Elle POV
Since Noah's final return to LA, life has quietly returned to normal. Of course, we always had to juggle his work schedule and mine. Noah tried to squeeze in as much overtime as possible when I was on call. But there came times when we thought we could take a day together when something unforeseen happened to confuse the issue.
It was Saturday morning, Noah and I were free during the weekend. We had dinner together last night at a restaurant, which had rarely happened since Thanksgiving.
I lay in Noah's arms in our bed and stared at the reflection of the sun in the room. I felt relaxed for one of the rare times in a few weeks since the traffic in the emergency room in the period before the holiday season was incredible. Noah placed a kiss on my head and I felt his arms hug me tighter. So I knew he was awake.
- Good morning !" I said, rolling on top of him.
- Good morning my princess!" He said to me, giving me a kiss on my lips.
- I'm glad you didn't abandon me to go for your morning run. It's nice to wake up with you!
- I know, and I'm planning to go jogging with you this morning! We are going to take advantage of being on the edge of the Venice Beach promenade. And then I'm going to take you to brunch at a restaurant.
- Good idea !" I said to him as I stood up.
I headed to the bathroom to get dressed in workout clothes, happy for this weekend with Noah. But when I came out of the bathroom, Noah was on the phone presumably with his boss. From the look on his face, he didn't seem to be in a good mood at all.
- It's my boss," he confirmed as he hung up. "One of our big files goes to court Monday morning. The boss wants me to help him check all our evidence. I'm so sorry, Elle!
I was disappointed but it would have been a complete hypocrite to be angry with Noah. Most of the time, I'm the one who cancels our plans for works.
- It's okay, Noah! We'll get back together tonight! Just text me when you're done, okay.
He sighed then grabbed his suit to get ready to leave for the office.
After Noah left, I wondered what I could possibly do with my day. Call Rachel and Lee to spend the day with them? Go to lunch with June? But ultimately, I realized that being alone might do me the most good. I decided to keep my day as planned. I left the house to jog along the bike path towards Santa Monica. The temperature was a perfect 72 degrees which was perfect for running. The sea wind felt so nice on my skin.
When I got home, I put on my bikini and went to lay in the jacuzzi. The sun and the warmth of the spa felt so good, allowing me to relax. I had just left the spa when my cell phone rang. I took it quickly hoping it would be Noah telling me he's finished and is going to join me for lunch.
- Hello ?
- Dr. Rochelle Evans!" An unknown voice said to me.
- Yes ?
- I am Dr. Nathanaël Ward. I am on the organizing committee for the congress of medical oncologists which will take place in Vancouver in February. We wanted to have an emergency doctor give a presentation on the management of patients with cancer in the emergency room. You were recommended by Dr. Mark Lewis...
Flashback to September in Baltimore, 2 years after the breakup
Labor Day weekend was ahead of me. It was the first time since arriving at John Hopkins University that I felt homesick. All my roommates were going home for the weekend and I felt alone and abandoned. Leaving medical school on Friday evening, I ran into Mark Lewis, whom I had met awkwardly on my first day at John Hopkins. He turned out to be my tutor and we had met this week to help me with my neurophysiology class. Fortunately, because without him, I would not have understood anything.
- So Elle, how are things going with the neurons and chemoreceptors?
- I'm starting to get through it. Thanks for helping me, Mark.
- It was a pleasure !" He said to me with a big smile. "Are you going home for the weekend?
- No, LA is a little too far to go for a weekend. And you ?
- Neither ! Seattle is also far away and anyway, my parents are going to Vancouver to see my grandmother. How about we both go out together since we're going to be abandoned by everyone!
- Why not !" I told him with a smile.
- Perfect ! I'll pick you up tomorrow at 9 :00.
- Where are you taking me?
- It is a surprise ! " he said to me with a smirk.
I was pretty excited to go out this Saturday morning. I refused a FaceTime with Lee saying I was busy. He joked that I had become a great medical student and that I no longer had time for him. I decided to hide the fact that I had a date so that the news wouldn't spread to the whole family. I promised to call him the next day.
When Mark came to pick me up, he really made a good impression on me. He was courteous and really very personable. He opened the door of his jeep for me and we set off.
- I can put the roof back on if you don't like the wind.
