Love in the ER

CHAPTER 12

Later that day, after dealing with a whirlwind of patients, Paris and Clara finally had a chance to sit down for lunch in the hospital cafeteria. The buzz of conversations filled the air around them, and the usual chaos of the hospital seemed to fade away, at least for the moment.

"I don't know how you keep your cool like that," Clara said, shaking her head in disbelief as she stabbed at her salad. "Mrs. Ramirez? I would've lost my patience after five minutes, but you handled her like she was an old friend."

Paris smiled, stirring her soup. "She just needed someone to listen to her, that's all. It wasn't a big deal."

Clara snorted. "Yeah, well, someone was definitely impressed." She wiggled her eyebrows suggestively.

Paris frowned, confused. "What are you talking about?"

"Dr. Oliver," Clara said in a dramatic whisper, leaning across the table. "Did you see the way he was looking at you after you calmed Mrs. Ramirez down? Like you were some kind of hero."

Paris felt her cheeks flush. She had noticed Oliver's expression, but she had brushed it off as nothing. Still, Clara's teasing brought the memory rushing back. "It wasn't like that. He was just happy the situation was under control."

"Oh, please," Clara rolled her eyes, clearly not buying it. "He looked thrilled. Like, beyond thrilled."

Paris tried to brush it off, focusing on her lunch. "You're reading too much into it."

"Sure, sure," Clara said, her voice dripping with sarcasm. "Next thing you know, you'll be telling me you didn't notice the way he stared at you when you were with Mateo yesterday."

Paris almost choked on her soup. "Clara!"

Clara grinned, clearly loving every second of Paris's discomfort. "I saw him, Paris. You can't deny it. Dr. Oliver was jealous when he saw you with Mateo. And today, he's all smiles when you're calming down patients like some medical superhero. The guy's into you."

Paris shook her head, trying to laugh it off, though her heart was racing. "You're imagining things."

Clara raised an eyebrow, smirking. "Am I? Because from where I'm sitting, you've got two doctors in this hospital who are very interested in you. I mean, Oliver on one side, Mateo on the other? What a love triangle!"

Paris groaned, burying her face in her hands. "Clara, stop. This isn't a soap opera."

"Oh, but it is," Clara teased, leaning in with a conspiratorial grin. "Come on, Paris, admit it—there's something there. Between you and Oliver, at least."

Paris looked up from her hands, her face red. "Even if there was—which there isn't—it would be too complicated. We work together."

Clara waved a hand dismissively. "Please, that's just an excuse. Hospitals are like any other workplace—people date, people break up, and life goes on. The real question is, what are you going to do about it?"

Before Paris could respond, Clara's phone buzzed on the table. She glanced at it, her expression shifting instantly from playful to wide-eyed.

"Oh no," Clara muttered under her breath, eyes glued to the screen.

Paris raised an eyebrow, sensing the sudden change. "What? What's wrong?"

Clara didn't answer right away, her fingers quickly typing out a message. "It's just... Remember Tomás, the guy I went out with a few weeks ago? The one I said was way too intense?"

Paris frowned. "Yeah, the one who showed up unannounced at your home?"

Clara nodded, her eyes wide. "Yeah, well... I blocked his number after that. And now he's texting me from another number. Saying he saw me in the hospital cafeteria."

Paris's eyes widened. "Wait, he's here?"

Clara quickly looked around, scanning the room as her face turned pale. "I don't see him, but he says he's here."

Paris's heart sank. Clara had mentioned Tomás a few times, and the more Paris heard about him, the creepier the whole situation had sounded. Now he was here, in the hospital? That was too much.

"Do you want to tell security?" Paris asked, her tone serious now.

Clara shook her head quickly. "No, no. I don't want to make a scene. I'll just text him back, tell him to leave me alone."

Paris bit her lip, concern written all over her face. "Clara, if he's following you or showing up where you work, that's serious. You shouldn't just brush it off."

Clara hesitated, her phone still in her hand. "I know... I just don't want to make it worse."

But before either of them could decide what to do, a voice interrupted their conversation.

"Clara?"

They both turned, and there stood Tomás, a tall man with dark eyes and a somewhat smug expression. He looked completely out of place in the hospital cafeteria, dressed in street clothes and holding a phone in his hand.

Paris felt her stomach twist. This was not good.

Clara's face flushed with a mix of anger and embarrassment. "Tomás, what are you doing here?"

"I came to see you," he said, his tone too casual for the situation. "You didn't respond to my texts."

Clara shot him a sharp look. "That's because I blocked your number. You can't just show up at my work like this."

Tomás smirked, as if the whole thing was a joke. "Come on, don't be like that. I just wanted to talk."

Clara stood up, her voice firm now. "No, Tomás. You need to leave. Right now."

Paris, sensing the tension escalating, quickly stood beside her, her heart pounding in her chest. "You should go, Tomás," she added, trying to keep her voice calm but steady. "This isn't the place for this."

For a second, it looked like Tomás might argue, but then his gaze shifted to Paris, and his smirk faded. Something about her calm but firm stance seemed to make him realize he wasn't going to get what he wanted.

"Fine," Tomás muttered, his tone turning sour. "But we're not done, Clara."

With that, he turned and walked out of the cafeteria, leaving behind a heavy tension in the air.

Clara sat back down, her hands shaking slightly. "Wow. That was... intense."

Paris sat beside her, reaching out to place a comforting hand on her arm. "Are you okay?"

Clara let out a shaky breath, nodding. "Yeah. I just... didn't expect him to show up here. I thought blocking him would be enough."

Paris frowned. "You need to be careful. If he shows up again, you should definitely tell security. This isn't normal."

Clara nodded, still looking shaken but grateful. "Thanks, Paris. I don't know what I would've done if you hadn't been here."

Paris smiled softly. "Hey, what are friends for?"

Clara smiled back, though the tension lingered. "Well, I guess the real drama of the day wasn't about you and Dr. Oliver after all."

Paris laughed softly, though the encounter had left both of them unsettled. "Yeah... maybe not."