"I just wanna see you

For a minute or two

To get rid of my blues

Mornings don't feel the same

Ever since you left my place

So let me see you...

Again"

- Mornings (See You Again)

Alextbh

[ U N E D I T E D ]

Zea was getting ready for her uncle's appointment, her ragamuffin sprawled across her dresser as she attempted not to disrupt her cat's sleep.

It's been a little over 48 hours since she sneaked out of Lucas' hotel room in the dead hours of the morning as he slept peacefully. She was forced to wear her gown from the night before, minus her missing thong, and call an Uber.

Luckily for her, the Uber driver didn't utter a word. Though, she did notice the driver giving her a questioning look through the rearview mirror. She couldn't blame him, though. It was two in the morning, and she was dressed in a formal gown, leaving a nice prestigious hotel. It didn't help that her make-up was gone. She was thankful that her hair was easy to manage, having need only to brush it out with her fingers to make it look decent.

Zea wasn't one to give in to her lust and sleep around. She was impulsive, yes. But one night stands were never in the cards for her. In fact, she found it difficult to find any man attractive, her standards were deemed too high by her friends. But once she does get attracted, her attention will be hopelessly devoted.

And with Lucas, its was just that, the spark between them was electrifying, and he was undeniably gorgeous. Her friends would be delighted to hear she finally got laid. It may only be a hook-up but after a long time of not being satisfied, it was a welcomed change.

She only got a few hours of sleep before having to wake up and head to work. And even then it wasn't easy. Her muscles were aching, and her mind was consumed with the thought of Lucas. How his hands had roamed every crevice of her body, how his lips had kissed her, how his tongue had tasted her and how his-

Her cat's meow tore her away from her thoughts.  Zea sighed, shaking her head. There she goes again, even after two days she couldn't get him out her mind. Zea slowly petted her cat along its spine as it stretched and arched.

"Good morning, Nebula," she cooed.

'Nebula' gave a slow blink with her deep blue eyes before leaping off the dresser in a graceful fashion.  

"Zea! Are you ready? We haven't got all day!"

She couldn't help but roll her eyes at the voice of her ever so impatient uncle, "Yeah, give me a minute!"

Grabbing her handbag, she exited her room and strolled down the stairs, Nebula hot on her heels. 

Her uncle, Anderson, waited at the front door, coat in hand. Zea grinned and gave him a light kiss on the cheek, "Let's go uncle."

The waiting room was filled with the chatter of other waiting patients. The walls were pristine white, the temperature was pleasantly chilly, and the familiar, sterile, antiseptic smell filled the room.

A week ago, her uncle had undergone multiple tests after having constant aches in his chest. Anderson Holson was reluctant to go to the hospital, brushing off his symptoms as mere heartburn. After all, he was young, only 47, and as fit as a horse. There was nothing to worry about. He only went to stop the persistent pestering of his niece and daughter, Carrie.

Zea, on the other hand, was not as confident and calm as her uncle. She couldn't stop the shaking of her legs and fidgeting of her fingers, to say she was nervous was an understatement. 

To her, Anderson Holson was much more than just her uncle; he was a father figure, mentor, role model, all in one. And even if he won't admit it, she knows there could be an underlying problem causing his pain. As much as her uncle claims there's nothing to worry about, she can't help but do just that.

"The wait at public hospitals take too bloody long," Anderson huffed, crossing his arms.

Zea rolled her eyes at her ever so impatient uncle, "You were the one who insisted we come early, Uncle."

The two of them talked to pass the time; they talked about work, the animal clinic, Carrie. Until finally, they were called up.

"Anderson Holson? Please report to cardiology, room 303. Nurse Becca will lead you." The receptionist politely announced, gesturing at a young nurse dressed in scrubs.

The nurse smiled as they approached, turning to lead them to their assigned room.  The room was the same as the rest of the hospital, unbearably white, modern and equipped with state of the art equipment. A dark mahogany desk sat at the back of the room.

The nurse took a look at the clipboard, "Alright, Sir, please take a seat while I take your blood pressure and ask you some questions."

Zea sat on the seat at the large desk, as the nurse attended her uncle, and scrolled through her phone, liking posts, replying messages. The nurse was busy asking her uncle questions, mostly whether he was still having symptoms and if he's still on the medication prescribed to him earlier this week.

