Ray stood outside in the ambulance bay staring at the people entering and exiting his hospital. He smirked. His hospital. If this was his hospital he would have run things a lot differently. He wouldn't talk down to his workers...especially in front of damn med students. Ray wouldn't let anyone get him down. That wasn't his style. He was his own man in control of his feelings. He looked up when he saw Abby exit the hospital.
"Hey Lockhart." He pushed off of the building. Abby looked at him oddly.
"Weren't you gone an hour ago?" She asked. Ray nodded as he walked up to her.
"I was, but now I'm here." He said. Abby nodded and started to walk away. Ray chuckled, keeping up with her pace. "Come on."
"Come on?" Abby chuckled, "Where are we going?"
"I'm taking you out to dinner." Ray said. Abby groaned.
"What's with people asking me out for dinner tonight?" She asked.
"I'm not asking." Ray grinned his patented smile. Abby frowned. She couldn't believe the balls of this man, "I know a great little place. I'll buy."
"We just got off of a very long shift. I would have thought you'd want to go to be." She said heading towards the El.
"We can do that too later." Ray smirked. Abby groaned loudly.
"Goodbye." She began to walk up the steps of the train. Ray grabbed her elbow.
"I was kidding...partly." He winked playfully. "I want to take you out to dinner. You've had a rough day trying to catch up with me."
"You should be asking Neela out to dinner." Abby mumbled glancing back at the hospital, hoping her roommate would come out. Ray shook his head.
"I don't want to take Neela out to dinner." Ray said. "If you don't want to, that's cool. I just thought you'd like it there. But I'll see you tomorrow." He turned around and heading back towards the hospital. Abby groaned loudly. Now she felt bad. She watched the back of his head as it started to get smaller in the distance.
"Shit." She cursed walking back towards the hospital, "Ray, wait." He stopped with a devilish grin. He turned and looked at her.
"What is it, Abigail?" Ray asked her. Abby shivered.
"Number one never call me Abigail. Number two this is just dinner." She said. Ray nodded.
"I had no intentions of going else where with it. I know you don't like me much. I don't like you much, but you need to be civil to your coworkers or the work place will be hell." Ray said stepping up to her.
"You think you know everything don't you?" She asked.
"I don't think it." Ray winked. Abby frowned. Now she remembered why she didn't like him much, but she wasn't going to turn down a free meal. It would be better than Neela's Mac-and-cheese.
The music was loud, but it wasn't too loud to where you couldn't talk. The smoke bellowed out from every both. Scents did manage to get past the smoke and into Abby's nose. Ray put his hand on the small of her back leading her to a booth in the back.
"We can talk back here." Ray said, "The music isn't as loud."
"What?" Abby asked.
"I said we can talk back here. The music isn't as loud." He told her.
"I know." She chuckled, shrugging off her jacket. Ray laughed as he sat down across from her.
"Touché." He said. Abby nodded.
"I can see why you like this place." She looked around at all the patrons. "It's very...You."
"Thanks." Ray smiled as he picked up a menu. Abby shook her head. He was a strange guy....Nice guy, but strange never the less. The waitress walked up to the table.
"Ray, hey!" She grinned, "I haven't seen you in a few days."
"Work, Rosie dear. You know how that goes." Ray said. Abby looked at the twinkle in his eye. She bit back a groan. He had slept with that waitress. She could tell.
"So you know what you're getting?" Rosie asked. Ray nodded.
"The buffalo wing sandwich with a side of onion rings. Bottle of Bud." He said looking at Abby, "What about you?" She sighed putting her menu down. There wasn't a lot to choose from.
"I'll have the same, but with some Pepsi instead." Abby said. Rosie nodded as she wrote this down.
"I'll put your order right up." She said taking the menus and walked away. Abby looked at Ray.
"That girl is pretty." She said. Ray shrugged his shoulders as he watched the band. He winced as the guitarist played the wrong note.
"She's okay." He said turning his eyes back at Abby, "So, tell me something. Why do you not like me so much?"
"You remind me of another doctor who work in the ER when I first got down there, but times ten." Abby chuckled. "You're cocky. We have enough cocky doctors."
