Cocktails & Dreams (18 page)

Nicholas chuckled. “Nope, but thanks for the vote of confidence. Someone else needed to pick up a few hours, so I have time off for good behavior. Want to see if everyone wants to get together to celebrate surviving this week?”

“Sure. That would be fun. I can ask Trav right now.” Jena headed toward the office, carefully avoiding Stefan’s inquisitive gaze.

“Jena, what’s wrong? You sound kind of down.” Nicholas’s voice was full of concern. She debated what to tell him and decided that honesty was the best way to go.

“I had to deal with a patient’s crush today, and I hate that. It makes me feel stupid. Plus, I really miss you.” She sighed, rubbing the worry spot between her eyebrows.

“I miss you, too. Did everything go okay?” Nicholas’s calm, supportive tone helped Jena relax.

“Yeah. Remember Stefan?”

“Mmmm…no…Oh, wait—the musclehead rocket scientist?”

Jena chuckled and explained about the lunch on Tuesday, and how she’d been perfectly clear that she was not available.

“Do you want me to talk to him?” Nicholas asked quietly when Jena was through.

“Nope. I think he finally got the picture. How did your day go?”

Nicholas snorted. “Fine, if you don’t mind listening to moaning and sighing over another guy all day long.”

Jena smiled. “Let me guess. Dr. Call was wandering around the hospital today?”

“It was totally disgusting. Not a single woman did a damned thing but stare all day. That and whisper about him. His hair. His eyes. His hands. His body. For God’s sake, they were even discussing the man’s junk and how it lays. Nasty.”

Memories of similar conversations with a variety of friends, and even total strangers who happened to be around when Dr. Call breezed by on campus, made Jena laugh. “Cut them some slack, Nicholas. He
is
pretty hot—if you like older guys, I mean.”

“Not you, too, Jena.” Nicholas sounded horrified.

“Of course not, sweetie. He’s my boss—how sick would that be, if I was crushing on him?” Jena breathed a sigh of relief that Nick couldn’t see her non-lying face right then.

“Thank God. Dr. Call is a great doctor and someone’s husband and father. The man’s not a fucking piece of meat.” Nicholas’s injured tone on behalf of his fellow man almost caused the giggles of embarrassment in Jena’s mind to pop out of her mouth.

She choked them back with effort. “You know, that will be you in a few years, Nick. If they’re not already talking behind your back.”

Wait a damned minute. That wasn’t so funny. Jena’s chuckles dried up as she contemplated all of the women Nicholas worked with each day, and all of the things they
had
to be thinking about him. That shit wasn’t funny at all. She sank down with a frown to sit on the floor of the office.

“I refuse to think about that, or even talk about it until I’ve had several beers and you’re wrapped around me. I can’t believe the things they say out loud, so I don’t want to imagine what they’re thinking. Good Lord.”

“You keep thinking that. No one should be ogling your junk but me…but I’m sure they do.”

“I’m hanging up now. Women are pigs. Except for you. And I never want to go to work again. Thanks. Thanks a lot. Call me when you get home.” Nick hung up the phone with a laugh.

Jena closed her phone with a snap, giggling over Nick’s disgusted observation. What he didn’t know couldn’t hurt him, right?

“Sounds like that was a nice call,” Travis observed, still scribbling in the folder on the desk.

Jena sighed, smiling. “Yeah. Nicholas wants to know if we all want to go out to celebrate living through the first week back. Maybe at Stevie’s? Interested?”

“Hell, yes! My week sucked the big one. I could use a drink or sixteen.” Travis looked out the door of the office and grinned, shaking his head. “Don’t be surprised if your new friend shows up, either. He was listening right outside the door.”

Jena scrambled to her knees and poked her head into the hallway, just in time to see the waiting area door close behind Stefan. “No fucking way.” She shook her head. “What am I supposed to do with him, Trav?” Jena flopped back on her butt and banged her head against the wall.

Travis shrugged. “What we always do, sugar. Keep it professional, keep it light, and keep away from him as much as possible. It’s not like it hasn’t happened before—that whole ‘medical savior’ thing totally messes with some people’s heads.” He stood and pulled Jena to her feet, tossing her jacket from the back of the desk chair. “Don’t think about it anymore. I’m pretty sure I can persuade him to stay back tonight, if he even shows up. Don’t want any fights to get us banned from Stevie’s, do we?”