Her ears listened to the nurse as well as her uncle's answers while her fingers flew across her keyboard as one of her close friends, Pauline, sent her a text message.

Paulaa <3

Hey babeee! You're not working on Sunday, are you?

Nope. The clinic's closed on Sundays.

Why?

The girls are planning to have a night out Saturday night! Pls join!!!

Sure babe! It's been a while since we hung out anyways :)

Yay! I'll text you the deets. See you, luv!

<3

Zea smiled as she exited out of her messaging app. She's been so busy with her work that she had neglected her closest friends. It would be delightful for them to hang out and catch up. She locked her phone and kept it in her bag as the nurse finished up.

Smiling, the nurse turned to both of them, "Alright, vitals so far seem good. Dr Richardson isn't in today. Another cardiologist will take over."

"Thank you, nurse."

"Not a problem at all, Mr Anderson," The nurse stated, offering a smile as she walked towards the door, "Dr Brandons will be with you shortly."

Zea's eyes widened, almost bulging out of her eye sockets. She called out to the nurse, a shaky laugh escaped her lips, "I'm sorry, did you say Dr Brandons? Lucas Brandons?"

"Indeed. He's one of our best doctors, so you'll be in good hands," the nurse replied confidently, giving a last polite smile before she walked out of the room.

Trust me, I know how good his hands are. Zea could feel her heartbeat quicken, and she pursed her lips in disbelief. She pushed her hair back with one hand, and massaged her temples as she sighed under her breath, "You've got to be fucking kidding me."

"You okay, Zizi?"

Zea forced a smile for her uncle, hearing the concern in her voice, "I'm okay, Unc."

She was far from it.

Her right leg was bouncing over her left as she played with her manicured nails, her mind reeling. It can't be him. Can it? He's not the only Lucas Brandons in England. But then again, how many of them were doctors?

Her uncle sat next to her, raising an eyebrow, his signature habit. One that both Zea and her cousin picked up along the years. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing, noth-"Zea was interrupted by the sound of the door opening behind her. 

"Alright, Mr Anderson Holson..." 

Zea's breath caught. She knew that smooth and warm voice anywhere, that voice had called out her name and whispered unspeakable things in her ear just a few nights ago. Zea sucked her bottom lip in, biting it as she slowly turned around in her chair.

There he was, Lucas Brandons. He hadn't noticed her yet, too focused on the contents of the clipboard in hand. His white doctor's coat fit him perfectly. His jet black hair was neatly slicked back as a stethoscope hung around his neck. The professional look suited him, a little too much. Flashes of that night sneaked into her mind, a blush creeping on her cheeks.

Lucas looked up, a polite smile playing on his lips. His eyes flashed for a split second as they met Zea's, smile faltering slightly before a sly smirk replaced it. His lips pressed together as if he was holding back a laugh. 

He strolled over to the back of the desk, the clinks of his dress shoes echoes of the marble floor, Zea's eyes following his every step. Zea bit at her inner cheek and pinched herself discreetly, hoping that this was just a bad dream. But alas, it wasn't. Not by a long shot.

Her heart hammered in her chest. It wasn't that she didn't want to see him again, she simply wasn't expecting to be in such proximity with Lucas this soon. Fate? Coincidence? Who knows. 

Her uncle stood and shook his doctor's hand, "Dr Anderson Holson."

"Nice to meet you, I'm Dr Brandons, I'll be your doctor for the time being while Dr Richardson is on sick leave," he smiled, shaking hands with Anderson. He turned to Zea, a glint of mischief in his eyes, the same glint she had seen a couple of nights before as they ran and hid like school children. "Nice to see you again so soon, Dr Zea Holson."

"You two know each other?" 

Zea cleared her throat, her index finger rubbing her nose, "Yeah we do. We got acquainted at the wedding last Sunday." 

"Very acquainted."

Zea clenched her jaw and kicked Lucas' shin from under the table. Lucas sat down, lightly rubbing at his stinging leg. He raised an amused brow, unaffected by the not-so-subtle glare Zea shot at him.

Anderson narrowed his eyes at his niece, suspicion rising. Seeing this, Lucas clasped his hands, drawing his patient's attention to him, "Right let's get started."

Both Zea and her uncle nodded, turning their attention to the matter at hand.

"So, Dr Holson-"

"Anderson, just call me Anderson."

