Claudia
I entered the building which had the words Santa Rosa written in a soft red color. The alcoholic and familiar scent swirls around my nostrils that I had gotten used to over the years.
I was back here, once again.
Waving at every one of my colleges, my eyes catch some new faces. I catch a glimpse of blonde hair and I immediately recognize who this was. She stops in her tracks once she sees me. "Claudia?" her jaw drops. "The one and only," I smirk, raising both my hands up, creating jazz hands.
"Mon Dieu!" [My God] "You look stunning." She wraps her arms around me and I cracked into smile once I heard those two words. "Thanks but you're always slaying," She lets go of me and I her signature eye roll. "French lessons going well, huh?"
"You bet," It always amazed me how she was this nonchalant, all day, everyday. Diane was the woman everyone loved. Everyone's favorite and understandably so. "Mami, I'll have to catch you later, your girl has a lot of work up her ass - which has always been flat - so... addio!" [bye]
"That's Italian, babe," I chuckle. "Well, I guess I'm learning it too," she shrugs, walking off to God knows where. I shake my head, the smile still on my face.
I kind of missed this place.
As if on cue, the elevator doors open-- with ding and I enter. I press the button to the 6th floor and the first thing that caught my eyes was the mirrors.
We love elevators with mirrors. We worship and stan them.
My hair is sleeked back with two curly stands of my hair out. With a curly pony tail as well. I'm in one of my favorite suits- a pale green oversized blazer and matching
pants. A white lacy top that went perfectly with my white heels. Just as my phone buzzed, the elevator doors opened and I thought I'd check the notification later.
I was now on the 6th floor. It was crazy how I'd become so familiar with this place once again as if I never left. My heels clicked on the tiles as I made my way to her office. I smiled once I saw her figure through the glass door. Her blinds were up and she was busy with something on the computer. I knock on the door only to allow myself in. "Uhm- I'm really busy right now, so please if there's anybody else who can take my place , please do 'cause mamacita is tir-"
"God damn, you never shut up," Her eyes that were glued to the screen finally flicker up and they meet mine. "Claudia?" I smile widely. "Oh my gosh, you're here!" She gasps jumping up from the chair and runs my way. She doesn't hesitate to suffocate the life out of me and my arms wrap around her but I barely had the strength to hug her as tight. "I've missed you," She mused and my lip curls up into a smirk.
"Slip of the tongue!" She said quickly- unwrapping her arms around me while she was at it. "God shouldn't have given you a tongue if you let it slip so much," I said and she blinked at me. Not once, not twice, but thrice. "Don't ever say that again. From now on, you're banned from making jokes," I dramatically gasp and I stare at her in fake disbelief.
"Rude," I huff. "It's called honesty," she purses her lips and I squint my eyes- shaking my head in mock disappointment.
"I'll be going then," I say opening the door. "Oh and remember when you said you owe me like a dozen favours?" Her brows come together as she stares me- confused. "I... don't recall those words coming out of my mouth." She said quickly. "You can play dumb all you want, but you owe me 12 favors. Literally. So, today you're buying lunch. I better love it. You know me better than anyone, so get me something good!" I say shutting the door with a soft thud, not giving her the time to come up with an excuse.
I sigh victorously and hear my phone buzz again. This time I decide to check it and my eyes land on a reminder and an email from Shawn, my boss.
I frown a bit and check the time.
07:57
Shit.
My meeting was in three minutes! I know, who has meeting at 8am? Santa Rosa Hospital apparently. The ladies room was too far so I settled with the tiny mirror in front of me.
Works, right?
Once I've done the final touches to my face, I apply another layer of my nude lipstick and rush to the elevator - which was very far. This time, I wasn't the only one in the elevator, I found two men in the elevator. Both dressed in suits. The one who was undeniably taller than me had his eyes narrowed, his expression was consequential and stern. His suit fit with his perfect chocolate brown skin and his hands were together. "Good morning." I greeted, observing the other man who was in the elevator with me.
Who was dressed in a dark grey looking suit. He wore no tie but rather let two buttons out, revealing more of his neck and chest tattoo on his mocha brown skin. The look wasn't anything I haven't seen before - in magazines and on TV but never face to face and less then a meter away from me.
It was slightly getting hot in here.
My eyes caught his peach black watch that had never seen before-- was attached to his wrist.
They both reeked of opulence.
And as much as I wanted to - I could not take my eyes off him.
His hair, his hair was a bit wet with just a strand of his hair just over his forehead. To my disadvantage, his sunglasses were hiding those most probably beautiful orbs. His jaw was as straight as the deckle edge of a paper. Could a man ever look so damn fine without me seeing his goddamn eyes?
I'm sorry but I have a thing for eyes.
Sue me.
"I don't enjoy being stared at." His voice causing me to come back to reality- shit. I shut my eyes, scrunching my whole face in the process. I didn't even know what to say- there wasn't anything to say and if there was, I didn't trust myself to say anything. My actions already gave off an impression that I was indeed a creep.
The guy next to him lets out a snicker and that had to be the first time I'd ever seen a friendly look on his face. In just a short amount of time.
I released a breathe of relief when after what felt like an eternity, the doors of the elevator opened.
I rushed out and made my way to the conference room hoping that I wasn't too late. Checking the time it was 8:00. How? That encounter in the elevator felt like hours. Hours and hours of a hot-
Claudia de Alice! Control yourself.
I couldn't lie to myself, he was good to look at but then I remember when he noticed that I was staring.
I blinked twice, looking down at the time again-- it was 9:00.
Wait...
what?
When I look up, I find myself sitting down in the conference room, not paying attention as my boss spoke.
I've been here for an hour and all I could think of was what happened in the elevator? Oh no. Bad Claudia, that's bad. What if his my new college? That would mean I already made a bad impression. Ugh, my first day back and I'm already creating mistakes. "And also, Claudia." The sound of my name being called out snapped me back to reality.
I blinked a few times trying to comprehend what was going on. My eyes traveled around the room, hoping to find somebody, anybody, and I spotted Ellora.
Thank the heavens.
She could tell I was out of it, I could tell by her just pursing her lips and slightly shaking her head. We communicate with our eyes for a couple of seconds and she only shrugs.
"You have done such excellent work before you took off leave," my boss continued. Oh no. It sounded like he was ready to send me off. What if it's because of what happened an hour ago? What if the gorgeous man filed a complaint? And now I'm just seconds away from being fired?
Oh no- "And I'm sure you're awaiting for your next patient. We've kept this client for a while now. It was only two weeks and he just wanted the best nurse agent he could get. And who better than you take care and try treat this man." I sighed and closed my eyes, feeling more at ease now.
I wasn't going to be fired.
I was just being assigned to a new client.
"Claudia, meet Mr. Rivera," My eyes followed Romero's hand and right before me was the same suit I had seen in the elevator. "Rivera..." I muttered but I could tell he heard by the smirk that was on his face. He heard me. His shades were still hiding his orbs and I now knew the purpose of him wearing those.
He didn't step into the doors of Santa Rosa, just because. He came here as a client. In need of a nurse. "Kindly introduce yourself," Shawn says and I clear my throat before standing up.
"C- Claudia. Claudia Ramirez,"
"Claudia Ramirez, it's a pleasure to meet you, I'm Luciano Rivera,"
I was being assigned to someone.
And that someone was Luciano Rivera.
Shawn's words echo in my head like a song. "Your job is to nurse him, not to love him,"