"That's not what I said. I just said it seems like a mismatch, that's all!"
Zoe rolled her eyes at her friend. "Oh, you'd know, having met him for 5 minutes."
"No need to get defensive."
"You know what? That's exactly what Max would say. He calls me out on things I need to be called out on. He is smart, he's funny, and I know people think he doesn't take things seriously, but he does when it counts. And I've always needed someone to balance me out. None of my other relationships have worked because we were too similar. Max and I, we connect but we complement each other."
"I've heard his compliments about you. As have anyone who's met him."
"Jealous?" Zoe smirked.
"As if. Another round?"
"Go on, then. But only one more because I need to get home."
"Lover boy waiting for you?"
"Lover boy is working, thank you very much. Why have you got such a bee on your bonnet tonight?" Zoe laughed, watching the other woman walk away before she pulled out her phone. As expected, she already had a couple of messages from Max.
'I saw what you were wearing when you left the ED. That was not sleep attire, Dr Hanna.'
And a second message half an hour later. 'Pulled yet?'
"Well, that depends."
Max was about to finish his break when his phone finally beeped with a message. 'On what?'
'What time you finish.'
Max grinned down at his phone. 'An hour.'
'Meet me by my car in an hour.'
'You've had too much to drink and you want me to drive you home, don't you?'
'Yes.'
Max grinned again and walked toward the hospital entrance. 'See you then.''
"Very interesting choice of outfit for someone who purports to be in a relationship."
"Purports! Impressive. Have you been reading the dictionary again?"
"No, I learned it at school. I suppose you don't remember much from school, given it was so long ago."
Zoe threw her head back with a laugh, pressing the hand she held her car keys in onto his chest. "Watch it."
"With my 20/20 vision?" Max asked with a grin as he lifted a hand to take the keys.
"You can go off someone, you know."
"Not me." He opened the passenger door for her, and then took her bag until she was settled and he could place it on her lap. "I think I've forgotten you telling me why you are so dressed up?"
"I didn't tell you."
Max waited, and when Zoe raised her eyebrows, he rolled his eyes with a smile and shut the door, walking to the driver's side.
"I was seeing an old friend."
"That is not old friend attire. That is old flame with unfinished business attire."
"Jealous?"
"What would you wear if I left today, we didn't see one another for a few years, and then I came and asked to have a drink with you?"
Zoe thought for a moment, and then leaned over to whisper in his ear.
"…then I am definitely not jealous." Max grinned, starting the car. "And I definitely need to see that. Tonight."
"How's the head?"
Zoe glanced up at Rita. "Why do you ask?"
"I saw you at the pub last night."
"Did you see the mystery friend?" Max asked as he wheeled a patient past.
"Mystery friend? I saw-"
"Can we get back to treating patients, please." Zoe requested.
"I'll tell you later." Rita mouthed to Max.
"Hi."
Zoe raised her eyebrows as she blew some smoke out through pursed lips. "Hi? Just hi? You've never said just hi to me before."
Max grinned, taking the cigarette from her fingers to have a drag on it himself. "Is there a reason you didn't want me to know you were meeting up with your cousin?"
"I thought men like mysterious women?"
"Not me."
"No?"
"No. I like my women simpl-" he cut himself off at Zoe's raised eyebrows. "Y amazing. Which is why I fell for you."
Zoe nodded her head and took her cigarette back. "Good save."
"Thank you. But that doesn't explain why you were wearing that skirt."
"I wore it to pick up a man for some stress relief."
"But you didn't."
"Yes I did." Zoe looked at him pointedly, placing the cigarette back between his fingers before sauntering inside.
Max grinned to himself.
"You're wearing that?"
Max's eyes widened as the woman he recognised as Zoe's cousin approached him while he waited for Zoe to finish. "I…sorry?"
"It's an expensive restaurant."
"What is?"
"Dinner tonight. With Zoe and I."
"…she didn't mention anythi-"
"Hi." Zoe kissed her cousin's cheek, and then Max's, quickly frowning. "You smell weird."
"Thanks. Eu de Mac's soup that he tipped on me by accident. Look." Max raised his shirt to show the pinkness of some skin on his torso. "Am I still handsome?"
"Mm." Zoe wrinkled her nose, her eyes dancing as Max laughed while she quickly assessed the skin and then pulled his t-shirt back down.
"Max didn't know about dinner, Apparently." The cousin cut in.
"You're still trying that mysterious thing?" Max asked.
"Still not working for me?"
"It's working about as well as my French. Give me 5 minutes and I'll change."
"You don't need to change. I lo..like you just the way you are. Come on. Max, you can drive."
"Oh, I see why I'm invited now. She wants to get drunk."
"I don't want to get drunk!"
'She does.' Max and the cousin mouthed at one another.
The cousin decided she approved of this Max after all.
"You forgot to tell me about dinner, didn't you?" Max asked as they walked away from Zoe's cousin's hotel, his arm around Zoe's shoulder.
"No. I told you, I'm being mysterious."
"And you forgot you agreed to it."
"And i forgot I agreed to it." Zoe laughed.
Max grinned, slipping his hand down to take hers. "Come on, Dr Hanna. The night is young, we don't have work tomorrow, and I think I'm in with a good chance of pulling."
"In that t-shirt? You smell like stewed carrots." Zoe laughed.
Max laughed too as they walked into the night together, hands clasped tightly.