Chapter Three
Samuel looked down at Alexandra and trailed his hand up and down her chest gently, feeling the fabric of her blouse.
"You know, given our first meetings, could have been a good plot for a romantic comedy!" he laughed.
"You are hilarious!" Alexandra giggled booping Sam's nose "Mum and I used to watch those together and talk about how cliché they were! But then here we are!" she shrugged.
"I know right?" Samuel said as he nuzzled Alexandra's nose "I'll never forget how we met again at the hospital, and your workplace too!"
Flashback
It was the night shift in the Emergency Room at the at the Providence Alaska Medical Centre, Anchorage city's largest hospital, and Alexandra was walking around the ward checking in on the many patients that were in for treatment.
It was nothing new to the young nurse as she was used to seeing people of all ages, backgrounds and ethnics coming in with every injury or illness under the sun, yet as she was walking towards the entrance, she saw a couple of paramedics coming in with a stretcher that had a young male strapped to it.
"Come on, was the stretcher really necessary? I can walk just fine!" the young man was saying in a heavy Texas accent.
"We're doing our job sir, besides can't be too careful!" the first paramedic, a grey-haired man said.
The second paramedic, a brown-haired female agreed.
"Indeed! I've never met a guy more resilient; you act like it's a mere inconvenience than something serious."
"This is nothing I can't handle!" the man protested.
"Sir," the first paramedic said "You have a dislocated shoulder and maybe some bruised ribs. You'll be lucky if they aren't broken. Not to mention all the bleeding from that gash on your head that we had to patch up before coming here just to keep the bleeding under control."
"Doubt we've never met anything like you before sir, doubt we ever will again!" the male paramedic said.
Alexandra walked over to assist as they walked in.
"What have we got here guys?" she questioned, and the two paramedics looked up at her.
"Oh Alex, working the late-night shift?" the second one said to which Alexandra nodded "We got an emergency call from a local bar about someone being in bad shape after getting a drink, We get there and we find this guy."
She gestured to the young man on the stretcher and Alexandra frowned as she studied his appearance.
It was a tall and rather muscular African American man with long black hair and brown eyes as well as covered in sweat as well as a few cuts and a black left eye.
Alexandra shook her head to focus on her job and she pointed to an empty space in the Emergency Room.
"He can go in there," she said
"Right away, come on sir" the first paramedic said as they wheeled the stretcher into the cubicle and helped him move onto the medical cot.
"Thanks guys!" said Alexandra "I'll take it from here."
"Thanks Alex." The female paramedic said then clicked her tongue "Just a heads up, this one's a real stubborn one."
"I can hear you; you know!" the man called over from the cot to which Alexandra chuckled.
"Thanks for the heads up!" she nodded at the paramedics who walked back to the entrance then turned to her newest patient.
She was sure that he looked familiar, yet she couldn't quite put her finger on it, so she brushed those thoughts aside to get his details noted.
"Okay mister," she said picking up a clipboard with a form on it "Let's get you looked at."
"Alright." The man sighed "What you need from me or need me to do?"
"Your name please." Alexandra replied, "Love your accent by the way." She smiled.
"Thanks." The young man said, "My names Samuel Ray Henry."
"Thanks." Alexandra said as she wrote that down then asked him his other details.
"Texas huh?" she asked, "Guessed by the accent, what brings you to Alaska?"
"Mhm, that's right. I've always wanted to travel to Alaska, had some free time and thought, why not?" Samuel replied.
"Really?" Alexandra smiled as she continued writing "What drew you to the state?"
"Just a place I had always just heard about and read about." Samuel said, "Wanted to come see it in person, you know?"
"Well I hope you enjoy your stay here..." Alexandra said then paused, realising what she just said "Well, seems a silly thing to say right now," she looked him over and saw his shirt was ripped and bloodstained.
"What happened to you to make you end up here?"
"Just got a little roughed up is all. Nothing serious." Samuel shrugged.
"Nothing serious?!" Alexandra exclaimed "According to the paramedics you've suffered broken ribs and your shoulder's dislocated!" she placed a blue gloved hand on his forehead examining the gash.
"How can you be so calm about this?"
She looked back at Samuel, and she noticed he was looking at her with a frown as if he was studying her.
"Wait a second…" he said.
"Is everything alright?" Alexandra asked as she cocked her head at him.
"You...I, I know you..." Samuel said pointing at Alexandra.
"I'm sorry?" Alexandra asked curiously then she looked again at Samuel and the memory of two nights ago came to her.
"Wait..." she mused as she remembered walking home one night and she had been grabbed by a thug who tried to steal her purse.
You're that woman from that night..." Samuel said.
"What night..." Alexandra started then she paused and looked at Samuel and gasped "you...you were him! You were the one who saw me about to be mugged! And you fought off that thug!"
"I thought your voice sounded familiar!" Samuel exclaimed.
"I thought I recognised you!" Alexandra cried "I...I...I never got to say thank you as you told me to run!"
