From Friends to Lovers

The Next Day

Grace Pov

I'm at work the next day and to say that I have been busy is an understatement, Mrs. Lily passed away this morning not long after I had clocked in. Then I ended up walking in on Mr. James while he was doing stuff with himself an that is something that I didn't want to see, and the list just goes on. Its finally time for me take my lunch so I head to the break room an realize that I had forgot to pack my lunch this morning because I had been running late. Sitting down at one of the tables I try not to cry because I'm just so overwhelmed, my phone starts ringing and not thinking to look at the name of who was calling, I just answer "What!?"

"Oh um...I'm sorry if this is a bad time I can call back." Damnit I think to myself its Chris an I just yelled at him for no reason, "I'm so sorry Chris, its just been one hell of a day and I didn't look to see who was calling I just answered it." "Grace its okay, do you want to talk about it, I'm a good listener," thinking about it for a minute not really wanting to bother him with what's going on, but since he offered I decide to let it out. "Well, for starters I was running late this morning so I forgot to pack my lunch, then when I finally did get to work one of the residents passed away," I say starting to tear up.

"I'm so sorry Grace, I know that couldn't have been easy for you to deal with," I shake my head no forgetting that he can't see me. "Do you mind facetiming with me?" I ask him "I don't mind just give me a minute an I will call you okay." We hang up and a few minutes later he facetimes me an I answer while trying to wipe the tears away, "sweetheart don't cry its going to be okay I promise, is there anything I can do?" I calm myself down enough so that I can talk, "she was one of the sweetest people I have ever met, I hate that it happened but she was really sick so we all knew it was coming just not this soon." "I really am sorry that your day hasn't been the best, I remember you saying that you forgot to pack your lunch are you hungry?"

I look away from the phone "not really I have some change I will just get a snack from the vending machine to hold me off till I get off at five." I see him shake his head no through the phone "Grace that is five hours away an nothing from that vending machine is going to hold you over till then, tell me what you want an I will go get it for you." This time I'm the one to shake my head no "Chris I can't have you do that your at work too," I can tell that he is walking. "I haven't had lunch yet either and I had planned on going to get me something, so tell me what you want to eat please." "Really Chris its..."

"Grace, what do you want to eat?" he says interrupting me "please." I huff "fine Mr. pushy, I would like a ten piece nugget meal with BBQ sauce, fries, and a Dr. Pepper from Wendy's." I hear him get in his car "thank you is there anything else you want?" after thinking about it "a small chocolate frosty." "Alright I'm heading to Wendy's now, text me your work address and I will be there soon," I do as he asks then we say our goodbyes and hang up. While I wait on Chris to get here with my food I decided to text Matt back since I never replied to him last night.

About twenty minutes later Chris text me saying that he was outside, so I go outside an see him leaning up against his car, "hey!" I say getting his attention. "Hey," he looks me up an down, "loving the scrubs" I just roll my eyes "I like cats sue me" I tell him while grabbing my food from his hands. "Come on your eating lunch with me since you wanted to buy me food," he agrees an grabs his food locking his doors an following me inside. "This place is nice, how long have you worked here?" he ask while looking at around "it will be three years this May." We walk past the nursing station where Jane is an I see her jaw drop when she sees Chris, and I just know that later she will be asking some questions.

Finally getting to the break room we sit and start to eat, "thanks for lunch Chris next time it will be on me." He shakes his head no "not going to happen Grace because when we do something together I will be the one to pay." I just agree with him for now an continue to eat my lunch, we both make small talk while eating. "So" he says after clearing his throat "do you want to talk more about what happened this morning or are you good?" "I'm good now, but there is something else that did happen which I know you will find hilarious," I say trying not to laugh. "I was making my rounds not long before my break, an I accidently walked in on Mr. James masturbating."

Chris Pov

I had just took a sip of my soda an I almost spit it everywhere which made Grace laugh, "Oh wow, that is not what I was expecting at all, I don't know what I would do if I had walked in on something like that." I sit there an try not to think about that happening when Grace starts to laugh. "What?" she just keeps laughing an finally calms down, "nothing I just pictured the look you would have on your face walking in on something like that, and I couldn't help but laugh."

I can't help but to laugh as well because I know that it would be a funny looking face, "your terrible you know that right." She just smiles and shrugs her shoulders. We go back to eating an once we are done an have cleaned up our mess, I decide to bring Matt up hoping that it wont make her upset. "So have you talked to Matt since last night?" She looks at me "I have, he texted me last night saying sorry an again this morning, I finally texted him after I got off the phone with you since I was on break."

"Are you still mad at him?" I watch as she picks at her nails "I'm not mad at him anymore, we will talk everything out an all will be well again." I go to say something when her phone starts to ring "speaking of Matt that's him calling, do you mind if I take this?" I shake my head no, an she walks out into the hallway to talk. After a few minutes she walks back in "well as much as I have enjoyed our lunch together I need to get ready to go back to work," I stand up to grab my suit jacket "yeah I have to get back as well, I have this big case I'm working on an a lot I still need to get done."

As I started walking back towards the front I was surprised when Grace came up beside me, an she walked with me back to my car. "I just wanted to say thank you again for lunch an for helping me feel better," hearing her say that I helped her feel better made me feel happy. "Your welcome, I'm glad that I was able to help I didn't like seeing you upset," once again she surprises me by giving me a hug an I hug her back. She lets go after a minute "Well, I will see you later bye Chris," I smile at her "bye Grace."

Grace Pov

I walk back into work feeling a lot better thanks to Chris, I go to the nursing station to see Jane so that I can get this interrogation out of the way. After sitting their for about five minutes Jane finally comes back to the station, and just from the look on her face I know that this might take a while. "Okay little lady who was that man? Where did you meet him? Are you an Matt still together? Does he have a brother? Tell me everything." I laugh because she asked all of that in one breath, "His name is Chris, I met him at the cookout Matt had. Yes I'm still with Matt, he does have a brother but you're not his type that's all I can tell you."

I sit their hoping she don't ask me anymore questions, since she don't say anything I go to get up "I'm not done, sit back down." Which I do, "what does he do for a living because its been a long time since I've seen a man look that good in a suit." I can't disagree with her on that since I thought the same thing when I saw him leaned up against his car. "He is a lawyer, the best one in the district actually," she looks at me with a smile on her face "what?" I ask looking at her. "Nothing Grace I'm done with the questions your free to go back to work," I look at her confused but walk off an get back to work.