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"Hey, aren't you Theo Black's—"

"No, sorry," I mumbled and quickly walked past the group of three teen guys.

It had been a week since the picture of us at the restaurant had dominated front pages of gossips magazines and page sixes. I hadn't talked to him since, but had had to lie a few times to people who'd recognised and confronted me.

It was good I didn't go out too much, since any kind of attention I was going to get from the part of the public that would recognise me wasn't what I needed in my life. I was sure this would pass by time, though.

"Hey, sorry I'm late," I gave Tim a smile, seating myself down in front of him at a small table by the window of a brasserie.

My lunch hour had just started and, since there wasn't much rush in the hospital, I felt free to leave to have a quick date with the handsome doctor who'd helped me vent out my stress during the attacks on Westminster bridge.

"That's fine. It's my day off, you're busy," he reasoned, returning my smile, "I already ordered, I hope that's okay?"

"Yes, that's fine," I nodded after a second of wonderment. He had no idea what kind of food I liked, so what he'd done had been a pretty risqué move.

"You've had a good day? You seem happy," Tim spoke, straightening up in his seat. I furrowed my brows a little.

"Oh, I do? I've had around five cups of coffee today, maybe it's that..." I shrugged, and he chuckled.

"Possibly. You do look a little flustered, did you get told off again?" He teased, and I shook my head with a small laugh.

A waitress arrived with two glasses of champagne.

"I can't drink, I need to be back in an hour," I told Tim, glancing down at the sparkling champagne in front of me.

"It's non-alcoholic, darling," he had a light and happy smile playing on his lips, dirty blonde hair casually resting atop his head.

It was weird seeing him in a simple shirt and jeans, now that I'd got used to talking to him in the hospital where he'd wear his doctor's coat.

"Oh, sure."

We chatted casually until our lunches arrived. I was extremely disappointed and baffled when a Caesar's salad was placed in front of me. It looked delicious, but I had a long day ahead and was looking forward a little to something other than just a salad... Tim had ordered himself a salad as well.

We had managed to chat every day for the past week now, and I was beginning to feel like he was very intent on turning me over to his overly healthy lifestyle.

"You look very nice, Scarlett," he told me after a short moment of silence after we'd began eating.

"Thank you, Tim," I gave him a small smile.

His blue eyes watched me with such admiration, I almost felt weird instead of that good and warm feeling I had received with Theo.

We had had a fun time, and whoever got the assistant captain to settle down was an extremely lucky person. He just wasn't for me, his lifestyle wasn't.

Tim's eyes left mine though, and focused on something happening outside of the window of the brasserie we were sitting at.

"Why are three teens taking photos of us?" He asked, and my heart fell.

My head darted towards where he was looking and sighed when I saw the same three teens that had talked to me on my way here, now pointing their phones at us from a few feet away on the pavement outside.

"Oh, Lord..." I muttered, turning my head away and bringing one hand up to cover the side of my face from their view, "you've got to be kidding me."

They were just teen guys anyway, clearly fans of Theo Black, and thankfully not some big group of paparazzi. I didn't want any more pictures of me circulating in the media anymore, though.

"What's going on, Scarlett?" Tim seemed completely baffled, eyes moving between me and the guys, "they're gone now..."

I glanced over discreetly and relaxed when what he'd said had been true, the guys had left. 

"It's a very long story," I spoke, concentrating on my lunch again.

"We've got an hour, haven't we?"

My gaze met his again and I hesitated. Then, I told him everything that had happened since Theo Black got that damn concussion and ended up at the hospital.

"I don't even know what to say," Tim shook after twenty minutes of intently listening to what I was saying, a small chuckle slipped his lips and I gave him a tight lipped smile, uncertain on how he'd react.

"Are you... dating Theo?" He then asked, voice laced with a hint of I-really-don't-want-to-push-too-far-or-offend-you.

"No, no," I immediately shook my head, "it was just a one night type of thing."

He nodded, a small and almost shy smile tugging up the sides of his lips, "good. I like you, Scarlett. I can't help but feel like something serious could come out of this..."

"Of our little lunch date?" I gave him a teasing look, confused and a little startled, to be honest, with how hopeful he sounded about something developing between us. We worked at the same hospital, but not together, at least.

He chuckled, "no. Of us. What we have going on."

Dear Christ in Heaven, we had virtually nothing going on besides nice conversation and a few admiring looks. A nurse – soon-to-be-nurse – and a doctor, how very cliché...

I just gave him a smile, not knowing what else to say...

__

Just before midnight, I arrived home. I had situated myself on my couch in pjs and a throw over my legs, watching reruns on TV.

My phone vibrated on my lap, and I looked down at it to find a message from someone I definitely hadn't expected to receive anything from.

From: Theo: Hey, what are you doing?

I stared at the message for a moment, wondering why I still felt that small bubbling excitement in my lower stomach, now from a simple text message from him.

To: Theo: Just watching TV. You?

From: Theo: I just got back from a sauna and beer kind of evening with my team. How are you?

To: Theo: I'm good.

For a few minutes, I got no reply. There wasn't much to reply to anyway, so I don't know what I was expecting. Even though we only had a one night stand, we would still be meeting after he got back.

I guess I'd see how things went then, before completely shutting him away from my life, but I knew for sure his lifestyle was something I didn't want to be apart of. Especially after the picture of him and circulating everywhere and creating such unwanted attention for me.

From: Theo: You're not mad at me for that picture of us, are you?

To: Theo: Why would I be? It wasn't you who took it or sold it forward...

I was just a tinge mad at him because he was such a wonderful man and made me feel things and smile like a lunatic, but had a lifestyle I could never adapt to. None of it was his fault, though, so I suppose I was just mad at the universe.

From: Theo: You seemed upset when I told you, you didn't reply to my last message.

To: Theo: I was at the hospital, there was a lot going on.

From: Theo: I get that. I have a day off tomorrow, Justin's driving down to London to spend it with his girlfriend and I was thinking if I went with him, you'd like to have lunch with me?

Justin Taylor had a girlfriend? That definitely wasn't public knowledge, at least to me. He was the captain of the English national team, so if he had someone it would surely be plastered across every magazine. It made sense, since the same seemed to happen when the assistant captain went on one simple date with me.

To: Theo: I didn't know he had a girlfriend? I'm rather busy tomorrow...

From: Theo: They keep it under wraps, publicity tends to ruin all good relationships one way or the other. I'd really like to see you if you have even an hour to spare, Scarlett.

Him being this keen on seeing me only made me feel more giddy, but I tried my best to shake it away. The fact that he had also trusted me with such information on his best friend was extremely interesting.

Theo Black was merely texting me, but I felt more now than when meeting with Tim face to face and talking in person. It confused me way too much.

To: Theo: I have an hour for lunch the day after tomorrow, I could see you then?

From: Theo: I'm training. If you're not able to tomorrow, then I guess at least when I get back? x

To: Theo: I guess so, yes. Good night, Theo. x

And with that, I returned my eyes and mind to the TV, a worried sigh slipping my lips.

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