Four-Way Clusterfuck
Location: Best Exotic Hotel: The Dining Room
Interacting With: ...everyone.
Lincoln had left the entrance way as soon as he had had a chance. As soon as he had heard mentions of things he did not want to think about he had made a direct line for the check in and then went straight to his room for the foreseeable future here. This would have been so much easier if she hadn't been living in the same place he was. It was not how he planned their first meeting and he was kicking himself for fucking it up so monumentally. He dropped his cases inside the room door and locked it up behind him before throwing himself face down on his bed and screaming slightly into the mattress.
After venting his frustration some, Lincoln rolled over and looked up at the ceiling above. His eyes traced the cracks that were showing and he quirked a brow at it. One thing he hated was shoddy construction work but he knew this place wouldn't be the best of the best considering the price he'd managed to get so he tried his best not to get nitpicky. He just lay there, his eyes shut and wondered what he'd really gotten himself into. He knew he wanted to find her but this was way too soon.
He sat upright and looked around his room. It was pretty nice all things considered and he was glad for the air conditioning that was blowing around the room even if it wasn't quite as cold as he'd have liked it. His stomach grumbled and he knew it was time to get something to eat so, taking a moment to splash his face and get himself tidied up some, he made his way out of his room to try and find the dining area.
A short while of wandering around outside eventually allowed him to find his way to his destination and he stopped before entering the room entirely. Tasha was there again. This was something he was going to need to get used to but he had no idea how long it would take him. Swallowing the lump down his throat, he wandered half a step into the room before disappearing back out again and doing another lap of the hotel. He couldn't handle running into her again.
He figured she'd be done and out now and made his way back... only to literally walk right into her in the hallway. Natasha's face for what had to be the third or forth time in the last hour planted squarely into Lincoln's chest before she knew it, his foot landing on top of hers in the process and her yelping out as she grabbed his shoulder with one hand and started rubbing the skin with the other; she really needed to stop wearing flip flops around the hotel.
"Oh shoot! Sorry sorry I didn't mean t--" His voice caught in his throat as he realised it was Tasha again.
"Uh hi." "Damn it Moya zhizn! That hurt!" she hissed from behind her clenched teeth, not even realizing what she had called him. Back when they were together that was basically all she did call him, referring to him as Lincoln had been pushed to a back burner once she had fallen in love with him.
Murphy on the other hand took large note of what had just slipped out of Tasha's mouth and his head jerked around to look over at the two. Russian was one language he was very fluent in and he knew that turn of phrase all too well. His brow cocking over his left eye as he watched Tasha. She wasn't having any luck right then that was for sure. He wondered how much she still cared for the man and had to wonder just how far things had gone between her and Dominic the night before; this was one big cluster fuck ready to happen.
He scratched the back of his head and squinted his left eye as he glanced away from her. His cheeks flushed a little as he heard the words again, twice in less than two hours... it was almost like old times. Almost.
"I didn't mean to walk into you, I-I didn't see you. Are you okay?" Cass was caught up in her conversation with Amber, she was excited to be meeting someone from back home after so long.
"Oh aye, we had a bit o' a wild one last night. Poor lad cannae 'andle his drink. Wee lamb." She smirked and giggled a little at the thought of Desh drooling under the table.
"I'm fae Dundee right off but spent a ton o' time livin' 'nd workin' in Glesga so ye could call me a 'alf breed! What 'bout yersel?" Not meaning to be rude, Cass did adouble talk as she noticed what was going on and looked away from Amber for a second as she watched the guy from earlier, the yummy dish, and the cute friend of Murphy's interacting. She glanced at Amber and raised an eyebrow.
"Shit jus' got aaaawkwaaard..." She nodded in the direction of the doctor and the newcomer to let Amber know what she was talking about.
Tasha looked down at her foot, it was red and was beginning to bruise but from what she could tell there were no cracked or broken bones. The last couple of day she had taken a hell of a beating to her body. Her thigh was still throbbing from the gash she had gotten in the mine the day before, then all the hits from Mr. Clops, now this. Maybe she should have stayed in bed... with Dominic. Sighing slightly she looked over towards Lincoln, she knew he hadn't meant to.
