Page 71 of Awakening
“Completely, it’s cute though.”
I smirked, shaking my head as we placed our order; she opted for the healthier route —a veggie omelet with sourdough toast, while I chose a BLT with extra bacon and a side of fries. The moment the waitress walked away, we both exhaled in unison. It had been a long night for both of us, and the quiet buzz of the diner gave us a strange kind of intimacy, the kind where I would run an idea by her.
“I’ve been thinking about going back to school,” I said, wiping my hands on a napkin.
Yanna looked up. “Oh?”
I nodded slowly, “Cardiology.”
Her entire face lit up. “Mav! Are you serious?”
“Dead ass serious.”
She reached across the table and grabbed my hand without hesitation, not realizing she was making my dick hard with the simple gesture. “You would be phenomenal. You have the precision, the instincts, and most importantly, the people skills. If you want my help, I’ll be there every step.”
It ignited something in me that I didn’t even realize needed it. “Thanks, Yanna. That means a lot.”
She tilted her head, lips pursed in thought. “I know how hard it is to pivot careers in medicine. And you’re one of the most loved nurses in the hospital… but this?”
Her eyes gleamed. “This feels purpose-driven. It reminds me of Dana and Ajaih pivoting into their passionand purpose.”
I nodded again, letting her words sink in, “I think so too.”
She leaned back, sipping her water. I tried not to stare, but then again, I wasn’t made of stone. Watching her lips wrap around the straw, the way her throat flexed when she swallowed... it did something to me. Something primal. And I knew she saw it.
“Stop staring,” she said, eyes flicking up with that knowing grin.
“Can’t help it.”
“Must be the scrubs,” she teased.
“Nah,” I said, voice low, “It’s the woman in them.”
She paused for just a second too long. “You flirt like a man that understands the body, knowing just what to say and what look to give to make a pulse quicken and temperature rise.”
Our food arrived and we dug in, talking between bites. She told me she’d been offered a Chief of Staff position.
“That’s major,” I said, “You gonna take it?”
“I don’t know.” She played with her toast. “It would take me out of the OR more than I like. I love the rush too much. Being in the thick of it. I’m not ready to let that go.”
I leaned back. “Then don’t. Titles don’t define you, only the work does.”
She looked at me as if I had said something unexpected. Then her lips tugged up into a smirk, “You really are something else.”
We finished our food and paid, stepping outside under the halo of the neon diner sign. The air was thick with humidity and... something else.
Tension, desire, unspoken questions, whispered maybes,and confusion. I went from loving one man to coming across three beautiful ass women that made my dick harder than multi-variable calculus for Engineers. The heart was a tricky thing in that just when you thought you had it all figured out, your heart flipped the switch and let you know otherwise.
I walked behind her, watching the way her round ass swayed in her scrubs, biting my lip without thinking. Being bold, I leaned in close, dropping my voice just above a growl near her ear.
“You feel this, don’t you?” I murmured, “Keep playing with me and I’ll bend you over in the back of my truck, Yanna. Have you call ing my name for the rest of your shift.”
She stopped in her tracks, slowly turned, eyes twinkling with mischief and fire, licking her lips, watching me watch her.
“Oh, is that a threat or a promise, Nurse Carter?”
“Whichever one gets you to stop testing me.”
