A Rose By Any Another Name Ch. 05

I shook my head and tried to give him a disagreeing look but I couldn't hide the smile on my lips.

"You just want to get caught, don't you?"

"That's the thrill, baby," he said with a chuckle. "See you in ten."

I got dressed before Mike so Nicole and I sat down outside of the hospital to catch up and enjoy the sun while we waited for him. Talking to my best friend made me realize how much I had missed her during the past weeks. I had been so busy focusing on my life but she had been through a lot at work that she needed to talk about, not to mention some douchebag nurse from the orthopedic surgery department had wooed her, slept with her and not returned her phone calls. Right when I was trying to convince her that she deserved better, Mike interrupted us.

"Good afternoon, ladies," he said in his most charming voice, making Nicole smile. "So, where are we going? Should I go get my car?"

"We won't need it," Nicole said. "I know this perfect little coffee house not too far away. Let's walk!"

Mike took my hand in his, intertwining our fingers, and we started walking.

"Rose has told me a lot about you," Mike said to Nicole, trying to make conversation.

"That's funny," she answered. "She's told me a lot about you too."

"Is that true?" Mike asked, giving me a surprised look. "What have you told her?"

Before I had time to think of an answer, Nicole chipped in. "She can't tell you that," she said with a sly smile. "It's between me and her."

"That's fair, I guess," Mike admitted after some consideration. "Besides, I bet I can lure it out of her later."

He winked at me, making me blush as my mind wandered and I thought of several different things he could do to convince me to tell him.

"Rose told me you've been friends for a long time," Mike said, changing the subject.

"Almost 20 years no, I think," Nicole answered, and I nodded.

"We lived on the same street," I added. "Then we started school together and became inseparable."

"So, basically, this is going to be worse than meeting your parents," Mike chuckled and squeezed my hand.

Nicole laughed. "Way worse," she exaggerated, obviously enjoying the conversation. "After having met me, Rose's parents and brothers will seem like a piece of cake. Of course, Mr. Hayden is a retired general officer and Rose's brothers have managed to scare away every single one of the guys she's ever brought home."

Mike looked at me as if he needed reassurance that she was telling the truth, but I had never been able to keep a good poker face.

"He's not a retired general officer," I said, amused at her attempt to freak out my boyfriend. "The part about my brothers is true, though. I ended up having to sneak around with my dates if I wanted to see them more than once."

"Yeah, she was a real slut back then," Nicole added in a loving voice and pretended to get upset when I playfully hit her arm.

"Well, I don't like sneaking around," Mike said. "I'd love to meet your family sometime, Rose."

Nicole opened her eyes wide, not quite sure if she had heard him correctly.

"He's a keeper," she whispered as she leaned her head closer to mine.

I tried to fake a smile as I was pretty sure Mike had heard her comment, but the thought of introducing him to my family actually made me nervous and I was hoping he wouldn't bring it up again until I had figured out what our relationship was really about. Just as Nicole had said, I hadn't brought anyone home in ages and I didn't want to do it unless I knew it was serious.

We arrived at the coffee shop a few minutes later, and while Nicole was busy telling Mike everything about her new job while they ordered something to drink, I found a small table not too far away from the others, just in case Nicole had planned to bring up anything embarrassing. She seemed to have fallen for his charm, though, which was pretty unusual even for her, but at least I thought it might make the rest of our conversation go a little smoother.

Mike came back, handed me a large cup of tea and sat down next to me. Nicole took a seat on the other side of the table and looked at the two of us, smiling. We sat there, not saying anything, until she took us by surprise and broke the silence.

"So you really did it in the locker room the day you met?" she asked, her curiosity getting the better of her.

"Nicole!" I exclaimed, shocked and embarrassed at the same time. "What the hell?!"

"Please forgive me," she whispered, and I knew she wasn't the least sorry, she was just trying to make me less angry at her. "I just had to ask..."

"You told her?" Mike asked, raising his eyebrows but not quite able to hide his amusement.

"I'm so sorry," I supplicated, then turned to Nicole who seemed way too proud of herself. "You are so screwed right now."

She laughed and stuck her tongue out at me, then looked at Mike. "Well, did you? I'm dying over here!"

I blushed and looked down at the table, thinking about how surreal it was that she had blurted out a question that private in a coffee shop that was at most ten minutes away from the hospital where we worked. I was even too afraid to look around to see if anyone had heard her.

"It's absolutely, definitely true," Mike said with a charming grin. "But that's all you'll hear about it from me. If you want the details you'll have to ask Rose."

