When Dan met Abbey
He’d met her at a random lunch meeting on the Affordable Care Act he’d been forced to attend. She was the arguably the youngest (his junior by at least five years), and the most beautiful woman in the room. Probably the most beautiful woman he’d ever seen. Abigail Holland, RN, MSN, CEN. Blonde hair, blue eyes, long legs, the strangest accent he’d ever heard. Not quite southern, not quite west coast Cali girl. She’d been brought in as an expert on primary care deficiencies and for some reason the Senator Feinstein insisted Dan go in her stead, despite health policy being 100% not his area of expertise or interest.
Everyone noticed her pillowy lips but Dan had noticed her smile, the way she tried not to appear intimidated, surrounded by politicians and political players alike. She was clearly out of her comfort zone as well. He didn’t miss the once over McDonough had given her, how it disgusted him a married man could be so blatantly attracted to someone else.
They’d been inadvertently sent to the background of the meeting, clearly not the key note speakers at this particular luncheon.
“Is it always like this?” She asked quietly.
He chuckled. “Yeah, pretty much. I’m usually sitting against the wall though so this is new for me too.”
She smiled, grateful for companionship. “I’m Abbey. You’re Dan Jones. You work for Senator Feinstein, don’t you?”
He gave her a quizzical look. “How did you know? Is it that obvious?”
She laughed and he felt his heart skip a beat. “No, no. I just...I saw you in her office a couple of months ago. Just in passing.”
“Really?” He couldn’t think of a scenario how he could not have noticed her. “Do you know the Senator?”
“Her granddaughter and I were college roommates. We spent many spring breaks at their house in San Fransisco.” Abbey said. “She and my father were on a couple of committees together when she was in the house.”
“You’re Dad is Dr. Benjamin Holland?” He sputtered. “The director of the NIH?”
“Yep.” She said awkwardly.
“I didn’t know he had a daughter.”
She shrugged. “Four boys ahead of me so, it’s not like it’s all that important. Also I’m a nurse, not an MD, so it’s a stain upon the family name to be sure.”
Dan smirked. “Because you’re the ones actually bedside and know what’s going on with the patient?”
She looked at him, shocked.
“My mom was a nurse.” He clarified.
Her powder blue eyes lit up when grinned. “She must be awful proud of you, making it big in D.C.”
“I wouldn’t say I’m making it big, but yes. She’s your typical Jewish mother. Anytime the Senator makes a big move, she’ll say ‘My son did so and so...’”
“Don’t be too humble now, D.C. is cut throat. People might think you have morals.” Abbey said with faux disgust on her face.
“Not a fan of politicians, are you?”
“I have a healthy enough tolerance.” She countered with a wry smirk.
Dan couldn’t help the smile Abigail brought to his face and was going to tell her so when he was interrupted by McDonough calling an end to the luncheon. He lost her through the crowd, heart sinking at the idea he’d have to find some asinine way of contacting her when he felt something slip into his hands. It was a napkin and it had Abbey’s number on it.
She grinned over her shoulder as she walked away, he smiled back.
He’d agonized over how long to wait to call her, it’d been years since he’d dated, well out of the convoluted dating scene of D.C. it was early, almost six thirty in the evening when he finally dialed her number.
“I was beginning to wonder if you’d call me.” She teased. “Hello, Dan.”
“I’d give you some bullshit excuse about being busy with work and not worrying about seeming too interested, but I get the impression lying to you wouldn’t go down so well.” He grinned. “Hey, Abby”
“Am I that easy to read?” She asked with a laugh. “What are you up to?”
“Working, to be honest.” He said dryly. “You?”
“About to leave for work, actually. They’re short tonight and it’s my turn to pull call.” She answered.
“Sorry, do you need to-“
“No, I have a while till I need to clock in. I live around the corner from GW.” She said. “Is it getting late for you?”
“No, technically I’m supposed to be off work and enjoying the weekend but well...”
“Duty calls?” She mused.
“Yeah.” He chuckled breathlessly. “Something like that. Do you work tomorrow night?”
“No. I’m off till Tuesday after tonight, thank the gods.”
“Let’s have a drink.” Dan wondered if he sounded as casual as he hoped he did.
“Alright, when and where?”
“Old Ebbits, eight o’ clock?”
“Sure.” He could hear the smile in her voice and he wonder if she could hear his too.
—
She wore black slacks that accentuated her slim waist and a black lace top he could make a tell tale sight of her bra through, such as was the style for women these days. Christ she made his mouth water.
“Dan.” She greeted, her make up was light, natural. Her blonde hair fell in waves to her back. He wore his nicest jeans and button down. Naturally, people gave them strange looks. He knew she was out of his league, but she didn’t seem to care.
