"Miss?" The cab driver's voice snapped Laurie out of her thoughts. "I believe this is your hotel."
"Thank you." Laurie handed the driver cash for the fare and climbed out of the cab while the driver opened the trunk and took out her suitcase.
"You have a nice trip, miss." The driver nodded. "Enjoy New Orleans."
"I will, thank you." Laurie managed a smile before she grabbed the handle and started to roll it behind her into the hotel and up to the desk. "Hello. Reservation for Campbell?"
The desk clerk opened the reservation book, tracking with her finger until she landed on Laurie's name. "Lauren?"
"Yes, that's right." Laurie nodded.
"Room Four Eighteen." The clerk gave her a key. "Elevator is that way."
"Thank you." Laurie took the key and started toward the elevator. She was so occupied that she barely heard the voice of the person that had been behind her.
"Hey, how's it going?" The man casually greeted the clerk. "Uh, reservation for Gage."
Laurie stopped at the name. It couldn't be.
She turned to see a tall, dark-haired man leaning on the counter as the desk clerk looked up the reservation. Sure enough, it was John Gage, as handsome as ever, though his hair was a little shorter now. No wonder she hadn't recognized him.
He nodded and took his key, flashing the desk clerk that familiar half-smile before picking up his suitcase and turning toward her. His face immediately changed to apparent surprise before it once again changed to a half-smile.
"Laurie!" He seemed to freeze for a moment before setting down his suitcase. "I thought that was you."
Laurie couldn't help smiling at the sight of him. "Hi, John. Almost didn't recognize you without all that hair."
"Yeah." John reached up to the back of his neck. "Finally decided to cut it off. How are you? You here for the convention?"
"I am." Laurie replied with a nod. "And you?"
"Yep, yep." John answered. "Had to leave Roy behind, though. He went and became a captain on me."
Laurie laughed a little at that. "Sounds like we've got a bit of catching up to do."
"Hey yeah, that'd be great." John replied. "You free for dinner? Or maybe just some drinks. Whatever you want."
"Drinks sound fabulous." Laurie told him. "Why don't we get settled and then meet up down in the bar? Say, half an hour?"
"Sounds good." John nodded in response.
Laurie grabbed the handle of her suitcase while John picked up his own, and they both headed toward the same elevator. For some reason Laurie hadn't counted on that. She must be more tired than she thought.
"Suppose we're headed the same way." John told her casually as they both boarded the elevator. "I'm in room Three Twelve. Where are you?"
"Four Eighteen." Laurie replied.
John nodded and fell silent as the elevator closed and the car started moving up. Before long he turned his head to look at her, his expression suddenly serious. "It's really good to see you."
"It's good to see you, too." Laurie responded, impulsively reaching out to squeeze his hand.
John seemed to light up a little at that, squeezing back before letting go. Soon the elevator arrived at his floor and the doors opened.
"Guess I'll see you in a while." He told her as he picked up his suitcase.
"Looking forward to it." Laurie answered, watching as John stepped off the elevator and paused while the doors closed behind him.
Laurie took a deep breath and exhaled. This convention had suddenly taken a very interesting turn. It certainly wouldn't be dull with John around.
# # #
Johnny watched as the elevator doors closed behind him, getting one last good look at Laurie. He could hardly believe that he'd run into her here, of all places.
He wondered briefly if she was still with that Pete guy. Johnny couldn't imagine Pete would have let her come here by herself.
That is, if she was here by herself. Maybe Gail had come along. But wouldn't Laurie have said something if that were the case?
Those were questions that could wait until later. For now, he needed a few minutes to unwind and maybe change clothes. He'd originally planned on just crashing tonight, maybe ordering in some room service and seeing what movies there might be on TV. It had been a rough flight in from Los Angeles, and an even rougher cab ride.
Running into Laurie had definitely changed those plans a little. Only time would tell if it was worth it.
He let himself into the room and set down the suitcase before turning on a light. First things first. He picked up the phone receiver and punched in the numbers, waiting while the phone rang.
"DeSoto residence." Joanne's cheery voice answered.
