Chapter Text
A very flustered Waverly Earp rushed through the doors of her office building with a huff. She was running late for work, which she hated, and she knew she had a busy day. She prided herself on being organized and on time. She knew being late would throw off her entire day.
As she approached the desk of her assistant just outside the door of her office she swept up the pile of patient files that were placed there for her. She gave a rushed smile to the young man “Please tell me my first patient isn’t here yet?”
“No, but-”
“Oh thank god” Waverly cut her assistant off as she rushed passed him toward her door. She had her eyes focused on the top file that she had flipped open to scan as she walked into her office. She liked to know who she had scheduled so she could pull up notes from their last session to remind herself of the progress they were making together.
She jumped out of her skin when her eyes caught sight of someone standing in her office. She let out a surprised squeak and quickly slammed the file she had been reading closed. “Um, excuse me?”
“Oh, sorry” The tall red head turned around when she heard a voice behind her. Her eyes were greeted with a pleasant sight of a small but frazzled looking woman. She perked an eyebrow at Waverly and smiled very slightly “The door was open.”
“You’re not really…” Waverly rushed over to the tall stranger quickly. She turned and set the stack of files on the desk to her left before she gently reached her hands out. She wrapped them around the antique shotgun that the redhead was holding and delicately took it from her. “You aren’t supposed to touch that.”
“I wasn’t going to use it” The taller woman lifted her hands in a motion of surrender before fixing Waverly with a smile. “I was just curious about what kind it was.”
“You still aren’t allowed to touch it” Waverly eyed the woman up and down slowly, curiously, before shaking her head and stepping around her to set the shotgun back on the display stand where it resided. Once her hands were freed up she brushed some of her loose hanging bangs from her eyes and stepped back around her desk. She flipped open the top file again and scanned it. After a moment of not finding what she was looking for she looked at the woman with a concerned frown “I’m sorry but I wasn’t aware that I had a new patient today. Do you have an appointment?”
“Oh you think…” The woman motioned to herself and let out a laugh. She glanced over her outfit and quickly realized her relaxed track pants and zipped up hoodie did look a little too casual. Her head shook and she looked back up at Waverly with a grin on her lips “I can see why you misunderstood. But I am not a patient.”
“Then why are you here?” Waverly motioned to the door of her office then to where Nicole was standing in her office and shook her head.
“Where are my manners” The woman chuckled again and now extended her hand for Waverly to shake. “My name is Nicole. Nicole Haught. I’m new here and I was making my rounds this morning to introduce myself.”
“You’re…” Waverly perked an eyebrow as she looked over Nicole’s attire now. She looked like she was about to go to the gym. There was nothing about her that sold the idea that she worked in a medical office building. She gave her head a shake as her eyes came around to meet Nicole’s gaze “You have got to be kidding me.”
“I know, right?” Nicole motioned to her casual outfit before running her hand back through her chin length wavy red hair. She shrugged at herself then motioned somewhere behind where she stood “I definitely don’t look like a therapist of any sort but I can assure you I am.”
Waverly still didn’t look like she believed the woman. She motioned to herself and the very professional outfit she was dressed in. She had a white button up blouse, a grey pencil skirt with a matching blazer, and a pair of black rimmed glasses on her face. She then motioned to Nicole and breathed out a laugh “Can you blame me for my mistake?”
“You’re kind of judgy” Nicole laughed. She was not offended. She barely knew this woman and felt absolutely no urge to get her approval. She never really cared much what anyone thought so why would she start caring now. “But I get it…” She started to move toward the door of the office now with her hands held up near her shoulders as if she were signaling she was giving up. She paused at the door and turned back to look at Waverly once more. Judgy or not she was kind of adorable. She smirked at the thought and pointed down the hallway “If you feel like apologizing you can find me in the new Physical Therapy wing of the building.” She gave a wink, tapped her hand against the door frame, then turned and left the office.
Waverly felt like an idiot. She had completely forgotten the building had just opened a Physical Therapy wing. It had been a huge project that had taken over a year to build. She let out a sigh at herself before she turned and looked at her stack of files again. She knew being late would throw her entire day off. Hopefully Nicole wouldn’t hold her poor manners against her for too long.
~.~.~.~.~.
Waverly had finally found some time between patients to make her way to the break room a few doors down the hallway. She had not been able to make herself coffee that morning because she had been running late. She also had not eaten breakfast. She was looking forward to a strong cup of coffee and the fruit salad she had stashed in the fridge the day before.
She turned the corner into the open break room and was immediately greeted by a few of her colleagues that she had worked with for years. There were a handful of people spread out throughout the room enjoying some coffee and light conversation. She let out a heavy sigh and rolled her eyes as she focused on her best friend “I have had quite a morning. You wouldn’t believe me if I told you.”
Rosita, Waverly’s oldest friend and closest colleague, gave a nod and sipped from her coffee mug “Oh we heard all about it already.”
“How?” Waverly let out a huffed laugh as she moved toward the fridge. She pulled the door open in search of her fruit salad.
“Jeremy told us all about your frantic phone calls all morning” Rosita let out a soft laugh. She looked back at the newspaper she was reading before giving a nod “Also the entire building has already heard how you were rude to the new girl.”