“Hendricks and Tonic, please.” She said to the bartender when asked what she wanted.
“Hungry?” Dan asked.
“Nah, I already ate.” She shrugged. “You?”
“No, I actually remembered to eat today.”
Abby grinned. “It’s a rare day I get to eat lunch, too. Much to my mother’s dismay. All five children grown and out of the house and she can’t seem to kick the habit of ensuring we’re all fed.”
“My mom still sends me care packages like I’m a college freshman.” He joked.
“That’s sweet.” Abby took a sip of her drink. “What kind of nurse is she?”
“Labor and delivery.” He answered.
Abby made a face. “That was my least favorite in school. I passed out in my first delivery. And naturally the OBGYN was buddies with my father so, that was a fun congressional Christmas party.”
Dan winced. “I can only imagine.”
“You never told me what it is you do for the senator.” She said.
“I’m basically a liaison for her intelligence committee.”
“And that’s about all you can tell me, isn’t it?” She ventured.
“You do know your D.C., don’t you?”
She smiled. “So what do you do for fun? Since work is clearly a subject we must steer clear of.”
“It doesn’t bother you I can’t talk about it?” He asked.
“Why should it? Anybody who asks you to jeopardize your position is no friend, Dan. I’d hoped you know that by now.” Abby replied. “Also, we are more than our job designations. For instance, I love to bake, but I’m terrible at making cakes.”
Dan laughed. “Really? Is that a thing?”
“Hey, don’t mock till you’ve had my key lime pie. It’ll make you forget cake is even a thing.”
She grinned.
Dan sipped his whiskey. “I run five miles every morning.”
“I swim.” She replied. “I love the ocean. I was born in Hawaii and lived there till I was 12 while my Dad was in the navy.”
“Never been.”
“You should go sometime.” She joked.
“Yeah, it’s on the bucket list.” Dan smirked. “I grew up outside of Pittsburgh.”
“Steeler Nation?” She rose her brows.
“Of course.”
“My father is a die hard Steelers fan.” She said.
They carried on back and forth, laughing and lightly teasing. Regalling childhood stories of growing up with four older brothers and a single mom in Pittsburgh. Abbey wasn’t what he initially expected, she’d had a job all through public high school, bought her own car, worked during the summers in college. Her father paid for her BSN from Chapel Hill, but she went on for her masters of nursing directly after graduating. She was 27 and head charge nurse of one the most prestigious hospitals in the nation. Dan made a perfect score on his SAT and took a full ride to Elizabethtown, earning his masters from John’s Hopkins and his post doc from Harvard. He grew up Jewish, but only attended temple on high holy days and definitely did not keep kosher. His father had died in a car accident when he was three and his mom remarried a nice guy when he was in college. David owned a landscaping company and treated his mom like she was gold so Dan couldn’t complain.
“Walk me home?” She asked. “But just so you know I won’t be inviting you up for coffee. I do have my standards, Dr. Jones.”
“I expect no less, Miss Holland.”
She lived four blocks from the bar in a nice neighborhood, clearly her salary out ranged his, not that it bothered him. They laughed and joked more, especially when he made a pop culture reference she didn’t understand.
“Hey! You’ve got like five years on me!” Abbey joked defensively.
“Almost seven, actually.” He looked down into her smiling eyes when she came to a halt in front of her townhome. “Nice place.”
“My brother, Anders, owns it, he rents it to me cheap.” She shrugged. “Well, cheap for D.C. anyway. And he lets me keep Frog.”
Dan gave her an incredulous expression. “Frog?”
She grinned. “My cat.”
“You have a cat named Frog?”
“Are you gonna kiss me or what-“
Before she could finish the sentence, he swooped in and kissed her. Gently at first, then as Abby leaned into it Dan wound his arms around her deepened the kiss. She tasted like tonic and cherries and he thought he’d died and gone to heaven at how soft her lips actually were. They were both a bit breathless when they broke apart.
“What are you doing Sunday?” She asked.
“Working, though I could be persuaded otherwise.” He chided.
“Come over for dinner.” She said. “I’ll make you something, however there will not be sex for you in lieu of dessert.”
“How can a man refuse such an offer.” He laughed. “Should I bring anything?”
“Frog is kind of mean. A cat toy would not go amiss.”
“Ever think it’s because you named him Frog?” Dan joked, brushing her cheek with his thumb.
Abby rolled her eyes benignly. “Everyone says that!”
Dan kisses her gently once more. “Goodnight, Abby.”
“Good night, Dan.” She smiled, unlocking her door and disappearing from sight.
As he hailed a cab, Dan couldn’t get rid of the grin stuck on his face.
