Page 32 of Trick or Treat Nurse at My Feet
Unless this is some elaborate prank, or he's changed his mind. Or aliens abduct me in the next thirty seconds, which honestly might be less stressful.
Tyler stands as I walk up, and I'm momentarily distracted by how his shirt stretches across his shoulders.Focus, Barrett. Eyes up.
"Hey," he says, looking genuinely happy to see me. "I wasn't sure what you'd want, so I got you a latte. But I can get you something else if you'd prefer."
He got me coffee. He was here early, and herememberedfrom our brief conversation at the party that I like lattes.
This man is interested, or he's the most dedicated prankster in PCUniversity history.
"The barista says you usually get an extra shot?"
"You asked the barista about my coffee order?" I slide into the seat across from him, surprised and a little touched.
"I figured if I'm going to do this. You know, get to know you properly, I should at least know how you take your coffee." Tyler pushes the cup towards me, looking pleased with himself.
Wrapping my hands around the warm cup feels good. "I'm a little surprised you suggested meeting here. It's pretty much the campus hub."
Tyler's eyebrows rise slightly. "What? Did you think I'd suggest meeting in a dark corner somewhere?"
"You have no idea… It would be nice to not be introduced as 'my friend' for once." I offer a small smile to show I'm okay. "This is definitely an upgrade."
As soon as the words leave my mouth, I mentally kick myself. Way to bring past relationship baggage to our first real... whatever this was.
Instead of looking offended, Tyler leans forward. "I'm not that asshole."
"I know. I just..." I take a sip of my perfectly made latte to buy some time. "This is all very new."
"For both of us," Tyler says, then smiles. "Though probably in different ways."
My body starts to relax as I study him across the table. In daylight, without the chaos of the Halloween party, I appreciate how his brown eyes crinkle at the corners when he smiles. He wears a simple Henley that somehow makes his shoulders look even broader.
"So," Tyler breaks into my thoughts. "What made you choose nursing?"
The question catches me off guard; most guys I'd dated have never bothered asking about my academic choices.
"I've always wanted to help people," I say. "And I like the science of it, how the body works, how it heals. There's something amazing about being there for someone on possibly the worst day of their life and making it better, even a little bit."
Tyler nods, clearly listening. "That makes a lot of sense. You seem like you'd be good at it, calm under pressure."
"Oh god—" My shoulders shake with laughter. "If you think this is bad? First clinical rotation, I was so wired on anxiety and caffeine I fumbled an entire tray of sterilized equipment. The doctor that day still calls me 'Butterfingers Barrett.'"
"But you kept going," Tyler points out.
"What about you? Last night, you mentioned engineering?"
"Environmental Engineering," Tyler says. "I want to design sustainable water systems."
My eyebrows shoot up before I can stop them. "That's... not what I expected."
"So you're not just a pretty face with amazing shoulders," I add, immediately regretting the "pretty face" comment.
Tyler grins. "There's that, but I also have a brain. Shocking, I know."
"No, I just—" I backpedal.
"It's fine," Tyler laughs. "Most people expect Business or Sports Management. My dad owns a construction company that specializes in commercial buildings. I grew up on job sites learning about infrastructure."
"That's cool," I say, meaning it.
