Premise: When Cassie decides to date other people, Ethan has to pretend he's not affected.
Book: Open Heart
Pairing: Ethan Ramsey x F!MC (Cassie Valentine)
Rating/Category: Teen. Angsty Fluff
Trope: And one of them is jealous
Words: 1,385
A/N: This is the follow up to So Over It and we get to meet Nate Hanson. Set during Book 1, leading up to Miami. In Lia Land, Miami happens the weekend of Jan 26-29.
Submission for @choicesaugustchallenge Day 15 prompt “There’s always an escape.”
Part 1: It’s Not a Date
The flurries outside drifted aimlessly under the gray sky. Cassie Valentine absently watched the traffic outside the coffee shop and wondered for the nth time what she was doing here.
A few days after telling her twin brother Max to give Nate Hanson her number, she had agreed to meet the man at Derry’s. It wasn’t a date. They had both been clear on that. But each was curious about the other, and a coffee meet-up seemed like an innocent way to explore the waters.
She would have preferred to meet elsewhere, but he was going to be in the neighborhood, and they both deemed it convenient. On the positive side, she didn’t have to worry about her friends asking questions about Nate. However, she had been anxious about running into Ethan until she heard Danny mention that Dr. Ramsey was away for a couple of days.
Safe in knowing there wouldn’t be any awkward encounters at his favorite coffee shop, Cassie arrived a few minutes early. She parked herself at a table next to the window and in clear view of the entrance.
While Cassie trusted Max’s judgment completely, her stupid crush on Ethan Ramsey meant doubts were never far from the surface. There’s always an escape, she mused. She could get paged, an emergency that would take several hours or even days.
“Cassie?”
Lost in thought, she glanced up at the sound of her name. She saw a handsome man in his early thirties with short, neat black hair and warm brown eyes. His caramel-colored wool coat was expensive, as was the Hermès cashmere scarf around his neck.
She thought Nate Hanson looked better in person than his official picture online.
“Nate. It’s nice to meet you.” She offered a welcoming smile. He waved her back down when she started to stand. Folding the coat on the back of his chair, he took the seat across from her.
She pushed one of the coffee cups toward him. “I know you’re short on time, so I hope it’s okay that I got you a cappuccino. Max told me it’s your preferred drink.”
“Thanks,” he said, humming in pleasure after taking a tentative sip. “I heard you’re particular about your coffee. I’m guessing this place gets the Cassie Valentine stamp of approval.”
“Gold star,” Cassie grinned, lifting her coffee cup in a mock toast and laughing when he lightly tapped hers with his own.
“Max told me you’re teaching at Harvard this term. What brings you to this side of the river?”
“My company is doing a research trial at Edenbrook,” Nate explained. “I had meetings with the researchers this morning. Later today, I’m meeting the board. Chief Emery asked me to update them on the trial’s progress. We’re at a critical juncture, and the Harvard gig was a good excuse to stay close to the team here.”
Cassie watched him with a considering look, chin propped in her upturned palm. “Small world,” she mused. “It’s good we didn’t meet up for coffee at the hospital then.”
He laughed, guessing precisely what she was thinking. “Edenbrook’s rumor mill is strong as ever, huh? It’s good to know things haven’t changed much since I did my sub-I rotation there.”
His words made her go still. Cassie knew he had gone to Harvard Medical School, opting out of clinical residency to focus on biotech and building his company. That information had been part of his official bio. What she hadn’t known was his connection to the hospital.
“Of all the hospitals in all the towns in all the world, you walk into mine,” she murmured. She tapped her fingers against the sides of her cup, thinking how this could get complicated before it even begins. Those damn connections.
He smirked knowingly at the implication behind her words.
“Maybe we should walk back to Edenbrook together,” he joked, a challenging gleam in his eyes. “I’ll gaze lovingly into your beautiful green eyes. You can pretend to be enamored with me. A light kiss goodbye, on the lips, of course, as we both head back to work. That’ll give them something to talk about.”
“You know that kind of gossip will travel back to my mother, right?” Cassie teased, green eyes sparkling in merriment. She leaned forward, enjoying his lighthearted company, and he did the same, their foreheads almost touching. “Do you prefer a summer wedding or something in the fall?”
His boisterous laugh and her joyful one had the barista and a few patrons glancing over. Unbeknownst to Cassie, a certain attending had stopped in his tracks on the sidewalk outside Derry’s, his eyes locked on her. Ethan Ramsey traced Cassie’s laughing, relaxed features and wondered if she would ever look at him like that.
His large frame was huddled inside a thick parka; light snow dusted his dark brown hair. Pedestrians walked around him, one bumping his shoulder and muttering in annoyance. But he stood frozen in place, watching Cassie with a man who was obviously her date on the other side of the glass.
Ever since the PITA incident, and their confrontation in his office, she had kept her distance. It had been more emotional than physical, given his role in the fellowship competition and Naveen. And except for that time with the puppy during Christmas, she hadn’t really smiled at him as effortlessly as she would before, a light teasing grin as if she had found him amusing.
Ethan was used to interns flirting with him. Cassie had done so within ten minutes of their first meeting. But before, his cutting remarks had been enough to discourage further attempts except with her. She’d gotten him to grant an autograph and bought him a drink at Donahue’s, all on the first day.
From the start, she had challenged him. He still remembered how she stood up for the interns during her first rounds. How she’d caught him off guard with her pointed questions during the fMRI scan. And the thoughtful manner in which she’d astutely analyzed him for being lonely and lost in this very coffee shop a few short months ago.
The attraction he felt toward her was painful and annoying. Recognizing his bias, he had been particularly hard on her, having Mirani and Delarosa assign her the most demanding cases he could find.
Anyone else would have griped and given up after a while. But not Dr. Valentine.
She had consistently excelled in the past few weeks, proving she was worthy of his assessment. And when the rankings came out in two days, he knew she would be the top-ranked intern. Even Harper’s apparent preference for her niece couldn’t prevent that.
Instead of heading into Derry’s, Ethan forced himself to look away from the couple and walk back towards Edenbrook. He had told everyone he would be out. Instead, he’d been holed up in the new wing with Naveen scouring medical journals and brainstorming every symptom under the sun to make sense of his worsening condition.
As he slipped inside the hospital using the service entrance, he recognized the sinking feeling in his heart for what it was: envy.
He was jealous of the dark-haired man sitting comfortably across from her. As if he had every right to be there, like she already belonged to him. He was envious of the couple so engrossed in each other that they hadn’t even felt him staring intently.
Although that was probably good luck, he thought, ducking behind the tarp covering the entrance to the construction zone. The last thing he wanted was Cassie Valentine catching him spying on her, a stricken look in his eyes as if his whole world had come crashing down.
