Convenience and Compatibility (12 page)

Dean looks surprised as I recline his seat
and climb onto his lap. “What’s up? Why the sad face?” I ask.

He starts caressing my ass, and then suddenly
I know what’s up. I raise an eyebrow at him.

“I just really enjoyed this weekend with you.
I’m going to miss you.”

“No you won’t. I’ve seen you during business
hours,” I tease. “You’re very focused.”

I finally elicit a smile from Dean – he knows
I’m right.

“Come over tonight?” Dean starts kissing my
neck and grabs my ass tighter.

“No, my pussy needs a break from you.”

“Are you sore?” he breathes into my neck.

I push him away, “Can’t you tell? I can
barely walk Dean.”

“Really?” he purrs with a smile.

I roll my eyes again; he knows he fucks fast
and hard. “You’re unquenchable, but I really have to go.”

Dean frowns like a little boy –
overexaggerated and adorable. I hesitate, wondering for a moment
what tonight would be like if I went home with him, but instead
climb off his lap. He can be persuasive, but I resolve to sleep in
my own bed tonight.

I walk over to his window and he rolls it
down, giving him a quick kiss on the lips, “I love you too.” I walk
away and don’t look back, swaying my ass along the way.

Chapter 12

The next day comes too early. I press snooze
on my alarm too many times and it’s six o’clock by the time I get
out of bed. I guess I won’t be taking the bus today. I throw on
some scrubs and makeup, pulling my hair into a ponytail, and run
out the door. Work starts promptly at seven; I still have to find a
parking spot and then walk to the hospital. I decide against
getting on the freeway and instead take the short cut through the
arboretum.

Driving through the windy road my mind
wanders to Dean and that first night together on this road. I catch
myself driving too slow, thinking of his hand on my leg, his breath
on my neck. Coming back to reality, I push thoughts of Dean out of
my mind – I need to get to work on time.

It’s one of those ‘I hate my job’ kind of
days. I’m given three heavy-load patients, and another easy post-op
patient that I end up ignoring mostly. I feel so bad, but I’m
running between patients, medications, treatments, calling doctors,
and keeping my nursing assistant busy. Today is one of the days I
really dislike being a nurse.

The end of my shift comes and the night nurse
doesn’t show up for report. What the fuck, I can’t believe my day.
The charge nurse calls the nurse that should be on duty –
apparently she overslept. I’m stuck giving the evening medication
pass and treatments; putting the patients to bed. The night nurse
shows up over two hours late and I’m beyond pissed.

An hour later I’m home with a glass of wine
in my hand. I know I need to go to bed soon so I can wake up and do
it all again tomorrow, but for now I just need to space off. I sit
on the sofa with my wine and tune out while I channel surf. By
ten-thirty I know that I need to call Dean soon, or not at all.

He answers after one ring, “Hi Mallory.” He
sounds happy to hear from me. I was afraid that he would be pissed
that I didn’t call him sooner.

“Hi.”

“How was your day?”

“It really sucked Dean, I had to work late.
How was yours?”

“Mine was okay. Why did you have to work
late?”

“The night shift nurse overslept. I’m having
some wine now, then I’m going to bed.”

“Baby, I’m sorry you had a bad day. Want me
to come over and help you forget about it?”

“That’s tempting, but I’m exhausted. Can I
call you tomorrow?”

“Sure. Good night.”

“Good night.”

Poor Dean. Him and his penis will be sleeping
alone tonight, again.

The next day is the same patient load, but
worse – the easy post-op patient was replaced with an eighty-four
year old with acute pneumonia. He should have been in the ICU, but
just my luck, the unit was full. Apparently I was the next best
thing. The only fun aspect in the day was working with Tara.
Despite our differences, we have a lot of fun working together.
She’s the spark I need in my otherwise predictable day. We decide
to have a drink on Capitol Hill after work to commiserate
together.

Tara brought her car so we don’t have to take
the bus – something I hate doing after a long, hard day of work. We
choose a seedy bar that looks like it could be fun. It doesn’t
really matter, we both feel dirty anyway. We order our drinks,
top-shelf because we deserve it after this day, and I walk outside
to call Dean while it’s being made.

This time he doesn’t answer.