“I was not rude” Waverly gasped as she shut the fridge and moved over to the table where Rosita was sitting. She set her fruit down and put her hands on her hips with a huff “Is that what she said?”
“I am pretty sure I said you were less than welcoming” Nicole mumbled from where she had been tucked in the corner near the coffee machine listening in amusement.
Waverly whirled around because the coffee machine was just inside the door and, thus, behind her. Her eyes got wide with panic when she realized Nicole had heard everything. She was about to lash out at her for spying but she stopped when her eyes landed on a surprising sight. Nicole was no longer dressed in her casual gym clothes. Instead she wore a white button up with the sleeves rolled up to her elbows, a light blue sweater vest over the shirt, and a pair of form fitting black slacks. She tried to blink the surprise away before shaking her head “I am sorry about that.”
Nicole just waved the notion off with a laugh before turning to grab her coffee off the counter where she had been mixing it when Waverly had walked in “I caught you on an off day. I think I can forgive you.”
Waverly gasped as her eyes focused on the mug that Nicole was now holding. “Um, excuse me, that is my coffee mug.”
Nicole paused mid-sip and perked an eyebrow at the woman. She slowly lowered the cup from her mouth and eyed it for a moment. She then motioned with the mug toward Waverly and let out a laugh “I wasn’t aware there were assigned mugs.”
“Well there’s not” Waverly mumbled with a shrug. “Not exactly. But we all just kind of drink out of the same one every day. Like an unspoken agreement.”
“Well maybe you should post these unspoken agreements for new people to read?” Nicole suggested with a shrug and pushed off the counter she was leaning against. She moved past Waverly with a smirk on her lips.
“You’re not going to give me my mug?” Waverly whirled around looking completely appalled.
“No” Nicole said in a matter-of-fact tone as she took another sip. “I already made my coffee in this mug why would I pour it in a different cup? That’s just asinine.” She motioned to the cupboard that held more mugs than necessary and nodded “There are plenty of clean mugs you can use.”
Waverly opened her mouth to argue but quickly realized everyone was watching the exchange. She shut her mouth and let out a sigh. She shook her head and turned her back on Nicole to make her way over to the coffee pot. She could not believe the arrogance. Who did she think she was? You can’t just march into an established place of work and make yourself at home like that!
Nicole smirked to herself from where she had settled across the room. She watched Waverly huff and puff as she made herself a cup of coffee. She couldn’t explain why but she had already enjoyed the two short interaction she had engaged in with the woman. Maybe because it was entertaining to her that she could so easily get in the head of someone who had literally studied the human mind for years.
Waverly had no idea why Nicole was bothering her so much. Usually she would just shrug off such arrogance and know that she was probably using it as a shield to hide some sort of insecurity. It had to be the fact that she had started the day off on the wrong foot. No one ever frazzled her. She had studied human behaviors and why people acted the way they did for years. She had three different Psychology degrees. How people treated her never phased her because she could easily figure out the reason behind it. But this? This was new. It was also very, very annoying.
She finished making her coffee, drew in a deep breath to center herself, then turned around with every intention of ignoring Nicole. That is when she realized the woman was gone. She perked an eyebrow and looked at Rosita curiously “Where did she go?”
“She had a patient” Rosita motioned to the door then let out a laugh as she focused on her friend. “I have never seen anyone get under your skin, babe. Are you alright?”
Waverly rolled her eyes and plopped down at the table next to her friend. She set her coffee down and reached for her fruit before letting out a sigh “My sister suddenly showed up after three years this morning. It really threw me off.”
“Oh shit” Rosita perked an eyebrow and sat up a little straighter in her seat. “Wynonna’s back?”
Waverly just gave a nod before reaching for her coffee again. She let out another heavy sigh and sank back into her chair. Everything had been going so well for her so it made sense that her troublesome sister would show up out of nowhere and complicate things. She had to shake it off, though. She still had her patients to focus on. She could deal with her own problems later.
~.~.~.~.~.
There was a soft knock that broke the silence that had fallen around Waverly in her office. It was the end of the day and she was taking time after her last patient to make notations in their file for her to be able to review next time. She was usually the last to leave the building so hearing the knock startled her. She took her glasses off and looked up from the file as she called out “It’s open.”
Nicole slowly cracked the door and poked her head in. When she saw Waverly sitting at her desk she gave a very soft smile and slipped fully into the room. She took a few steps then paused. She slowly tucked her hands into the front pockets of her black slacks and nodded “I wanted to come by and apologize. I gave you a hard time today.”
Waverly just waved a hand in a quick flick to the side as if brushing it off “I was unpleasant to you this morning. I really should be the one apologizing.”
“I overstepped” Nicole motioned now to the shotgun that was displayed on the wall behind Waverly’s desk. “I intruded on your personal space.”
Waverly glanced behind her to the gun. She stood now and reached for the piece, lifting it off it’s display, before drawing it slowly down toward herself. Her eyes fell to the gun as her fingers slid gently over some of the fine details. A smile came to her lips as she finally looked up to Nicole “I have to admit you have good taste. Most people just see an old gun. They don’t get it.”
