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“As did I,” Jo whispered.
Ali blushed, her finger slowly running a loop around Jo’s hand. “Things could get tricky here. As mentioned, there are rules.”
“Right,” Jo slowly and reluctantly withdrew her hand. “I get it.”
Ali snickered. “I don’t think you do. While we’re at the hospital, we have to be professional. No one should know because if they did, that could get very bad for both of us.” Ali tilted her head. “But when we’re not at the hospital…”
Jo grinned. Ali wasn’t ending things before they began. She was merely protecting their jobs. It was exactly how Jo wanted things to go. Nothing could come between them as long as they were on the same page. “My lips are sealed.” She leaned in and gave Ali a soft peck on her cheek, before turning and rushing off. As she rounded the corner, she spotted May.
“Are you alright?” May asked, before stepping back and staring at her. “Is that a grin on your lips? You rushed off. I thought for sure you were bawling in the restroom. But now, I’m not sure about anything.”
“I was,” Jo replied. “And then…” She shook her head. “I’ll tell you all about it later. I have to prep Vincent for going home.” She rushed off and ignored the fact that May was staring at her from behind. It would all make sense to her, but she had to do what Ali wanted for now. Be professional.
At lunch, Jo considered telling May about the kiss. However, she didn’t want anyone to eavesdrop. Plus, when lunchtime rolled around, Jo really wanted to get Ali to join them. However, Ali was too involved with patients and said her shift was hectic, so it was only May and Jo who went to the cafeteria.
The cafeteria buzzed with chatter, and the moment just didn’t feel right for Jo to discuss with May how she was feeling about Ali. She had no doubt that May would keep the secret between them, but the timing just felt off.
So, later that evening, Jo invited May over to the apartment so she could go with her and Maverick on a walk. “It’s a beautiful night,” Jo replied as they had just left the apartment. “It’s nights like these that I come home to Maverick and just enjoy being together, taking him on walks, and not having to think about a whole light. It’s relaxing.”
“And you and Maverick have formed such an amazing bond,” May commented. “I can see that, and it warms my heart.”
Jo grinned and turned to May. “And I have you to thank for all of this.” Jo leaned in and patted Maverick on the back. “He’s been a comfort to me, that’s for sure.”
May clapped her hands together. “I just love hearing that.” She beamed with pride. “Maybe I should have been a therapist.”
Jo laughed. “I think you’re a pretty great nurse.” They continued to walk, and the conversation fell silent for a minute as Jo considered how she wanted to bring up the news. She had to be cautious and make sure May knew just how fragile things were and that May had to make sure she kept it quiet, or it could hurt people. She didn’t want Ali to get caught in the crossfire, but she had to talk to someone about it. It was practically killing her inside.
“Something on your mind?” May asked, breaking into Jo’s thoughts.
Jo laughed. “I would say that you and I have formed a bond, even more than Maverick and I have. You have quickly become someone that I can talk to about anything, and I appreciate our friendship.”
May grinned. “You and me both. Never imagined I’d meet someone, and we would just click like we have. I’ve never had a connection like that.”
“Agreed,” Jo replied. “So, there’s something I’m aching to tell you, but it has to stay between us. If it gets out, it could hurt people, and I need to be sure that no one will hear what I’m about to say.”
May stopped walking and turned to Jo. “You can count on me, but it sounds ominous. What’s going on?”
“Well, when I came back after having my melt down over Vincent leaving the hospital, you noticed that I was smiling. That’s because I had bumped into Ali.” May arched an eyebrow but didn’t interrupt. “You see, Friday night, after Ali came outside looking for me, we sort of had a breakthrough. Things got heated between us and one thing led to another, and we were kissing.”
May’s jaw dropped. “What? I thought you told me that Nolan and Ali were dating.”
Jo smirked. They had escaped into the bathroom because May sternly wanted to discuss with Jo how much she couldn’t believe they were flirting right in front of them at the table. Jo was adamant it wasn’t flirtation because Ali and Nolan were a couple.
She shrugged. “I guess I was wrong. She said that Nolan is gay and has a long-distance boyfriend. She initiated the kiss, at first. But then, because I swore she wasn’t available, I stopped it. Once we realized how foolish I was, we went for it. Today at the hospital, Ali said she wants us to explore things, but that we have to keep things professional while we’re working. No one can know.”
“Well, yeah, because they pretty much said that’s a no-go at our orientation. I won’t tell anyone. I’m happy for you, Jo. You guys would make a cute couple.”
Jo grinned. She wouldn’t object to that, but it sucked that they would have to keep things on the down-low, at least as long as they were both working at CAPMed. They started walking again, and Jo couldn’t get Ali out of her mind. How far would they take things while Ali was a superior over her? She just wanted to focus on the good that could come and not let her own fears take over her mind.
They got back from the walk, and May said her goodbyes to Maverick and Jo. Jo came into the apartment and fed Maverick before she turned on the television and tried to relax on the couch. Periodically, she would reach for her phone and start to dial up Ali, but then quickly stop herself. If Ali was with someone from the hospital, she would have already blow their secret. Yet, Ali would be more careful than that, right?
She grabbed her phone again when it started to ring. She spotted the caller ID and saw Ali’s name. She grinned and picked up the call. “I was just thinking about you.”
“You were? What were you thinking?”
Jo laughed. “Well, it depends. Where are you?” she teased.
She could get used to the flirtation that surrounded them. “My home, just sitting here thinking about you, wondering if I should give you a call. Not wanting to sound too hopeless and pathetic.”
