A Rose by Any Another Name

Sorry for the delay – I've been a bit sick. Hope you enjoy the next part of Mike and Rose's story!

***

We woke up early next morning, startled by Mike's cell phone that managed to buzz its way to the edge of my bedside table before he picked up.

"Hello?" he muttered. Suddenly he shot up from the bed, his eyes wide open. "Shit!" he cried out. "I started thirty minutes ago!"

I couldn't help but smile, enjoying my view as he slipped into his pants and pulled his shirt over his head, revealing his perfect body.

"That was one hell of a date," he said and planted a soft kiss on my forehead. "And now it's time for my walk of shame."

I raised an eyebrow as he hurried into the bathroom.

"I thought we agreed it was just a friendly dinner," I pointed out.

"You're right," he shouted from the bathroom and came back a few seconds later with a toothbrush in his mouth. "Would it be so bad if I changed my mind about that little detail, though?"

"It seems to me like you change your mind every other minute," I said, trying not to sound hurt.

"I know," he admitted. "I'm sorry. I'll make it up to you, I promise. How about dinner tonight?"

"I don't get off until ten," I said.

"Tomorrow night, then," he suggested while tying his shoes.

"Tomorrow night works. Your place or mine?"

"Oh no," he said and kissed me. "I'm taking you to a restaurant."

"Sounds great," I smiled. "But right now you'd better hurry up because you're forty minutes late and guess what? Nurses don't like it when doctors make them wait either."

"I'm going to miss that sassy mouth of yours today," he said and blew me a kiss before leaving.

As the door closed behind him I fell back down onto my bed. I was already wide awake so there was no point in trying to get a few more hours of sleep. Besides, I couldn't get my mind off Mike and his dubious behavior, and I needed to vent. Fortunately, no one was a better listener than my best friend Nicole so I grabbed my phone and dialed her number.

"Would you look at that?" Nicole said sarcastically when she picked up. "She finally calls back. And at eight o'clock on my day off, too. What are you doing up this early, anyway? Are you at work?"

"Not yet," I said. "My shift starts at two."

"Which reminds me, today is your third day working as a nurse and you still haven't called to tell me all about it. Is it that bad?"

"Bad?" I laughed. "Not at all. So far it's been great, actually. I really like it. What about you?"

"The first week was horrible," she said. "I was so nervous I'm surprised I didn't actually pass out. Would you believe one of my patients had a cardiac arrest on my second day? I'd never even done CPR in real life before. My legs were like jello the entire time!"

"Wow," I said, impressed that she had handled a situation that serious. "Seems like I've had it a bit less stressful, then."

"Tell me everything!" Nicole said enthusiastically. "What have you done so far?"

"Just the usual," I said. "Taken blood tests, placed IV lines, administered medication, had sex with one of the doctors..."

"You did what?!" she blurted out, obviously shocked. "On your second day of work?!"

"Not on my second day," I corrected her, amused. "It was the first day actually. And then once again the day after."

"You're such a slut, Rose," she teased. "How did that even happen?"

"Honestly, I don't know," I said. "We just ended up having sex in the locker room when my shift was over and then he invited me to his place and we had sex again."

"You did it in the locker room?!" Nicole couldn't believe her ears. "If I'd known how they treat their new employees I would have sent them my CV straight away."

"I admit, it was a nice surprise," I said, laughing.

"Well, I want to know everything," Nicole demanded, getting ready for the latest news about my love life. "Is he hot? How was the sex?"

"Try to picture the hottest man you've ever seen," I told her.

"All right," she said innocently. "I'm picturing Brad Pitt with very little clothing."

"I meant someone you've actually met," I teased. "But that's okay, I can still make my point. Michael is ten times hotter than that. And the sex was out of this world. I can honestly say it's by far the best sex I've ever had."

It was the best I could do without revealing any details, and I wasn't sure I wanted to do that yet.

"Okay, first of all, no one is hotter than Brad Pitt," Nicole said in defense of her celebrity crush. "But you got me so curious that I'm going to pretend I didn't hear that. Did he make you come?"

"Three times the first day and once yesterday," I bragged. "And I've never had such intense orgasms before."