"Hey, Joanne." Johnny replied. "I made it. Is Roy around?"
"Just a minute." Joanne told him. "Roy? Johnny's on the phone."
Johnny heard some murmuring in the background before Roy came on the line. "Hey, Johnny. Guess you made it in, huh?"
"Sure did." Johnny answered. "And you'll never believe who I ran into. You remember Laurie? One of the paramedic chicks that we met up in San Francisco?"
"I remember."
"Well, she's here. She was right in front of me at the hotel check-in."
There was a long pause. "Oh. That's nice. Good that you know one person, anyway. How's she doing?"
"Uh, I'm about to find out." Johnny told him. "We're meeting up for drinks here in a while."
Roy let out a short sigh. "Try to behave yourself. Remember why you're there."
Johnny scoffed. "She's probably still with that Pete guy. And anyway, what kind of guy do you take me for?"
"The kind that will take advantage of being a single guy alone in New Orleans." Roy answered with a short laugh. "Have fun, learn stuff. Tell Laurie I said hi."
"Will do."
With that Johnny hung up and took a moment to check himself out in the full-length mirror. The shorter hair was taking some getting used to, though even Johnny had to admit that it was easier to deal with. Maybe he should ditch the jacket and change his shirt. Or maybe not. Maybe what he had on was just fine.
What the hell was wrong with him? This was just Laurie. He was just meeting up with a friend for drinks. Hell, they hadn't even spoken since that convention he and Roy had attended in San Francisco two years ago.
So why was he so nervous?
"It's just drinks." Johnny told the reflection in the mirror. The reflection looked a little doubtful.
No matter. Johnny took a deep breath and exhaled, running his hand through his hair one more time. It would be fine. He and Laurie would catch up, have a couple of drinks, and whatever happened from there happened.
If nothing else, Johnny had found someone to hang out with during the convention. That wouldn't be all bad, would it?
# # #
Laurie smoothed down her pants as she inspected herself in the full-length mirror. They were a little wrinkled from her flight, but perhaps the bar would be dark enough that John wouldn't notice.
Why was she going to all this trouble? It was just drinks with a friend, nothing more. They hadn't even spoken since the convention a couple years before. It had been good to see John then, though she still felt a little bad for pushing Ellen on him. Long after John had returned to Los Angeles, Ellen kept asking about him, and had said something about trying to see John in Los Angeles.
Laurie hadn't heard whether Ellen had succeeded in that quest, so she had to assume she hadn't. She was loathe to bring it up to John. Likely he hadn't quite forgiven her for doing that to him.
Outside of that, they had seemed to get along, especially after Laurie had shut him down when he had tried to ask her out. At the time Laurie had been absolutely dedicated to Pete and couldn't imagine being with anyone else. They were supposed to have been married by now.
Laurie absentmindedly rubbed her ring finger, devoid of the engagement ring she'd been wearing not that long ago. She knew she was better off breaking the engagement, but it still hurt.
She was a free woman now, alone in New Orleans for this convention. Gail had all but registered for this convention for her and had pushed her to finally make the plane and hotel reservations. "It'll be good for you," Gail had told her. "Get out of town for a few days, learn some new things, maybe even have a little fling if you want."
Laurie had teased Gail about her wanting to live vicariously through Laurie, but she had ultimately gone through with it, and now there was likely a handsome man waiting for her down in the bar.
Maybe this was her chance. John hadn't mentioned anyone but Roy, and Laurie couldn't imagine John had settled down. He didn't seem like the type. And certainly, he would have said something if he was seeing someone.
Wouldn't he?
"Of course he would." Laurie told her reflection. "You're being ridiculous."
Maybe so but talking to herself wasn't easing her nerves any. She sighed and grabbed her purse, taking one last look in the mirror before leaving the hotel room.
She joined a few others on the elevator, listening to the chatter among who she assumed were fellow convention attendees. It seemed that everyone was looking to cut loose a little tonight before the convention started in earnest tomorrow.
Finally, the elevator arrived at the ground floor, and everyone piled out. Laurie went off in search of the bar. It was easy enough to find, already filling with convention attendees and other guests, but Laurie had a little trouble finding her way through in the low light.
