Enjoy!

Mercedes Jones was what her grandmother described as a steady stream of calmness. She was the oldest of seven and the most serene of her family. She came into the world with her eyes wide and questioning but never untrusting, her ability to be at ease in any situation was the biggest reason why she made such a great pediatrician.

Her father and mother wanted her to use her talent of singing and becoming a singer but she never wanted to be famous, she just wanted to help people and live a good life. She managed to achieve all her goals before she was twenty-seven, landing her dream job at Caring Angels and she had a solid group of friends that she's met along her lifetime.

Her parents weren't too keen on having kids and somehow ended up with the easiest child. They would always tell her that they just knew she was enough for them and they made sure felt all the love they could give her. Both of her parents were in the entertainment industry, her father an award winning producer and her mother an award wining costume designer.

"Did you get it set up?" My best friend, Quinn asked me and I smiled, nodding.

"Yeah, he seems sweet. We're meeting for coffee tonight." I reply, going over my charts for the day. "He wants to meet at Scribbler's."

Quinn, ever the beauty, flashed her pretty green eyes at me smirking. "That's right up your alley, maybe you can finally get that book you've been dying to get."

I nod, thinking about Sam's initial message. "He told me almost immediately that he has social anxiety so I just hope he doesn't get overwhelmed… Scribbler's is fun but I looked and there's a book signing tonight."

She listened intently, like she always does before smiling. "Maybe give him a heads up and then suggest Readers Peak? It's the same vibe, it's actually more isolated than Scribs." She suggested.

"Good idea, how many patients do you have today?" I ask her as I type up a message to Sam.

"Just six, I have to leave early today. I'm meeting with Puck and his family." She answers nervously.

"Quinn, it's going to be fine. His family will love you and besides, you and Noah have been going good for the past eight months. It's time for this."

Shaking her head as she offers a smile. "You do know you're the only person he lets call him that right?"

I shrug. "It's his name."

I wasn't aware of that.

Thank you for the heads up but Scribs is fine.

Unless you prefer Readers Peak?

I can't really explain why but his responses give me the sweetest butterflies in my stomach. I think it has a lot to do with the fact that we have seen each other on multiple occasions and never spoke a single word to each other. He was handsome, beyond even. I assumed he just wasn't interested but when his friend walked over and told me he was, I just couldn't resist sending him my number.

My granny would always tell me when I knew something was meant for me, I wouldn't hesitate and I could just be a crazy optimistic person but it felt right the second I got his first message.

Scribblers is fine :)

I put my phone away and prepared for my first patient. The best part of my job is getting to interact with the babies and kids. I've always loved kids and I like my parents, I want a lot of them.

That could also just be my baby fever talking. I smile as my client walks in with her seven month old baby.

"Hi, who do we have here today?" I asked, smiling brightly at the baby boy.

"This is Adam and he's a chunker." His mother replied.

"Well, hello Adam and what about moma?"

The woman smiled, placing Adam on the table. "Tina."

"Well Tina, what brings you in today with this precious little boy?" I asked, grabbing his arms and gently stretching them.

"He has a little cough before bed, nothing too serious but it's not going away."

"Ah, I see," I said, picking up my stethoscope. "Let's have a little listen to your chest, Adam."

Tina laughed as Adam gurgled and batted at the stethoscope with chubby hands. "He's very ticklish."

"That will make this even more fun," I said, grinning at the baby. His eyes sparkled with curiosity as I listened to his heart and lungs, very methodically and thoroughly. All chores become play when it comes to children.

I handed Adam back to Tina after I was finished with my examination. "Everything sounds clear," I told her, smiling reassuringly. "The cough could just be due to some mild irritation in his throat. It's nothing too concerning but let's keep an eye on it for a couple of days."

Tina looked relieved and thanked me. As they left the clinic, another family was ushered in by Quinn. This cycle of visits continued for the rest of the day,with me attending to a procession of snuffles, coughs, and a few stubborn fevers. Quinn was there too, her brilliant mind at work as she assuaged concerned mothers and calmed tantrum-throwing toddlers with a grace that never ceased to amaze me.

