Chapter Thirty-One
Aaron
I got absolutely no sleep whatsoever last night. All I did was hug a pillow to my chest and cry all night long. What if taking this job was a horrible mistake? What if I hated it? What if I loved it? What if it ruined us?
No. I couldn’t think like that.
It wasn’t going to ruin us. I wouldn’t let it. I’d quit and move back before I let anything come between us.
This job was important to me, but Finn was the most important thing in the world. He was my future, not some stupid job.
When I went in for my new job, I met with my new boss and he showed me around the building. I’d been in the hospital a few times so I was at least familiar with the place, though it’d take a while to get used to the large hospital. I met so many people that I forgot their names almost immediately. But just about everyone was very kind and welcoming, so that was a plus.
It was a long day, but I was already looking forward to going back the next morning and getting to really work. Today had been so much of the administrative crap that I hadn’t had a chance to practice. I’d been assured that I would tomorrow, though.
There was a long but small box on my doorstep, so I grabbed it, and as soon as I let myself into my new apartment, I dialed Finn. I hadn’t even changed yet. He picked up on the second ring. “Hey, handsome. How was your first day?”
Hearing his voice made me smile and sigh as I set the box on the table. “It went really well. How was your day?” I toed off my shoes and headed into the bedroom.
“Same as always.” I could hear the smile in his voice. “You gotta give me more than that. What did you do? Who did you meet? Where did you eat lunch? Were the people nice? Anyone seem asshole-ish? Do you know who’s on your team yet? Did you get to do anything? Work on patients or anything like that? What time do you have to be there tomorrow? Does your normal schedule start tomorrow or will this whole week be different like today? Is your boss nice? Do you thi—”
“Okay, okay, okay.” I cut him off with a laugh. “If you keep going I won’t be able to keep up.”
“Okay, I can hold my tongue while you answer.”
I snorted at that. “I mostly did paperwork and toured the building, meeting people and going over procedures. I met like a thousand different people, so I don’t remember any of their names. My boss took me to lunch at a little café across the street from the hospital. Everyone was really nice. There was one guy that might be an asshole, it’s too soon to tell. No, no, and no. Seven a.m. My normal schedule starts tomorrow, yes.” I loosened my tie and sat on the edge of the bed.
“You missed the last question. Is your boss nice?”
“Yeah, he seems like a good guy, and a good doctor.” I held the phone between my ear and shoulder as I unbuttoned my shirt.
“What’s his name again?” he asked me.
I pulled off my button-up. “Uh, Dr. James Kemsley.” I pulled my undershirt up over my head.
“What are you doing?” he asked with a strange note in his voice.
“What do you mean?”
“There’s a weird rustle… are you… undressing?”
I cleared my throat. “Uh, yeah. I called you as soon as I walked in the door.”
“Do you have your laptop handy?”
I furrowed my brow. “Yeah.”
“I’m calling you over Skype,” he said.
I grabbed my laptop and after a minute I was able to accept his call. His smile was so bright when I answered that I could only stare at him lying on his bed for a moment before finally saying, “Hey.”
His smile turned into a little smirk. “Hey, Romeo.”
I saw him hang up his cell, so I did the same. We could’ve switched over to a video chat on our phones, but doing it on the computer was so much better than having to hold the phone up the entire time, and we’d be talking all night.
“I wish you were here, Muffin.”
His eyes softened. “Me too.” His smirk returned. “Then I’d be able to lick all that exposed skin.” He waved his hand at me.
I looked down and realized I was shirtless, then I laughed. “Is that why you wanted to Skype? To see my chest?”
“Obviously.” He reached down and tugged his own shirt over his head. “I was kinda hoping to see more than just your chest.”
“Is that right?” I couldn’t help but stare at his body, taking in his hundred tattoos and all his beautiful skin. My pants grew uncomfortably tight.
“Yep.”
When my gaze traveled back up to his face, I squinted at the screen and asked, “Is that a new eyebrow ring?”
He laughed. “Yeah, I needed a distraction while I waited for you to get off work, so I ran over to the mall.”
I swallowed down the guilt at not being there and whispered, “I like it.”
He grinned and opened his mouth to reply, but his phone pinged, so he glanced at it before saying, “Oh, crap. I forgot to ask if a small box was delivered to you today?”
