Open Heart One Shots (Choices)

Not Over It

Summary: When Cassie decides to date other people, Ethan has to pretend he's not affected.

Part 1: Not a Date

The flurries outside drifted aimlessly under the gray sky. Cassie Valentine absently watched the traffic outside the coffee shop and wondered for the nth time what she was doing here.

A few days after telling her twin brother Max to give Nate Hanson her number, she had agreed to meet the man at Derry's. It wasn't a date. They had both been clear on that. But each was curious about the other, and a coffee meet-up seemed like an innocent way to explore the waters.

She would have preferred to meet elsewhere, but he was going to be in the neighborhood, and they both deemed it convenient. On the positive side, she didn't have to worry about her friends asking questions about Nate. However, she had been anxious about running into Ethan until she heard Danny mention that Dr. Ramsey was away for a couple of days.

Safe in knowing there wouldn't be any awkward encounters at his favorite coffee shop, Cassie arrived a few minutes early. She parked herself at a table next to the window and in clear view of the entrance.

While Cassie trusted Max's judgment completely, her stupid crush on Ethan Ramsey meant doubts were never far from the surface. There's always an escape, she mused. She could get paged, an emergency that would take several hours or even days.

"Cassie?"

Lost in thought, she glanced up at the sound of her name. She saw a handsome man in his early thirties with short, neat black hair and warm hazel eyes. His caramel-colored wool coat was expensive, as was the Hermès cashmere scarf around his neck.

She thought Nate Hanson looked better in person than his official picture online.

"Nate. It's nice to meet you." She offered a welcoming smile. He waved her back down when she started to stand. Folding the coat on the back of his chair, he took the seat across from her.

She pushed one of the coffee cups toward him. "I know you're short on time, so I hope it's okay that I got you a cappuccino. Max told me it's your preferred drink."

"Thanks," he said, humming in pleasure after taking a tentative sip. "I heard you're particular about your coffee. I'm guessing this place gets the Cassie Valentine stamp of approval."

"Gold star," Cassie grinned, lifting her coffee cup in a mock toast and laughing when he lightly tapped hers with his own.

"Max told me you're teaching at Harvard this term. What brings you to this side of the river?"

"My company is doing a research trial at Edenbrook," Nate explained. "I had meetings with the researchers this morning. Later today, I'm meeting the board. Chief Emery asked me to update them on the trial's progress. We're at a critical juncture, and the Harvard gig was a good excuse to stay close to the team here."

Cassie watched him with a considering look, chin propped in her upturned palm. "Small world," she mused. "It's good we didn't meet up for coffee at the hospital then."

He laughed, guessing precisely what she was thinking. "Edenbrook's rumor mill is strong as ever, huh? It's good to know things haven't changed much since I did my sub-I rotation there."

His words made her go still. Cassie knew he had gone to Harvard Medical School, opting out of clinical residency to focus on biotech and building his company. That information had been part of his official bio. What she hadn't known was his connection to the hospital.

"Of all the hospitals in all the towns in all the world, you walk into mine," she murmured. She tapped her fingers against the sides of her cup, thinking how this could get complicated before it even begins. Those damn connections.