Falling in love is not the same as learning to love someone. Time and circumstances define the differences between the two but in the end there is always a finite result in which happiness and sadness play a predictable role.
This is a journey abou...
Liz had a knack for making her appearances always in the nick of time. Casey was already fidgety with the clipboard in her hands when Liz approached her.
"Ok, you go ahead. I'll read the notes here. Everything written down?" Liz need not ask the young woman, knowing that Casey was a very thorough nurse when it comes to documentation. The girl writes way too much on the clipboard that there was literally no need for oral pre-shift endorsements.
"Thanks, Liz." The young woman looked extremely relieved as she grabbed her bag from the table and waved goodbye to her.
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"Whoa... You should be arrested for wearing that." Hank scrutinized the dress Liz was wearing as he handed a glass of champagne to her while waiting for the charity program proper to commence. The guests of doctors, hospital administrators, board members, nurses and other hospital staff from the entire state were gathering for the annual charity fundraising event.
The dress was loaned to her by a friend who used it on a cameo appearance in an indie movie about sexy vampires. The wine red number screamed pure seduction with its swooping halter neckline and bare back design with thigh high skirt slit at the front.
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"Well if this ain't getting any bid tonight I'm going to arrive naked next year." She raised her glass as a toast to her remarks. Taking a gulp rather than enjoying a leisure sip because she was nervous beyond words to participate in the event.
She was asked to join the staff auction to raise funds for the babies in the NICU. It was imperative that someone dauntless from their department would step up to the invitation to help some of their special patients needing long term care. A select few premature babies require longer course of expensive treatments and supervision than the others, most of them have nonexistent coverage in their health policies to alleviate medical expenses.
Liz was never the sociable type but if it was for a good cause she was up for almost anything to help even if it meant getting sold for the price of a lousy dinner date.
She aimed to be optimistic by considering this as a grand opportunity to snag a sperm donor so it wasn't half as bad as it may look.
"Ok you didn't just use the word naked while sober, did you?" Hank felt awkward with her weird joke because it seemed so unlikely of her to say something like that. But then again, he had been shocked several times by her unpredictability since he had known her for two years as a patient and a friend.
"Hank that was a joke. Relax, I know a little kung fu." Her chuckles sounded silly and a striking opposite of her alluring image of a grown woman. The statement of reassurance was a weak attempt to calm her nerves.
The auction started rather late, unfortunately Liz had too much to drink to loosen up her nerves while waiting to be called up the runway.
She managed to walk a slightly straight line to pass an impromptu sobriety test or so she thought. Her head was spinning a little but she stood carefully while the host opened the bid for her. Liz held back her gut from hurling her dinner in front of the guests as she smiled sweetly to the crowd.
Someone from the back of the room shouted one thousand dollars, earning a sweeter smile from Liz as she held a thumbs-up to whomever it was that made the first bid with a generous amount.
The crowd found her jovial gesture amusing that some laughed fondly at her antics because they thought she was cute.
Another man shouted two thousand, followed by a much eager voice exclaiming three thousand five hundred. It was then matched with a bid of four, then later five.
The crowd was getting excited as Liz was smiling like an idiot while raising two thumbs-up in appreciation.
There was a long pause that prompted the host to call the last bid for closing when someone from the center of the room walked closer towards the stage and said, "Ten thousand dollars."
The unequivocal gasps of disbelief filled the auditorium as the host announced, "Wow, that's the highest bid we had so far in the history of auction. Ten thousand dollars, ladies and gentlemen, going once, going twice... Sold to the neurosurgeon in the red tie front and center. Thank you for your donation."
Liz couldn't hold back her heaving stomach as she turned around swiftly to run in her stilettos towards the back of the stage.
She saw her dinner decorating the wooden floor as she leaned against the wall to stop another wave of queasiness threatening to humiliate her further.
"Hey, are you ok?"
She felt huge warm hands gently gripping her shoulders from behind to support her up as she tried to hide behind the curtains.
Liz was ushered towards the backstage and into the nearby washroom by the gallant hero saving her from her unsightly mess.
"So is this an added bonus for the paid date?" He said in a funny handsome way as he handed her his handkerchief so she could wipe her face after splashing some water to control her urge to vomit again.
"We aim to please." She laughed at herself in an attempt to save her remaining dignity. All of a sudden she wasn't tipsy anymore, rather quite sober and very ashamed for throwing up in front of a very tall and handsome sexy man in an Armani suit.
He offered to drive her home but she insisted that her friend Hank was going to see that she makes it home safely.
"Ok then.. I'll take a rain check with our date." He took off his expensive coat and draped it around her shoulders. "Take care."
He was about to leave when Liz asked for his name.