"I know, it's okay," she said as she let go of her foot and tried to put a little weight on it. It hurt but there was nothing in her mind that could be done about it.
Murphy tilted his head to the side as he watched the two interact and then glanced over towards Cass. He hadn't heard what she had said to Amber but he was curious. He could ask later. Right now what was unfolding was a bit too juicy to look away from long.
Lincoln started forward as if to help Tasha again but then thought better of it as he withdrew a half step back.
"Alright. Was worried for a second that you were going to take my head off, heh..." Humour wasn't always his strongest point but it wasn't something Tasha had ever complained about. He hoped that she'd still take his humour the way she used to but if not then he'd just need to deal with it however he could. It was a good way to feel out on how she may or may not feel about him after all this time.
Tasha hobbled a little but her grip tightened on his shoulder as he took a half step back, she felt unsteady on her feet; though she wasn't sure if it was because of the fact her thigh was still killing her from the gash, the bruise on her ass from Mr. Clops, the most recent foot injury, the fact that Lincoln was there, or a combination of all the above. Whatever it was, her fingers curled a bit more around his shoulder as she braced herself.
"Maybe later," she said with half a chuckle.
Cass peered around Amber again and pouted her lips a little. Hooking her arm in Amber's she gave her a bright smile.
"Sorry 'bout this pal, jus' wanna give 'em two a bit o' peace 'nd quiet t'chat. C'mon." Cass guided Amber towards the table that Murphy was sitting at and released her arm as Cass slipped down to sit beside Murphy. She leaned in and spoke in a hushed whisper.
"'Eh hell is goin' on there?" Murphy looked over to Cass as she came over and gave both her and Amber a bright smile.
"Tryin' to figure that out for meself. Okay, I think I got it. That is Tasha, she's a doctor and can be... cold as fuck. Good girl and all but closed off. That be her ex-fiance that just moved in out of now where," he tried to explain.
"Shit is better than Coronation Street. Mind me t'thank yer gorgeous angel of a sister for bringin' me 'ere." Noticing a bit of cereal still stuck in Murphy's hair Cass smirked and picked it out, tucking the strands behind his ear and tossing the bit of cereal into her mouth with her other hand happily.
"What? There ain't exactly popcorn sittin' 'round for this. Gotta make do!" She pulled a silly face and stuck her tongue out at Murphy. Murphy chuckled a bit at her antics, turning his head quickly and nipping at her fingers. A trickle of laughter sounded out from Cass before she turned towards Amber and gave her a grin.
"Best get comfy, pal. This might take a while..." Natasha stood there, still trying to put weight on her foot but she could have moved away by now. Instead she stayed there, looking at Lincoln; those eyes catching her attention. Lincoln noticed the look she was giving him and his throat started to dry out more than it already was. This was all too familiar. She remembered how his eyes had been the first time they had met, it wasn't so different than what was happening right then.
That First Meeting Years Ago
the young resident said gratefully towards him. He smiled at her, she had talent he could see that and he was glad she had enjoyed learning a few things that day. It was not often that a resident was so looking forward to the hard work that came with Cardiology but she had done well on his rotation.
"My pleasure," he said with a charismatic smile before walking off. Natasha was excited about what all she was learning, but she was giddy her shift was over. It had been a long one. Turning she didn't even notice the person behind her and her face planted right into his chest. His foot landing right on top of hers, thankfully she had her shoes on but it didn't really make it hurt any less. She yelped a bit and grabbed her foot as her fingers curled over the persons shoulder.
"Ack, I'm so sorry! I was..." she started to say as she looked up to see who just she had run into and then froze. There in front of her was a very handsome man in one of the security uniforms. She was used to seeing handsome men around the hospital but there was something about his eyes they made her breath catch and her heart skip a beat. They were so warm and bright.