When I walk back in the noisy bar Tara is not
alone at the table. Two rather hot guys have joined her. I sit down
in the only other seat available, between the two of them. I look
from one to the other, “Hello.” Who the fuck are these two yahoos?
I’m too tired for this shit. Tara gives me a look like, ‘cool your
jets Mallory.’ She knows I can get feisty when I’m tired.

“Hi,” the guy on the left says. “I’m Larry,
and this is my friend Harry.” I look over at ‘Harry’ who waves a
hello. They both have scrubs on and I deduce that they are either
very cocky med students, or they go out dressed like this to pick
up girls. Perhaps they are both. I’m wondering what Tara has told
them so far when our drinks arrive.

I sip my lemon drop as Larry tells us they
just got off a fourteen hour shift at the hospital. I roll my eyes
– it would have been better if they were just costumes. Tara, ever
the polite one, makes small talk and feigns interest. I’m so not in
the mood for this. I pull out my phone to see if Dean has called
and frown – nothing yet. Apparently Harry thinks this is his
opportunity to start a conversation with me.

“Boyfriend dump you?”

“No, Harry, why do you ask?” I punctuate
Harry, pretty sure that this is not really his name. He picks up on
this.

“My name is really Harry, you know.”

“No I don’t know.”

Harry pulls out his wallet from his back
pocket and shows me his identification. Sure enough, Harry Thomas
is his name. I hand it back to him, still suspicious. There’s
something slimy about this guy, I just can’t put my finger on
it.

“Are you in school, or did you work tonight?”
I don’t see any point in getting to know this guy; I’m tired and
just want to talk with Tara about girl things. I look over at her
and she’s deep in conversation with Larry, laughing at something
funny he must have said. Bitch. I guess I’m on my own here. Maybe
I’ll play with this guy a bit.

“I was working tonight. Why, do you want to
hire me?” I smile and bat my eyelashes at him – overdoing it on
purpose.

He plays into it, leaning closer. “Why? What
do you do?”

“I thought you knew. Listen,” I get closer,
almost whispering in his ear. “Half-way is three, all the way is
five.”

I move back, expecting him to be shocked, but
instead he just rolls with it. He knows I’m fucking with him.
“Really… that’s all?”

“Uh, huh.”

I look at him, very serious, and lick my lips
– puckering a bit. I know my attempts at acting sexy are probably
foolish looking, but I pretend anyway that he wants me. His eyes
are wide now and he opens his wallet.

“Damn, I want all the way. Would you take a
check?”

I throw my head back and laugh – this guy’s
hilarious. I down my drink and look to Tara, still talking with
Larry. I stand up and ignore Harry pulling at my shirt, asking me
to sit down.

“Tara, I’m going home.”

I walk away, I’m too tired for this and
Tara’s accommodating personality. We’ll be here all evening talking
to these boys if I left it up to her. I need to go home, I have
another shift in the morning that I need to be rested for. I walk
slowly towards the car and pull my phone out of my purse, hoping
that Tara comes out sooner than later.

No call from Dean. It’s been almost an hour
and he hasn’t called me back yet. I hear running behind me and turn
around to see Tara. She catches up to me and we walk together to
the car, laughing at the expense of Larry and Harry. At least they
took my mind off Dean and my shitty day at work.

Another day comes and with
it the same
sucky patient load. It must be the time of year, a lot of sick
people lately. Tara and I are working together again so at least I
have her to complain to when I don’t get a break or I get some form
of excrement on me.

I put my feet on the computer under the desk
and chart while I wait for the night shift nurse to relieve me.
There’s butterflies in my stomach at the thought of my evening
ahead; meeting Dean’s parents, saying the right thing, using the
correct fork again.

I give report and dig my purse out of the
cubby behind the desk, reaching for my phone. He has called! Three
times! He has also left a text. “I’m out front waiting for
you.”

My heart skips a beat. Yea! I text him back.
“I’ll be there soon. Going to change my clothes first.”

I look at the clock, only five more minutes
and then I can leave. Silently, I say a prayer that nothing
terrible will happen so I can leave the floor with a clear
conscious. Please let no one fall or have a stroke. Tara comes from
around the corner, and we wait for our shifts to end together.

“What are you doing tonight?” Tara asks.

