7. Scarlett

Scarlett spent the rest of the weekend in a daze, completely dumbfounded by what had happened in the restaurant bathroom. Throughout lunch with her parents on Sunday, all she could think about was that kiss. Every time she closed her eyes, she remembered vividly how it had felt to be so close to the beautiful and infuriating Gianna, and her cheeks burned just as strongly as they had at the time.

It had been wonderful yet terrifying all at once. In the heat of the moment, her brain had abandoned all rational thought and let her body take the wheel. She tried to push the thought away. They had been drunk and emotionally high-strung, so it wasn't like it meant anything. This was the sort of thing that happened when people got irresponsibly intoxicated. Even in her youth, she had never been the type to get swept up in antics like that, but it didn't need to be a big deal, right?

Right. At least not as long as Gianna didn't mention it to anyone. That thought sent Scarlett's anxiety spinning all throughout the afternoon as she cleaned the house for the second time that day and picked out her outfit for the next day. By the time she went to bed that night, her heart raced incessantly. If this came out, it could ruin her reputation. Everyone would know, and it might even harm her chances of getting that promotion. After all, what respectable doctor acted that way at a work dinner? How could she be trusted with such authority if she let her judgment get clouded like that? God, how could she have been so stupid?

By Monday, she had worked herself into a state of panic, constantly looking over her shoulder whenever she passed anyone in the hallway. Did they know? Had Gianna already spread rumors? It was awful, feeling as though everyone could tell exactly what had happened from the look on her face. Thankfully, she was too busy with patients to really dwell on it too much during the day, but every time she saw Gianna around the hospital, her stomach twisted into knots and she dove into the nearest room for safety.

At lunch, she decided to try distracting herself and headed downstairs for some coffee. With brisk steps, she walked through the main lobby, trying to avoid eye contact with everyone. She quickly got herself a cappuccino and some lemon bread and scurried back to her office to review the patient files for her upcoming check-up. On her way back, though, the sound of loud voices coming from one of the waiting rooms caught her attention.

"What are you doing here, Jade?" exclaimed a voice that was unmistakably Gianna's, sounding shocked and emotional. "I told you I'd call you if I had time—"

Scarlett meant to keep walking and ignore it. Really, she did. The last thing she intended to do was eavesdrop. It was none of her business. There was no need to get involved. She certainly wasn't the kind of person who would slowly creep over to peek around the corner to see through the glass windows of the room. And if she were, surely she wouldn't do so while holding her breath with her heart pounding anxiously, wondering what was happening inside.

Except, apparently, she was now.

She leaned in as discreetly as possible to observe the scene. Through the glass, she spotted Gianna standing with her arms crossed, facing away from her. Opposite her stood a voluptuous blonde with tawny skin, green eyes, and glossy pink lips. Her outfit was stylishly casual with knee-high boots, tight jeans, and a cropped leather jacket. The woman, Jade, leaned casually against the armrest of one of the chairs, a crooked, impish smile on her face. She wasn't conventionally beautiful—her eyes were set a little too far apart, and her forehead was slightly wide—but her appearance was striking, nonetheless. Her piercing eyes and relaxed posture exuded confidence and sex appeal. The woman smirked.

"Well, you didn't," she replied coolly, flipping her beachy blonde hair over her shoulder in a deliberately ostentatious gesture, "and Bianca mentioned you were out with her this weekend, so don't give me that ‘Oh, I'm so busy' bullshit. I just want to talk, Gigi. Is that so much to ask?"

"Why the hell are you talking to my sister?" Gianna snapped.

"Uh, because I still care about your family?" Jade teased in reply. "Relax. I ran into her at the mall and said hello. Didn't realize it was a federal offense to chat with people you know."

Scarlett ducked behind the wall as Gianna turned her head to survey her surroundings, taking a quick breath to regain her composure. Whatever was going on, it seemed tense and personal. This was none of her business, and she knew that, but she couldn't help it. Her curiosity had the best of her now, and there was no turning back.

"You can't just show up at my workplace, Jade," Gianna sighed wearily. "This is seriously inappropriate. Please, I can't do this right now."