"Heh, don't worry 'bout it, promise I won't bite your head off. In fact I think I owe you the apology, Miss..." He rose his right eyebrow enquiringly and gave a crooked, half smile towards the absolute vision before him. Her eyes pierced through him which would normally give him "the fear" but this woman made him feel exposed and
comfortable with her gaze. It was entirely new and something he definitely wanted to experience further.
"Brinne, well Natasha Brinne," she finally stuttered out as she blinked, coming back to reality. Still holding on to his shoulder she slipped her shoe off and grumbled under her breath as she saw the bruise forming.
"And no, this was all me...," she admitted as she tried to it weight on it and hissed a bit.
"Now, now Miss Natasha Brinne. Let's call it a tie and take equal counts of the blame. I should have seen you a mile off but I didn't so that's on me. Of course, you could have seen me too so yeah, let's just leave it at that." He gave her a bright and charming smile, his head tilting slightly to left shoulder as he took in her face. She was definitely stunning, no doubt about it. He'd have to work his way up to asking for her number.
"May I?" He nodded down at her foot and then crouched down, waiting for her approval.
Natasha bit her bottom lip lightly, the way he smiled made her melt a bit but it was still those eyes that kept catching her off guard. Looking down she perked a brow and then nodded.
"Um, sure," she said as she tried to keep her balance.
"And actually... it's Dr. Brinne," she corrected. She was used to the mistake, she was only twenty-three after all, well almost twenty-four; much younger than the rest of the residents but she had studied hard and gone year around with no breaks. She was proud of it but most figured she was some right out of college nurse.
He glanced up at her and smirked, his cheeks flushing slightly. Of course she was a doctor, she was wearing scrubs for crying out loud. Granted that didn't always mean
Doctor but yeah.
"Oh, my mistake Dr. Brinne." He cleared his throat some, looking down at her foot before lifting her shoe up and standing upright again.
"If you could just wait here a moment..." He guided her over to the wall to help her keep balance and then handed her her shoe. Once she was upright and stable, Lincoln walked off and grabbed an empty wheelchair that was nearby. He brought it over to her, placing it in break, and moved around to help her into the seat. He held his hand out towards her and smiled again.
"To let you get off your feet until someone can bind it up?" He was questioning the correct protocol now, all because he now knew she was a doctor. He felt pretty damn stupid in that moment and his cheeks remained tinted with red.
Natasha looked at him oddly as she stood there, leaning against the wall slightly, as he went to go grab the wheel chair. When he came back over a smirk crossed her lips and she shook her head.
"Oh fuck that. If I'm not going to get swept off my feet all sappy soap opera style, I'll hobble," she said with coy tone as she shoved her shoe in the waist band of her scrubs.
A large grin formed across his face and he shook his head lightly.
"Can't say the thought didn't cross my mind but, y'see, I got some red tape preventing me from becoming the perfect prince. I'm 'fraid you're gonna have to settle for my just being the perfect gentleman right now, but maybe next time I'll do just that for you." He almost wiggled his eyebrows but caught himself at the last second, his face looking more surprised than he had anticipated. Real smooth.
Looking at him she couldn't help but bust out laughing; he was absolutely adorable right then. He was definitely sweeping her off her feet right then, even if it was only in a metaphorical sense. Shrugging she turned and plopped down in the chair. Lincoln quickly relaxed his face and rolled his eyes at himself as he began to push her towards the doctor's lounge as it was closer than any nurse stations.
"So, does my knight in starched uniform have a name?" she asked as she tilted her head back and looked up at him.
He smiled down at her and shrugged a little.
"He might. Does my doctor in distress have a phone number?" Smoother than silk, Mr Roberts. Just you wait, soon she'll be dropping her panties and begging you to-- He snapped out of his idiotic daze and swallowed the drool that was starting to form at his thoughts. Bad Lincoln, bad. His cheeks flushed again and he groaned inwardly.
"Yeah, 911," she blurted out without thinking. Then it dawned on her how horrible of a pick up line retort that was. Smacking her forehead she groaned loudly.