“I have Dean waiting outside. We’re having
dinner with his family tonight.”

We walk down the hall together at
seven-thirty sharp. “You two are moving pretty fast.”

I nod, she does have a point. I stop at the
bathroom, “Wanna come in while I get ready?”

“No, I’m really tired. I have another shift
tomorrow and I need to rest up.”

“Okay.” We give each other a hug and I go
into the bathroom to get ready for my big night.

I fix my makeup and brush my hair out. I
decide to make a messy bun at the base of my neck, which I think is
both playful and sophisticated. I put on my outfit: tights with
denim skirt and silk blouse, black knee high boots. I throw on my
jean jacket and scarf and stuff everything else in my purse. I know
a lot is riding on tonight and I hope that I look alright for his
parents.

I hurry to the front door and walk out into
the cold, scanning for Dean’s car. He calls my name and I turn to
the sound. It’s a deva vu sort of moment: Dean is sitting in the
exact same spot, exactly the same way, as he was last week. I smile
and saunter over to him, suddenly wishing we were going to spend
the evening together in his bed. Dean rises and embraces me, his
face in my hair – inhaling. He puts one hand behind my neck and
bends his head down to kiss my lips. His hunger for me is evident
in his kissing; deep, hard and eager. I groan and pinch his coat,
pulling him to me; telling him with my body that I want him just as
bad. I can feel his kisses on my mouth all the way down my body. It
comes alive and tingles as his tongue explores my mouth.

Dean pulls away and we both come up for
breath; panting as we walk to the car, our arms around one
another.

“I missed you.” Dean pulls me closer in a
side hug.

“I want you. No… I need you. I need you in
me. Do we have time?” I look over at his face and see surprise
followed by a smile. He picks up his pace as I try to keep up.

We get to the alley between the hospital
administration building and the parking garage and I can’t stand it
any longer. I pull him by the coat to me and push him into the
concrete wall of the parking garage – attacking him. I stand on my
tiptoes and attack his mouth with mine while grabbing his ass and
pulling his pelvis toward me. Dean responds appropriately and
attacks me just a fiercely; pushing his tongue down my throat and
snakes his fingers under the top of my skirt. He finds my ass and
squeezes the cheek, pulling me closer into him.

I hear some people talking, their voices
getting louder and we move away swiftly in unison. Dean grabs my
hand and I follow his lead to the steps of the parking garage. We
practically run up the steps to the level where he has parked his
car – I can see it in the far corner. Dean puts his hand under the
top of my skirt again and grabs my ass as we walk to the car. I’m
laughing, both at his excitement and daring bravado – completely
turned on. I’d fuck him against the concrete wall if he’d go for it
and if there were no security cameras watching us. We get in the
car and Dean speeds off – a man on a mission. I laugh and nuzzle
his ear, my hand caressing his leg.

I barely notice when we get on the freeway
and Dean is weaving around traffic. We get to the Medina exit and I
move my hand up to his hard on. I figure it’s safe now that we are
not on the freeway to fondle his cock. Dean is moaning lightly,
saying my name, but not asking me to stop. I’m so turned on; I
cross my legs, flexing and unflexing my leg muscles, wanting him
there more than some stupid dinner. What I wouldn’t give for a good
vibrator right now. I start sucking on his ear until we pull up to
his parent’s place.

I pull away.

“Why’d you stop?” He opens the gate with a
button on the roof of his car but continues looking at me
aghast.

I motion with my hands that we are here. Of
course I’m going to stop.

Dean rolls his eyes at me and guffaws. He
pulls the car inside the gate and moves it sharply to the right, on
top of some ferns and parallel to the stone wall. I’m even more
confused when he turns the ignition off. Without explaining
himself, Dean reaches across me and lowers my seat to the farthest
reclining position. Oh, okay. I know what’s happening now and I’m
all for it. He moves across the car and positions himself between
my legs.

I hike my skirt up just pass my ass; knowing
now what he wants, and I’m more than willing to participate. We
both look down and it’s then that I remember my tights - shit. I’m
about to pull them down when Dean reaches behind him into the glove
box, pulling out a knife. Why the fuck would he keep a knife there?
My eyes go wide as he opens the butterfly knife expertly and rips a
hole in the tights. Damn, that’s hot. And just a little scary.