Before walking into Naveen's room, he schooled his features into a neutral expression.
“No coffee?” Naveen said, wheezing slightly. “You were gone a long time to come back empty-handed, my friend.”
“Their machine was broken,” Ethan said, making an excuse quickly.
His mentor was no fool and had already picked up on the tension between him and Cassie, commenting on it on more than one occasion. If he told him the truth, he would never hear the end of it.
When it came to Cassie Valentine, Ethan knew he had a decision to make. Was he ready to risk it all for her?
First prompt is an AU, second prompt is fandom food (thanks to @choicesmonthlychallenge for the help with finding some favorite fandom foods and @lizzybeth1986 for the food idea) and third prompt is a quote from some of my favorite shows.
Coffee Shop AU | Ramen | “Look! I’m terrible at keeping secrets.”
Royalty AU | BBQ | “If we can light him on fire, I’m in!”
Time Travel AU | Coffee | “Did you mean to do that?”
Roommates AU | Caramel Popcorn | “Love, it sustains you. It’s like oatmeal.”
Boarding School AU | Watermelon | “You ever feel trapped…”
Spies AU | Arroz con Pollo || “A place where everybody knows your name is hell. You’re describing hell.”
Mob/Mafia AU | Vartanush | “All the revenge, and rage, and anger, it ages you.”
Flower Shop AU | Brigadeiros | “You were always going to realize what I am.”
Tattoo Shop AU | Spaghetti al Pomodoro | “What if it’s not a death? What if life just begins again?”
High School AU | Croissants | “[Insert name] with all due respect, I am gonna completely ignore everything you just said.”
College AU | Tiramisu | “You’re a fuckin’ lunatic. I like it.”
Modern AU | Isaw | “Hey, that was a close call wasn’t it?”
Coworkers or Neighbors AU | Cheese | “When you cut loose, you really cut loose.”
Magic/Mermaid AU | Tonkatsu | “You think you’re cute?”
Rescue Services AU (Bodyguard Fightfighter Police Lifeguard, etc.) | Hummus | “There’s always an escape.”
Assassins AU | Breskvice | “This was my mission!”
Rockstar AU | Deep Dish Pizza | “It’s gotta be someone we can all trust.”
Soulmates AU | Mofongo | “Can you not have a bit of respect?!”
Werewolf or Ghost AU | Mashed potatoes | “You are better than you think you are.”
Vampire AU | Chocolate | “Fine, but in protest, I’m walking over there extremely slowly!”
(Post-)Apocalypse AU | Buffet | “Stab me.”
Fairytale AU | Tacos | “Well, I got bad news for you….”
Arranged Marriage AU | Toasted Ravioli | “I’m trying to put the revenge part behind me…”
Author's note: Late submission to Choices August Challenge. I was planning to post another fic, but this one also works for the same prompt. Also, I was dying to talk about Magnificent Century: Kösem, so I couldn’t miss the opportunity lol. [Original characters are creations of this author. The others are owned by Pixelberry Studios]
Book: Desire & Decorum (modern day AU)
Pairing: Prince Hamid x MC (Daphne)
Rating: T
Word count: 2359
Reading time: 9 min
Summary: Hamid just wants a peaceful night. But peace isn’t an option when Daphne has so many questions.
Based on the prompt: @choicesaugustchallenge day twelve: modern AU
Hamid placed two tall glasses of water on the coffee table and took a seat next to Daphne. Vegging out on the sofa was never his first choice on a Saturday night. After a fight, he usually would go out for a walk or a drive to clear his head. This time, however, he wasn't in the mood to leave.
Scratching the back of his head, he pondered about it. His eyes then landed on the young lady by his side, sipping her water whilst her eyes remained glued to the TV. Maybe her indoorsy traits were really rubbing off on him, like his sisters mentioned. Maybe it was because they had an intense argument and he just wanted a peaceful moment in his girlfriend's company. Either way, staying home sharing a large box of chocolate truffles and watching TV with her, somehow, was precisely how he wished to spend the rest of the night.
"Wanker..." Daphne grumbled then stuffed two truffles into her mouth as she scowled at the TV.
Or maybe not.
"Sorry for offending an ancestor of yours," she said with a frown.
"None taken." He glanced at her in curiosity. "But I have to say I'm a bit confused. I thought you liked Sultan Ahmet and Kösem."
"I do like them..."
"But...?"
"I just think it's unfair that he sleeps with other concubines as well. Sure, lots of babies died before their first birth in the sixteenth century and back then everyone thought it was the woman's fault if she didn't give birth to a boy. But it's still unfair! I mean, look at her!"
She pointed at the TV. The actress dressed as a sultana walked into the Topkapı Palace harem with firm steps and squared shoulders whilst all women bowed to her.
"Kösem is so pretty, so fierce and completely faithful to him. Meanwhile, Ahmet can shag the entire harem if he wants to."
Hamid pressed his lips together to fight back a laugh.
"I know this is a historical piece and feminism wasn't even a word back then. But... Urrrrgh!" Daphne gestured with her hands as though she was choking someone.
He chuckled softly. "I'm not going to disagree with you. Polygamy is a complicated form of marriage. During the Ottoman Empire, it must have been even worse."
"Oh?"
"Think about it." He shifted in his seat to look at his girlfriend. "The sultans didn't want an aristocracy to emerge and become another potential threat to the sultanate. Therefore, they chose to bed slaves. But to keep those women faithful, they had to find the right people to reeducate them since most of these women came from different places. They were allowed to have four wives and no matter how much the sultans respected and treated them equally, the sultana who gave birth to the crown prince was more powerful than the others."
"Which means there was constant rivalry among the sultanas and the heirs. Plus there’s the law of executing the other princes and..." Daphne frowned. "Hamidciğim?"
"Yes?"
"Did Sultan Ahmet eventually send Prince Mustafa to...?"
"No. Sultan Ahmet chose to ignore the fratricide law. Some believe it’s because he loved his brother dearly. Others think it was out of pity because Mustafa I was mentally ill. There’s also the theory we see in Muhteşem Yüzyıl: Kösem.”
“Sultan Ahmet saw Sultan Mehmet III kill his twenty-seven siblings while he grew up and didn’t wish to do the same.”
“Exactly. But no one knows for sure. What we know is that no one dared to kill Prince Mustafa."
"But isn't that what made Ahmet's sultanate so hard, right? Every sultana wanted their first son to become the next sultan."
"It is. Besides, having a harem meant many people to be responsible for, too much work that they had to be delegated and most likely many of those people spent years plotting to dethrone the Sultan. And may I add, many of them succeeded."