“I’m by no means an expert” Nicole admitted with a laugh as she moved toward Waverly now that the woman seemed to be offering a sort of olive branch. “But I can appreciate fine craftsmanship and stunning beauty.” When she spoke the word beauty her eyes shifted to land on Waverly instead of the gun.
When Nicole’s eyes met hers Waverly felt her stomach flinch. The timing of the shifted gaze seemed to line up with Nicole speaking about beauty and Waverly was almost positive that had not been a coincidence. She didn’t know why but the idea made her stomach knot up. She had endured more unwanted advances and cheesy pickup lines than she could count in her life but this moment from Nicole seemed like neither. She tried to quickly shake it off as her eyes fell back to the gun “It was hard to find.”
“How about you tell me about it over dinner?” Nicole asked softly now as both hands moved to once more tuck into the pockets on the slacks she wore.
This surprised Waverly and it showed on her face when she looked up at Nicole. She blinked just once and couldn’t help the baffled laugh that slipped from her lips “What?”
“It’s the least I can do” Nicole shrugged and for the first time looked less than completely arrogant. “For my behavior, I mean” She added quickly and motioned behind herself to indicate their earlier interactions.
“Oh” Waverly breathed the word out and gave her head a few quick shakes. “That’s really not necessary. An apology was more than sufficient.”
“I insist” Nicole’s tone dripped with sincerity as her hand lifted to lay over her heart.
“Really, Nicole” Waverly shook her head again. The genuineness in Nicole’s eyes was so intense that she found herself having to look away. She looked at the gun again for a moment before turning back around to put it safely on it’s display.
“I won’t be able to sleep at night until I make this right” Nicole’s tone lightened just a bit as a laugh trickled out with the words.
Waverly smirked to herself in amusement. She wondered why Nicole was being so insistent. She slowly turned back to face the other woman with the smirk still in place “You’re persistent. I’ll give you that.”
Nicole’s arrogance seemed to return in that moment as she pushed a hand back through her short strands of hair. A smirk flickered at the corner of her lips and she lifted just one shoulder in a shrug “I don’t hear a no in there.”
Waverly rolled her eyes and let out a soft laugh as she tried, and failed, to be annoyed that Nicole’s cocky swagger had returned. Her head gave a shake before she finally flicked her hand to the side to show she was giving in “Fine. But not tonight.”
“Need time to prepare. I get it” Nicole gave her a teasing wink now. She had met her fair share of various Psychologists and most of them were overthinkers. She had no idea if Waverly was as well so the comment was mostly a joke. Mostly.
Waverly shook her head and huffed out a laugh as she turned back to her desk. She started to gather her things, glancing up at Nicole every couple of seconds, before she finally rolled her eyes. “You can leave now.”
Another smirk came to Nicole’s lips because she could tell she had once more gotten into Waverly’s head. She would take the small victory for the night. She gave a single nod and started to back up toward the door. She never took her eyes off Waverly as she moved. As she reached the doorway she paused and took a few moments to simply soak in all that was the essence of Waverly Earp. She had never met someone who had immediately intoxicated her the way this woman had. She wondered if this was the start to something far more interesting than an apology dinner with a colleague.
She tapped her fingers against the door frame as the thought moved through her mind. She finally gave a nod before she broke the silence that had filled the room as she spoke. It was soft, almost shy, as all traces of her arrogance had vanished “Have a good night, Waverly.”
Before Waverly could return the farewell Nicole had slipped out of the door and disappeared. She drew in a deep breath and fought another flutter in her stomach as a smile came to her lips. Her day had not started well. Her first impression of Nicole had not been positive. But here she stood at the end of the day feeling completely surprised. Pleasantly, so. She was usually so good at being able to read someone’s character within a few minutes of meeting them but Nicole had managed to prove her wrong. This only served to pique her interest all the more.
~.~.~.~.~.~.
Nicole knocked softly on the slightly ajar door that led to Waverly’s office. She then poked her head in and smiled when she saw Waverly sitting behind her desk “Got a sec?”
Waverly glanced up from the file she was reading over and a smile of her own lifted on her lips when she saw Nicole peeking in. She gave a nod and pulled her glasses off her face before motioning with her hand for the woman to come into the room.
“So…” Nicole pushed the door open to allow herself to pass through it easily. She held one hand behind her back as she approached the desk. “I bet you’re busy so I won’t take up a lot of your time. I just wanted to give you this…” She pulled her hand out from behind her back to reveal the coffee mug that Waverly had been so adamant belonged to her the day before. She moved slowly to set it on the end of Waverly’s desk before motioning to it “Just in case you hadn’t gotten a chance to make yourself coffee yet.”
“You…” Waverly perked an eyebrow as her eyes fell to the steam rising out of the mug. “You made me coffee?”
“To apologize for yesterday” Nicole nodded and motioned to the cup again. “Also so no one else accidentally used your cup before you got to it today.”
“How did you…” Waverly was very obviously flattered by the gesture. Her lips had not ceased in smiling since seeing Nicole. She reached for the mug and slid it closer to herself. She glanced at the coffee and an eyebrow perked slightly on her forehead “How did you know how I take it?”