The woman uncrossed her arms and placed a gentle hand on Gianna's forearm. Scarlett's heart skipped a beat, a sudden pang of jealousy hitting her in the gut although she couldn't quite explain why. There was an intimacy to the gesture, and Gianna looked down, her expression momentarily softening as she studied their touching skin. Scarlett felt her skin heat up uncomfortably, and she chewed her lower lip.

"I know, alright? It's stalker behavior. I get that," Jade replied, rolling her eyes with a self-deprecating laugh. "I just really need to talk to you, Gigi. I know I messed up. A lot. I miss you. Can we just have a coffee and talk things out? Please? Half an hour, tops, and if you still hate me, you can throw your coffee in my face and never speak to me again. Deal?"

That made Gianna laugh. Her body language remained tense, but some of the edge had melted off her demeanor.

"Yeah, okay, fine," she replied with a heavy sigh. "I'll check my schedule and text you, alright?"

"Promise?" inquired Jade, her eyebrows raised doubtfully.

"Yeah. Sure. I will," Gianna replied, nodding. "Now, seriously, unless you're having a medical emergency, you really need to get out of here, or I'm going lose my job."

"Alright, alright, I'm going," Jade exclaimed, raising her hands defensively in defeat.

Scarlett took that as her cue to get the hell out of there. She backed away quietly and hurried down the hall, the cup of coffee nearly forgotten in her hand. Trying not to make it too obvious that she'd been spying, she picked up a file from the nurses' station and skimmed it. Moments later, Jade sauntered out of the room and strode confidently through the corridor in the opposite direction.

Scarlett pretended to study the patient records, barely even registering the words on the page, as Gianna appeared moments later, looking flushed and distracted. The woman didn't even register her presence as she walked past her and disappeared around the corner without so much as a glance in her direction. There was something about the way she carried herself that made Scarlett's brows furrow in concern, her mind buzzing with curiosity.

This was none of her business, though, and she had already intruded enough as it was. No, she shouldn't poke her nose where it didn't belong. Anyway, she was supposed to be distracting herself from Gianna, not getting sucked into whatever drama the woman had brewing in her personal life. Shaking her head, Scarlett collected herself and headed to her office to drink her coffee and get back to work.

After quickly finishing her lunch, she headed to the bathroom down the hall from her office. As she stepped inside, the door to the middle stall swung open, and Gianna stepped out, wiping her eyes with a sniff. Startled, Scarlett stared at her colleague, whose mascara was smudged and eyelids slightly puffy. When their eyes locked, Gianna jumped, her eyes widening. For several seconds, both women stood frozen, neither daring to move or say a word.

"Uhm, hi," Scarlett finally said awkwardly. "Are you okay?"

Gianna blinked several times, taking a shuddering breath. The brunette was trying to rein in her emotions and pretend like she was fine, but her red, glistening eyes betrayed her.

"I'm fine. It's—yeah," the brunette muttered with forced indifference. "Rough day. Don't worry about it."

It was unusually stiff and uncomfortable, a sharp contrast to how animated and vibrant she usually was. This was uncharted territory, Scarlett realized, and she felt helpless and confused. Dealing with complicated emotions wasn't exactly her forte, nor were relationships and any messy matters of the heart. At that moment, though, seeing the vulnerable, sad version of Gianna Rodriguez for the first time made something in her stir, and she felt a strong urge to reach out and comfort her. The intensity of the feeling startled her.

"Are you sure?" Scarlett asked gently, taking a cautious step toward her. "Do you want to talk about it?"

Gianna snorted dismissively. She quickly washed her hands, avoiding eye contact, and shrugged.

"Oh, please," she sneered, drying her hands on a paper towel. "Now you want to talk to me?"

Scarlett frowned. Gianna's tone was more tired and resigned than angry. Her shoulders drooped despondently, and her body language screamed defeat. It didn't seem as though she meant to snap, more as though it was an automatic defense mechanism. Whatever was on her mind must really be bothering her, because the woman normally held herself together so much better.

"Look, I know we don't always get along, but..." Scarlett said hesitantly, struggling to find the right words. "But you're obviously really upset. If you want to talk about it, then, you know. I'm here."

