Out of Time (Book 1)

Dancin' and Distractions

1941

June

Betty grabbed hold of Dot's hand and ushered them through the crowd towards the bar. It had been a long week at work and they both needed to let off some steam. They got drinks and found seats at a table near the dance floor.

"What a week!" Dot let out a puff of air as they took their seats.

"Tell me about it. I've had two trainees who were just bumblin' about and a guy we couldn't diagnose. Turned out he was fakin' symptoms to get access to the medication. I've never seen anythin' like it!"

"Holy mackerel, what a cockeyed idea. How'd you get him out in the end?"

"Gave him ipecac syrup and castor oil. He got better real quick after a good clean out..." Betty smirked as Dot nearly spat out her drink in laughter.

"We'd better make tonight a good one then, dance some of the cobwebs away. Cheers!" Dot raised her glass to Betty, and they clinked them together. Taking a sip of her drink, Betty scanned the crowd. A few tables away she saw Bucky, sitting with a group of people she wasn't familiar with. He was leaning back in his seat, one arm thrown over the back of the chair next to him, and his ankle resting on the opposite knee. He looked up just in time to catch her eye and he smiled at her raising his beer in salute and taking a drink. She echoed his movements in a distanced cheers before turning back to Dot.

"He's still lookin' you know." Dot whispered, conspiratorially.

"Knock it off." Betty replied, but she laughed anyway.

Dot had gone back to the bar to get a couple more drinks when Betty felt a presence over her shoulder.

"Excuse me, Miss? Would you mind if I sat for a second?" A deep baritone voice sounded close to her ear. 

Betty turned and looked up into a pair of warm, brown eyes, that were set into a handsome and friendly face. Dark blond hair was neatly combed back, except for a few pieces that hung fetchingly over his forehead.

"Erm, sure. My friend's just at the bar."

"Thanks." He sat and held out his hand. "I'm Daniel. Could I have the privilege of knowin' the name of the most beautiful girl in here?"

Betty put her hand over her mouth and actually giggled. She put her other hand in his and shook it.

"Hi, I'm Betty, Betty Rogers."

"A lovely name for a lovely girl." He smiled and then leaned forward in interest. "So, what do you do Betty Rogers? I'll bet you've got some glamorous job in one of the big department stores downtown."

"No, you're way off the beam there. I'm actually a Sister at the hospital."

"Wow, beautiful and smart! Must be my lucky night, runnin' into you here." Betty flushed a little.

"How about you, Daniel?"

"I'm a pharmacist. I work out of South Brooklyn, mainly for the stevedores and factory workers. We help supply them with affordable treatments."

"That's amazin'." Betty smiled, impressed. "I became a nurse because I wanted to help the people of Brooklyn, like my Ma."

"I understand that feelin'" he smiled back.

At that moment, Dot returned with their drinks. Betty introduced the pair and Daniel stood to let Dot sit back in her seat, pulling over a chair from another table and drawing it up to Betty's other side. Whilst she was glad that he stayed to talk, his new position had given Betty a direct eyeline to Bucky's table and she could feel his gaze every time he looked over at them, which was often.