Nicole just shook her head and started to back out of the room now. She lifted a single finger to her lips to indicate she would not share her secret before she turned to head from the room without another word.
Waverly was flabbergasted to say the least. Just when she thought she might be able to figure Nicole out she did something completely unexpected. Her head shook as she reached for the coffee mug. She lifted it to her lips and took a slow sip. She shouldn’t have been surprised that it tasted perfect, but she was. Her eyes flickered to look at the door Nicole had disappeared through with astonishment. She wondered what other surprises Nicole had in store for her.
~.~.~.~.~.
Waverly had not seen Nicole for the rest of the day. That wasn’t too unusual for where she worked. The office building housed a wide variety of different medical specialists and most days everyone was booked back to back with appointments. So she was not surprised they had not crossed paths again. She was surprised, however, by the fact that she felt slightly disappointed by that. She couldn’t explain why but the idea of seeing Nicole simply brightened her day.
Luckily she was set to have dinner with Nicole that evening. She made quick work of her notes after her last patient had left before she hurried out of the building. She needed to get home to change before dinner. She wanted to look nice. She always strived to look put together. She liked the message it sent. She had worked hard to be taken seriously and she wanted her appearance to reflect that.
She was on her way out to her car when she paused just a few feet outside the door. Her eyes landed on someone leaning against her car and as recognition set in she let out a sigh “I told you not to bother me at work.”
“Looks closed to me” Wynonna motioned to the front door of the huge office building her sister had just exited.
Waverly rolled her eyes and continued toward her car now “What do you want?”
“Can I stay with you for a few days?” Wynonna pushed off the car and stepped to the side to allow Waverly a path to the driver’s side door.
“No” Waverly mumbled as she pressed the button to unlock her doors then quickly pulled the door open.
“Come on, man. We’re family” Wynonna almost whined the words out.
“Last time you stayed with me you disappeared with three very rare and very expensive antiques” Waverly whirled around with a fierce glare on her face. “Now you have the audacity to show up three years later without even a phone call?”
“I’m sorry, Waves. That was really fucked up. I’m…” Wynonna motioned to herself then let out a heavy sigh “...I’m working on getting help.”
Waverly rolled her eyes and turned back around to her car. She tossed her briefcase into her seat before turning back to her sister “I have heard that before. Remember when I recommended someone who specializes in addiction and you promised me up and down you’d go?” She threw her hands to the side in frustration “I know the pattern, Wynonna. I’ve studied the pattern. Until you break the cycle yourself I would only be enabling you by letting you stay with me.”
“It’s a few fucking days!” Wynonna shouted. She stepped closer to her sister and grabbed onto her arm tightly. She gave a soft tug as if she were desperately trying to get Waverly to believe her “I can’t do this alone. I just need a few days to get on my feet.”
“Then get a hotel” Waverly hissed and tried to pull her arm out of Wynonna’s grip. When she was met with resistance she perked an eyebrow and stared at her sister with a fire in her eyes “Take your hand off of me.”
“Please” Wynonna tugged a little harder as hopelessness started to set in on her face. “Three days.”
“Let go of me” Waverly growled and attempted to tug her arm free once more. When that again failed she used her other hand to push against Wynonna’s chest “I’m not kidding around, Wynonna. Get off of me.”
“I’m not letting go until you agree to let me stay with you” Wynonna’s tone was less pitiful and more malicious now. She gave a firm tug and watched as her sister tumbled to the side.
“Wynonna, stop. You’re hurting me” Waverly groaned and started to struggle against her now.
“Let me stay with you” Wynonna shouted again and gave another firm tug that sent Waverly jerking into the open door of her car.
“Hey!” Nicole suddenly rushed over. She had been heading to her own car when she heard shouting nearby. As soon as she realized the situation was turning violent she had quickly made her presence known. She pushed her arm between Wynonna and Waverly and grabbed hold of where Wynonna’s hand was wrapped tightly around her sister’s arm. She fixed Wynonna with a strong stare and spoke in an assertive tone “Let her go.”
“Who the Hell are you?” Wynonna tried to shove Nicole away with her other hand. When the woman barely moved, she perked an eyebrow and looked her over from head to toe. “Why don’t you mind your own damn business.”
“Just let her go and we can all go our separate ways” Nicole’s tone did not waver. She was barely taller than Wynonna but with her chest puffed out and her stiffened posture she looked intimidating. Her eyes hadn’t even blinked since fixing them on Wynonna. She gave a shake of her head and stepped closer to Wynonna “Don’t make me call the cops.”
“Fucking nosy ass narc” Wynonna grunted as her hand dramatically released her sister’s arm as if to emphasize she had let her go. She took a step back and shook her head. Her eyes then focused on her sister who was slightly behind Nicole and she motioned to her with a look of disgust on her face “After all we’ve been through…” She snorted in disapproval then turned to leave.
Nicole stood stiff until Wynonna was out of view. Once she was sure the woman was gone she turned around to face Waverly. She frowned slightly and reached gently for the arm that Wynonna had been holding onto tightly “Are you alright?”