“Oh yeah, I haven’t opened it yet because I called you right away.”
He smiled softly, then rolled onto his stomach. “You should go get it.”
“I thought you were ready for some fun?” I asked, even though I’d already gotten up to grab the box, taking the laptop with me.
“After, okay?”
I shot him a little wink which he chuckled at. I retrieved the elongated box, then headed back to my bedroom and sat on the bed so he could see me.
“It’s nothing very impressive, so don’t get too excited,” he said, still watching me from his stomach.
I opened it, pulling out a single long-stemmed red rose… made from fondant—and the wire it was on.
“You remember when you gave me a rose?” Finn rushed to say. “You wanted to make our time together a date even though we couldn’t go out on a real one? Well… I dunno… I thought…” When I looked at him, he was chewing on his cheek and fidgeting nervously. “I was thinking that we could eat dinner together, kinda like we were on a date, even though we’re not in the same town. I dunno… sorry, it’s lame.”
“No.” I shook my head. “No, it’s not lame. It’s sweet. I love it.”
He eyed me.
I rubbed my eyes as emotions hit me again, then I blew out a breath and looked at him. “A shirtless dinner date?”
He huffed out a small laugh. “That sounds like a plan.”
He started to get up, but I stopped him with my voice. “Hey.” I twirled the rose in my fingers. “Thank you, Finn. When you get here this weekend, maybe you can help me find a place to put it.”
He smiled. “I’d love to.”
“Are you sure you’re okay with helping me unpack and everything?”
“Of course.”
I nodded at him. “Okay… dinner? What are you having? I think I’m in the mood for some Ramen.”
“Oh my god, you’re going to starve without me there to feed you, aren’t you?”
“Probably. You might have to start mailing me meals.”
He snorted and carried his laptop to his kitchen. “I’m going to have to teach you to cook.”
“I know how to make one thing.”
“Oh god, no… don’t do it.”
“Pirate’s Casserole! Aargh. It’s the secret of the sea.” I did my best pirate face as I made my way into my new kitchen.
He started laughing. “You are seriously the biggest dork… and please, do not make that vomit-worthy meal.”
I chuckled. “Don’t worry, I haven’t even been to the grocery store yet. I think Ramen is all I have since I brought it with me.”
He sighed and shook his head. “Anything is better than your Pirate’s Casserole.”
“Whatever, you know it’s delicious.”
“Please. It’s disgusting.”
I laughed again. “No, it’s not. It’s a gourmet meal.”
He started laughing again. “Seriously, biggest dork ever.”
We both started laughing as we began cooking our separate meals.
***
I tried calling Finn, but he didn’t pick up. I wasn’t worried, though, because I figured that he was probably still working. I just missed him. So I poured myself a glass of wine and went to sit on the couch to flip through the channels until he called me back.
When I heard a knock on the door, I grabbed my wallet to pay for the pizza I’d ordered. I opened the door and froze in my tracks.
“Hey… um… I, uh, couldn’t wait to see you, so I came a day early.” Finn stood in my doorway and I couldn’t do anything but stare at him. “I’m sorry, I should’ve called and asked before just showing up like this. I thought it would be a nice surprise, but you seem—”
I grabbed the front of his coat and yanked him to me, shutting him up with my mouth on his. I held him tight against my body and pulled him in the rest of the way, then shut the door and pulled his bags off his shoulders. Without breaking the kiss, I pushed his coat to the ground, then reached down, grabbed his thighs and lifted him. He automatically wrapped his legs and arms around me as I carried him to the bedroom, no longer caring about the pizza. I laid him on the bed and started peppering his face with kisses.
He laughed a little and the sound warmed my heart.
“You’re really here,” I whispered between kisses.
“I am.” He sounded breathless.
“I have you for four days, right?” I asked, still between kisses.
He nodded. “Yeah. They let me have a couple days off.”
As we kissed and touched each other, I realized for the first time that we really were going to be okay. This wasn’t the same as last time. We were stronger now. More sure of our lives, more sure of each other. We were going to be okay because no matter how close or how far we were from each other, we were still in this thing together. And we were going to stay that way, no matter what.