Lucas nodded, smiling, "Okay. Anderson. According to the results from multiple tests and scans you did, it seems that you have Coronary Heart Disease," Lucas paused, looking up from the chart before continuing, "You currently have two blocked arteries. Luckily for you, your blood pressure is relatively low. Thus, there isn't too much strain on your heart."

Zea was the first to speak, "How serious is it? Is surgery required?"

The worry in her eyes and the pressing tone of her voice was a contrast to the confident lady he had met night before. It was clear to Lucas that his patient was important to her. He plastered on a reassuring smile, "It's not too serious considering your father's age and other health statistics. The medicine prescribed should've helped ease the chest pain, but of course, we should treat it as soon as possible to avoid any complications in the future."

"I'm her uncle; I'm far too young to be her father." Anderson corrected, a hint of joke in his tone, "But what type of treatment would be required Doctor?"

"The basic would be a coronary angioplasty, it a relatively non-invasive surgery. I'll insert a catheter through an incision on your arm or leg and guide it to the affected artery." He paused, making sure the two of them were keeping up. "I will then inflate the balloon to widen the artery, which will put a small wire stent in place. The surgery will take no longer than two hours, and you should be able to go home on the same day."

Anderson nodded slowly, "When can I go forward with the surgery?"

"As soon as you want. Provided you fast eight hours before your appointment. You won't be able to do any heavy lifting or driving a week after your surgery, so I would suggest having someone readily available and take off from work."

"You could do it on Friday. Mum and Aunty Carol will be back, there'll be someone at home to attend to you," Zea suggested. Her mother, as well as her aunt, Anderson's wife, would be back from their vacation in Italy, a sort of bonding session.

"What about the clinic and school?"

Zea rolled her eyes at her uncle, always the workaholic. "I'm sure the clinic could find another veterinarian to take over your classes and patients for the time being," she scolded.

Her uncle huffed, before agreeing. "Friday it is then."

Lucas nodded, turning to his desktop monitor. A few clicks of the mouse and taps of the keyboard later, the appointment was set. Lucas flipped through the file one more time, making sure he didn't miss anything.

"Oh, and one last thing, it says here you're a heavy smoker. I would suggest you cut down or better yet stop completely. It's most likely the cause of the blockage in the first place."

Not shocked at all by the suggestion, the older man sighed, nodding in acknowledgement. Zea pursed her lips, folding her arms as she stared at him triumphantly. Her uncle was always fighting with her and Carrie about his smoking habits, always ignoring the constant nags. It's ironic how a doctor would worry about the well being of other lives but neglect their own.

But now it was official; Anderson Holson had to stop smoking. Doctor's orders.

"So that's all. Any questions?"

"Nope," Zea answered quickly, picking up her handbag as she stood up, eager to leave the room, "Thanks for everything, Dr Brandons, but my uncle and I should get going now."

Lucas raised an eyebrow, he looked like he was about to say something but stopped himself, opting smile and nod instead. Her uncle stood up reluctantly, confused as to why his niece was so eager to leave. He eyed the doctor suspiciously but brushed all doubt aside. This man was going to be the doctor in charge of his surgery; he had to trust him, no matter how weirdly his niece acted. He shook the doctor's hand, thanking him once again before turning to leave.

Zea was already halfway out the door. Countless emotions and thoughts were running through her mind; Embarrassment, anxiety, arousal. She could not stay in that room a moment longer, every second in there caused her to have a replay of that night.

The receptionist smiled as she saw the pair approach, greeting them politely. Her fingers flew across the keyboard, occasionally checking if the information provided was accurate. The telephone on the reception desk rang, the receptionist smiled apologetically as she picked it up "Give me a second."

"Oh, yes. Of course. I'll tell her right away." The receptionist put down the phone and looked up from her seat, "Ms Zea, Dr Brandons said you left something in his office, would you like to go there now?"

"I did?" Zea looked rummaged through her bag as the receptionist shrugged her shoulders.

"Dr Brandons said that it was important?"

Right. This was surely a plot to get her alone. And was she going to fall for it? Most definitely so.

"Oh! I did," Zea turned to her uncle, who shooed her off, assuring that he'll handle the rest of the admin work and payment. "I'll just be a minute, Uncle."

She walked up to the same door, knocking it lightly before entering. Lucas Brandons was seated behind the desk, fingers gliding a pen across a piece of paper. His lips curved into a smirk, as his deep brown eyes met hers. He looked like a predator who's prey fell into his trap and set the pen down. He leaned back into the chair, arms propped on the armrest, "You actually came back."