"Oh god, what the fuck is wrong with me," she muttered under her breath, completely embarrassed.
Well at least he wasn't the only one making with the dumb words and stupid pick-ups.
"I'll, uh, keep it in mind. I think I might remember that one. Gonna be a bitch and a half when we break up though since it's one of those numbers you can never forget, you know?" He continued smiling down at her and gave her a quick wink.
"Wel..." she started to say but then blushed deeply and quickly looked away from him as he wheeled her into the lounge. Glancing around she was glad it was empty because she did not want anyone else seeing the look on her face. Clearing her throat she grabbed the side of the lockers and pulled herself up. Hobbling over to hers she opened it and grabbed an ace bandage out. What was going on? She normally would have told a guy to fuck off and go suck his own dick by then but not with him; right then she felt butterflies in her stomach.
"Eight O'clock," she said as her hand reached out after scribbling something on the back of a business card. Lincoln watched this intriguing doctor hobble her way towards her locker and he tilted his head as she began to scribble on what looked to be a business card and smiled brightly when she handed it to him.
"I expect a name before you take me to dinner." On the card was her address but she had scribbled out the phone number. Standing there but keeping her face hidden behind the side of her locker she held her breath, god she hoped he took her up on the over forward invitation.
An understanding, happy smirk spread across his face as he looked at the card and noticed the number had been scored out. He glanced back up to her, his head still tilted slightly downward and he nodded.
"That's a fair request. The name is Lincoln, Lincoln Roberts. I'll be sharp in picking you up. I'm quite keen to get that phone number one day." He gave her a slight wink and then squinted his eyes as he'd realised what he had done. His free hand rose up and rubbed his face as he shook his head lightly.
"I swear I'm not usually this much of a cheeseball. At least not until after the first bottle of wine at dinner." He cringed again before hurriedly correcting himself. Natasha's fingers wrapped around the door of her locker and slowly peeked out from behind it, her brow arcing over her eye as she looked at him.
"I'm not an alcoholic, honest! I'm just going to shut up, take this card, pick you up at eight and then take you to dinner where we will chat, get to know one another and eat some delicious food together." He grinned wide and then cleared his throat before standing upright - ever the professional security guard. A small smile played on her lips as she closed her locker and shook her head a bit, just what was she getting herself into with this one she had to wonder to herself.
"Is there any other assistance that I can give you from here with regards to your minor injury?" His hands were folded behind his back and his shoulders were pushed back, his chest out and his head held high. A total man of authority despite blushing like a tomato just moments earlier.
Turning she sat down on the bench in front of her locker and pulled her foot up as she began to wrap it, biting her bottom lip some as she tried to control how bright the growing smile on her features was.
"No, I think that covers it Mr. Roberts," she said in a light tone as she wrapped up her foot.
"Though you might want to return that wheelchair." Glancing over to him out of the corner of her eye she gave him a slight nod before going back to tending to her foot.
"Ah, yeah, you're right. Well I'll see you tonight, Dr. Brinne." He gave a nod of the head out of politeness and respect and took the wheelchair back to where he had found it except now he had the largest and goofiest grin he'd ever experienced plastered right across his smug little face. He couldn't have made that happen if he'd tried. Sometimes just sheer dumb luck, be it good or bad, is just what the doctor ordered. Oh god... He was even being cheesey in his head. What was this woman doing to him?
Murphy rubbed his chin as he watched the two, just standing there looking at each other.
"Damn...." Murphy whispered to Cass and Amber. The tension was so thick between the two that one could have cut it with a knife. Murphy reached over and rested his hand on Cass's shoulder, leaning forward a little bit; trying not to make a sound or be notice; he didn't want to break the mood but he couldn't help but stare. He had never seen the doctor fumbling like this, not even when she was around Dominic, and this new chap that had wandered in had seemed to just turn her world upside down. Cass felt her lips pursing from the intensity of that gaze between the two. She wanted to make a comment to break it but she thought better off it, this didn't seem the time or place really.