“Fine” Waverly brushed her hair off her face and gave a flick of her hand. She didn’t want to admit that her arm kind of hurt.
“Who was that?” Nicole now motioned over her shoulder blindly.
“She is a…” Waverly sighed at how to describe her sister. She gave her head a shake as her eyes focused on Nicole “....long story.”
Nicole nodded and stepped back now that she knew Waverly was okay. She let her eyes flicker over the girl as if looking for any signs that she was lying about being alright. She was visibly shaken, that was for sure, but Nicole would not push any further. Instead she cleared her throat and once more motioned behind herself “I’d totally understand if you weren’t in the mood for dinner.”
“Really?” Waverly bit her lip. She felt bad about canceling but she was most definitely not in the mood now.
“Of course” A sincere smile rose on Nicole’s lips for a brief moment. Her gaze held on Waverly tenderly. She didn’t know the girl well but she had a feeling that whoever that had been was someone Waverly cared deeply about. “Raincheck. Just let me know.”
“I’m sorry” Waverly sighed heavily and motioned to where Wynonna had disappeared. “She just-”
“No need to apologize” Nicole laid a gentle hand against Waverly’s shoulder. She spoke calmly and evenly to show that she was being honest with her words. “Are you sure you’re alright to drive?”
Waverly felt her stomach flutter again and she knew it was caused by the way Nicole was handling what she had just seen. She was a literal stranger and yet she had managed to show more compassion than most would in the same situation. Waverly believed that someone’s true character was often revealed in the face of injustice and right now she was seeing another completely new side of Nicole.
She quickly shook that thought off and tried to laugh it away as she turned back to her car. She leaned in to move her briefcase out of her seat and into the passenger side. She then reemerged and had a fake smile on her face “I will be fine. I promise.”
Nicole could see that Waverly was very politely trying to release her from any obligation to help. So she would oblige. She gave a nod to show she had heard her words and took a step back. She adjusted the strap of the messenger bag she wore on her shoulder before reaching into the breast pocket of the mint green button up she had worn that day. She produced one of her business cards and extended it out toward Waverly “If you want to talk or blow off steam or need me to come check for monsters under your bed.” She tried to laugh at the last of her words to show she was attempting to lighten the mood. She then shrugged and looked more serious again “Just call if you need anything.”
Waverly wanted to be annoyed that Nicole was offering to listen to her problems but she couldn’t be. The woman was so genuinely nice. So she took the business card that was offered and gave a single nod of her head. “I appreciate it.”
Nicole gave a satisfied nod and decided there was no more left to say. Waverly did not want to explain and Nicole would not push. So she took a few more steps backwards before she lifted her hand in a slight wave “See you tomorrow, Wavery.”
“Thank you” Waverly returned the wave and smiled at the woman. She watched her turn and head to her car. She stood outside her own vehicle until Nicole had started the engine on hers. She then let out a sigh and climbed in to do the same. As she popped her car into gear she gave her head a shake. She had no idea what she was going to do about her sister.
~.~.~.~.~.~.~.
“Hey” Nicole knocked on Waverly’s door but did not wait to walk in since it had been fully open. She offered a soft smile when her eyes landed on the woman behind her desk as she always seemed to be.
“Hey” Waverly sounded tired but managed to smile softly when she looked up from her paperwork. That is when she noticed Nicole’s attire and she perked an eyebrow before motioning to it with the end of the pen she held “Don’t tell me you’re one of those gym rats who workouts out at lunch instead of eating.”
“Judgy” Nicole huffed out a laugh as she looked at her clothing. She was once more dressed in the track pants and hoodie she had been wearing the first time she had met Waverly. She shook it off with amusement on her lips as her eyes lifted to find the woman eyeing her suspiciously “Can you pull the stick out of your ass for five minutes and follow me?”
“Excuse me?” Waverly coughed out a laugh that was only half offended as she pulled her glasses from her nose and set them on her desk. “You wanna try that again?”
“You gave me shit about my-” Nicole motioned to her clothes then stopped herself because it didn’t matter. She quickly shook it off and motioned for Waverly to get up “Just come with me, please? I want to show you something.”
Waverly opened her mouth to argue but stopped herself. She wanted to say she didn’t have time. She was behind on her notes and still needed to get lunch before the next round of patients started to show up. But she decided in that moment to just go with the flow even if she really hated going with the flow. She stood up from her desk and motioned to Nicole “Fine. Lead the way.”
Nicole smiled widely and turned around in a hurry. She knew they were both busy so she wouldn’t beat around the bush. She didn’t even check behind her to see if Waverly had followed. She set off down the hallway that led toward the new wing of the building. It was pretty much a straight shot and within just a minute she was standing outside a set of double doors. She finally turned to see if Waverly had followed and smiled when she saw the smaller woman was right behind her. “Okay, I know you don’t have a lot of time most days but I wanted to let you know if you ever needed a few minutes to unwind-”
“Where are we?” Waverly motioned impatiently at the doors.
