Work Text:
“Another round?” the bartender asked.
It was early summer, and Dani was being flown to Chicago to meet with a prospective client. As usual, Lara had dropped her off at the airport three hours before her flight, a kiss on the cheek and a “later loser” yelled out the window before speeding away. Currently, she was sitting at the airport bar by her gate, oscillating between opening a blank tab on Google and refreshing her email.
Although she would have appreciated a full inbox to sift through while she waited for her flight to board, her boss had told her she would be briefed on her potential client at the office the next day. This would normally be a welcome break, but it was nightmarish timing for Dani.
Daniela Avanzini’s airport ritual was finely tuned. Years of traveling for work made way for a precise three-hour process of martinis, work-related emails, and noise cancelling headphones. Any disruption of this ritual would leave her anxiety-ridden for the entirety of her flight and, at the age of 27 and with a budding career in front of her, she didn’t have time to feel anxious.
Each time this ritual was disrupted, it ended in disaster. On a recent trip to San Francisco, her headphones had died before the plane took off. A few years ago, en route to Hong Kong, she had gotten stuck in a snail-paced TSA line and didn’t have time to order a third martini. On the first flight her firm ever put her on, she had forgotten to bring a laptop charger and had nothing to watch on the flight. All of these circumstances (whether she was at fault or not) ended in one thing: Dani holding onto her seat’s arm rest and trying to do the breathing exercises Lara had taught her after her first on-flight freak out.
Safe to say, Daniela did not like flying, and today was no different.
After what felt like the hundredth refresh of her email, Dani finally admitted to herself that her routine was ruined. Her inbox was officially empty, and Dani had to admit to herself that she was going to have to find another way to distract herself from the impending flight. Silently cursing her boss, she closed her laptop with a huff, grabbing the freshly made martini that the bartender had quietly placed in front of her.
“Finally, I was worried your finger was going to fall off if you tried to refresh the page again,” a light voice giggled next to her, “I didn’t know one person could open that many tabs in a 15-minute span.”
Dani turned her head, shocked at the sudden initiation from a stranger. Had she been there the whole time?
“No disrespect or anything!” the person, a woman, defended, clearly frazzled by Dani’s wide-eyed silence, “I appreciate the commitment to whatever your job is, but if you’re sitting at a bar at an airport, why not just put it away for a bit and watch the planes go by?”
Dani struggled to come up with a response. She was used to talking to people, yes, but in a business setting. Behind the armor of slacks and a blazer, her hair straightened and brushed, she was as charismatic as it gets. But, heat of the moment conversations were not her strong suit, and she felt vulnerable in her sweatpants, her hair curly and pulled into a haphazard bun.
It didn’t help that the woman in front of her, at second glance, was incredibly attractive. She looked about Dani’s age, maybe a little younger, and the front of her hair was dyed pink, framing her soft face. It kept getting worse. She was wearing grey sweatpants and a plain white shirt, the arms tight enough to show off her biceps, and as Dani refocused her attention on the woman’s face, she was looking back at her with puppy dog eyes. Dani’s breath hitched.
Realizing that the silence between them had lasted to the point of awkwardness, and noticing that the stranger was shifting in her seat, Dani finally responded.
“My work is a nice distraction. Not the biggest fan of planes,” she said bluntly.
“Oh man,” the woman retorted bashfully, “I take it back then. I didn’t know it was a distraction or whatever. That’s my bad. I didn't mean to intrude or anything, sometimes I have a problem with talking too much.”
“It’s okay,” Dani responded, not knowing what else to say and scolding herself for her lack of conversational skills.
“You know,” the stranger, sensing Dani’s discomfort and attempting to ease it, continued, “I used to be really scared of planes when I was a kid. Not that you’re a kid or anything, just that I know how it feels. The takeoff and landing part, the turbulence. I eventually got used to it, though. Grew out of it I guess.”
The stranger looked at Dani with those wide puppy eyes and Dani couldn’t help but blush. Maybe it was because she was on her third martini, or maybe it was the fact that the woman was incredibly attractive, but regardless, Dani couldn’t help but be charmed. She could feel herself soften in her seat as the woman rambled on about various sleep medications and calming solutions for flight anxiety, subtly leaning towards her to hear over the hustle and bustle of the airport.
“So,” the woman broke Dani out of her head, “that’s enough unsolicited travel advice for one sitting. Where are you headed?”
“Chicago. Business trip. And you?” Dani responded curtly. She had meant to say it nicer, maybe say something completely different that was more, well, amicable, but she wasn’t thinking straight.
“Nice. I’m headed to Los Angeles,” the woman responded in spite of Dani’s dry response, “Big emergency medicine conference out there. Apparently they have a fondue station and tons of free pins for your scrubs. But, who knows, sometimes they say there’s free stuff just to get you there.”
Oh God, Dani thought, she’s a fucking doctor, she literally cannot get hotter.