"Oof..."
"Oof indeed."
"So, if the Ottoman Empire still existed, you don't think nowadays sultan would have a harem."
"I'm not sure. The Ottoman Empire was determined to modernise itself and make alliances with western countries since the nineteenth century. These intercultural relations always influence both parties involved. At the very least, the sultans and other members of the empire eventually would've stopped bedding slaves, given that many were European women."
"Hm..." Daphne toyed with the ends of her hair, lost in thought. "If Murat bey was the sultan, he probably wouldn't have other wives then."
"If he did, annem wouldn't make his other wives' lives easy."
Daphne giggled.
"But as everyone knows, things didn't work as my great-grandfather hoped during World War I."
For a long moment, silence settled between them as they continued to watch the soap opera. Yet, from time to time, he sensed her attentive eyes appraising him.
"Hamidciğim?"
"Yes?"
"If you were the crown prince..."
"Which I am glad to say I'm not."
"I know... But if you were, do you think we would have met?"
Hamid furrowed his brows before answering. "Possibly. I certainly would've made some diplomatic visits to the UK. Perhaps I still would've studied in Cambridge and I would have met Lord Vincent."
"But do you think we still would date?"
"I—" He narrowed his eyes playfully. "Aşkım?"
"Yes?"
"Is there a reason why you're suddenly so curious about this hypothetical scenario in which I would be a prince?"
"Maybe..." She answered with a coy smile. "Earlier tonight you said I wasn't ready for what comes next in our relationship."
"I did."
"But you didn't tell me what the next step entails."
Hamid gazed at her intently. "You know what comes next."
"I do... But we come from different backgrounds and cultures. I don't know exactly how it will happen."
"And you want to know that now?"
"Hypothetically speaking, of course!" She looked down at her, fumbling with the hem of her jumper. "Just so I can be prepared for it..."
His lips curled upwards. "Very well."
Daphne put down the truffles box, tapped her phone screen to pause the soap opera and looked at him expectantly.
It was surprising to witness her eagerness to know about Turkish traditions o this subject. Was it just curiosity or was it something else? Yet, Hamid knew better than that. He couldn't push his luck so soon.
"If we come forward as a couple, my entire family would have to go to Edgewater, we would pay your family a visit so they could have a chance to meet. If your family approves me, we’d schedule a second meeting."
"It really happens as fast as in Turkish soap operas, huh?"
"It could be faster. But we're lucky babam is an open-minded man and doesn't pressure any of his children to get married."
"Is Nesrin already married because of your mother?"
"And Malak will be next if she keeps living in Turkish territory."
Her brows furrowed slightly. "But isn't she a year older than me?"
"The right age for marriage, according to annem." He made a face.
"People do get married really young here... Hey, is that why you and Yusuf ran away from Turkey after military service?"
"We didn't run!"
"Didn't you?"
"Of course not! Yusuf wanted to live in a country more LGBTQ+ friendly. And I was..." He trailed off as Daphne stared at him with an arched eyebrow. "Yeah, okay… I guess we did run away to avoid our families pushing us to marry any random girl they find suitable."
"Thank you. That's all I needed to hear." She smirked. "Now back to the second meeting."
Smarty-pants... He shook his head and continued. "On the second meeting, my family and I will bring you chocolates, Turkish delights. It's not part of the tradition, but I could give you flowers."
"Tulips and roses?"
"I'll redecorate your family's estate with all the flowers you find beautiful if you want, my love."
The corners of her eyes wrinkled as she smiled timidly. "What else?"
"Next, babam would ask Lord Vincent your hand in marriage. Parents nowadays want to know their daughters' opinions about the proposal. If you'd say yes, both of us would stand up and ask our future in-law's blessings with a kiss on their hands."
"Aw... how sweet."
"And you'd have to call my parents 'baba' and 'anne' from that moment on."
"Really?" Her eyes went round. "Would your mother be okay with it?"
"Yes. Annem always respects and follows traditions."
The surprise on her face was visible. Yet, given how disastrous their first encounter was, her reaction wasn't so far-fetched.
"Would we have our rings tied with a red ribbon?"
"Yes."
"And you would wear it too."
"Proudly," he whispered, pulling her close to kiss her cheek.
Daphne went quiet, but her eyes sparkled as she was lost in thoughts.
"If we stay really quiet, I think I can hear the wheels turning inside your head," he joked.
"Huh?"
"What were you thinking about, aşkım?"
"It was just a silly idea... I don't know how you'd feel about it."
"That's easy to fix. Tell me your idea and I tell you how I feel about it."
She pursed her lips, but couldn't suppress a smile.
"Am I wrong?"
"Fine..." Daphne shifted in her seat to make herself more comfortable. "I was just thinking about what you said and I don't know why you're fussing so much about it. Getting engaged isn't a bad thing..."
Hamid pulled away and stared at her in astonishment. "Excuse me?!"
"It's no big deal... Engagements nowadays are just like dating. Except we have to plan a wedding at some point. If we had to do that so your family would get off your back..."
A rueful laugh escaped his lips as he kissed her forehead. "You're adorable, aşkım..."
The lady scowled again.
"Hey, what's with the mean face? What did I do?"
"You used your nice tone with me, which means you just called me naive."
His hand immediately massaged the back of his neck. She was right. He just didn't know she could see right through him.
"Daphne, you're not ready to know the rest."
"But I will be prepared for it if you tell me everything." Daphne moved closer to him and cupped his face. "We're still just hypothetically speaking about the future. None of these things will happen right now."
The diplomat heaved a sigh. If only she knew how many times he had pictured them together in these hypothetical scenarios. And though she wasn't ready to hear everything, she would still pester him about it.
"Please?" Daphne pouted, giving him her best puppy eyes impression.
"All right..." He chuckled. "As we discussed before, Turkish people usually marry in their early twenties."
"Yes."
"But I'm 27."
"And that means...?"
"It means that if we follow my family's tradition, everyone would berate us so much about why we're not married yet they'd make our lives miserable."
Daphne grimaced. "So we'd have to be married in a year."
"Aşkım, after three months of engagement, people would start asking questions. And in six months, they'd try to get your family on board for an intervention."
"What?!" Her eyes went round as she began to blurt "But that's too little time! How can we even book the right venue in less than a year? And we still have to choose the theme of the reception, the catering, decorations, flowers, gifts, your tux, my gown... Oh dear God, I—"
Hamid placed a hand over hers and whispered. "Daphne?"
As they locked eyes, he smiled softly at her and her breathing slowed down.