“You need to learn how to be patient” Nicole spoke honestly but with a soft laugh to show that she wasn’t really offended. She then turned and pushed the doors open. She stepped inside and motioned to the huge open area that looked almost like a sports gymnasium. The ceilings were high, the floors were wooden and polished, and there were various pieces of equipment placed throughout. She turned and looked at Waverly with a smile “Welcome to my world.”
Waverly was honestly astounded. She had known they were doing a huge addition on the building but she had never really bothered to take a look at what they were building. She realized she didn’t often take the time to bother with anything outside her own life. She shook the thought off and glanced back at Nicole curiously “What is all of this?”
“This is the jungle” Nicole laughed as she walked into the room further. “At least that’s what we call it.” She turned now to look back at Waverly. When she saw she still looked confused she gave another laugh “Physical therapy requires the use of various types of devices.” She shrugged and motioned to a few things nearby. “I know it kind of looks like a gym on steroids but everything in this room has a purpose.”
“Okay?” Waverly could see Nicole was excited and that was infectious but she also did not understand why the woman had brought her here.
“So…” Nicole moved to scoop up a large ball from the ground. It had a stitched vinyl outside and was twice the size of a basketball. She tossed it up and let it fall to the ground. It did not bounce but instead landed with a heavy thud indicating it held significant weight “If you ever need to blow off some steam, I would be happy to show you how everything works.”
“Nicole, I…” Waverly shook her head as her eyes flickered about. There were contraptions and devices she had never seen in her life. She let out a soft laugh as she brought her eyes back to the other woman “I wouldn’t know where to start. I’m also not sure it would help.”
“You’d be surprised” Nicole gave a nod as she stepped closer to Waverly. She put a hand on her shoulder and again that genuine concern for the woman filled her gaze as she spoke “Injuries heal in all different types of ways. Don’t count anything out until you give it a shot.”
“I’m not injured” Waverly huffed and motioned to her entire body. “Not even a single surgery!”
“Maybe not physically…” Nicole lifted a hand and put it over her own heart now. She tapped a few times at her chest and nodded firmly at the woman “It can work for this, too.”
“Don’t pretend you know anything about me” Waverly’s defenses shot up immediately at the assumption from Nicole. She stepped backwards as her head shook feverishly back and forth.
“Hey, I am just trying to-”
“Don’t” Waverly put a hand up to stop Nicole from speaking, from following her, from continuing down the road of thought she was on. She did not want anyone, least of all a complete stranger who had the tendency to come off as a know-it-all, involved in her personal life.
“Waverly, come on” Nicole let out a heavy sigh as her face fell into a frown. “I didn’t mean to upset you.”
“Stay out of my business” Waverly shot her a warning glare before turning and storming out without another word.
Nicole’s head shook as she watched the woman leave. She looked around where she stood and with a heavy sigh she swung her foot out to kick the heavy medicine ball she had lifted just moments prior. That had been a bad idea, as the ball was nearly solid, and she let out a groan as she grabbed her toe. She didn’t think it was fair that this was what she got for trying to help.
~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.
When a knock came to Nicole’s office door she perked an eyebrow and looked up. Her door was wide open and most people knew that they didn’t need to knock. If her door was open they were welcome to walk right in so it was curious that someone had knocked. When she saw that Waverly was standing sheepishly in her doorway she immediately understood why the woman had knocked.
“I didn’t expect to see you today” Nicole smiled very slightly as she sat back in her chair and eyed the woman up and down slowly. She could tell by her body language that Waverly was nervous. They had not spoken since Waverly had stormed out on her the day before.
“I wanted to apologize” Waverly bit her lip and took a single timid step into the office now that Nicole knew she was there and was not immediately telling her to go away.
“I get it” Nicole shook her head and lifted a hand to stop the woman from continuing. “I don’t know you so it was presumptuous of me to try and pretend I did. I tend to be a little overbearing when it comes to helping people. I insert myself into situations without being asked.” She let out a soft laugh and stood from her chair now. “I can respect that you have every right to deal with your own life by yourself.”
“You were just trying to help” Waverly took another step into the office now. “I am not used to being helped.” She let out a sheepish sounding laugh and her shoulders lifted into a shrug. “I should not have snapped.”
“It’s totally cool” Nicole lifted her hand once more to stop Waverly’s apology from continuing. “We’re strangers.”
“I want to fix this” Waverly’s tone was firm. “So, if you would be so kind, I’d like to have lunch with you to say I’m sorry.”
This surprised Nicole. A soft smile came to her lips as she carefully looked Waverly over. After a moment a light laugh came from her mouth “You realize that means we have to share two meals together now?”
“You have done more than enough to make up for our first encounter. I will not hold you to that dinner” Waverly shook her head with a smile rising on her lips.
“Oh no I am a woman of my word” Nicole tapped her chest then stepped around her desk. She folded her arms and leaned against the top of her desk slightly. “We are still doing dinner sometime.”
“Fine” Waverly waved it off because there was no need to argue. “But only if you agree to have lunch with me?”
“Fine” Nicole repeated Waverly’s sentiment as her hands lifted in a quick gesture to show there would be no argument from her either.
“Perfect. So…” Waverly quickly move back toward the office door. She reached out into the hallway and scooped up the bag she had stashed there. As she straightened up and revealed the bag, she gave a wide smile, and nodded at Nicole “I wasn’t sure if you had any dietary restrictions so I decided salad was a safe bet.”
