by Alli Sims
“There will be no date until I’m forgiven,” Nick said with a smile.
Fiona kept a straight face. “You better have a really good excuse,” she said as she pushed back her chair and gathered up her books.
“The best excuse,” he replied. “I’ll see you at six.”
Fiona walked towards her next class. When she turned the corner, she peeked around to see Nick still sitting there. He had a grin on his face that made her smile.
The next two classes had exams that were just as hard as the first two. By the time she walked out of the last one, she was ready to go to bed for a month. Fiona made her way back to her dorm, where she promptly curled up under her blanket and fell asleep.
“Hey, wake up.”
A voice cut through Fiona’s dreams. She shook off the dream that she’d been having as she opened an eye. Nick’s face was so close to hers that she yelped, her heart speeding up. She sat up quickly.
“What time is it?” She asked, her voice drowsy.
“It’s seven. You were supposed to meet me an hour ago.”
Fiona yawned. “I’m sorry, I just passed right out.”
“Does this mean we’re even now?” He asked.
“You’re not getting out of showing me this great excuse,” she said as she climbed out of the bed.
Nick grinned. “I don’t intend to get out of it.”
Fiona tamed her hair in the mirror before she slipped into her boots. She shrugged into her coat, wrapped a scarf around her neck. When she was done, she waved Nick over.
“All set, let’s go.”
Nick took the lead as they walked to his car. He popped the door open for her before she slid inside. When they started driving down the road, Fiona turned to him.
“Is it far?”
“Not far at all.”
Fiona nodded. Her eyes kept sliding over to him as they drove. He looked nervous, the way he kept fidgeting with the collar of his jacket. She raised an eyebrow. What could he possibly have to show her that would make him nervous?
They pulled up in front of a white brick apartment building. Once they stepped out of the car, Nick led the way to the door. He unlocked it before they headed up a flight of stairs. When he reached the top, he unlocked an apartment door before stepping inside.
Fiona had expected a quiet, dark apartment. She had been expecting a bachelor pad, but that’s not what awaited her when the door opened. The smell of cooking food filled the space. Every light in the house was on. Fiona stepped inside slowly as she glanced at Nick, but he was looking around the apartment.
“Jenna?” Nick called as he slipped out of his coat. He turned to Fiona and helped her out of hers. “Jenna!”
“Nick is home, Nick is home!”
Fiona looked at Nick with wide eyes. He grinned, shrugged. A little girl ran into the living room, her blonde hair tied into two streaming pigtails. Nick scooped her up before giving her a tight hug. He kissed her forehead making her giggle.
“Who are you?” The little girl asked.
Fiona was at a loss for words. She stuttered over her words, but she couldn’t seem to find the right ones. Relief flooded her when Nick spoke up.
“This is my friend, Fiona. Say hi.”
The little girl waved. “Hi! I’m Jenna.”
Fiona smiled. “How old are you Jenna?”
“I’m four and a half!”
“Jenna, didn’t I ask you to pick up your toys?” A woman walked into the living room with an apron tied around her waist. When she spotted Nick, she smiled. “Hey, we were just going to eat dinner soon. Are you joining us?”
Nick turned to Fiona. She nodded her head quickly. The nervousness that Nick had displayed since they’d gotten inside of the car seemed to disappear. He smiled.
“Yeah, we’re staying. This is Fiona, by the way. Fiona, this is Kat. She’s Jenna’s nanny.”
Kat dusted her hands off on her apron before she shook Fiona’s hand. “It’s nice to meet you. Jenna, get washed up for dinner please.”
“Okay!” The little girl ran from the room.
Kat followed behind her, shaking her head and telling her not to run in the house. Nick walked over to a set of glass doors. When he pushed them open, they walked out on a small patio.
“So, is my excuse valid enough?”
“Why didn’t you tell me you had a daughter?” Fiona asked.
Nick slipped his hands into his pocket. “She’s actually my sister’s daughter. Two years ago, she passed away. I was the only person that Jenna had or they would have put her in foster care. I didn’t want that for her. I don’t tell a lot of people about her. I’m very protective over her. Most people don’t even get to meet her.”
“She’s beautiful,” Fiona said as she gazed through the glass.
“She’s a hand full. Saturday I was on my way to meet you when she jumped from the kitchen counter. She was going for the table, but missed. I think I freaked out more than she did. I left my phone on the table, rushed her to the hospital. She was fine, but that’s all I could think about. When we got back home, I couldn’t get in touch with you so I took a walk to clear my head after she went to bed.”
Fiona felt embarrassed. She thought back to all of the awful things that had gone through her mind that night. When she looked at Nick, he had a small smile on his lips.
“I’m sorry, I didn’t know,” she said quietly.
“It’s okay. I’m just glad you’re not mad at me anymore.”
