Normal | Rhekker

Chapter 4- Coffee? Coffee.

Ava 💛6.06am
Hey Connor, sorry for the early message, I'm just going into the hospital.
I'm off at 2.40pm today, I thought maybe we could go for a coffee while I'm still in town?

9.02 am Connor 🤠
Sounds great 😁
There's a nice place on 21st street.
Dose 3.20 suit you?

Ava 💛12.06pm
Yeah, I'll see you there :)

12.08pm Connor 🤠
Location shared

Connor sat in the cafe next to the large window that replaced a wall. He was second guessing his seat choice as he watched the crowds of people rush past him, fearing Ava may think this seat to public for them to be seen together so soon after Andrew.
A tussle of blonde curls hurried past him and dipped into the cafe. Ava took off her square sunglasses and nervously looked around the room before her eyes landed on a familiar face. Her lips curved into a smile as she approached him.
"Long time no seen" she chuckled, taking the seat opposite him.
"Always a pleasure, Dr. Bekker" he smiled.
Ava had her short hair clipped up at the back of her head, she wore a loose black blouse and loose brown shorts, her sunglasses resting on the table in front of her. Connor can see the tan lines from what he presumes to be a bikini top on her otherwise bronze shoulders.

"I was going to order coffee, but I wasn't sure if you'd want one in this heat" Connor flashes her a smile. "I could go for an ice coffee" Ava nods. Connor orders for them, an ice black coffee, ice vanilla late and an almond croissant. The drinks and food come and they set them on the table in front of them. Ava delicately takes and bite of her croissant and wipes the sides of her mouth while gazing out the window.
"This place is nice" she tells him, "how'd you find it"
"My mother used to take Claire and I here when we'd come up from Christmas shopping" he tells her.

Ava smiled at the sweet story, she can imagine a much younger Connor drinking a hot chocolate at the table across from them. Ava studies him now, he looks similar to when she last saw him, it is still Connor after all. He's wearing tan shorts, the kind ava imagines he'd have worn to golf games at country clubs, and a deep blue shirt with the sleeves rolled up and the top button undone. Ava makes a note of how that shade of blue brings out his eyes, and how his arms look from under the shirt.

"You look good" he says suddenly.
"Mhm?" Ava is drawn from her thoughts.
"Very European, is what I mean, you're outfit, I like it" he stumbles with his words.
"Is European a good thing, Dr. Rhodes" she teases him, stirring her drink with her straw,
Ava exhaled shortly, he likes this, the banter. "You look good, Ava" he finishes.
Ava's gazes falls back onto the table as they themselves fall into another period of silence. Ava shifts uncomfortably in her chair and Connor hopes it's from the humidity.
"It's weird" she starts softly, so only he can hear. "Silly really, after everything we've been through together, and I can't think of what to say to you. It's like we're strangers again"

Connor lets out a silent sigh of relief that that's all it was.
"I know, it is strange" he agreed.
Ava ran her fingertips along the side of her cup, wiping away the condensation.
"I missed you"
Connors smile softened, "I missed you too"
"So tell me about your life in New York" he asked, slipping his drink.

///

Ava hopped off the train, fanning herself with a fashion magazine. She made it to the apartment door, repeatedly buzzing the door. The lock clicked open and Ava got the lift up to the apartment. When she made it to the flat door it was already unlocked.
As she stepped inside a cold wave hit her, "Oh my god Brookie I love your apartment" she sighed, collapsing onto the sofa.
"AC still on the Fritz?" She sat at the far end of the sofa in an open shirt and shorts.
Ava groaned, bringing a hand to the back fo her neck.
"Get a drink, there's beers in the fridge" she waved a hand.
Ava got a beer from the fridge, relaxing as the extra cool hit her.

"Cities shouldn't get this warm unless there's a beach nearby, It's so hot" Ava wined, sitting back down with her opened beer.
"Speaking of hot things...." Brooklyn smirk, "that guy at the gala"
"Who, Connor?" Ava clarifies.
"Yes, Connor. Talk about gorgeous, I mean i needed a drink after that"
"Excuse me Brookie, what about your very devoted boyfriend?" Ava took a swig of her drink.
"I know, I love bob with everything I have, but I can still look" she shrugged.
"Anyway I'm not interested in him, I'm interested in you and him"
"What about us, I told you we'd worked together?" Ava fiddled with the hair at the back of her head.
"Yes, I knew that but I didn't you know, worked together"
"What?" Ava furrowed her brows, the heat confusing her.
"Please, I could cut the sexual tension with a spoon" she scoffed.
"I didn't know how well you two worked together, or that you still had feelings for him"
"I do not" Ava defended, hiding behind her drink. "And besides, you knew we were together before"
"You so do, I wouldn't blame you" Brookie picked up her phone, "he's hot"
She held out her phone for Ava to see a picture of Connor Instagram, of him and and Will shirtless standing on a pier during a Fourth of July party. The location was tagged as Lake Michigan and Ava could see Nat, April and Ethan in the background.
"And tattoos as well, no wonder you liked him so much"
Ava shook her head, "stop cyberstalking my colleagues"
"Your what?" She sat up.
Ava tapped her fingers against her bottle, "he got a place at Mayo as well" She took a sip of her drink, "trauma surgery"
"Oh come on" she threw a pillow at Ava. "That's your shot!"
"Stop it with this violence!" Ava laughed, throwing the pillow back.

They finished their laughing fit and calmed down, Brooklyn reached out of Ava's hand that rested on the back of the sofa.
"So what was it, mhm? Love, a fling, hookup?" Brookie asked softly.
"It was love" Ava confirmed, reminiscing their time together
They sat in silence, holding each other's hands.
"Are you going to see him before you leave?"
"No" Ava sighed.
"You should, go for a coffee. I know you're still feeling weird after Andrew, but I'll be good for you, he is still your friend"
Ava thought about it for a moment, pursing her lips.
"You're right, I should"
"I love it when you say I'm right" Brooklyn pushed her arm and sat up.
"Shut up" Ava threw the pillow after her.

///

"So that's everything" Connor smiled, he and Ava had spoken for hours about everything. They eventually paid the bill and Connor walked her out. "It was lovely catching up with you again" Ava said as they stepped onto the street.
"We'll have plenty of more time to do that at Mayo, Dr. Bekker" Connor smiled. Small spits of water hit them as they stepped out from under the canopy.
"It really coming down"
"It hasn't rained in months" Ava laughed, holding her hand out.
"It's getting heavy" Connor frowned.
"Here" he pulled a umbrella from his bag.
"You have an umbrella on you, in New York, in August?" Ava said sceptically.
"Lathem's really influencel" he shrugged.
"I can't, you'll get soaked"
"Ava, please take it" he shook it a little.
"Do you have long to walk?"
"No" he shook his head once.
"Okey, thank you" Ava's hands wrapped around the umbrella and took it from him.
"See you soon Dr. Rhodes" she opened the umbrella.
"Goodbye Dr. Bekker" he raised his hand, watching her go before starting off on his fourteen block walk back to his hotel.