Natasha trying to right herself a bit but her eyes still never leaving Lincoln's only made everything that much more intriguing from Murphy's point of view, it looked as if at any moment one of them was going to lean in and kiss the other. That was until Desh groaned as he stumbled into the room, a bit of drool hanging off one corner of his mouth and a wet rag pressed against his forehead.
"More gut wrenching repairs to conduct on the master piece that is my hotel and now one of my guests checks out," he said, trying to provide as much flourish as he could but the hangover was strong.
The voice of the hotel proprieter took Lincoln back out of his vision into the past and he felt himself shaking his head to get back into the present. The pressure of Tasha's hand felt nice, despite the grip she had on him. He'd grown used to it over their relationship and right now it made him feel very nostalgic and, weirdly enough, close to her. He glanced towards the source and saw that the guy hadn't looked much better than he had when he'd handed Lincoln his keys over. Must've been one of the rooms on his floor that he'd seen a couple bags sitting outside of the room for.
Murphy's hands came quickly to his face, groaning deeply as Natasha snapped out of the trance she was in. Swallowing hard she let go of Lincoln and looked away from him as Desh collapsed rather dramatically into a chair. Pulling his hands slowly down his face Murphy nearly glared at the hungover Jaipurian.
"Who checked out?" Cass glanced between Desh and Murphy and began to chew on the insides of her cheeks and tugged at her necklaces as she watched what was unfolding.
"Our resident mountain climber, Mr. Dominic Mason," he said as he tried to hold back another bought of retching. Natasha's eyes widened and her face drained of all of the color. She went from looking embarrassed to crushed in the time it took her to whip her head around to look at Desh, not wanting to believe what he just said. Lincoln frowned slightly when he saw Tasha's reaction to this news. He felt his jaw tensing as he saw how hurt she looked and he had half a mind to go hunting for this damn Dominic Mason that seemed to be such a cause of pain for his Tasha. But no, it wasn't his place. His hands clenched into fists and he stepped back some more from her, giving her the space he knew she must need. He refused to be a cause of more pain for her.
Murphy's jaw went slack when Desh delivered the news, his eyes quickly darting over towards Natasha as she stepped towards Desh, hobbling as she went.
"He's gone?" she croaked out in a near whisper.
"Why yes, we loaded up his jeep just a few minutes ago and he was gone with the wind," Desh said looking at Natasha confused. Natasha blinked a few times as she looked down and felt her chest tighten a bit. It wasn't as if she was in love with the man but after last night, it seemed that they were starting something. Now he was gone and a wash of what happened with Sam back in California washed over her. Looking up, her eyes fell on Lincoln and then she bolted. Moving as quickly as her injured body could manage down the hallway.
"Fuck..." Murphy spat as he leaned back in his chair.
Cass glanced after Natasha and then looked to Murphy and then back towards the empty space that was once Natasha.
"I take it she was jus' pumped 'nd dumped? Poor thing... dinnae wish that on anyone." Cass looked at Murphy and played with the lower hem of her shirt.
"Pumped and dumped?" Desh repeated, looking over towards Cass confused as hell by the turn of phrase.
"Dunno what happened last night between them but she was on cloud nine this mornin'. Damn, Tasha takes forever to thaw enough to get close to an'one. Last guy she did, he pulled the same shit the night after he done told her he loved her," Murphy said sighing deeply as he crossed his arms over his chest, rocking back and forth in his seat before nodding towards Cass.
Lincoln started to follow after her but after two whole steps he stopped and just stood there, staring after her. His hands clenched tighter and, after a good ten seconds, he stormed out of the room and headed outside.
"I think she needs a friend, aye? Ye gonnae see her or give her peace?" "Yer right, be back soon Lass, then we's got a tour of the city with yers turly," he said with a wink before standing up, he gave Cass a quick peck on the cheek and smiled over towards Amber before he dashed off to chase after Tasha. Cass rolled her eyes and waved him off before turning back to Amber and continuing their conversation.
"Sorry 'bout tha', I just cannae resist a wee bit o' gossip!"
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