"God, I'm so jealous of you right now," she whined. "I haven't had sex in months and you got yourself a sexy boy toy without even looking for one."

"Yeah, well, I'm kind of hoping for more than just sex," I sighed. "But he's giving me mixed signals."

"I guess he must be as good as you say if you've fallen for him this fast," she said with a chuckle. "Seriously though, guys can be tricky so have patience. He'd be nuts if he didn't like you back but you might have to give him some time."

"You're probably right," I agreed.

"Of course I am," she said, probably with more confidence than she felt. "I want to meet this guy, by the way."

"Let's not get carried away," I laughed, well aware of how pushy and up-front Nicole could be, especially when it came to judging whether or not a man was good enough for her best friend.

"You just wait," she said in a sly voice. "I happen to know where he works. Who knows? Maybe I'll drop by for a quick visit one of these days."

"All right, Nicole, you win," I conceded. "But give me a little while so I can try to figure him out, okay?"

"Fair enough," she said. "But figure him out fast because you know I'm dying of curiosity over here. When my love life is non-existent I need juicy gossip about yours!"

I giggled, imagining her reaction if she found out exactly how juicy my love life was.

"I'll let you know," I promised before we said goodbye and hung up.

I got to work twenty minutes early that afternoon, having had nothing to do at home. As soon as I entered the ward I knew something was wrong. The tension was so thick that I could have cut through it with a knife and there was no one in the corridor. I went to the nursing office to see if Maya was there but it was empty, as were the doctors' offices. I heard voices from further down the corridor that I followed to Ella's room. A group of at least ten nurses and doctors were standing in front of the closed bathroom door and her mom stood a bit further away, her eyes filled with tears, together with a nurse who was doing her best to comfort her. Mike was trying to talk to Ella through the door but she kept telling him to go away and leave her alone. My heart sank when I saw a crushed lightbulb, glass pieces and some drops of blood on the floor, realizing that this was a new suicide attempt.

"Ella, please let me in," Mike pleaded. "Open the door, I just want to talk to you."

"I don't want to talk!" she shouted. "I have nothing to say! Just leave me alone!"

Her mom started crying again and the nurse who was standing next to her put her arm around her shoulder and promised her that Ella was going to be okay. I walked over to the bathroom door and turned to Mike.

"Can I try?" I asked in a low voice.

He didn't say anything for a few seconds, as if wondering if I could actually be able to help or if I would just make things worse, but finally he nodded.

"Ella," I said, sounding a lot more confident than I actually was. "It's me, Rose."

"I don't want to talk!" she repeated.

"You don't have to," I assured her. "But there's something I'd like to tell you. You don't have to listen if you don't want to, but I hope you do." I got no answer so I continued. "I think I know how you feel. You feel like there are so many horrible things going on and you can't handle the pain anymore. You think it's impossible or things to get better and that no one understands how much you're suffering. Am I right?"

She didn't say anything. Instead, she started sobbing.

"Do you want to know how I know this?" I asked, not expecting an answer.

"How?" she asked, almost inaudibly, and it felt like a huge weight had been lifted off my shoulders.

"I know because I've been there, too," I explained, trying not to pay any attention to Mike's look of surprise and concern. "But I'm not anymore. I used to think things would never get better but they did. Can you please open the door for me? We don't have to talk if you don't want to but I'd like to give you a hug if you'd let me."

Everyone's eyes were on me until Ella finally unlocked the door. When I opened it I found her crying on the floor, her eyes swollen and red, blood dripping down from the palm of her hand. I sat down next to her, wrapped my arms around her and held her while she cried, giving her some temporary relief from all her troubles.

Once Ella had calmed down, I went to the nursing office to read up on my patients. I'd received several pats on the back from co-workers who were impressed by how I had handled the situation and said they were glad to have me on their team. I would have been thrilled if it weren't for the fact that my co-workers now knew that I'd suffered from some kind of mental illness when I was younger, something I wasn't too keen on letting people know. Of course, I didn't regret telling Ella because ultimately it turned out to be just what she needed to let someone in, but I couldn't help but wish that nobody else had heard it – especially Mike.

Just as I had expected, the subject would come up sooner or later. It didn't take long before he appeared in the doorway, trying to sound as professional as possible so as not to raise any suspicion among the other nurses.