Work had always been fulfilling, but as the day wore on, my thoughts kept straying to Sam. I didn't know much about him, apart from the fact that he was devastatingly handsome and had an apparent fondness for books - traits that were more than enough to pique my interest.

The day finally came to a close, and I found myself standing outside Scribbler's, inhaling a deep breath of the crisp evening air. My heart fluttered in anticipation of meeting Sam. The bookstore was buzzing with activity for the book signing event. Looking around, I spotted Sam near the fiction section engrossed in a classic novel.

Seeing him in person again sent an unexpected wave of warmth through my body. He was even more attractive up close: tall, with tousled hair that begged for a hand to run through it, and eyes that were so intensely focused on the book it was as if the world around him ceased to exist. He looked relaxed in his dark green Henley and medium wash jeans. I opted to wear simple blue dress that stopped mid leg, a pair of tennis shoes and let my hair free in it's natural state.

"Sam?" I called out, my voice barely audible over the gentle hum of book lovers exchanging opinions. He looked up from his book and smiled when he saw me approaching. It was a genuine smile that reached his eyes and managed to make my heart skip a beat.

"Mercedes," he said, extending his hand towards me, "I'm glad you could come." His voice was low and melodic, like a sweet symphony that sent warmth spiraling down my spine. I took his hand in mine; it was warm, his grip firm yet gentle.

"I'm glad too," I replied, feeling my cheeks flush as he held onto my hand a while longer. We stood there for a moment longer, drinking in the sight of each other, before Sam finally broke the silence.

"Would you like to join me over there?" He gestured towards a pair of comfy armchairs nestled in a quieter corner of the bookstore.

"Sure," I said, and we walked together, our hands still interlocked. The cool atmosphere of the bookstore calmed my jittery nerves and I found myself relaxing in his presence. We settled into the armchairs, and he retrieved the book he had been engrossed in earlier.

"It's 'To Kill A Mockingbird'," he explained, showing me the cover. "A timeless classic."

"It's one of my favorite novels," I confessed, delighted at our shared interest. We delved into a deep conversation about our favorite books and authors. Our tastes were strikingly similar; we both loved classics and modern literature alike.

"What made you accept my invitation?" Sam asked and I couldn't help the butterflies fluttering again.

I smiled, thinking over my answer. "Well your friend coming over was cute but your first message to me solidified my confidence in me accepting this date with you." I replied.

He tilted his head as if to think over what I said before he let out a nervous laugh. "Oh me telling you about my anxiety?"

Nodding, I shifted so that I could see him more. "It's not very often a man allows himself to be that vulnerable, especially when you don't even know me."

"I just didn't want you to think that I wasn't interested enough in asking you out myself. I wanted to ask you out the first time I saw you there…" He admitted, running a hand through his hair. "It's kinda why I kept making Mike go there."

I couldn't help the smile that crossed my face. "What changed this time around?"

"Mike got tired of me staring at you." He said with a laugh.

"If it helps, my friends were teasing me about looking at you and not talking to you too."

"Really?"

"Mhm, my friend, Santana, was on the brink of threatening death if I didn't make a move but your friend beat me to the punch." I answered laughing.

He smiled. "I really like your laugh." He said before his cheeks flushed bright pink. "I…"

I grabbed his hand. "It's okay, I like yours too." I said reassuringly. "I'm not sure if you'd be interested but,I looked up fun things to do at bookstores and found this." I said pulling out the print out I found on google. "It's like a scavenger hunt.."

Sam took the paper, looking it over before smiling. "You looked up activities to do?"

"Well, I read somewhere that people who have social anxiety disorder like having activities in unfamiliar settings, I know you picked the location but I'm unfamiliar to you but-" I said before feeling his lips on mine.

I blinked before smiling against his lips and kissing him back. My smile grew wider when he pulled away, seeing his face beet red. "Umm… I'm sorry. I didn't mean to be that forward."

I shrugged. "If you're lucky, it'll happen again at the end of the night." I teased.

He let out a nervous chuckle, his shoulders relaxing. "How about we do the scavenger hunt, then circle back to that."

I stood, giggling. "Deal."

Awwww he kissed her!!!!