of AAU!" Zosia said defensively, wrenching her elbow free.
"Why would AAU send a junior doctor! I told you this wasn't the place for you."
"What does it matter? I may not be as qualified as everyone else here but that doesn't mean I don't share the same interest in your research Jac!"
"That is not the point. The CEO wanted a surgeon from every ward to represent the hospital, not a bloody junior doctor."
"So are you angry at me or are you angry at AAU? Because I just followed orders, like good a junior doctor. "
Steam metaphorically blew out of Jac's ears. She had been all ready to have it out with the girl for not heeding her wishes but she had a solid alibi. She smiled at a conference attendee who looked at the pair quizzically and let out a sigh.
"No, not you. Sorry Zosh. Just keep a low profile okay? Don't let anyone know that we know each other."
A fleeting twinge of hurt crossed Zosia's heart. She straightened out her back and puffed her chest out a little.
"Yeah, no of course."
"You're lucky your father isn't here. The last thing I need is to give Guy fucking Self ammunition over me." She glanced around to confirm there was no sign of him.
"Anyway, there are important sponsors here, I should go and network. Don't show me up Zosia please."
Zosia nodded and gave a two finger salute. Jac rolled her eyes at the childish gesture and made to walk away.
"Jac?" She loosely caught the woman's hand forcing her to look back.
"You were so inspiring out there. They'd be idiots if they don't give you funding."
Jac gave the slightest squeeze to the fingers that held hers, a shy smile hidden by the sweep of hair. It lasted barely two seconds before she let go and slipped naturally into a crowd.
Zosia's eyes followed Jac around the room. She watched her shake many hands and laugh politely, her long pale neck deliciously exposed. Occasionally Jac would cast her eyes in Zosia's direction too and always caught her staring.
On her best behaviour, Zosia kept to herself, only chiming in with gushing compliments when invited into conversations. The two eventually found themselves in the same group and it took all of Zosia's might not to speak out of turn.
"If you'll excuse me gentlemen, I need a top up!" Jac raised her empty glass in demonstration and the group agreed to disband. Zosia sidled up slyly beside Jac just to be close to her, she didn't need another drink.
"How am I doing?" She smiled brightly, the stellar student inside her still so eager to please her mentor.
"Fine, no one has even noticed you. So have you learned anything?"
Stopping short of pulling out her notebook, Zosia's eyes lit up. "Oh yes! That research into deep hypothermic circulatory arrest is groundbreaking stuff, I mean years ahead of what they teach at med school!"
Jac drained her glass with and surveyed Zosia with an impressed look on her face. It was nice to be reminded of why exactly she'd taken such a liking to the girl in the first place.
"Good! Well then I'm glad you just followed orders." They shared a small smile, Jac replacing her empty glass on the tray of a passing server and quickly seeing off another.
"I er, I have a room upstairs." She said in a hushed tone.
"Is that an invitation?" Zosia bit her lip, she'd been sensible with the wine but her head was feeling the affects. It made her just that little bit more flirty, more confident, sober Zosia would never have been so forward. Jac's deadpan expression confirmed what sober Zosia would have known, if she said it she meant it. Jac Naylor does not fuck around.
With a final glance over her shoulder to assess if her presence would be missed, she lead Zosia out of the conference room and into the less busy hotel lobby.
A/N: Thanks for the love on tumblr! I'd welcome any suggestions you have for where you'd like me to take this!