"Rose, do you have a minute?"

"Yes, of course," I said politely and followed him to his office. Mike closed the door behind me and gestured at me to sit down

"You did a wonderful job with Ella earlier," he praised. "I'm impressed."

"It was nothing," I said, feeling uncomfortable. "Anyone could have done it."

"But we didn't," he pointed out, holding my hands. "We tried but she didn't want to listen. Then you came and you got through to her."

I didn't know what to say.

"Anyway," he continued. "She's medically stable so I'm referring her to a psychiatric ward where she can get the help she needs. Maybe it would help if you came with me when I go talk to her about it."

"Absolutely," I said.

We sat there for a while, not knowing what to say. Finally Mike broke the silence.

"The things you told her... Were they true?"

This is it, I thought. This is when I tell him that they were in fact true, and he realizes he doesn't want to be with anyone with that kind of baggage and dumps me. But I couldn't lie to him either, so I told him the truth.

"I had an eating disorder when I was younger. It got pretty bad. I made a serious suicide attempt when I was seventeen and was hospitalized for a while."

"I'm so sorry," he said, caressing my hands. "I would never have guessed. I'm glad you told me, though."

I hesitated.

"Look," I said with a lump in my throat. "I understand if you don't feel the same way about me now that I told you. If it makes a difference, I got over it and I've been healthy for five years now. I shouldn't have said it in front of everyone but I wanted to reach out to her and it was the only way I could think of."

"Rose," Mike said and looked me in the eyes. "You did a wonderful thing today and you should be proud. You saw a girl who needed help and you did what it took to gain her trust. Do you realize what that must have meant to her? I'm so proud of you. As for the rest, why on earth would I not feel the same way about you now? If anything, it makes my feelings for you even stronger. You're an amazing person. We all have our baggage and you shouldn't be ashamed of yours."

He leaned forward and kissed me tenderly, his hands on my cheeks.

"Besides," he continued while playing with a strand of my hair, "our past shapes us into who we are. The way you talked to Ella today showed me that your experience has helped you become a caring, empathetic nurse with the ability to help so many children. No matter how much you suffered, you can choose to turn your past into something positive, just like you have. You're incredible, you know that?"

"Wow, you sure know how to woo a girl," I smirked in an attempt to keep myself from getting too emotional.

"That's where you were supposed to say 'Thank you, Michael, you're right as always'," Mike said with a grin, making me laugh. "You know, I can't believe we've only known each other for three days. I've never felt this way about anyone after such a short time."

"Me neither," I admitted, desperately hoping that he would want more than just sex, after all.

"There's something I want to tell you, though," Mike said. "I feel like I owe it to you considering that you shared something so personal with me."

I swallowed, not knowing what to expect.

"I've only ever been in one long-term relationship," he said. "She was my high school girlfriend and I was crazy about her. We dated for almost five years but something happened and we broke up."

He paused and looked away, and it seemed like he was trying to hold back his tears.

"I'm not ready to talk about it so please don't ask me to," he pleaded. "All I know is that I don't think I ever want to get married or have kids, and I don't want to lead you on if that means I'm going to have to break your heart when you realize you want more. You are such an amazing woman and I can't help but think that you deserve better."

"I just want to be with you," I told him. "Marriage and kids aren't on my agenda yet."

"But they will be," he said. "You should be with someone who will be ready to give you those things when you're ready for them."

"I don't want to be with anyone else," I argued.

Mike didn't know what to say.

"Please don't do this," I begged.

"Do what?"

"Don't throw away something potentially wonderful just because things didn't work out with her. I'm not her. Maybe things will be different this time. You owe it to me to at least give it a shot and see what happens."

"I don't want to end up hurting you," he whispered.

"You'll hurt me more if you give it up without even trying," I said. "I don't care what happened with your ex. We don't have to decide that it's going to last forever. We can just take it one day at a time and enjoy it while it lasts."

"You've really got me under your spell," he said. "But I'm not a perfect boyfriend."

"I can live with that," I assured him. "Nobody's perfect."

He squeezed my hand.

"All right then, my sweet Rose," he smiled. "Will you be my girlfriend, for better or for worse?"