"This is why I didn't tell you about it. I don't want you to feel pressured to meet my family's expectations. I never followed their ideal timeline of when a person should get married and have kids. And neither should you."
"So this is why you’re okay with keeping our relationship low profile."
"Even after we choose to tell everybody about us, I still want us to do everything in our own time."
Her shoulders relaxed as she nodded. "Sound good to me."
Lifting her hand to his lips, he kissed her knuckles and reached for the remote control to resume watching.
"Hamidciğim?"
"Yes?"
"When do you think you're going to be ready?"
He glanced at her from the corner of his eye. "Whenever you think of planning a wedding without panicking," he taunted.
"I didn't panic!"
He gave her another side eye.
"I was just surprised. I never had to actually plan a wedding before."
"Weren't you engaged before?"
"I was. But I didn't have the chance to set a date or plan the whole event with anyone else. I just had a few Pinterest boards..."
"A few? As in less than thirty?"
"Don't mock me!" Daphne shoved him.
"I would never." Hamid chortled. "But there's no need for Pinterest boards now. I don't plan to make any proposals before we reach the third year together."
"The third year? Why?"
"In three years, we'll know each other really well. You'll be in your last year of uni, I'll have finished my MBA... I might be looking for a place in London or Edgewater then,” he explained with a knowing look.
"Three years, huh?"
"Give or take."
"Okay."
With a nod, Daphne sat back resting her head on his shoulder as they resumed watching the soap opera in silence. Or so he thought.
"Aşkım?" He called as he caught the sight of her scrolling through Pinterest.
"Mmm?"
"Are you bored? We can watch something else."
"No. I want to see if Hümaşah Sultana will tell Zülfikar about İskender."
"Then you'll be very disappointed to find out you just missed it whilst you were looking through all these wedding gowns on Pinterest."
"What?!" She glanced at the TV and her cheeks flushed crimson.
Hamid chortled.
"These aren't wedding gowns... These are regular gowns."
"In white?"
"They're not white! I just figured I don't have any formal gown in lighter colours and decided to take a look."
"Is that so? What colour is that dress you added to this board named Three Years (give or take)?" He pointed to a strapless A-line gown with draped wraps along the bodice and skirt.
"Ivory..." She mumbled.
He grinned.
"It's not white! Ivory is a completely different colour!"
"If you say so..." Hamid raised his hands defensively and reached for the box of chocolate truffles, lifting one to his mouth.
As Daphne continued to scroll through Pinterest, he added. "If you decide to make a board for suits and tuxedos, add me as a board collaborator."
Her features lit up as she squealed and hugged his left arm.
After planting a kiss on the top of her head, Hamid, at last, savoured the rest of the night and the box of truffles blissfully.
Premise: Cassie’s pregnancy cravings have unusual consequences for Ethan.
Book: Open Heart (post series)
Pairing: Ethan Ramsey x F!MC (Cassie Valentine)
Rating/Category: Teen. Fluff.
Words: 820
A/N: This fic was requested by @jerzwriter from prompt #3 (Person B putting on weight although Person A is actually the one who is pregnant) from this list. Submission for @choicesaugustchallenge Day 20 prompt “Chocolate”
Also, requested by Anon: from @creativepromptsforwriting Fluff Week, prompt 25 (I would marry you again in a heartbeat) from this sentence starters list. Tagging for reblog to @creativepromptfills.
Cassie Valentine had never thought of herself as a clock watcher. But then she started her second trimester with twins, and the rules went out the window. There were still four hours left in her shift; time wasn’t going to pass just because she willed it.
She dragged one of the chairs from the conference table over to the side of her desk, adjusted the angle of her office chair and sat back down, putting her feet up on the second chair. Her belly at sixteen weeks was big enough to strain her back, and she found that elevating her legs helped ease the ache.
Cassie placed the laptop on her lap and scanned the initial draft of patient notes on her screen. She added notations and comments for the medical scribe to address and emailed them back. That done, she switched to the report she was working on for the House Select Committee on affordable healthcare funding.
Music drifted from the Bluetooth speaker on her desk, but she stopped paying attention once work absorbed her full attention. When hunger pangs interrupted her concentration, she set aside the laptop to search her desk drawer for a chocolate bar. Disappointed to find none, she walked to the closet where she hung her coat and handbag.
She checked the coat pockets, just in case, before taking the bag off the hook. Seconds later, she was shaking the bag and resisting the temptation to dump everything on the floor. Only the thought of not being able to bend down without losing her center of gravity prevented her from doing so.
Her litany of grumbles and curses bounced off the walls when she came up empty-handed.
“Looking for something?”
She glanced over her shoulder at Ethan Ramsey leaning against her desk, arms crossed, and watching her with amusement. She had been so absorbed in her search that she hadn’t heard the glass doors slide open or her husband enter the office.
“I want chocolate,” she pouted, slamming the closet door shut with more force than required. “Actually, I wanted a deep-fried chocolate bar smothered in siracha sauce.”
Her tone turned wistful as she imagined biting into all that sugar and fat. Now that she had the visual in her mind, nothing else would do.
Ethan reached into the pocket of his white coat and held out a plastic snack bag filled with a trail mix comprising nuts, berries, chocolate bits and raisins.
“Have this instead,” he offered. “It’s better for you.”
Cassie gave him a dirty look as she took her seat behind the desk. “I hope that was a joke, babe. That’s bird food!”
He snorted. “It’s not. Now that you can’t run at your usual pace, we’ll need to watch your weight and what you eat. Trust me, trail mix is good for you and the babies.”
“No, thank you,” she sniffed dismissively. “Some husband you are, you can’t even indulge your wife’s cravings.”
“You trying to rile me up, Rookie?” He laughed, taking the visitor seat across from her. “Did you know I’ve gained ten pounds in the last couple of months?”
“Must be all the butter in Nigella’s recipes,” she retorted caustically, the green-eyed monster surfacing for a second. She stared at his stomach, a thoughtful look in her eyes. “Now that you mention it, Dr. Ramsey, your shirt does look a bit tight around the front. I think you need that bird food more than me.”
“It’s your fault.” Ethan shook his head in exasperation. “Your childish eating habits are causing havoc with my diet.”
“No one forced you to eat Taco Bell last week,” Cassie scoffed.
“Someone had to finish your disgusting leftovers,” he countered. “You ordered enough for ten people. You know how I feel about food waste.”
Knowing he was right, she stayed silent, drumming her fingers on the chair’s armrest. “Now, I want Taco Bell and deep-fried chocolate covered in hot sauce.”
Ethan grinned at the whining tone and knew the weird cravings were driven by her pregnancy. Cassie might enjoy junk food, but she’d always dismissed the ubiquitous fast-food chain as unworthy of her.