"I'm not telling you anything anymore," I muttered, still wanting to sink through the floor. "You obviously can't be trusted with private information."

"That's why you love me," Nicole said confidently. "Besides, I'm pretty sure Mike already knows the details, so no harm done."

Mike laughed and I shook my head in disbelief, well aware that she was already forgiven. I could never stay mad at Nicole. She was very straightforward and sometimes it felt like she didn't have any boundaries, but she always meant well and she had looked after me for as long as I had known her. I knew I hadn't been a particularly good friend since I'd met Mike and I would have to make it up to her, but at least she already seemed happy being part of my life, just like she used to.

"I'm not going to embarrass you anymore," Nicole said with an awkward smile. "You've just seemed so happy these past weeks and I guess I felt a bit left out. I just wanted to meet the man who has made such an impact on you."

I smiled and Mike leaned toward me and kissed me on my temple.

"Sorry you had to surprise me at work," I answered. "You shouldn't have had to do that. I should have called you."

"One of my closest friends is actually coming over to my place for dinner next week," Mike said. "I was going to ask you if you wanted to join us, Rose, but maybe you could both come?"

I opened my mouth to protest but Nicole interrupted.

"Is he hot?" she asked with a mischievous smile, making Mike laugh.

"I'm not even going to answer that," he said. "You'll have to see for yourself."

"I'm in," she asserted. "What day is it?"

"Wednesday," Mike said. "Are you free that night?"

"Absolutely," she said. "I get off at four."

"I don't remember how I work next week," I pitched in. "I'll have to check if I can make it."

"Oh, that's all right, honey," Mike said and smiled. "I already checked, you end at four, too. I told Kevin to be at my place around seven so that gives us plenty of time."

"Great," I said through gritted teeth, trying my best to look happy even though I didn't understand why he would want to introduce me to his friends if he didn't want a long-term relationship.

Nicole clasped her hands together in admiration. "He thinks of everything!" she exclaimed, and I fought the urge to let her know what a control freak he actually was. "You really found the perfect boyfriend."

Trying desperately to change the subject once again, I started asking Nicole about her new job and the two of them soon began a lively discussion about oncology which I had no idea Mike was so interested in. I hardly said anything, instead I admired my boyfriend, impressed by his broad knowledge and genuine interest in the medical profession. Nicole seemed equally blown away, not to mention thrilled that she had found someone who shared her enthusiasm.

After a long and engaging conversation, Nicole looked at the clock and realized it was getting late.

"I have to get going," she said. "I promised my sister I would babysit her kids while she and her husband go on a date. It's their anniversary or something, I can't keep track. Your love life is a lot more interesting than theirs."

She hugged Michael and gave me a kiss on the cheek.

"Call me, okay?"

"I will," I promised. "Love you."

"Love you too, toots. It was great to finally see your boyfriend." She lowered her voice. "I approve, by the way. So jealous!"

Mike, who had heard everything, smiled proudly as he opened the door for her. She took off, and Mike and I headed off in the opposite direction, back to the hospital where his car was parked.

"I think that went pretty well," he reckoned. "And I'm happy I got to meet your best friend."

"I'm happy you met her, too," I said, putting my arm around his waist.

We walked in silence for a while, enjoying the beautiful sunset and the sound of children playing in the park. Suddenly my phone started vibrating in the pocket of my jeans. I picked it up and found a text message from Nicole.

Really enjoyed this afternoon. He seems amazing. Why were you acting weird around him? Be careful. If I noticed, he will, too. Don't mess this up.

"Anything important?" Mike asked.

"No," I mumbled while deleting the message. "Just my mom. I'll give her a call later."

Mike stopped in the middle of the sidewalk, look deep into my eyes and ran his fingers through my long hair. He looked so beautiful that I wanted to throw my arms around his neck and give him the most passionate kiss in the world, but his gaze mesmerized me so I just stood there, his soft touch leaving a trail of goosebumps on my neck and down my arms.

"I like you so much," he whispered.

I slowly leaned forward to kiss him but stopped right before our lips touched. He moaned and closed his eyes, and I felt the warmth of his breath on my face.

"I know I'm not the perfect boyfriend," he continued, "but I really want this to work out. You make me feel like a different person and I don't remember the last time I was this happy."

The softness of his lips on mine was all it took for me to forget about everything and throw myself into his embrace. He hugged me tight and I wished he would never let me go.

"Please have patience with me," he pleaded. "I need you."

"I won't leave you," I promised. "No matter what."