It was hard to articulate. This wasn't a situation she knew how to handle, so she spoke awkwardly, unsure of herself. Her interactions with most of her social network mostly consisted of superficial conversations about work and the news, pleasantries exchanged over dinner or drinks. She didn't really have many deep, meaningful relationships. In fact, her online pen pal was probably the person closest to her these days. How would she react if that person was upset and needed support? Well, she would give her best to listen and care, at least. So why was it so hard for her to do that in person?

"Don't you have more important things to do than worry about my drama?" Gianna shot back bitterly.

As the brunette spoke, she wiped her smudged mascara with a wet paper towel. Scarlett reached into her purse and rummaged around for a second, then found a pack of makeup wipes. Wordlessly, she extended the package to Gianna like a peace offering. The woman took it with a nod, meeting her gaze for the first time since Scarlett had entered the bathroom.

"Thanks," Gianna said with a dry chuckle, shaking her head in disbelief. "Sorry. I'm having the worst day right now. I'll stop giving you a hard time. You really don't need to do this, though."

"I'm on my lunch break, and I'm not on call today," Scarlett insisted, shrugging her shoulders. "Seriously, if you want to talk about it, I'm all ears. Not trying to be nosy. I just thought maybe you could use a friend, I guess?"

Gianna blinked in surprise, then offered a weak smile. The usually magnetic and self-assured surgeon was subdued, and there was something like fragility in her features that made her look younger. Something vulnerable and reluctant lurked below the surface. Although Scarlett still found her as attractive as ever, this Gianna made her chest twist with compassion as she studied her delicate face.

"You sure?" Gianna asked, leaning back against the sink with a wry little smile. "It's very stupid, and you're probably going to regret offering."

"Positive," Scarlett replied firmly. "Want to come sit down in my office? It's less public."

Gianna considered it for a moment, then nodded gratefully. The two walked back down the hall and slipped into Scarlett's office, where she gestured politely toward the guest chair and sat down at her own desk. Gianna sat across from her, crossing her legs and gazing blankly at the window as she chewed on her thumbnail pensively.

"So, what's up?" Scarlett offered gently, clasping her hands over the polished desk.

"My ex is in town," Gianna replied with a sigh, rolling her eyes. "Haven't talked in almost two years, and she decided to show up here out of the blue. Just ambushed me in the lobby. Like, who does that? That's crazy, right?"

"Uh, a little bit," Scarlett agreed with a cautious chuckle. "Bad breakup?"

"Ugh. The worst," the brunette groaned, running a hand through her hair. "We were together for eight years, you know? Our whole lives were intertwined. Friends, colleagues, families. It's hard to untangle yourself after that. That's why I moved out here, actually. I needed a fresh start, and that wasn't going to happen back home."

"That makes sense, yeah," Scarlett replied. "I can't imagine. My longest relationship lasted six months, and that was difficult enough."

Gianna laughed. Her posture relaxed a little, and she met Scarlett's eyes with a warm smile. Despite all their differences and animosity, it was surprisingly easy to talk like this. Without the pressures of competition and power dynamics and whatever weird attraction was going on between them, they could just be human beings talking about life and sharing their experiences. It felt nice. Comfortable. Friendly, even.

"So, what did she want?" Scarlett asked, tilting her head curiously. "I mean, you seem pretty shaken up. What did she say to you?"

"Just showed up demanding to catch up," Gianna explained, shaking her head. "She's been texting and calling for the last couple of weeks. Guess she got bored of waiting for a reply and decided to corner me at work. I haven't actually seen her in at least a year, and it's like it all just came flooding back, you know? I guess I just wasn't prepared for it."

She shrugged helplessly, twirling a lock of silky ebony hair between her fingers. She glanced out the window again. It was a cold and overcast autumn day, and the office overlooked the parking lot—it wasn't exactly picturesque or inspiring. Still, Gianna watched the clouds for a long moment, looking rueful as though caught in a memory.

"That seems pretty intense," Scarlett acknowledged with a slow nod. "What happened between you two, anyway? If you don't mind me asking?"