“Wait here.”
He hurriedly left the office before she could ask any questions. He came back shortly, clutching something in his hands.
“Here,” he said, setting everything on her desk. He beetled his eyebrows as he stared down at her. “Just do me a favor and wait until I leave before you eat that monstrosity.”
Cassie looked down at three different types of chocolate bars and mini packets of siracha sauce from the hospital cafeteria littering her desk, and started laughing.
“You’re the best husband, just like I knew you would be,” she said lovingly, coming out from behind the desk to stand before him.
Her hands circled the back of his neck, tugging his head down, her lips inches from his. “I would marry you again in a heartbeat.”
Premise: Ethan has a huge favor to ask of Cassie. But it’s going to cost him.
Book: Open Heart
Pairing: Ethan Ramsey x F!MC (Cassie Valentine)
Rating/Category: Teen. Fluff.
Words: 740
A/N: Set during Book 3. I’m participating in @creativepromptsforwriting Fluff Week. Prompt 10 from this sentence starters list. Tagging for reblog to @creativepromptfills.
Submission for @choicesaugustchallenge Day 13 prompt “Coworkers AU”
Dr. Ethan Ramsey hated putting on a show as much as he did talking to interns when he didn’t have to. It’s not that he hated interns, although there were moments. He didn’t have the patience to deal with their incessant questions and subtle (and not so subtle) hero worship.
Only one intern had managed to hold his attention long enough for it to not matter. And now she owed him. At least that was his reasoning for the favor he was going to ask one Dr. Cassie Valentine.
He looked up when the Diagnostic Team’s office doors slid open. He peered at Cassie from above the rims of his reading glasses, setting them aside when she took the seat across from him. He smiled when she handed him a cup of coffee while she sipped from her own.
“You paged, Dr. Ramsey?”
She sat back and crossed her legs. The movement had her skirt rising. Ethan’s eyes drifted to the bare skin visible above her knees. When she loudly cleared her throat, he blushed and quickly looked away. Her wicked grin told him she knew exactly what he was thinking.
“Ah, yes. I need a favor,” he said. When his laptop pinged a notification, he closed the lid to avoid distractions.
“Naveen has asked me to speak to a group of sub-interns today during lunch. I want you to do it instead,” he said matter-of-factly.
“No dice. Naveen didn’t ask me,” she smirked. “You're on your own, babe."
He leaned forward, steepling his fingers. "As a third-year resident, you are required to mentor and train interns. And that includes sub-Is. It's part of your training and will help prepare you for attending-hood."
"Uh-huh," she said dismissively, finishing her coffee. "What's the real reason?"
"You owe me," he countered severely.
She scoffed. "How do you figure that?"
He got comfortable, leaning back in his chair and locking his hands behind his head. "If you must know, you ruined my reputation among interns. Everyone thinks I've gone soft. They want the Ramsey Touch, as Naveen called it; lessons to survive an internship."
Cassie burst out laughing. "The Ramsey Touch? I love it. Is that when you call an innocent intern an amateur even before they attend orientation? Or when you assign them a PITA that burps in their face and questions their every move? Or how about…."
"Very funny," he cut in impatiently. "You know you love a challenge. If I hadn't pushed you as hard I did, you wouldn't have been the top-ranking intern for so long."
"Huh. I expected a better argument than that." She mused, tapping her index finger against her lips thoughtfully. "Maybe you are going soft."
He quirked one eyebrow. "If we didn't have a team meeting in ten minutes, I would take great pleasure in proving you wrong about that."
"Well, there's always tonight," Cassie said, giving him a lascivious look. "I look forward to seeing how hard you can get." Her expression turned shrewd. "I have a counteroffer for you. I will take your place at the intern luncheon today, but I need something from you. A quid pro quo."
"I see," Ethan said cautiously. "What do you need?"
"I want to go dancing with my boyfriend," said Cassie. "Pick an evening; wear that dark suit with the blue tie that makes you look hunky." She waggled her eyebrows suggestively, making him roll his eyes. "I’ll wear that red dress you like and drive you crazy all night. And then you’ll take me back to your apartment and….”
The doors behind her slid open before she could finish her thought. Ethan silently groaned, hiding his frustration as the rest of the team filed in.
“To be continued?” He whispered before speaking in his normal voice. “So, Dr. Valentine, it’s confirmed. I’ll let Naveen know you’ll speak at the intern lunch today in my stead.”
“Sounds good, Dr. Ramsey,” Cassie told him in the same professional tone before dropping her voice.
"I think I deserve a kiss for this, and I plan to collect." She smiled and winked at him before joining the others at the conference table.
Ethan watched her walk away until he caught Tobias staring at him, a knowing smirk on his lips. Instead of rising to the challenge, Ethan sighed and grabbed the patient files on his desk.
“Okay, team,” he began, coming to stand at the head of the table. “Let’s get started.”
Premise: As they spend a day with family, Ethan reflects on how different his childhood was from that of his children.
Book: Open Heart (post series)
Pairings: Ethan Ramsey x F!MC (Cassie Valentine); Sienna Trinh x M!OC (Max Valentine); featuring OC children
Rating/Category: General. Fluff.
Words: 3K
A/N: Submission for @choicesaugustchallenge Day 26, Pirates AU. This isn’t an AU per se, but pirates and buried treasure play into one of the scenes.
Ethan Ramsey could still remember when he thought marriage and fatherhood were not in the cards for him. The events of his childhood had taught him a hard lesson. Then he met Cassie Valentine, and fate played a great joke on him by giving him both.
All these years later, as he watched his wife hugging their twin daughters before leaving for a spa weekend in the Berkshires with her friends, he knew he wouldn’t change anything.
Cassie had been excited about the trip for weeks, especially with Sienna joining the former Roomies. He had been hard-pressed to beg her not to go. He loved his children, but a part of him often worried about ruining their lives if left alone with them for too long.
“Alright, girls, remember what I said?” said Cassie, rising from the floor and staring at them intently.
“When Daddy starts panicking, send you an SOS and then call Grandpa Naveen,” Eloise and Sophie chorused.
Ethan pinched the bridge of his nose and quirked an eyebrow, his blue eyes narrowing to slits as they met Cassie’s teasing green ones.
“Very funny, Rookie,” he grumbled before adding pointedly. “Don’t you have somewhere else to be?”
She grinned and then closed the distance between them, her hands tugging his head down for an open-mouthed kiss that was as hot as it was brief. Ethan’s arm slipped around her back, keeping her locked against him until he heard two loud sighs.