Dani tried to stay focused on what the woman was saying, but the images coming to her mind were making her blush. Emergency medicine, she thought. She imagined the woman in medical school, studying late into the night. She imagined her on shift at the hospital, white coat on with a pen stuck in the breast pocket. She imagined her getting home after work, taking her scrubs off and-
“So business, that’s pretty vague. Is that code for selling drugs? Are you smuggling something in your bag right now? You can tell me, I won’t snitch,” the woman joked, her smile widening as Dani was pulled from her stupor, letting out an involuntary giggle.
“It’s worse,” Dani responded, slowly becoming comfortable enough in the woman’s presence to make a joke, “I’m a financial consultant. It’s lame, but it’s the only reason I can live in a New York apartment alone.”
“And here I was thinking the only way to do that was eight years in medical school and selling your soul during residency.”
“Better than flying every week,” Dani quipped back.
“At least you don’t have to wash blood out of your coat after every shift.”
Dani laughed, and when she opened her eyes, the stranger was smiling ear to ear, her puppy dog eyes gleaming under the dim bar lighting. Her eyelashes were long, Dani noticed.
“What’s your name?” the woman asked abruptly.
“Dani.”
“I’m Megan. Sorry, that transition was random. But I thought I should probably know the name of the pretty stranger that I’ll probably never see again,” the woman said with a lopsided grin.
Dani’s eyes widened, shocked at the compliment and flustered trying to think of a response. She could tell she was turning red, and the woman continued.
“Although I’d love to keep talking, Dani, I’m 90% sure that my flight has started boarding, and I don’t think that my boss would be happy if I told her that I missed my trip because I got distracted by a beautiful stranger.”
Dani couldn’t think of anything to say, stunned by the woman’s, Megan’s, overt flirtations. Megan seemed completely cool, paying her tab and making sure she had her bags. Dani, on the other hand, knew she was completely flushed now, her hands clammy and cheeks dusted pink.
“Do you want my phone number, or do you want this to exist within the confines of Gate B13? Pick your poison.”
If I hear one more 15-minute description of how to operate medical machinery I may blow my brains out.
2:54pm
If it makes you feel better, I just spent two hours in a meeting with about twelve 50-year old white men.
3:02pm
Okay, you win. When do you escape that sweet hell and get back to NYC?
3:13pm
Friday evening, you?
3:26pm
Friday afternoon :)
3:27pm
“Okay, so explain to me clearly why you didn’t follow up with her? She texted you a smiley face for fucks sakes. She wants you so bad it’s unbelievable,” Lara said, calling over the bartender to refill her martini glass.
They were at the bar a few blocks from Dani’s apartment, both still in their work clothes from the day. It had become a tradition of sorts. Every Monday evening, right at six o’clock, one of them would text the other about drinks. Not more than thirty minutes later, they would both be at the bar and approaching their second round of drinks. Some days called for light beer, some for a heavier martini. Today called for martinis.
“I don’t think that means anything. What was I even supposed to say? We just told each other when we were getting back,” Dani responded incredulously. Was she missing something?
“Are you kidding me? If a hot doctor was texting me while I was on a business trip, she would have nudes in her camera roll as we speak. I don’t even know what this woman looks like but I know she’s fine, I can’t believe you haven’t fucked her already.”
“Oh my god, Lara. We exchanged five texts. You know, not everyone has your confidence.”
“You left her on read, so it’s your turn to reach out. That’s the rules,” Lara pushed, ignoring Dani’s light quip with a devilish smile on her face, “Do you want me to help you draft a text?”
“Absolutely not,” Dani responded curtly.
Across the entirety of their decade-long friendship, Dani had only let Lara draft texts during their college years. More often than not, they ended in chaos or drama, nothing in between. The only time that Lara’s texts helped was when Dani broke up with her college boyfriend. Lara had written something so curt, so perfectly constructed, that he never texted Dani again. Dani’s situation did not call for a Lara draft, and she was committed to not messing up whatever dynamic her and Megan had going on, if there was one in the first place.
“I’m just saying, Dani, you’re way hotter than you think. All you have to do is give her something, anything. If she was actually talking to you in the way you’re describing, she’ll chase you if you give her something to chase for. Worst case scenario, she doesn’t respond. We live in New York for fuck’s sake, it’s not like you’ll ever see her again if you don’t want to.”
Maybe Lara actually had a point. Begrudgingly, Dani pulled out her phone and opened iMessage, feeling Lara’s smug look without even having to see it with her own eyes.
What are you up to tomorrow evening?
11:37pm
Work. Shift starts at 7am and ends at 7pm. Saturdays are brutal. What about you?
11:37pm
Dani was stunned by what might have been the quickest response to a text she’s ever gotten. Maybe she does want me, she thought. Lara’s encouragement rang in her ears as she formulated her response, pushing down the awkwardness of texting a near-stranger in favor of actually sending something. Emboldened by the background commentary that Lara was giving on the barstool next to her, Dani sent a follow up text.