Samuel chuckled.
"Hey, don't mention it." Samuel laughed "No way I was just gonna let that punk get away with trying to rob an innocent woman."
"Again, I am grateful for what you did," Alexandra smiled "I wish there were more men like you in the world!"
She looked Samuel over and made more notes on her clipboard.
"How did you get yourself so hurt like this?" she questioned.
Samuel narrowed his eyes and looked around.
"Hmm...can you keep a secret?" he asked.
"Whatever is said here is confidential," Alexandra confirmed "Of course!"
"Okay..." Samuel paused as he made sure no-one else was listening and he beckoned Alexandra to come closer to him which she did, and he spoke in a low voice.
"I did come to Alaska because I have always wanted to see it. But the main reason I'm here is because of a martial arts tournament I heard about." He confessed.
Alexandra was confused for a moment.
"A tournament?" she asked, "You mean you're...you're a fighter?"
"Yes, I am." Samuel nodded.
"Oh wow...and these wounds came from a fight?" she narrowed her eyes again "But...aren't those fights staged or somehow made to look realistic and no-one is hurt?"
She had watched Pro Wrestling on TV and she had often wondered how it was done as it all looked so real, and she had known a couple of friends from High School who did it as a hobby.
Samuel blinked as he looked at the confused nurse then he chuckled.
"You must be talking about professional wrestling. That's not what I do. I'm a mixed martial artist. The fights I take part in are as real as it gets."
"You're serious!?" Alexandra gasped.
"Hey, you think this is something?" Samuel gestured to himself "You should see the guy I fought tonight!"
"What did you do?" Alexandra asked in a concerned voice.
"Oh, Let's just say his own mother is going to have a hard time recognizing him!" Samuel smirked.
"Oh my god..." Alexandra let the words sink in as she listened "You really do go all out don't you?"
"Can't afford not to." Samuel replied in a matter-of-fact voice "Have to do to my opponents before they have the chance to do it to me."
"And who did these injuries to you?" Alexandra asked then made some notes before looking over her shoulder "We're going to have to do a couple of x-rays then the doctor will look you over."
"My opponent I fought in the finals of the tournament yesterday." Samuel explained "Apparently, he was a sore loser since I beat him and he wanted a round two, he followed me to this club and well…. you get the idea."
"I see..." Alexandra muttered "Gosh."
"Hey." Samuel said deciding to change the subject, "I never got your name!"
Alexandra looked up and smiled.
"It's Alexandra," she said "Alexandra Brown, but you can call me Alex, everyone does."
"Alex…" Samuel smiled "Nice name."
"Thanks." Alexandra said "And thank you! Sam, for your help the other night...I hope I can repay you properly for what you did."
"Hey as long as you're okay that's what matters." Samuel winked.
"I am, thanks to you!" she said, her eyes sparkling.
"Don't mention it!" Samuel clicked his tongue.
Alexandra chuckled.
"Anyway, I'm going to take your notes to the doctor so. He can have a look at you, then we'll see you get an X-Ray."
"Thanks!" Samuel said then relaxed back on the cot as Alexandra left and pulled the curtain around.
"Heh!" he thought to himself "World's Small as hell! Didn't think I'd run into her again."
As Alexandra walked away from the cubicle, a light blush came to her cheeks.
"I do want to thank him properly for his assistance that night, after all, I haven't met anyone who would do such an act he did for me."
End Flashback
"Seems like fate had it in for us huh?" Samuel smiled then he looked up "Say, how about we go and grab some grub?"
"Good idea!" Alexandra said, "Though if you had your way, you'd go to the McDonalds!"
"Oh no babe!" Samuel laughed "I was thinking something smarter and with more choice, but you know me! I love my cheeseburgers!"
He stood up then helped Alexandra off the bed.
"That I do know!" Alexandra laughed then opened her suitcase.
"Should I wear something nicer?" she pulled out a blue cocktail dress and purple shawl.
"If you want to?" Samuel said, "But you know you look beautiful no matter what!"
Alexandra chuckled and she peeled off her clothes until she was in her black lingerie.
In fact as she stood there Samuel smirked and murmered in arousement and walked over to her before placing his hands on her shoulders and kissing the back of her neck.
Alexandra giggled as she jumped slightly at his touch.
"Naughty!" she mock scolded.
"Can you blame me?" Samuel asked as he ran his hands down her shoulders and over her arms then held her hips "You're just too damn sexy!"
Alexandra laughed.
"Easy there Tiger, you can have a taste of this when we've had dinner!" she said winking at Samuel.
"You tease!" Samuel said sticking his lip out in a mock sulk as he stepped back and let Alexandra put on her dress and wrap the shawl around herself.
He then opened his own suitcase.
"Hmm, well since you're getting dolled up, maybe I will too!" he said as he looked through his clothes "I'm sure I packed my nice suit!"
So we've seen how Samuel and Alexandra met each other the second time, a rather cliche serendipadous meeting!