He quickly let Cassie go, the tips of his ears turning red when he realized the show they’d just put on for the girls. Enjoying his mortification, his wife rolled her eyes and chuckled, blowing him an air kiss before grabbing her bags.
He placed his hands on the twins’ shoulders, connecting them as a unit, and the three of them waved goodbye to Cassie as she stepped into the elevator and turned to face them.
“Oh, Dr. Ramsey?” She smiled wickedly as the doors started sliding shut. “Your surprise should be here shortly.”
Silence settled as the elevator doors closed, and then she was gone. And Ethan was left wondering what on earth that was about. What surprise?
-------------
Max Valentine wanted to roll his eyes at his wife's long list of instructions, but he was a smart man and managed to control himself. Besides, Sienna Valentine (née Trinh) was so darn cute with her schedules and color-coded lists. He often liked to pretend ignorance just to see her in action.
He checked his watch and wondered if he had time to seduce his wife before her friends dropped by to pick her up from their hotel. Sadly, there wasn’t as much time as he would like, but he wasn’t a CEO for nothing. He could improvise.
“I know that look, and it’s not happening,” Sienna cautioned, brows beetled as she shook her head in exasperation. “The kids are right outside, and Cassie will be here any minute.”
“You know I love a challenge,” smirked Max, advancing on her.
She laughed and tried to evade his grasp, but he knew her too well, and it didn’t take long for her to be caught. Giggling, she fell back on the bed, and he followed her; his weight pressed against her, and she moaned, forgetting where they were.
The loud knock on the bedroom door had them cursing in frustration.
“Keep it PG, you two,” they heard Jackie say through the door.
“There are impressionable little humans out here,” said Cassie.
“Adult ones, too,” added Aurora.
His laughing green eyes met Sienna’s mortified ones, a blush spreading across her cheeks as she glanced at the closed door and sighed with relief.
“To be continued?” said Max, his lips hovering above hers before capturing them in a not-so-PG kiss.
“I’m holding you to it,” whispered Sienna when he let go, her fingers tracing the line of his jaw.
They jumped off the bed and straightened their clothes. With one last kiss, Sienna went to join her friends while Max carried her things out. After a protracted goodbye — the kids, and the dog, refusing to let her go — the door to their hotel suite finally closed behind them.
Max turned around to see three pairs of sad human eyes and one canine staring up at him. Their expressions were a mix of accusation and tears, along with an amused look from their nanny Mrs. Banks who was holding one-year-old Michael.
“Are you sure about this, Max?” she asked, glancing down at the kids’ slumped shoulders and then back at him. “The four of them together is a lot to handle. Plus, Bailey.”
“I’m positive,” he said, taking Michael from her to transfer him into a stroller. “Besides, I’ll have help. Enjoy your day off with your sister, Mrs. B.”
He crouched to lift a morose Amelia into his arms. She hid her face in his shoulder, and her tears dampened his shirt.
He waited for her to raise her head before wiping the tears away and then smiled down at his children with excitement, “Are you kids ready for an adventure?”
---------------------
Ethan might not be a fan of television, but his daughters clearly disagreed. As soon as Cassie left, they’d turned to face him with a glint in their eyes, folding their arms in unison.
“We’re bored,” they said in a tone that implied it was his fault.
“Is that right?” he commented sarcastically, glancing at his watch. “In the two minutes since your mother left?”
It was just his luck to be surrounded by drama queens. Like mother, like daughters.
He tried to get them interested in myriad activities that didn’t include their favorite video streaming service. Of course, they just shook their heads, took hold of his hands, and led him to the family room, where a large TV screen was mounted on the wall.
Eloise handed him the remote with instructions on what they wanted to watch and which service. And, oh, they wanted popcorn with extra butter and a sprinkling of M&Ms and gummy bears because that’s how Mommy makes it.
So now he was sitting on the couch, a large bowl of popcorn on his lap, his daughters on the other side of him. He sagely listened to them explain how the mouse in their favorite show was a ballerina by day, and a superhero by night. And silently worried about all the salt and candy they were consuming.
The sound of the doorbell was a jarring interruption to his thoughts.
“Who is it? Who is it?” The girls cried out eagerly, rising off the couch and running down the stairs toward the front hallway.
Ethan followed slowly in their wake. “Remember, girls. Don’t open the door until we check the security camera first.”
He knew they were smart enough to wait for him, but there had already been a couple of incidents where their exuberance got the best of them. They stared at the security panel video, ready to jump out of their skins.
He braced himself for the screams as he unlocked the front door. And they didn’t disappoint.
Eloise and Sophie rushed into Noah and Isabelle’s embrace, the four of them talking over each other.
“Dad said we were going on an adventure.”
“Belle, we’re watching Wilhelmina!”
“Mom gave me a nail polish set, and Dad said I could bring it here.”
“We have popcorn with gummy bears. Come on!”
Michael, tucked inside his stroller, looked overwhelmed by all the noise his cousins and siblings were making. Bailey stepped forward to sniff Ethan’s shoes and then sat back on her haunches.
Ethan looked down when Amelia clung to his leg. He lifted her in his arms, and her tiny hands wrapped around his neck. He met Max’s amused gaze above the heads of their children.
“Surprise!” He grinned. “I hope you didn’t have a quiet day planned.”
“With this lot?” Ethan quipped. “At least now I’ll have company in the mad house.”
“Are we in the mad house?” Noah asked, confused, staring up at his uncle and father.
“What’s a mad house?” said Sophie, nudging her older cousin.
Max barked a laugh, and Ethan groaned out loud when he realized the kids had heard him.
Just then, Amelia patted his cheeks. “Uncle Ethan, Uncle Ethan. Guess what?”
“What?” He smiled at the familiar refrain.
“I had a bad dream,” she whispered tearfully, hiding her face in the crook of his neck.
“I’m very sorry to hear that, Amelia,” he said softly. “Would you like to talk about it?”
She slowly nodded, and he smiled gently as she lifted her head.
Of Max and Sienna’s children, she was the only one with the Valentine looks in spades, including blond hair and green eyes. Amelia looked a lot like Cassie’s childhood pictures, and he had a soft spot for the shy little girl.
They moved out of the hallway and inside the apartment. Sophie and Eloise dragged Isabelle and Noah upstairs to the family room to watch Wilhelmina. Noah complained that he was too old for childish cartoons but followed his cousins regardless.
Bailey padded to her favorite spot near the windows and waited patiently. Max reached inside the hallway closet for the dog cushion Cassie kept for Bailey’s visits and set it down on the floor. Bailey circled the red pillow and then hopped on, resting her chin on outstretched paws.
