The bar had long since emptied out, leaving Aiden slumped over his table, still sipping the last drops of his drink. Dr. Lim, tired and irritated, stood nearby with her arms crossed. Her hair, usually neatly tied back at the hospital, now cascaded down her shoulders, framing her face as she glanced around, clearly annoyed. She wore a loose white button-down, tied at the waist, revealing a sleek black camisole underneath. It was late, and she was exhausted. Babysitting a drunk colleague wasn't how she imagined ending her night.
"Everyone else already left. You planning on getting thrown into the street? What's your address? I'll call you a cab." She spoke sharply, not even trying to hide her frustration.
Aiden chuckled, his words slurred. "Hard to believe, huh? They say you're everyone's favorite doc because of your 'angelic smile,' right?"
"Not everyone," she shot back, clearly irritated. "Ask Mr. Zhao."
Aiden just laughed again, ignoring her mood. He drained the rest of his drink, letting out a small belch before settling back in his chair, looking like he had no intention of moving anytime soon. Meanwhile, the restaurant's staff began clearing tables and sweeping the floor, clearly anxious for them to leave. A waiter walked over to Dr. Lim, gesturing toward the door, silently asking them to go.
Dr. Lim sighed and turned back to Aiden. "Hey, idiot! Go home already! What's your address?" She tapped her foot impatiently.
Aiden squinted up at her, grinning like a fool. "I'm Aiden, not 'idiot,'" he mumbled, reaching for his glass that was long empty.
The waiter gave her a pleading look from a distance, and Dr. Lim realized she had no choice but to handle this herself. "God, you're impossible," she muttered under her breath. With surprising strength for her slim frame, she grabbed one of Aiden's arms and hauled him to his feet. He was heavy, practically dead weight as he leaned against her.
"What are you made of, bricks? You should've been a wrestler instead of a doctor," she huffed, dragging him toward the door.
Aiden stumbled along, barely conscious, mumbling incoherently. Dr. Lim fished her phone out of her pocket and attempted to call Aiden's mother, hoping she could come to the rescue. All she got was voicemail. "Of course, Dr. Lee's out of the country. Why wouldn't she be?" She groaned in frustration, shifting under the weight of Aiden.
She sighed, scanning her surroundings for options. With no other choice, she propped Aiden against a nearby lamppost and rummaged through his pockets, pulling out his phone. It was dead.
"You've gotta be kidding me," she muttered, shaking her head. The idea of leaving him there crossed her mind, but that was impossible. She couldn't just abandon him.
Sighing deeply, she finally gave up and called a taxi. "Guess you're coming home with me, Mr. Trouble."
When the cab arrived, it took both her and the driver to get Aiden into the backseat. The driver grunted as he helped her lug the bulky man into the car. "This guy is heavy as hell," the driver said, accepting a generous tip from Dr. Lim for his troubles.
As they drove through the city, Dr. Lim glanced at Aiden's peaceful, albeit slightly disheveled, face. Beneath all that bravado, he was undeniably good-looking. His messy hair, the slight smile tugging at the corner of his lips—yeah, he had the kind of charm that made it easy to see why people liked him. But still, trouble was written all over him.
When they arrived at her apartment, she wrestled with Aiden again, with some help from the cab driver, to get him inside. Finally, after much effort, she managed to lay him down on the couch. He was far too big for it, his legs hanging off one end. She sighed and wiped her brow, standing over him with her hands on her hips.
"This won't be a problem, right?" she asked herself aloud, eyeing him cautiously. It wasn't exactly professional to bring a colleague home, even if it was just because he was too drunk to find his way back to his own place. She was supposed to be the serious one, the responsible one. What if people found out? Her parents would lecture her for days about reputation and the family name.
She shook her head. "I don't have time for this," she muttered. After making sure Aiden was somewhat comfortable, she stepped back and stretched, groaning. "God, I should've taken a shower before dragging this giant around."
Not long after, she hopped in the shower, washing away the day's stress and exhaustion. After drying off, she headed to the kitchen to grab a glass of water. She was halfway through her drink when her phone rang, startling her. She set her glass down and hurried to answer it, but in her rush, she tripped over the edge of her rug. The glass tipped over, and water splashed everywhere—right onto Aiden.
"Oh, for crying out loud!" she exclaimed. She glanced over at the soaked man, but Aiden didn't stir. "Hey, wake up, idiot! You're gonna get sick sleeping in wet clothes."
She knelt beside him, tapping his face gently, but Aiden was completely out of it. She frowned, staring at his soaked shirt and jeans, clearly torn about what to do next.
Her phone buzzed again, and she quickly checked the message. One of her colleagues was asking her to cover their night shift because of an emergency. She sighed, rubbing her temples. As much as she wanted to refuse, she knew she couldn't.
Glancing back at Aiden, she groaned. He couldn't stay there soaked like that all night. It wasn't professional, but she had no other choice. "Come on, Lim, you're a doctor. Don't overthink this."
With a resigned sigh, she started unbuttoning his shirt. Who would've thought her decision would bring her some comfort? His rock-hard body was definitely eye candy.
She tried to focus and continued removing Aiden's pants. And that's when she got the biggest shock of her life.