"I will," I replied, beaming with joy.

Mike wrapped his arms around my waist and pulled me closer to him.

"I must have the hottest girlfriend in the world," I said proudly. "Even in those scrubs, you make me want to rip all your clothes off and make you come right here in my office."

"I wouldn't mind at all," I coquetted, leaning over and biting his lower lip gently enough so as not to hurt him but hard enough for him to moan, imagining what would happen next.

"I can't believe I'm actually saying this," he whispered a few minutes into our steamy kiss. "But it's getting late and we really need to go talk to Ella and her mom."

"I know," I agreed. "This is just so much more fun."

Mike chuckled. "Tomorrow," he promised. "First we'll have dinner, then we'll go back to my place. I have some things I want to show you."

"Do I dare ask?" I teased.

He grabbed my hand and placed it on his stone hard erection.

"If I start telling you about all my sex toys, this thing will never go down, trust me."

"Oh God," I moaned. "Please tell me..."

"No," he said strictly and smacked my ass. "Now get out of my office so I can get ready to talk to Ella."

"Fine," I said, pouting my lips in an attempt to make him just a little bit more aroused.

In that moment, tomorrow seemed so far away.

Mike got off work late the following day and drove by my apartment straight after to pick me up for our date. I had spent at least two or three hours going through my closet and trying on different outfits for the evening, none of which seemed good enough. I wanted to look sexy yet sophisticated and reveal enough of my body to make him crazy with desire all night without looking cheap. I had already decided on my underwear – a black and pink lace bra with a matching thong and garter belt and a pair of seductive silk stockings – all of which I hoped he would rip off the minute we got back to his apartment. Right before he knocked on the door I slipped into a short black dress with a plunging neckline that perfectly accentuated my breasts and ass while still leaving a tiny bit to the imagination.

"Wow!" he exclaimed as I opened the door and let him in. "You look amazing. That's one beautiful dress."

"You should see what's underneath," I teased.

"Maybe we should just skip dinner and spend the evening in your bed," he joked, and I knew that if I'd said yes, he wouldn't even have hesitated. It was tempting, of course, but I'd been looking forward to our first real date so I wasn't ready to skip the first half.

"Dinner's on," I said with a grin. "Restrain yourself."

"I'll do my best," he laughed. "But I have to admit you're not making it easy."

"Why don't you go ahead to the car," I suggested while slipping into my black pumps. "I'll be right behind you."

"Rose!" Mike bellowed, pretending to be shocked. "Are you trying to trick me into walking in front of you so you can check out my ass?"

I bit my lower lip, realizing he was onto me.

"I have no idea what you're talking about," I said innocently.

Mike took a step closer to me, wrapped his arms around my waist and pulled me in, giving me a long, passionate kiss.

"Are you sure I can't convince you to skip dinner?" he whispered in my ear. "I really do want to see what's underneath that dress."

"All in good time," I said, even though part of me wanted to rip off his clothes and fuck him frantically right then and there. "Let's go."

Like a perfect gentleman, Mike reached the passenger side of the car and held the door open for me before he sat down in the driver's seat.

"So, where are you taking me?" I asked as he drove out of the parking lot.

"To my favorite place," he said. "Trattoria Giovanni di Roma. I treated the owner's daughter about a year ago when she got pneumonia and he invited me to his restaurant as a thank you. I think you'll like it, the food is exquisite. Not quite as exquisite as you, though," he added with a wink, "but a close second."

"Well, you'll get me for dessert," I laughed. "Any way you want me."

"Stop it," he moaned. "Otherwise I'm going to have to pull off to the side of the road and fuck you right then and there."

"Dinner first," I teased. "But that's definitely something we have to put on our to-do list. I've never had sex in a car before."

"Oh God," he wailed. "You make me so hot. I hope you meant that because I'll hold you to your word!"

"Trust me", I said, imagining the two of us having hot, sweaty sex in a secluded parking lot. "I meant it."

"Who knew there was a little exhibitionist lurking inside of you?" Mike chuckled.

"I sure has hell didn't," I laughed. "I've learned a lot about myself these past few days."

"Maybe I'm not the best influence," Mike said, and I wasn't sure if he was serious or not.