Max unstrapped a fussy Michael from the stroller and set him down on the floor. Happy that he was free, Michael chortled and was off crawling, ready to explore this new world.
On the other side of the living room, Ethan stood near the kitchen counter, still holding Amelia. He nodded in sympathy as she told him about her dream where a cartoon bear had chased her up a tree. Max had heard it all last night and let his daughter do her thing with her favorite uncle.
A short while later, Ethan returned to the living room after leaving Amelia with the other kids. Right now, they were getting along, but he knew that a squabble could break out any minute once the initial excitement wore off.
Max was parked on the couch, one eye on his phone and the other on Michael. He looked up with a smile when Ethan sat down on the armchair across from him.
“Let’s give the kids another twenty minutes, and then we have to head out.”
Ethan quirked an eyebrow in surprise. “Is this part of the surprise your sister mentioned before leaving?”
Max laughed. “She doesn’t know about this. My dad should be docking his yacht at Marblehead shortly, and your dad is already on his way there. We’re taking the kids sailing, maybe stopping off at one of the small islands for a picnic and a swim.”
“Six kids and a dog on a boat?” Ethan mused and then laughed at the mental image. “Are you sure we’re ready for this?”
“We’re grown men, Ethan. We can handle anything.” Max grinned. “Why don’t you put together a bag for yourself and the girls? I’ll head upstairs and keep the peace.”
It took them thirty minutes instead of twenty to corral everyone. As soon as the kids found out the plan, their excitement went through the roof, so Ethan wished for five minutes of peace and quiet. He had a bag packed with essentials for the day, but Sophie and Eloise insisted on inspecting it. Just in case.
In his infinite wisdom, Max had arranged for transportation for the day. Ethan didn’t think he would have been able to drive with the cacophony of sounds. The children chattered constantly, did sing-alongs to the music playing through the speakers, and made Bailey bark with elation as they teased her inside the travel crate.
By the time they got to the yacht club at Marblehead, Ethan was ready for a stiff drink. He watched all five kids run toward their grandfathers, who stood near a multi-level fifty-foot yacht, arms open to catch them.
Ethan shared an exhausted look with Max. “What were you saying earlier?”
Max shrugged, closing his eyes for a second against the screaming of the gulls and their children up ahead.
“Ahoy, gentlemen,” Robert Valentine called out as they walked over to the boat. “Beautiful day to be out on the water.”
Alan Ramsey took one look at their faces and burst into laughter. “Robert, I think your son and mine both need a drink after that drive.”
“Daddy said we’re a mad house,” Sophie spilled to Alan in a singalong voice before nudging the sleeve of his jacket. “What’s that, grandpa?”
Ethan met his father’s laughing gaze and knew Alan was enjoying himself. Despite all these years, he loved teasing Ethan and watching him stumble along fatherhood.
Robert saved him from further embarrassment by distracting the kids with their planned adventures for the day.
“Who’s ready to see some dolphins?” Robert’s voice boomed.
He chuckled when Sophie and Eloise’s eyes went wide with excitement, and they silently mouthed the word they’d often heard their mother use.
“Are we really going to see dolphins, grandfather?” Noah asked, his voice hopeful.
Robert nodded. “Once we clear the marina and sail past Lighthouse Point into the open. You might see dolphins, a humpback whale, and others. Mostly from a distance.”
“And we’re hunting for pirate treasure,” Max added dramatically. “Ho ho ho, my mateys.”
Everyone climbed on board, and soon they were ready to depart. Ethan and Alan helped the kids and Bailey put on their lifejackets while Robert went up deck to get the engine started.
Max, well-used to sailing with his father, stayed on the dock. He untied the moorings before jumping onto the platform as they pulled away from the marina.
They cleared the entrance leading into the yacht club, passing by public beaches and Victorian-style homes lining the waterfront before crossing over into the open waters. Ethan initially worried about everything, from kids getting seasick to Bailey falling overboard. Then he realized none of the other adults had the same concerns.
He turned when Max nudged his arm with a bottle of beer. “Relax. This isn’t the kids’ first time on the boat. You know my dad is an old hand at this.”
“I know,” said Ethan, adjusting his sunglasses as he raised the bottle to his lips.
Over the years, he had come to appreciate the European brand of beer Max drank and savored the cold liquid on a sunny day as the wind buffeted his hair. He watched the boat's bow gently rise and fall and thought how much he loved being out on the water like this. It was a postcard-perfect day, the cool breeze providing respite from the intense sunshine.
He glanced over his shoulder and saw Noah, Sophie and Isabelle chatting with Alan on the banquette. Michael was strapped in a carrier set on the table; Alan was absently rocking it.
Amelia was crouched near the railing, petting Bailey and whispering in the dog’s ear as they watched the water. Eloise stood beside Robert in the cockpit, listening intently to him explain the basics of operating the boat.
As promised, dolphins swam alongside their boat at one point, keeping pace as they flew in and out of the water. The children were in heaven, running along the deck to keep them in sight, while Bailey kept barking and turning in circles at the strange sight.
He and Max took Sophie, Eloise and Amelia down one level, holding onto them tight as they sat on the swim platform in the stern and held out their hands, hoping to pet them. Isabelle and Noah called out to the dolphins from above, uncertain of meeting them up close and in person outside an amusement park.
Much to the girls’ disappointment, the dolphins kept their distance from the humans. But they did give them a superb performance, showing off by leaping into the air out of the waves. Ethan thought it looked like the dolphins were dancing on the water, making high-pitched squeaky sounds as if performing a cabaret.
“Daddy, look, the dolphins are waving at us.” Eloise jerked his hand eagerly, her mouth open in awe as one of the dolphins wiggled its flipper before disappearing underwater.
Later in the afternoon, they anchored in an inlet off one of the dozens of rocky outcrops and uninhabited islands dotting this part of the Atlantic ocean. Ethan stayed behind to help his father set up the picnic on the beach while Robert and Max took the children treasure hunting.
Ethan could hear the children’s excited screams and exclamations in the distance and shared a disbelieving look with his father.
“Robert stopped off here earlier on his way to Marblehead to bury some pirate coins and other treasure,” Alan explained, laughing at his son’s expression. “You’ve never believed in pirates or lost treasure, have you, son?”
“I believe pirates existed. There is historical proof, after all. But buried treasure?” He scoffed. “No, I prefer reality to fantasy.”
“Well, you might want to pretend for the girls,” Alan advised, shaking his head in amused exasperation. “They’re smart as whips, but they’re only six and want to believe in everything.”
Ethan nodded in acknowledgment and thought Cassie often told him to do the same.