And after?
11:40pm
“You know, I really didn’t think that you were going to reach out to me again.”
“Why not?” Dani replied, stepping up in line as they stood side by side.
After Dani had texted Megan, they had decided to meet up at a late-night pizza joint after Megan’s shift at the hospital, which is where they ended up the following Saturday evening. Dani initially thought it was a great idea. If the date was going horrible, pizza was quick and easy food and a quicker and easier exit. If the date was going well, there was space to walk around and explore one another with lower stakes than an actual restaurant. Her analytical mind was content with the plan beforehand, which is why she followed through with it.
Unfortunately, she forgot to consider two key factors that were playing a large role at the present moment, neither of them related to the choice of restaurant.
First, that Megan would be wearing scrubs; scrubs that fit tight around her arms, really tight. Dani should've prepared for that one. Of course she's wearing scrubs, she thought, she just got off work. Second, that Megan would be tired, crashing from twelve coffee-filled hours of pure adrenaline. This one was both of their fault. Clearly excited at the possibility of seeing one another, they had tried to find the soonest time that worked for both of them, which happened to be right after Megan's twelve hour shift.
These two things combined into a vision. Megan's tired eyes still had that familiar glint in them that drew Dani in, and every time Dani awkwardly avoided eye contact, her gaze would fall to Megan’s biceps and she would lose her train of thought.
She had held herself well tonight though. She had eased into conversation and was more comfortable in Megan’s presence than she was at the beginning of their hangout. They had walked to the pizza joint together, engaging in easy conversation about their friends, their work, and their shared dream of owning a hamster. It was comfortable. Dani had even made Megan laugh a few times and, between bites of cheese pizza and playful quips at one another, the pair had slowly gravitated towards one another throughout the course of the night.
“You know, I didn’t really get the vibe that you wanted to see me again,” Megan said as they walked back towards Dani’s apartment after finishing their meal, “I assumed that a high level corporate goddess wouldn’t want to be seen with a lowly doctor.”
“You know, you doctors are good to have around,” Dani said, trying to make it clear that she wanted to see Megan again, “You might not be the smartest, but I’m sure you have other skills that can come in handy.”
Megan’s eyes widened, she barked out a laugh, and, to Dani’s satisfaction, her cheeks flushed as she turned slightly away from Dani, clearly trying to hide her reaction. By this point, they had reached Dani’s apartment, a quaint five story building with white paint and large windows, and the dynamic had shifted to something calmer, more intimate.
The night had begun awkwardly, as most first dates do. The first hour was simply two people trying to get to know one another. Now, though, as they stood underneath the lamp post that Dani stood under every day to wait for the bus to get to work, the awkwardness was shed for something more familiar.
“It’s a little late for me,” Megan yawned, neither of them shifting away from one another.
They were close now. Maybe six inches from one another, Dani looking up at Megan as she continued.
“I had fun, though. You know, I don’t date often so this was nice for me,” Megan ventured further.
“You? Seriously? Doctor Dreamboat doesn’t date often?” Dani teased with a light smile on her face.
She couldn’t help but not believe the doctor in front of her. The charisma, the body, the aura. There was no way that Megan wasn’t swimming in women begging her for a chance at a date with her, a night with her. Dani was sure that Megan was having soirées with nurses at the hospital or people she met at bars on her days off. Really, Dani couldn't imagine any person not wanting Megan.
She was going to tease her further, but before Dani could come up with a smarter comment, a funnier joke to really drive the point home, Megan bent down to kiss her.
It was slow and warm, and Dani was so shocked at the movement that she froze. Megan, sensing the hesitancy, pulled back and started profusely apologizing. Something about breaking boundaries and being sorry and misinterpreting signals, Dani didn’t particularly hear nor care. She just lightly grabbed the back of Megan’s neck and pulled her back in for another kiss, connecting Megan’s lips with her own in an attempt to get as close to the doctor as she possibly could.
The kiss was good, criminally good. The type of good that could tide you over for a long time. Their height difference, although slight, was perfect, and Megan’s lips were soft and insistent. At some point, her hands had found Dani’s hips, holding them firmly in place as if they’d been together for years. Dani’s hands wrapped around Megan’s neck, holding onto her steady frame as she deepened the kiss.
Dani didn’t know who pulled away first, but at some point they broke out of the kiss, still wrapped up in one another and breathing heavily.
“Come up?” Dani risked quietly, as if speaking too loud would break the moment.
She didn't know what they were going to do when they got upstairs, had no assumptions about it really. All she knew was that she didn't want the night to end, and that she wanted to spend as much time with the doctor in the fleeting hours before the sun came up. Tomorrow she would have to start preparing for work on Monday, pick up her pantsuits from the dry cleaner, go grocery shopping. But tonight, she wanted Megan.