“Wait, you meant lunch right now?” Nicole laughed and pointed to the floor to indicate the moment they were currently in.
Waverly nodded proudly and swung the bag containing the food back and forth from where it dangled in her hand.
Nicole shook her head in amusement before she pushed off her desk. She moved over to her office door and pushed it shut before turning and moving back toward her desk. She pressed a button on the telephone that sat on her desk and after a moment a voice came through the speaker asking what Nicole needed. She smiled at Waverly and spoke toward the telephone “I am going on lunch and I am not to be disturbed. I’ll collect any messages once I’m done.”
Waverly had turned and started to look around the office while Nicole was speaking with her assistant. She waited until the brief exchange had ended before she turned and motioned to some of the shelves that were displaying various pictures and random items. “You’ve personalized this place pretty quickly.”
“I’ve been bringing my stuff in over the past three weeks” Nicole laughed as her eyes focused on Waverly. She was watching the woman taking in all of her various decorations. It wasn’t overly decorated but she had enough personal things to really showcase who she was as a doctor and what was important to her.
“But I thought you’d just started?” Waverly looked surprised at the revelation.
“Taking patients here, yes” Nicole confirmed as she slid her hands into the pockets of her black slacks. “But the offices have been ready for weeks.”
“Oh” Waverly felt a little dumb. That made sense. She shrugged and turned to face Nicole now. She offered her a smile as she set the bag of food on Nicole’s desk “So why didn’t you introduce yourself earlier?”
“I did” Nicole spoke softly as her eyes shifted to the bag of food. Her stomach growled and it was then that she realized she was hungry. “But you are a hard woman to track down.”
“You’ve found me just fine the last few days” Waverly laughed as she started to dig things out of the bag. She pulled out numerous different containers and lined them up on Nicole’s desk.
“With much difficulty” Nicole laughed as she watched the woman unload the bag. It was then that she realized every topping was in a separate container. She perked an eyebrow and motioned to all the options “For future reference, I’m not picky so you can definitely just throw everything in the same bowl next time.”
“I was just being considerate” Waverly shrugged as she discarded the bag now that it was empty.
“So did you have this already ordered in hopes that I would agree to lunch or were you planning on eating all of this by yourself?” Nicole asked with a smirk.
“I was going to bug you until you said yes” Waverly glanced up from where she was taking all the lids off the containers and gave Nicole a smile.
“Why?” Nicole motioned to the food with a laugh. “I just mean why did it have to be today?”
“As you so aptly pointed out yesterday I am impatient” Waverly admitted with a laugh.
“Sorry about that” Nicole frowned as she took the plate that Waverly offered to her now.
“Don’t be. You’re right” Waverly shrugged as she focused on the food.
“I don’t even know you. I shouldn’t have said that” Nicole loaded a few different toppings onto her salad.
“You don’t put up with bullshit, do you?” Waverly glanced up with a curious eyebrow raised at Nicole.
“I don’t really see the point in that” Nicole shook her head and gave Waverly a smile. She set her plate down now as she took a seat in one of the chairs that were situated on the other side of her desk.
“It’s admirable” Waverly nodded and moved to sit in the chair next to Nicole. They sat side by side, using Nicole’s desk as a table, as they settled in to eat.
Nicole gave a nod at that but didn’t comment. She focused on her food, poking at it, mixing it all around, more than happy to let a silence fall over the room.
Waverly perked an eyebrow at the fact that Nicole had not continued the conversation. She eyed the woman curiously for a few moments. When it seemed she was content to sit and eat without talking she let out a huffed laugh “As adamant as you’ve been to help me I thought for sure you’d relish in the chance to have a conversation with me.”
“People like you tend to want to listen more than they want to talk” Nicole shrugged and poked at her food again.
“People like me?” Waverly looked offended. “What exactly does that mean.”
“Psychologists” Nicole chuckled and reached out to put a hand on Waverly’s shoulder in a gesture to try and calm her down. “You’re so used to listening that you forget you’re allowed to talk.”
Waverly let out an indignant huff and shook her head “That is presumptuous of you.”
“So tell me about yourself” Nicole motioned to Waverly with the hand that she had just pulled off her shoulder.
Waverly shook her head and looked down at her salad. She was quiet for a moment, as if in thought, before she looked back up at Nicole. When she saw the woman looking at her expectantly she rolled her eyes and laughed before motioning around the office “So how are you liking it here so far?”
“Mhm” Nicole hummed in amusement as she looked back at her food. “That’s what I thought.”
“Oh like you know anything” Waverly huffed in annoyance.
“You’re not the only one with a fancy degree in human behavioral science” Nicole breathed out the words with a hint of a laugh as she motioned to one of the framed certifications hanging on the wall behind her desk.
Waverly’s eyes went wide when she realized how rude she had just been. She looked horrified in herself. “I’m so sorry, I didn’t mean to assume-”
“I know when people hear physical therapy they assume it’s just moving around and rehabilitating injuries” Nicole interrupted Waverly so she would not continue to apologize. “I take pride in the mental rehab part of it, too.”