She searched around the bar until she spotted John waving her down, and she crossed the room to take a seat next to him at the bar. He greeted her with a slight smile. "Thought you stood me up."
"I wouldn't do that." Laurie chided him. "Just took me a little time to get down here."
John flagged down the bartender, and they both placed their drink orders. Soon the bartender returned with the drinks, nodding when John asked to start a tab.
"So, hey, what have I missed?" He asked, playing with his beer bottle. "How's, uh, what's his name…Pete, right?"
"Right." Laurie sighed internally, stirring her drink. Leave it to John to open with the big question. "Well, we were supposed to be married by now."
John glanced at her hand. "But that didn't happen."
"No." Laurie replied quietly.
"Sorry to hear it." John responded.
"It's okay." Laurie assured him. "In the end, I suppose we just weren't suited for each other. He was going to constantly worry about me being out there, and I had no plans to quit my job. It was always going to be a point of contention."
John shook his head. "Doesn't make much sense. You guys aren't like us. It's not like you're doing rescue, too."
"Sure." Laurie agreed. "But we do sometimes have combative patients. It's not the same, but there is an element of danger to it. But I already know that. I don't need to be constantly reminded."
John smiled a little at that. "Suppose you're right."
"And what about you?" Laurie quickly moved to change the subject. "Still trying to charm every woman you meet?"
John's smile faded ever so slightly, his eyes focused on the beer bottle as he absently picked at the label. "Not every woman. Slowing down a little in my old age."
"Is that so?" Laurie couldn't help teasing him a little.
"Either that, or I'm a pathetic loser who can't keep a woman around." John answered casually. "Take your pick."
"Or…maybe you just haven't met the right woman yet." Laurie suggested.
John arched an eyebrow. "You're not gonna push Ellen on me again, are you?"
"Oh, you just had to bring that up, didn't you?" Laurie scolded him. "I take it she did not track you down in Los Angeles."
"Thankfully, no." John responded before taking a long drink. "And I haven't had another reason to go to San Francisco, so I don't think our paths will ever cross again."
Laurie took a long drink of her own before replying. "Well, perhaps you'll find another reason someday."
John looked amused as he looked her up and down. "Maybe I will."
It occurred to Laurie that she had given John an opening she hadn't intended to. On the other hand, they were both here on their own. Maybe, if nothing else, they could have some fun together.
It would certainly make the convention more interesting.
"Do you want another drink?" John asked. "Or maybe we could go find some food."
"Maybe one more drink." Laurie replied with a nod. "Have you ever been to New Orleans?"
John glanced away and finished his beer before shaking his head. "Haven't done a lot of traveling, to be honest. What about you?"
Laurie paused, playing with her drink stirrer. "Pete and I came here once. That was a few years ago, though. I'm sure a lot's changed."
John signaled the bartender for another round before glancing back at her. "I'm up for a little wandering if you are. Beats the hell out of room service and a bad movie."
Laurie let out a short laugh at that. "I admit, I had similar plans. That flight was murder."
"You're not kidding." John agreed.
"And then there's the time difference." Laurie continued, nodding and smiling at the bartender when he set down her drink.
"Didn't even think about that." John answered. "Might end up staying up and watching a bad movie after all."
"Oh, you haven't experienced New Orleans nightlife." Laurie told him. "You could easily stay out literally all night."
John looked thoughtful. "Don't know that I'd want to stay out all night, but…well, suppose we'll see, huh?"
Laurie had to admit that she was intrigued at the possibility. Having some companionship for this convention didn't sound so bad. And well, why not have a little fun while she was here?
"Well, why don't we finish our drinks, and then we can catch a cab and go exploring a little bit." Laurie suggested.
John smiled broadly at that. "I like that idea."
They soon both finished their drinks, and John flagged down the bartender to take care of the tab. Before long they were on their way out of the hotel and in search of a cab to take them to the bars and nightclubs where Laurie and Pete had spent their vacation, before he had proposed to her the first time.