Jena snorted. “Who would be fighting, Uncle Travis? The guy is almost as tall as Conor, and I’m pretty sure I can’t take
him
down in a fair fight.”

Travis gave Jena a funny look. “Hello…Earth to Jena. You don’t think Nicholas would bitchslap the guy who looks at you sideways?” He shook his head at Jena’s blank look. “Have you gotten to know the guy at all? Still waters and all that happy crappy. He’s nuts about you, Jen.”

Recalling Nick’s calm acceptance of Stefan’s crush, Jena wondered how well she
did
know him. “It’s not that way, Trav. Not for him, anyway. We’re just having a good time.” Jena sighed and headed for the door, suddenly not as excited about the evening ahead. As much as she couldn’t imagine not being with Nicholas now, Jena couldn’t stand the thought of presuming and then finding out she was wrong about how he felt.

Travis slung his arm around her neck and kissed her on the top of the head. “Keep telling yourself that, Jen. It still won’t make it true. C’mon…let’s dance and drink and have the time of our lives and forget about all of this crap. Wanna take bets on who pukes first?”

They looked at each other and burst out laughing, both saying at the same time, “Leisa!”

Stevie’s was hopping when Travis and Jena stepped in the door, Travis’s trusty guitar in tow. Stevie herself, a big, blowsy blonde with arms like a wrestler’s, stepped out from behind the bar to give Travis a one-armed hug, as she was carrying a pitcher and four mugs in the other hand.

“Thank God you showed up, honey. You regulars are bringing the college kids out in droves. I personally despise the spoiled fuckers, but I
do
love their money.” She gave Jena a quick hug, too. “Don’t take it personal, sweetie. I don’t consider y’all in the same category as
those
fucks.”

She gestured with her chin toward the pool tables. Jena’s heart sank as she recognized Stefan and some of his fellow football players guffawing loudly as they ran the balls.

“Damn,” she muttered.

Travis handed Jena his guitar and gestured toward their regular table, where Leisa was already established and waving frantically. “I’ll talk to him, Jen. Promise, he won’t get near you tonight. Relax.” Travis sauntered over to the pool table, a sunny grin on his face, and Jena saw him shake hands with Stefan before she worked her way over to their table, Stevie in tow. Stevie carefully set the pitcher and glasses on the table, patted Jena on the shoulder and headed back to the bar.

Leisa was practically squirming in her seat, smiling broadly as Jena plopped down next to her and carefully placed Travis’s guitar on another chair. “So? Tell all, sweet pea! Was it worth all the angst? How was he? Long-timer or quick fuse? Or—”

Jena clapped her hand over Leisa’s mouth. “How much speed did you take today? ’Cause someone would have to be high to ask those kinds of questions and honestly expect an answer.”

Leisa slowly pulled Jena’s hand from her mouth and said with quiet dignity, “I’ll thank you for keeping your paws to yourself. I thought we had a special relationship.” She poured a mug of beer and took a sip. “We are sisters, really, and sisters share information.” Leisa leaned forward and said accusingly, “You’ve seen
Travis’s
peepee.”

Jena banged her head on the table repeatedly. “Not on purpose,” she moaned. “I just wanted some pizza, damn it.”

Warm arms wrapped around Jena’s torso, and she felt herself lifted onto a lap. “Hey, now. Don’t hurt my girl.” Nicholas kissed her neck as she settled back against his chest. “What did Leisa say that has you trying to knock yourself out?” Nicholas turned to smile at Travis as he approached the table.

Travis sat down next to Leisa and nodded at Jena, leaving her relieved that Stefan would apparently not be bothering her tonight.

Leisa leaned forward with a teasing look. “Well, Dr. Nicky—” she grinned as Jena frantically mouthed
no
and
please
“—I was trying to worm information out of Jena about how long you take in bed and discussing a certain pizza night…” She settled back with a look of satisfaction as Travis burst out laughing, and Jena turned to hide her face in Nicholas’s shirt.