Waverly shook her head and let out a very heavy sigh. Nicole continued to break down all assumptions she had made about the woman. “Of course you do.”
Nicole could tell Waverly felt bad. She gave her a soft smile and reached out to lay an assuring touch to her arm “You’re not ready to talk about yourself and I get that. I want you to know that you do have someone willing to listen when you are.”
Waverly’s head shook again a little more feverishly. She let out a sigh and slumped back in her chair “I am so used to taking on the weight of the world that I forget it can be shared.”
“And” Nicole stood now and moved over to a small fridge in the corner of her room. She leaned down and pulled it open. She retrieved two water bottles before turning and kicking it closed “You have the option of working out some of that stress silently in the gym.”
“I wouldn’t know where to start” Waverly laughed as she took the water bottle from Nicole when she offered it.
Nicole motioned now to the other certification hanging on the other side of the wall behind her desk and laughed “I am super qualified to point you in the right direction.”
“I wouldn’t want to-”
“I offered” Nicole put a hand to her heart and set a firm gaze on Waverly so she knew she was being sincere. “It would be my pleasure.”
“Nicole, I-”
“Think about it” Nicole stopped Waverly from trying to deflect the help again. She reached for her plate of food and moved around her desk to sit in her usual chair now. She gave the other woman a smile as she sat. They were actually talking now so she wanted to be able to look at her while she ate “So when are we doing dinner?”
Waverly snorted out a laugh at that and shook her head in amusement. Her eyes flickered from her food to the woman as a smile rose on her lips “Are you always so persistent?”
“You don’t accomplish anything by waiting” Nicole shrugged and stabbed at her food. “Are you always so stubborn?”
“Yes” Waverly laughed out her answer. “What about our interactions makes you even have to question that?”
“I was giving you the benefit of the doubt” Nicole chuckled herself before glancing at her food. She moved it around before looking back to Waverly with a nod “It’s not a bad thing. Being stubborn, I mean.”
“I know” Waverly’s smile softened a little. The way Nicole was being so understanding, even assuring her there was nothing wrong with what she considered to be a flaw, was making her feel bashful. She wasn’t sure why. She was not the type of girl who let herself be swept up by compliments or kind words. But Nicole seemed to want nothing more than to make sure she didn’t feel bad about herself.
“Thank you for lunch” Nicole’s tone softened as she motioned to her food. “I get so busy sometimes I forget to eat.”
“I know what you mean” Waverly laughed very softly as she gathered up another bite on her fork. “Sometimes I am stacked back to back with appointments.”
“What made you go into addiction psychology?” Nicole suddenly changed the subject.
Waverly hadn’t expected that and it showed as much on her face. She blinked just once as she processed the question. After a moment of thought about it she gave her head a shake “I guess I liked how different every case could be.”
“You’re lying” Nicole’s eyebrows creased in disappointment.
“No I’m-”
“Don’t insult me by denying it” Nicole lifted her hand to stop Waverly from continuing. “You started your answer with I guess and you do not strike me as the type of woman who guesses anything.”
Waverly threw her hand out to the side and stared at Nicole with her mouth hanging agape. She blinked a few times then let out a huff before her head shook and she looked down almost guiltily at her food “You’re nosy.”
Nicole snorted out a laugh as she set her plate of food down. She leaned forward in her chair and set her eyes on the woman across from her. She stared at her seriously before giving her head a little shake “This isn’t going to work if you refuse to talk about anything real with me.”
“What isn’t going to work, Nicole?” Waverly snapped unnecessarily but she felt like she had been backed into a corner by the woman.
“You know what?” Nicole stood now and moved around her desk quickly. She pulled open her door and swept her arm toward the opening to indicate that she wanted Waverly to leave. “We can just be colleagues. We don’t have to be friends. I’ll be polite when I see you but that’s it.”
Waverly looked absolutely appalled that Nicole had the audacity to kick her out. She gasped and fluttered her eyes in a few quick blinks as she focused on what was happening. She grunted out a breath before she stood from the chair like a shot. She tossed her plate of food onto the desk and turned toward the door “You are so full of yourself.”
“And you’re spoiled” Nicole barked as the woman stormed by her.
The words Nicole said to her caused Waverly to pause in her tracks. She whipped back around to face her, narrowing her eyes in an intimidating glare, as her hand lifted to point at the woman “You have no right to assume you know anything about my life.”
“As you keep reminding me” Nicole shook her head and motioned with her hand as if telling Waverly to go. “You keep all that shit bottled up and you’re going to die sad and alone.”
Waverly let out a horrified gasp now. There was no denying that she was completely offended. Her head gave a shake as her eyes took in the woman who was absolutely infuriating to be around. She was sure that if she could go the rest of her life without seeing her again she would be happy. She stomped a foot and whirled back around so she could continue storming away from the situation.
Nicole watched her go until she was out of sight. She then softened the defensive stance she had taken and let out a sigh. When she turned around and saw all the receptionists and assistants in the area were staring at her she rolled her eyes. This was the worst possible impression she could have made during her first week. She was sure she would never live this down.
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