Well, this was one way to put those memories aside, Laurie supposed.
John waved down a cab and opened the rear passenger door, holding it for a moment while Laurie climbed in, and he climbed in beside her.
"Where to?" The driver asked.
Laurie drew on her memory as best she could and gave the driver the name of a nightclub that she and Pete had gone to on their first night here. The driver shook his head. "Miss, that's been closed for a while now. I can drop you nearby. Bound to be something like it there."
"That'll be fine." John immediately broke in before turning to Laurie. "One's as good as another, right?"
"I imagine so." Laurie agreed, though she was slightly annoyed with John for taking over. He had even less of an idea where they were headed than she did.
Oh well. Maybe it was just as well that the old nightclub had closed. It was one less memory to concern herself with.
The cab driver pulled up and stopped in the heart of the Bourbon Street bar district. "This'll put you right in the middle of the action."
"Yes, this'll be fine." Laurie spoke before John could take over again, pulling her wallet out of her purse.
John was already going for his wallet and paying the driver before she could get too far, and she put her wallet back in her purse with a sigh. She'd had every intention of sharing the costs of this evening, but it appeared John was determined to cover it all so far.
That hardly seemed fair. Besides, Laurie didn't want John to get any ideas about what that might mean. Not that she thought John was that kind of man, but her dating experiences since she'd split from Pete had left her a bit disillusioned and wary at best.
Still, it was hard to hold any malice toward John when he hit her with that slight smile. "Ready?"
"Of course." Laurie managed to return the smile and followed John out of the cab and out onto the street. The street was a hotbed of activity, people streaming in and out of the bars and clubs, the music filling the streets.
"Lots going on out here." John sounded a bit apprehensive as he rested his hand between her shoulder blades.
"I think it's exciting." Laurie answered, taking in the scene.
"That's one way to put it." John let out a short laugh, but that apprehensive tone was still there.
Laurie turned to face John. "We can go back to the hotel if you want."
John seemed baffled. "No, no need for that. I just, well…I'm not usually much of a bar guy, that's all."
Laurie couldn't help feeling a little exasperated. "Why didn't you say so?"
John's brow crinkled in confusion. "Because you wanted to go."
"Well, I don't want to drag you into something you don't really want to do." Laurie told him.
John seemed to consider that for a moment before shaking his head. "Lead the way."
Laurie gave up trying to argue with John and grabbed his hand to lead him to the nearest bar. They wove their way through the crowd to the bar, and Laurie waved to get the bartender's attention.
"Evening." The bartender smiled widely at Laurie. "What can I get ya, little lady?"
It took everything Laurie had not to roll her eyes, but instead she smiled back. "Hurricane."
"Comin' right up. And for you, sir?"
John's hand rested at the small of Laurie's back. "Beer. Whatever you've got on tap."
"You got it."
The band was really going, not quite jazz, something unique to this city, and Laurie started tapping her fingers on the bar in beat with the music while they waited for their drinks. She couldn't help noticing that John had started to do the same.
He caught her looking over at him, and he shrugged with a sheepish expression on his face. "Can't help it. It's catchy."
"Do you dance?" Laurie asked.
John wrinkled his nose at that. "Sort of?"
The bartender gave them their drinks, and John handed over some cash to cover them. Laurie started working her way through the crowd to the dance floor, taking a few sips of her drink along the way.
John wasn't far behind, though he still seemed a bit uncomfortable. Clearly he was going to need a little extra encouragement. When the band started up its next song, an up-tempo number, Laurie took his hand and started moving in rhythm to the music.
It took John a few moments to find the rhythm, but he soon settled in and relaxed a little, that slight smile lighting his face once again. He was no great dancer, to be sure, but he was making a good effort, and Laurie found herself getting caught up in the atmosphere that surrounded them.
After a few more songs and another drink, Laurie found herself ready to explore further. She pulled John down to her to speak into his ear. "You want to see what else is going on around here?"
John smiled and nodded. "Sure. Anywhere you wanna go."
She took John's hand and led him out of the club and into the street. Now that their adventure had begun, she couldn't wait to see where else the night might take them.