When the girls came running back to show him their loot—as they called it—he admired their treasure, a mix of souvenir shop doubloons and costume jewelry. He nodded attentively as they told him about the treasure hunt and retold the pirate stories they’d heard from Uncle Max.
Later at night, as they drove back to the city, Ethan placed his right arm around Sophie’s sleepy form and his left around Eloise. They were both tired and huddled against his sides, falling asleep within minutes of getting on the road.
On the other side, Max did the same with Isabelle and Amelia, while Michael’s neck lolled sideways in his car seat. At the same time, eight-year-old Noah fought against asleep, his bleary eyes locked on a pocket game device.
Unlike the trip to Marblehead, the return trip was a quiet affair and gave Ethan time to reflect on his childhood. It had been a happy one up to a point until everything changed. He had friends in the neighborhood, but he had also been lonely since he didn’t have any brothers or sisters to share it with.
The one thing he was guaranteed with his own children was that they would never be alone. And he was grateful for that more than anything else in the world.
Premise: Cassie meets Ethan’s plus one and makes a long overdue decision.
Book: Open Heart
Pairing: Ethan Ramsey x F!MC (Cassie Valentine)
Rating/Category: Teen. Fluffy Angst.
Words: 990
Trope: With Someone Else
A/N: Set in Book 1, after Project Christmas Wish and a few weeks before Miami. Submission for @choicesaugustchallenge Day 24 prompt “You wear [insert option] well.”
Cassie Valentine enjoyed her morning coffee, inhaling the life-affirming scent while seated on the stuffed chair beside her bedroom window. The world outside was snowy white and cold; inside, it was colorful and warm.
She wasn’t due at work for another few hours and was enjoying the quiet time. She had learned in the last six months that the hospital could take over your life. And it was important to create balance when she could. Today was one of those moments.
She glanced down at her phone when it pinged, a smile spreading when she saw who it was.
A few days later…
Cassie leaned her elbows on the nurses’ station and took the weight off her feet. She bit back a yawn, exchanging a commiserating look with the tired-looking nurse on the other side. She picked up the iPad and reviewed the lab results for her next patient, sighing in relief that there wasn’t anything to worry about.
There were still twenty minutes until midnight and the beginning of a new year. Elsewhere in the hospital, there might be signs of celebration. Here in the ICU, the mood was quiet and somewhat somber, keeping with the types of patients and severe cases the unit managed.
She absently looked around, wondering if there was time to grab a coffee from the residents’ lounge, when her eyes fell on the woman sitting on a chair in the hallway. That in itself wasn’t unusual since the ICU often had patients’ families waiting at odd times. But she was dressed in a beautiful long red gown with windswept light brown hair, a lovely pendant necklace, and matching earrings.
There was something exquisite about her style and, Cassie thought, a classic beauty that likely made heads turn. The woman must have felt her watching because she looked up from her phone and stared right at her.
Abashed at getting caught, Cassie half waved, smiled and slowly walked over.
“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to stare,” Cassie said by way of greeting. “I love your dress and couldn’t help admiring it.”
The woman smiled graciously. “Thank you. I had very different plans when I put it on earlier tonight.”
“You wear it well. Are you visiting a relative?” Cassie asked, curiosity taking over.
“Ah, no. My date is a doctor, and he was paged for a patient consult,” she explained. “We were at a New Year’s Eve party, a fairly swanky affair.”
“Oh, what rotten luck,” said Cassie sympathetically. “And now you’ll miss the countdown.”
“I suppose.” The woman nodded before throwing Cassie a laughing look. “Between you and me, I think my date was relieved to get the page. He’s not into social events. I’m Dana, by the way.”
“Cassie. Hopefully, you’ll get a chance to salvage what’s left of your night,” she said.
Dana winked. “Oh, I intend to. The way he looks in a tux?” She fanned herself dramatically.
Cassie grinned, enjoying the unexpected girl talk.
“Valentine.”
Cassie stilled at the deep voice calling her name. She glanced over her shoulder to see Dr. Ramsey walking toward them. Her heart skipped a beat at seeing him wearing a dark wool coat over a tuxedo that looked like it was made for him. The tailored lines accentuated his physique, and she got a sinking feeling in her gut as she connected the dots.
“Dr. Ramsey,” she said formally, trying very hard to hide how much the sight of him affected her.
“There you are. All done?” Dana inquired, coming to stand beside Ethan.
“Yes,” Ethan nodded. “Just give me a few minutes to confer with Dr. Valentine, and we can head out.”
Cassie kept a smile on her face as she exchanged goodbyes with Dana. All the while, her heart was breaking inside at the thought of Ethan dating someone else. And more, if what she inferred from Dana’s comments was accurate.
She followed Ethan to the nurses’ station, where he gave her instructions about the patient he’d been paged about. She listened absently while a thousand different thoughts crowded her brain.
“Is that clear?” She tuned back in to see Ethan watching her warily, one eyebrow raised in question.
“Yes, Dr. Ramsey,” she said. “I’ll monitor the vitals and page you only if the numbers fluctuate beyond the normal range three consecutive times.”
“So, you were listening,” he commented.
She made a face but didn’t rise to the taunt. Cassie started to turn away when he put a hand to stop her. He quickly glanced around, making sure no one was close enough to listen.
“Can you check in on Naveen?” he said quietly. “I had hoped to drop in, but with Dana….” He shrugged.
“I understand, Dr. Ramsey,” Cassie said, her voice whisper soft. “I’m due for a break in thirty and will head down then.”
“Thank you, Cassie,” he said gratefully, clearing his throat and stepping back. “Goodnight then.”
She nodded, unable to get the words out past the lump in her throat. Her imagination was running wild, thinking of how Dana and Ethan would spend the rest of the night together.
Cassie watched Ethan help Dana with her coat, the other woman looped her arm through his, smiling up at him, and then they walked out the double doors together. She thought Ethan looked over his shoulder at her for a second before the door closed behind him.
But maybe that was wishful thinking. And perhaps she was deluding herself to think there could ever be anything between them. Ethan had been clear about his feelings that time when they tested the fMRI machine.
“Any intimate feelings are just neurochemical responses to heightened stress and frequent exposure to each other.”
Whatever she felt, what she thought she had seen in his eyes last week, it was an illusion. Nothing more than a crush on her medical hero.
Premise: After Sienna moves to DC, she and Max play tourist.
Book: Open Heart (post series)
Pairing: Sienna Trinh x Max Valentine
Rating/Category: General. Fluff.
Format: Text and Pic fic
A/N: This is set immediately following Ours. Just something fun for the weekend as I was missing Maxenna. Submission for @choicesaugustchallenge Day 22 “Tacos”