They gazed at each other for a moment. Fiona felt her stomach flutter nervously. She wanted nothing more at that moment than to kiss him. The sliding glass door broke into both of their thoughts.
“Dinner’s done! Wash your hands,” Jenna said shaking her finger at them.
“Yes, ma’am,” Nick answered quickly.
As he walked to the door, he held a hand out to Fiona. She slipped her hand inside of his. Fiona smiled up at him as he gave her fingers a squeeze. They walked into the house together.
“Fiona, you sit right here. Nick, sit right here. And I’m going to sit right here next to Kat, because I promised her I would.”
“That’s very mature of you, Jenna,” Fiona said with a grin.
The little girl nodded seriously. Nick caught Fiona’s gaze and grinned. Fiona gave a little sigh as she began to eat. She couldn’t keep the smile off of her face, especially when throughout the meal Nick would slip his hand beneath the table to hold hers.
When dinner was over, Fiona offered to help with the dishes. Nick tried to tell her that she didn’t have to, but she waved him off. Jenna wanted to help, so she pulled a chair up to the sink for the little girl to stand on. Together they washed the dishes, Fiona telling every old knock knock joke that she knew. It turned Jenna into a mess of giggles. By the time they were done, Fiona was mopping up suds from the counter and water from the floor.”
“Let’s not tell Nick we made such a big mess,” she said as she wrung out the towel.
Jenna grinned and shook her head. “If we don’t tell him, do we get ice cream?”
“Neither of you get ice cream, you sneaks.”
“Ahhh,” Jenna and Fiona pouted in unison.
“Fine, you brats! Both of you can have a little ice cream, then it’s off to bed.”
They shared their ice cream on the couch watching one of Jenna’s cartoons. When the bowls were collected, Kat took Jenna to get her ready for bed. The little girl paused halfway down the hall.
“Fiona?”
“Yes?”
“Will you read to me tonight?”
Fiona grinned. “You bet.”
When Jenna was gone, Nick turned to Fiona. “You’re amazing.”
“That little girl’s amazing. I’ve always loved kids.”
Nick kissed her forehead. She sighed. When Jenna had brushed her teeth and put on her pj’s, Nick tucked her into her pink princess bed. Fiona sat in a wooden rocking chair before Jenna pointed out which story she wanted. Fiona ended up reading t
wo stories, but Nick put his foot down when she asked for another.
“I know your tricks very well,” he said as he kissed her cheek. “It’s time for bed.”
Jenna’s eyes were already half closed. “I love you, Uncle Nick.”
“I love you too.”
They crept out of her room together, Nick pulling the door closed behind him. Nick led Fiona down the hall. There were two doors, one Kat’s room, one his. He pushed open the door to his bedroom before flicking the light switch.
As soon as the door was closed behind them, Fiona turned around. Standing on her tiptoes, she pulled Nick in for a kiss. The surprise on his face faded slowly as he began to kiss her back. He lifted her up into his arms before he deposited her on his bed. Nick’s fingers worked quickly to peel Fiona out of her clothes.
“Are you sure?” He asked as he kissed her neck.
“More than sure,” she said as her fingers pushed his pants off of his legs.
“You still don’t know anything about me,” he whispered.
“I know more than enough to know I’m not making a mistake.”
Nick didn’t need any more reassurance after that. He ran his fingers over Fiona’s body, left kisses all over her skin. As she wrapped her arms around his neck, she knew that she was making the right decision for once.
They kept each other awake well into the night. Fiona found herself tangled up with him, her head resting on his chest as they whispered. The more Nick told her about himself, the more she liked him. His fingers laced through hers before they both fell asleep.
Fiona couldn’t believe that she spent the next few days with them. Jenna was always thrilled when Fiona “came over.” Though really, it was just Nick sneaking her out then having her knock on the door in the mornings. Everyday they ate breakfast together, went on outings and kept each other company. Fiona couldn’t remember a time when she’d ever been so happy.
A week after exams, there was an email waiting for Fiona. Nick came out of the kitchen to see her wringing her hands, staring at his computer. He sat down his mug of coffee before wrapping an arm around her shoulders.
“What are you waiting for? Open it.”
She shook her head. “I can’t! What if I didn’t pass? What if my grades are just awful now? I don’t want to think about it,” she groaned as she went to shut the laptop.
Nick wouldn’t let her. “You did fine. Even if you didn’t, you can always try again. I know for a fact though that you did great.”
Fiona looked up at him. The look in his eyes gave her comfort. She pulled in a huge breath of air before she held it. The cursor hovered over the email. Nick put his hand on top of hers. They clicked it together.
Fiona screamed. She clapped her hands together excitedly as she stared at her scores. Nick was so happy that he kissed her. A’s across the board met her eyes. She’d done so well. Fiona felt proud of herself as she stared at the numbers.
“I can’t believe I did it,” she whispered.