Nicholas kissed Jena’s temple and asked, “Do I want to know?”

“Think ‘King Schlong,’” Jena answered. Nicholas nodded in sympathy.

“Hey! Why isn’t anyone talking about
my
peen?” Conor plopped another pitcher and two more mugs on the table before scanning the room for his next potential true love.

“Speak of the devil,” Nicholas muttered, and Jena giggled. “We get enough demonstrations of your junk that we don’t have to talk about it, assbag. You leave nothing to the imagination.”

Conor grinned. “Yeah, I guess I am pretty eye-catching, aren’t I?” He looked around and chuckled. “That big ass dude over there better not be looking at me, though.” They all looked where his gaze rested, and Jena stiffened when Stefan waved with one finger.

“That fucker,” Travis muttered, quickly walking toward the pool tables with a stern face. Leisa followed him, chattering brightly as she wrapped her hands around his arm and cast a confused look back at Jena.

“Let’s dance, Nick.” Jena slid off of his lap and tugged him toward the tiny dance floor as a new song started on the jukebox.

Nicholas pulled Jena into his arms and rested his forehead on hers. “I missed you this week,” he said, dipping his head to brush his lips against Jena’s. She felt it down to her toes and curled her hands into his hair as he brought his lips down again and again, each time holding the kiss for longer and holding her closer, until Jena realized that they weren’t dancing any longer. And she didn’t care.

“Holy crap,” she said shakily when she finally pulled back, resting her forehead on Nick’s chest, where she could feel his heart hammering madly. The sudden sound of clapping rose, and Jena looked up to see the patrons of Stevie’s giving them a round of applause. Travis’s rebel yell was only barely drowned by Stevie’s loud whistle.

Nicholas laughed as Jena hid her face in his shirt again. “I think your admirer finally got the hint.” Jena jerked her face toward the door and saw Stefan leaving after tossing a glower in her direction. “About fucking time,” she thought she heard Nicholas mutter, but by the time she looked back at him, he was smiling and gesturing toward their table.

As the room settled back to its usual rumble of noise, the group of musicians that were gradually becoming Travis’s band played and the place filled to capacity. A grateful Stevie sent pitcher after pitcher of free beer to their table, most of which was thirstily consumed by Leisa, Conor, and his evening’s punch bunny. Eventually, though, Jena turned to see Nick’s face split in a huge yawn before he looked at her with glazed eyes and laughed, shrugging.

“Come on, Hot Bod,” she said, pulling him to his feet and wrapping her arm around his waist. “Let’s get you home and into bed.”

“Whatever you say, girl,” Nicholas murmured, waggling his eyebrows at her as she shook her head and smiled.

After quick goodbyes, they were settled in Nick’s car. Jena snapped her fingers and gestured for his keys. He shook his head, yawning hugely again. “Nope. You’ve been drinking.”

“One beer. Almost three hours ago. You’re so tired you almost can’t stand up, so you tell me who’s the safer driver?” Jena snapped her fingers again, and Nick tossed her the keys.

The trip to his apartment was quick, and Jena was glad when they finally made it up the three flights and in the door. Nicholas sprawled on the couch, groaning. “Sorry I’m such shit company, Jen.” He rubbed the back of his neck and winced. “I’m tired as hell, but I’m so tense that I can’t relax enough to sleep very well.”

Jena started tugging at his jacket. “Well, then it’s good that you have me. Part of my job is to help people relax.”

He sat up with a grunt and finished taking off the jacket, quickly tossing his shirt to join it on the floor. Jena looked away from the tempting sight of Nicholas, shirtless, leaning forward to rub his face with his hands as his elbows rested on his knees. She knelt, untying his shoes and slipping them off and adding his socks to the pile of clothing as she rubbed his white, somehow vulnerable-looking feet.

After a minute, Jena looked up to see Nicholas watching her with a tender expression. “You don’t have to do that, Jena,” he murmured.

“I want to,” Jena said. They stared at each other until Jena couldn’t take the rising tension anymore and jumped up to pull Nicholas to his feet. “Now. Into a hot shower, mister.” She slapped his bum, and he jumped.