The Hookup

Forty nine

"Miss Abraham.. I've already explained to you that I cannot, with good conscious, up your pain medication any more. Now, if you would please..." Dr. Brown's deep voice traveled out of the doorway as I passed the second to last room at the end of then hallway towards the elevator. I smirked as his voice became nothing more than a dull hum while I waited patiently for the silver doors to open on my floor.

Hero and I returned back to the city late yesterday afternoon. Just in time for another snow storm. Whoopdie fucking do. As soon as the plane touched down on the tarmac, I was even more sad that our perfect getaway was now done. Wanting to demand that sweet southern bell who'd served us drinks the whole flight home she ignore our tickets and let us fly back down south.

However, I managed to get a good night's sleep. Both of us, actually. My guess is we were so worn out from turning the seaside bungalow inside out for three nights straight that there was nothing left in the tank. I was happily sedated to say the least.

Work came early this morning. Back to the grind as some might say. I left Hero checking emails and sipping the coffee he had made us while I was getting ready. I only worked a single today, couldn't really complain.

After being at my patient's beck and call for nearly five hours straight, I was finally due a break. The staff lunch room was on the tenth floor. Peace and quiet awaiting me with open arms at last.

After stepping into the elevator, giving what looked to be a visitor a small smile and a nod as they pushed past me with an armload of the biggest bouquet of flowers I'd ever personally seen, I plastered myself to the wall inside, pressing the holy number 10 on the sidewall and fished my phone out of my scrub pocket, checking it for the first time in over an hour.

From Hero: not digging this whole snow thing. Thinking Florida is more my style

Ha. You and I both.

From Hero: did you know we live two blocks down from a gaming store? And I'm just now finding out about it?

Oh, the joys of working from home..

From Hero: just got back from said gaming store. The place was like a madhouse. But I took it upon myself to buy a console and may have set it up already in the living room. Please don't be upset. I love you.

The last text made me laugh. The fact that Hero thought he could do anything to upset me was comical. In fact, he had this way of going literally out of his way to treat me like I was the only girl on planet earth.

I had kicked myself metaphorically once or twice for giving him the boot after our first night together. Leaving three months of static between us that in hindsight was wasted precious time. But that was in the past and right now our present was more than great. I hadn't been this happy in a relationship in a really really long time.

For some reason, needing to hear his voice instead of responding with a text, I moved to call him, watching the electronic numbers climb on the wall overhead in the elevator while the phone rang into my ear. By the third ring, he answered.

"Hey baby," he was out of breath, which caught be off guard. But happy to hear from me nonetheless.

"Hi.." I drew the word out. "What, were you working out?"

"No," he laughed into the line. Just as the elevator dinged and the doors began to open. "I'm cleaning."

If it weren't for the fact that I was due to be crushed in between shiny metal doors, his words would have stopped me in my tracks. "Cleaning?" I asked incredulously. Mentally slapping myself for sounding more harsh than intended.