It Must Be Love - Jacob and Connie

Chapter Three

"You'll never guess what I saw the other day," Robyn was the certified staff gossiper, and she seemed to know everything about the lives of all the other staff. A good nurse, Connie thought, but spends way too much of her time talking. It had been a few days since her encounter with Jacob, and she hadn't had chance to see him much at all. This meant that Connie Beauchamp was back to her usual self - bossing around the nursing staff and revelling in being the cold-hearted clinical lead that she'd always aspired to be. She was listening to the other staff members around her as she walked past, and part of her mind caught on to what Robyn was saying. Connie stopped in her tracks, then stepped back a couple of steps to hide behind a corner wall. "Mrs Beauchamp and Jacob were stood like, really close. I think something might be going on between them."

"Yeah, but Jacob's like that with everyone. Are you sure he wasn't just flirting with her again?" Staff nurse Freeman, great. This was probably the one and only time that Connie had been interested in anything that Rita had to say.

"No, they were really close. Like, his hand was resting on her cheek, and it looked really affectionate."

"Robyn, I think it's just your imagination. There was probably some very simple explanation as to why they were together, and really, could you see Mrs Beauchamp and Jacob together?"

Tess - who was back on a brief visit from living with her son and grandson - took the opportunity to voice her opinion, and as always, she was keeping the other staff in line. "I think they'd make a rather nice couple," she said. "And it's about time Connie found some love - she deserves it after all she does here." From around the corner, Connie saw the three women all nodding in agreement, and she felt a sense of happiness knowing that if she were to succumb to her feelings, then at least some of the staff would be happy for her.

"Alright, you can both believe what you like. I'm just telling you what I saw, and I certainly didn't see Mrs Beauchamp trying to pull away." She heard them all get back to their work, and just as she was about to turn, she felt a pair of hands grasp her around her hips. They'd gone just as quickly as they came, and Connie turned around to find - not to her surprise - Jacob standing behind her. They were stood in a fairly quiet corridor, but as it was a day shift, the whole hospital was bustling with energy.

"Who you spying on sweet-cheeks?"

"I'm not, I'm not spying. And please, don't call me that."

"Come on, sneaking around the corner... what else were you doing? I was watching you for a good minute or so, and you may be able to lie to the rest of the department, but I can tell." He had a grin settled on his face; it was sexy; flirtatious; almost smug. He knew that he was the one person who could come close to breaking her icy exterior, and he took full advantage of it.

"Alright, I'll tell you." She huffed in defeat, pretending to be crumbling under his pressure, when in reality she had a different idea. "Come to my office in ten," she suggested, with a slight urgency in her voice, before turning once more and heading off into the main corridor.