- No, don't worry, it's really nice. My best friend has a Mustang and I love driving around in it. I liked my ex's bike a lot less. I always arrived with super messy hair. Honestly, I prefer your jeep! " I said to him, tucking my hair behind my head so that it wouldn't blow away in the wind.
- You are really super beautiful!" He said to me in the most natural way in the world.
- Thanks, you're not bad either." I told him with a smile. " So, tell me where you're taking me?
- I couldn't help but check out your profiles on social networks to find out what you like. I've seen several photos of you at the arcade with someone named Lee Flynn, at a dance competition with someone named Marco Pena, on the beach with someone named Skylar Leighton, and at baseball with someone named Noah Flynn." he said to me as I rolled my eyes. "So, I decided to give you all these experiences over the weekend.
- Wow!" I said to him, surprised by this guy's desire to get to know me.
So we ended up in Wildwoods about 30 minutes from the university! It is a small town on the edge of the Atlantic which is very popular with tourists. Arriving on the edge walk, I saw the amusement park and the arcades which border it. I felt like I was in Santa Monica even though it's different here.
Mark and I headed to the beach where we talked for hours. I told him about the dance club at the high school and the dance competition that I had won with Marco. He told me he was on the soccer team during pre-med and still played for a semi-pro team. He told me about his training and his goal of participating in the American championships. It's crazy how he and I have things in common.
After lunch we went to the arcades. Without any hesitation, he directed me to a dance machine, dance mania!
- But how did you find that?" I asked him excitedly.
- My sister likes to play on this machine and I have accompanied her on several occasions. We came here together when she came to see me this summer. So, do you want to try it with me? " He said to me, handing me the change.
We spent the whole afternoon dancing on the machine. I hate to say it but Mark is better than Lee but not better than Marco. While dancing with Mark that afternoon, I realized that the stress of my week of classes had evaporated. I then remembered the Meghan Trainor song that I ended up whispering all afternoon: I feel better when I dance. This guy understood me really well...
In the evening, he took me to a beachside restaurant that served seafood. He told me about crab cakes which are a specialty in the region. We talked about going to medical school and why we wanted to become a doctor. I even told him about the death of my mother and that my desire was to heal the mothers of all little girls.
Mark looked at me with a deep face and then music started playing in the restaurant and couples started dancing. He then stood up and held out his hand to me, asking me :
- Would you give me this dance?
I was totally amazed! Noah barely danced and just getting him to slow dance at the prom was quite an accomplishment. Skylar was no longer a great dancer even though he always accompanied me to parties at USC. So, I didn't even respond to Mark, I got up and followed him! We danced the waltz, the WALTZ! Not just a slow dance! On a terrace by the sea with the lights on, it was really romantic!
By the end of the dance, we both had sparkles in our eyes. He came closer to me and kissed me gently and I let him. Had I just found the perfect guy?
So, as he drived me home at the end of the evening, I said to him :
- Thank you, Mark, it was an absolutely amazing day! It really made me feel good!
- Me too, I really enjoyed it! So, see you again on Monday? We could go see an Oreoles baseball game.
- My pleasure! Good night!
- Wait a minute, Elle!" He said to me before leaving another kiss on my lips!
I smiled at him and said :
- See you Monday!
Fortunately, my roommates had left when I entered. I didn't want to provide explanations at all. I was still on cloud nine! I went to bed with a smile for the first time in several weeks. Quietly, the memory of Noah began to dissipate...
Monday morning, I lazed in bed. I was still in my cocoon of romance when one of my roommates knocked on my bedroom door.
- Elle, a certain Lee is here for you!
- What do you mean Lee is here?" I asked her in surprise.
- He's downstairs. And in my opinion, he's really upset!" She said to me with big eyes.
Upset but why? Because I missed his Facetime. Why fly 6 hours to come see me?
I went downstairs and sure enough, I found Lee relatively upset!
- Hello jester!
- I don't want to be joking, Elle! Who is this guy?" He said to me, holding his cell phone in front of me...
Back to the present
I was interrupted from my reverie by my phone.
- Hello !
- Elle! Could I come see you? I need my bestie.
- But what's going on, Lee?
- I had an argument with Rachel and I think it's serious...
***
Author's Note: I don't do this often but I want to ask you why do you think Lee went to see Elle in Baltimore in the Flashback? What do you think is the argument between Lee and Rachel? I can't wait to read your ideas!