Chapter 1: Nice to meet you
"Do you think that's Dr. Evans?"
Mercedes glanced up from the tablet resting on her lap, the calming screen saver of palm trees swatying against a bright blue sky no longer holding her interest. Across the pristine, modern waiting room, a short man with round glasses and an equally round face was gesturing animatedly to someone just out of view.
"Brittany said something about his 'distracting eyes,' but now I'm not so sure," she commented, tilting her head as she studied the man. "Unless she meant that in a 'can't look away because it's confusing' kind of way."
Kurt, seated stiffly beside her with his arms crossed, let out a huff. "If that's him, then I've officially lost all hope of surviving this appointment."
"He seems kind, Kurt". Mercedes nudged his knee with hers. "Brittany said he's the best, didn't she? You're in good hands."
"Yes, Brittany also thinks a shimmy counts as a valid form of apology," Kurt shot back, his voice dry.
"That's because it works for her," Mercedes said with a grin. "But seriously now, relax. He's just a dentist, not a medieval torturer."
Kurt arched a brow. "Have you been to a dentist? Torture's part of the job description."
He slumped further into his chair, looking more like a sulking child than the bold, self-assured man Mercedes knew him to be. Brave and confident as he was in most areas of life, dentist offices were one of his undeniable kryptonites.
Kurt had been complaining about a toothache for weeks, brushing off her suggestions to get it checked. Finally, Mercedes had taken matters into her own hands. Remembering that Brittany had mentioned a great dentist she knew, Mercedes made the appointment herself and all but dragged Kurt through the door.
"I don't know why I let you talk me into this".
"You let me talk you into this because you don't want to end up needing dentures before forty," she replied, crossing her legs. "And because you love me. And because we'll have brunch after this. Now stop pouting."
Before Kurt could retort, a new voice cut through the low hum of the waiting room.
"Mr. Hummel?"
Both of them looked up toward the sound.
And there he was. Dr. Sam Evans.
Tall, broad-shouldered, and golden-haired, he looked like he'd stepped straight out of a rom-com. His easy smile and the way his light blue scrubs hugged his frame didn't hurt either. Mercedes blinked, momentarily thrown off.
"Oh." The friends said in unison, both straightening slightly.
The man looked up, his gaze sweeping the room before landing on them. He caught Mercedes' eye briefly, and for a split second, his smile faltered—just enough for her to notice. Then it was back, even brighter than before.
"I'm Dr. Sam Evans, it's nice to finally meet you" he said, his voice as soothing as his smile. "Ready to get started?"
Mercedes pressed her lips together, trying muffle a laugh as Kurt kicked her leg as discreetly as he could. The man was hot.
"Not so much but let's do this." He turned to Mercedes "Is it okay if my friend comes with us?"
Once again, Dr. Evans turned his bright eyes to her, and she instantly felt the butterflies. She also remembered how she was dressed and cursed inwardly. Light-washed jeans, a basic T-shirt with some stupid message written on it, and black flats. Her hair was in a messy bun on the top of her head, and right on that day, she hadn't even bothered to apply some gloss to her lips. Great.
"Of course. Nice to meet you..."
"Mercedes". Distracting eyes...
"Mercedes". He repeated, ofering his hand and she loved the sound coming out of his plump lips. "Please, follow me".
As Kurt rose reluctantly to follow Dr. Evans, Mercedes couldn't help but watch him go, her own curiosity piqued. She might have come here just to support her friend, but now, she found herself wondering if this visit might end up being a little more interesting than she'd expected.
'Well, I might survive after all". Kurt muttered, as they followed Dr. Evans into a long corridor. As he walked ahead of them, Mercedes found her eyes drifting before she caught herself. His broad shoulders filled out his blue coat, and his stride was confident but unhurried. Stop it, Mercedes, she scolded herself silently. That was Kurt's appointment, not some meet-cute scenario.
Dr. Evans opened the door and gestured for them to step inside. "Right this way."
Mercedes let Kurt go first, hesitating just a second as she caught the faintest glance from Sam again. His gaze met hers briefly—just a flicker—but there was something in the way his lips twitched into the barest hint of a smile that made her wonder. Did he just…? No, probably nothing.
Finally inside his office, the place immediately put her at ease. It was spacious, airy and inviting, with light green walls decorated with colorful posters. Brightly illustrated charts about dental care for kids hung alongside a framed photo of smiling children—likely from the charity Brittany had mentioned he was part of.
Mercedes wandered further inside, taking in the playful details. A shelf filled with action figures and books caught her attention, and she let out a small laugh. Dork alert.
"Please, have a seat". Dr. Evans pulled a chair for her and his hand touched her arm briefly. She thanked him with a smile before glancing at Kurt, who was settling into the chair, visibly tense and clearly too preoccupied with his own anxiety to notice the subtle undercurrent between her and the dentist.
"Alright, Mr. Hummel," Dr. Evans sat in front of Kurt, his tone calm and reassuring as he pulled on a pair of gloves. "Let's take a look and see what's going on."
As he worked, Mercedes couldn't help but notice how easily Sam put Kurt at ease. His voice was warm and steady, his manner professional but personable at the same time.
A faint scent drifted past her—clean, warm and manly. She resisted the urge to close her eyes and inhale. A smell that made her want to bury her face in his neck and chest. Focus, Mercedes. That was definitely not the time to get distracted by how good a man smells.