Zea straightened her back and held her chin up. She wasn't going to be a coward and shy away from her actions, she sauntered over to the desk and folded her arms, "Dr Brandons..."

"We are surely past formalities now, Zea," he teased as he glanced at her, eyes twinkling with playfulness.

Two nights ago, Zea was confident. Confident about herself, about what she wanted. But now? She wasn't so sure. The way Lucas' eyes gazed at her appreciatively, looking from the bottom up, the subtle lick of his lips as his eyes met hers once again, all caused heat to travel up to Zea's cheeks, as well as her nether regions.

She cleared her throat, "Is there anything you need?" Lucas stood up, Zea now had to lift her chin to face him.

"You know, I was quite disappointed to wake up alone yesterday morning." Despite the teasing tone, there was a hint of solemnity behind the statement.  

Zea crossed her legs tighter and inhaled a sharp breath as he leaned over, hands gripping his end of the table. Her eyes held his piercing gaze, despite the fact that her composure was slowly slipping away.

After a few seconds of intense eye contact, Zea was the first to look away, eyes scanning everywhere else but his face. A blush formed on her cheeks as she answered his previous question, "I, uhm, had work in the morning and quite frankly, I assumed you wanted a casual hook-up."

Lucas shook his head lightly and gazed at the beauty in front of him. Just a one-night hook-up? With someone like her? Never.

"You assumed wrong," he said a matter-of-factly. His face was relaxed, so sure of himself. His fingers reached out to caress Zea's face, and she couldn't stop herself from leaning into his touch. His fingers trailed down her jaw, tilting her head to look at him. "Do you regret it?"

Before she could come up with an answer, she felt her phone vibrate. She clicked her the button at the side of her phone and turned it over to take a peek.

One new notification: Unc Andy

Payment done. Where are u? I'm at the car,

Zea sighed and got up to her feet, "My Uncle's looking for me, if there isn't anything else you want, I'll be going now."

As she picked up her bag and turned to leave, Lucas called out, "Wait! I did say you forgot something."

"I did?" 

He walked over to her, maintaining a small gap between them. As much as he would love to close the rift and continue from where they left off a few nights back, he was still in his uniform and had to remain in control.

"You forgot this," he said, passing her a small, firm card. 

She gave him a quick scrunch of the eyebrow, narrowing her eyes playfully. Her fingers reached out and took the card from between his index and middle finger. She flipped the card over, it was a sleek white with gold accents and wording, but more obviously were the contents.

Dr Lucas Brandons

Cardiovascular Surgeon @ Parksite General Hospital

Mobile no. 

020 7946 0967

Zea scoffed before breaking into a small smile. Her eyes fluttered up to meet Lucas', and she gave him a knowing nod. She turned back towards the door and with a few clicks of her heels, she exited.

During the walk to the car park, she slipped out her phone and typed Lucas' number into her phone, shooting him a quick text.

I didn't regret it. Not one bit. xx

Not even a minute after she hit 'send' her phone beeped twice.

Good. I definitely didn't either ;)

Now, I don't think fate will give us anymore coincidental bump ins. So... fancy a date with me?

Zea bit her lip. There wasn't really much to think about; she had already slept with him, and the attraction between them was evident. Her only concern was that her schedule was packed, and so was his, she would assume.

But she ignored the nagging of her brain, she was sure could make space for him somewhere. She replied him quickly, sending a simple 'Yes' as an answer before picking up her pace and walking to her car. Her uncle was waiting there, chatting with a man she didn't know. It wasn't surprising; his open and talkative spirit allowed him to make friends everywhere. She wasn't able to tell if this was an old friend of his or a mate he had just made while waiting for her.

Noticing her arrival, Anderson waved goodbye to the man as he entered the driver's seat. Zea walked around to the passenger seat and climbed in, giving a small apology, "Sorry uncle, I had to use the loo."

Her uncle accepted her apology with a smile and turned on the engine. She buckled herself in and leaned back into the leather seat, taking the chance to continue texting Lucas in between his patients.

After a few back-and-forths of discussing their busy schedule and switching around the days, they finally confirmed a timing for their date.    

Sunday evening, 6 pm. 

Can't wait to see you ;)