"She cheated," Gianna said with another roll of her eyes, "a lot. She's a videographer, so she's constantly traveling around the world for her projects. I guess she figured I'd never find out."

"Wow," Scarlett breathed, shaking her head in disapproval. "Well, you deserve better than that, I'll tell you that much. Good riddance, honestly."

"You think so?" Gianna said, her lips curling upward into a familiar mischievous smirk.

Scarlett felt herself start to blush and quickly picked up a glass of water from her desk to distract herself. She took a sip, buying herself some time to recompose herself. God, this woman was ridiculously attractive, even with her eyes red and puffy, not wearing any makeup. It was unsettling. Scarlett had always prided herself on her level of self-control and composure, but in the presence of Gianna Rodriguez, somehow, she felt herself losing her grip.

"I mean, yeah, obviously, nobody deserves to be treated like that," she quickly amended, fumbling to find the right words. "I mean—"

"Oh, relax, come on," Gianna said, laughing cheerfully. "I'm messing with you. You're too easy to rile up. Seriously. Don't worry, I don't mean anything by it. You made it very clear on Saturday that you are not interested in women. Right, Doctor Miller?"

Scarlett's face grew even hotter. Once again, she averted her eyes, unable to maintain eye contact and hating herself for it. Instead, she drank more water, desperately searching for something to say. God, why was this so complicated? Why was it so impossible for her to even act like a normal human being?

"Uh. It's complicated," she said.

That was the closest she'd ever gotten to admitting it. Those simple words made her stomach twist in anxiety. Saying them aloud seemed to change something fundamental inside her, making her feel lightheaded and exposed. Vulnerable. Gianna leaned forward and studied her face carefully as though inspecting every little movement, the microscopic expressions flickering across her features.

"Look, that's your business, and I'm not here to force you out or anything if you're not ready," Gianna said kindly, reaching out to pat her hand reassuringly. "Sorry. I shouldn't be teasing you about it. Not everyone gets to have it as easy as I do with that, I know."

Her fingertips were warm where they touched Scarlett's skin. The small gesture sent tingles shooting up her arm and reverberating through the rest of her body, sending blood rushing to her brain until all she could hear was the pounding of her heartbeat. She felt strangely light-headed, like something was happening to her beyond her control. Her vision blurred for a fraction of a second, and the whole room tilted before snapping back into focus.

"Thanks," was all she could manage, clearing her throat, "and sorry about your ex. Sounds like you dodged a bullet there, if you ask me."

For a while, they sat and stared at each other, silently studying each other's faces. Gianna's hand lingered over hers, resting lightly on her wrist, and Scarlett's mind whirled. Every bone in her body ached to touch the beautiful brunette again, to relive that confusing, fiery, passionate moment from a few nights ago. It should never have happened, but it had, and right now, as those intense amber eyes bore into her soul, it was all she could think about.

The moment seemed to stretch on for an eternity. Scarlett's skin sizzled where they touched, as if heat was radiating from the contact point, melting through her skin and sinking into her bloodstream. Her stomach clenched as Gianna gently bit her lower lip, watching her intently as if gauging her reaction to the unspoken question hanging heavily in the air. This was such a bad idea. And yet—

A loud knock on the door broke the spell. Both women jumped away from each other as if burned. Seconds later, the door opened, and one of the nurses peeked in, her face bright and cheerful. When she saw Gianna, her expression turned surprised for a second, then friendly again.

"Sorry, Doctor Miller, do you have a minute to go through Mister Lee's files with me real quick?" she inquired, her eyes darting back and forth between them curiously.

"Right. Yes. Of course," Scarlett answered, gathering her composure. "Doctor Rodriguez, thank you for taking the time to meet with me. Uhm. See you around?"

"Yes. Sure. Thank you, too," Gianna said, nodding a little too fervently.

With that, the brunette quickly left the office, waving awkwardly over her shoulder as she hurried back to wherever she was meant to be. Scarlett took a deep breath, her mind racing, and forced herself to smile at the young nurse. Right. They were at work. There was no time for this, whatever this was.