Thirty minutes later, the friends were walking out of the office, Kurt wearing a lopsided grin and looking nothing like the scared child he had been moments before. "Well, that wasn't so bad. He's good at what he does, I'll give him that."
Mercedes followed, offering a teasing smile. "Yes, you survived. Now let's have some mimosas to celebrate".
As they stepped into the late morning air, Kurt turned to her, his grin fading into a more thoughtful expression. "On another note, did you notice how he kept looking at you?"
Mercedes blinked, caught off guard. "What? What are you talking about?"
"Oh, please," Kurt said, rolling his eyes. "Every time he wasn't focused on my teeth, his eyes were on you. And don't act like you didn't notice."
She laughed it off, shaking her head. "I didn't, because you're imagining things. Did they give you anesthesia or something? Maybe you're still a little loopy."
"Uh-huh," Kurt drawled, clearly unconvinced. "Distracting eyes, wasn't it?"
Mercedes smirked but didn't respond, her thoughts drifting back to the flicker of a smile and the warmth in Sam's gaze.
As they walked towards her the car, Kurt added, "Brittany's going to want every detail about this visit. I'm just warning you now."
"Let her guess," Mercedes said with a shrug, though she couldn't stop the small smile tugging at her lips.
Because, if she was being honest, she was already replaying those fleeting moments with Dr. Evans in her mind—and wondering if Kurt might be onto something after all.
SMSMSMSMSMSMSMSMSMSMSMSMSMSMSMSMSMSMSMSMSMSMSMSMSMSMSMSMS
The sky was already orange and pink when Mercedes finally unlocked the door to her apartment, juggling a few shopping bags as she stepped inside and slipped off her shoes. The familiar scent of vanilla and lavender greeted her—a subtle reminder of the candles she always kept burning in the evenings.
She set the bags down by the entryway and let out a deep sigh, finally taking a moment to enjoy the quiet. It was one of the things she loved most about her home—a cozy sanctuary tucked away on the sixth floor of a charming old building.
The apartment was a perfect reflection of her personality: warm, inviting, and effortlessly stylish. Soft, cream-colored furniture contrasted with the dark wood floors, and the walls were adorned with framed photographs and abstract art she'd collected over the years. A plush throw blanket draped over the arm of the sofa, and a small stack of books sat on the coffee table, each one with a bookmark peeking out as if waiting for her to return.
She carried the bags to the kitchen and began unpacking. Kurt had insisted they stop by a boutique downtown after brunch, and she'd ended up buying a couple of things she hadn't planned on: a new scarf, a scented candle, and a pair of earrings, which now sat alongside the groceries and a bottle of wine she'd picked up earlier.
Her day off had been full, but it had been nice to spend it with Kurt, even if the shadow of Dr. Sam lingered in her thoughts.
She opened the fridge, poured herself a glass of white wine from an already opened bottle, and retreated to the living room, pulling her legs up beneath her and staring at the city lights twinkling outside the window, letting the wine's taste linger on her tongue. She still had so much to do before going to bed, but she needed a moment to unwind.
The day had been... interesting and unexpected.
Brunch with Kurt had been fun as always, and a welcome distraction. He'd ordered his usual—a towering stack of pancakes—and they'd spent the meal laughing about everything and nothing.
But even then, Mercedes had caught herself drifting, her thoughts circling back to Sam. It wasn't just about him, though. It was also about the pattern—the choices she'd made in her love life that had led her to this moment.
Her last relationship had ended two years ago, and it had left her wary of opening up again. She'd given so much of herself, only to realize she'd been holding on to something that wasn't real.
Since then, she'd kept things casual, dipping a toe into the dating pool but never diving in. It was easier that way, less messy. But today had reminded her that some wounds didn't heal as cleanly as she'd like to believe.
She hadn't felt interested in anyone for a while. Maybe her friends were right—she just needed to find a nice guy to spend some time with and have fun.
Maybe that's why Sam had caused such an impression. He was handsome, and Brittany had already said nice things about him. Seeing him in his element, so comfortable and competent, had done something to her too. She have always admired seeing someone excel at their job and Sam looked like he did. Add to that the fact that he was involved with a charity alongside Brittany, and Mercedes could understand the attraction.
But that was all. Mercedes knew nothing else about that man, or the kind of person that he was and probably would never see again, so she was grateful that those eyes wouldn't occupy her thoughts the next day.
She sighed, running a hand through her hair, which she still planned to wash and dry later. The apartment felt too quiet now—the kind of silence that let her thoughts run wild.
She reached for her phone, scrolling aimlessly through the many messages in there. There was one from Kurt, a picture of the earrings she'd bought with the caption, "A steal at twice the price!"
She smiled despite herself and sent back a quick reply before setting the phone aside and standing up and lighting the new candle, letting its warm, citrusy scent fill the space. It reminded her of another heady fragrance she had encountered earlier and it seemed to be stuck in her mind.
Shaking her head, she put on her Urban R playlist through the speaker and headed to her suite, deciding to unwind in the tub. It was still Wednesday, and she already had too many things on her mind to waste time thinking about a man she had met only once. But the job troubles would also have to wait until tomorrow.
For tonight, she'd let herself be here, in this moment, in this home that had always been her refuge. The rest could wait.