“Did someone scream?” Kat asked as she popped her head out of the kitchen.
“It was Uncle Nick’s girlfriend!” Jenna called.
Fiona blushed as she tried to stifle a chuckle. Nick shook his head as he turned to Jenna with a stern look on his face. He leaned close to the little girl.
“What do you know about girlfriends?”
Jenna giggled. “I know Fiona’s your girlfriend.”
Fiona couldn’t stop herself. She burst out into laughter as Nick turned his attention from Jenna to Kat. The nanny quickly disappeared back into the kitchen, mumbling about a pot being on the stove. Jenna was in a giggling fit as she ran from Nick, the door to her bedroom slamming shut as she hid from him.
He sighed as he walked back over to Fiona. “Surrounded by women, I must be crazy…” he muttered. “So?” He asked staring at Fiona.
“So, what?”
“Is it true? Are you my girlfriend?”
“Well, if Jenna says so we have to follow her rules, don't we?”
“She is the ruler of this fair land,” Nick said as he leaned down to Fiona.
Their lips met softly at first. Nick held her face in his hands as he kissed her more deeply sending shivers down her spine. She felt the familiar quickening of her heart.
“Ewww! Now they’re kissing!”
“You little sneak!”
Nick took off after Jenna as she shrieked across the living room. When he caught her, he began to tickle her until she was a ball of shrieking giggles and tears. Fiona laughed as she watched the two of them play. She was glad that she hadn’t given up, she would have missed out on the best thing she’d experienced in a very long time.
“Fiona!” Jenna called, pulling her out of her day dreams.
“Yes?”
“Are you coming over for Christmas?”
Fiona glanced over at Nick. He was standing a little way back, smirking. She had the distinct idea that Nick had gotten Jenna to ask for him. Later, she would call him out on his dirty tactics.
“Of course I’ll come over for Christmas.”
“Yay!”
Jenna ran off to go tell Kat. Nick walked over to her slowly, his hands in his pockets, an innocent look on his face. Fiona glared at him.
“What?” He asked.
“That was dirty.”
“Hey, it wasn’t my idea!”
“Sure it wasn’t.”
Nick grinned. “The things that you accuse me of. You wound me!”
“I’ll give you a wound alright.”
Nick pulled her up into his arms. As he kissed her, she relaxed against his chest. She ran her fingers through his silken hair. When they heard the sound of footsteps, they separated quickly.
“Can we go ice skating?” Jenna asked excitedly.
“Go get your coat and shoes on,” Nick said.
Jenna ran off again in search of her things. Nick placed a kiss on Fiona’s cheek. It was going to be a beautiful Christmas.
The End
<
Just What the Doctor Ordered
Chapter One
“You don’t mind if I have a seat, do you?”
Kasie looked up at Dr. Jackson, known as JJ to most of the hospital, and wanted to say, “of course I mind you idiot go sit with your adoring fans and leave me the hell alone.” But he was her boss and saying something like that was guaranteed to put her on his shit list. So instead she shrugged and returned her attention to the cardboard sandwich in her hand and the journal resting on the table in front of her. This was how she spent most of her time eating, reading articles that would make her a better trauma surgeon.
“So what are you reading?”
She looked up at Dr. Jackson with a blank stare and pressed her teeth into her tongue to stop the words that threatened to spill out. “A journal article.”
He rolled those moss colored eyes and gifted her with a smile that made most women blush. “Obviously. What is the article about?”
Kasie sighed heavily wishing he would just go away. It was bad enough she spent as much as eighteen hours a day with the good looking egomaniac, now he was invading her precious alone time. “Ways to reduce radiation when screening for blunt abdominal trauma.” Leave now, please.
Dr. Jackson leaned over to look at the journal and his smile brightened. “I co-wrote the article.” When her blank stare didn’t show surprise or admiration he went on, “You can just ask me if you have questions, you know.”
The problem was she didn’t want to ask him. Anything. Ever. “I’d rather just read the article.”
His smile dimmed a bit but he was not deterred. “You know Dr. Fulgram, I get the feeling you don’t like me much.”
Gee what gave you that idea, Einstein? “You are a great trauma surgeon and I’m sure I’ll learn a lot from you.” If I don’t stab you with a scalpel first.
He sat back in his chair with his hand clutched at his heart. “Great trauma surgeon? You wound me Kasie Fulgram.” At her blank star
e he straightened up and told her, “I am an incredible surgeon and you’d do well to remember just how much you could learn from me.”
Kasie stared at him until he began to shift uncomfortably. She finished chewing and looked him right in the eye. “That’s your job, isn’t it, to teach me?”
JJ sighed heavily. He had no idea why she disliked him so much or why it bothered him as much as it did, but dammit it did. “It is my job Kasie but that doesn’t mean you wouldn’t learn more if our relationship wasn’t so…contentious.”