"So, you've been at county for awhile?" Ray asked.
"I was a nurse up until recently. OB nurse and then I moved down to the ER as a med student, then went back to nursing, then back to school, and well, you know the rest." Abby said. Ray shook hiss head.
"You're just a glutton for punishment aren't you?" He asked her. Abby couldn't help but to chuckle.
"I suppose so." She said. "County isn't that bad once you get used to it. You need to find your click and stay with it."
"You don't seem to have a click. You're a floater." He said. Abby snickered.
"Well, I've dated two people in the ER, roomed with enough of them, or visa versa." She said.
"Hold it." Ray leaned over as if this place was filled with doctors and nurses from the ER, "Who did you date?"
"Luka and John." Abby said. Ray watched as Abby's cheeks reddened slightly.
"I would have guessed Pratt." Ray said. Abby couldn't help but to laugh loudly.
"Why??" She laughed, "He's with Chen."
"I know, but he seems to be a player." Ray shrugged.
"And you're not?" She asked him. Ray smirked as he pointed his finger at her.
"I never said I wasn't." He said. Abby nodded this man was dangerous.
"Just stay away from Neela. She's had her heart broken and she's too busy to get involved with anyone." Abby said, "Anyone in the ER you may have."
"What about you?" Ray asked. Abby groaned loudly.
"You don't want me." She said to him.
"Why wouldn't I?" He chuckled. Lord, Abby wished he would shut up.
"Because I am thirteen years older than you." She said, "There are plenty of women your own age in the hospital if you want to do the county thing."
"Don't worry, Abby." Ray said as Rosie came over with their sandwiches, "I was just teasing."
"Thank god." Abby mumbled. Who was she kidding? She didn't mind people hitting on her. It made her feel good. Too bad Ray was just joking because he was sort of sexy in the dangerous motorcycle riding kind of way.
"Thank you, Rosie dear." Ray smiled picking up an onion ring.
"Do you ride motorcycles?" Abby asked. Ray shook his head .
"No." He said. Abby sighed, slightly disappointed, "I used to, but I wiped out on one and really messed my knee up. I called it quits. I didn't want to ruin my arm and screw up my ability to play." A smile returned to Abby's face.
"You know that trauma we had today...It was suppose to be mine and you took it from me." Abby said. Ray nodded. He knew. He knew exactly what he had been doing.
"I know that, Hair flicker." He smirked evilly. "You need to be more aggressive."
"Oh I'm aggressive all right." She growled. "I've lived more than you probably have."
"Let's not compare life stories." Ray said to her, "You surely will lose." Abby laughed loudly. She almost had drowned out the music.
"I hardly think so." She said, "But let's agree to disagree because I'm not going to get into it with a man I barely even know."
"That's fine with me." He said as he took a bite of his sandwich. Women. They were all the same.
"This is good." Abby mumbled with a mouth full of food.
"Didn't your mother ever teach you not to speak with your mouth full of food?" Ray asked. Abby shook her head.
"Actually she didn't." She said, "Does it bother you?"
"I know what you're trying to do and no it doesn't." Ray said. Abby gave him a look and went back to eating her food. She hated to admit it but this food was really good.
Abby walked silently next to Ray. He had insisted on walking her home. Could there be a heart in that chest of his that actually beat? She hated to admit it but she knew he was a good doctor. She saw how sweet he was with some of his patients...and some of hers.
"Thanks for dinner, Ray." Abby said stopping in front of her apartment building. Ray nodded.
"No problem. We'll have to do it again sometime soon.' Ray tucked his hands into his jacket. Abby stared at him for a moment trying to read the look on his face.
"Are you going to kiss me?" She blurted out. A giant smile came across Ray's face.
"Do you want me to?" He asked. Abby thought about it. She actually thought about it for awhile. The pause felt like three hours long but in actuality it had only been ten seconds. She quickly shook her head.
"No thanks." She said.
"Okay. No problem." Ray turned and walked down the stairs, "Sleep tight." Abby watched Ray walk away. She was in trouble. This man was going to get her into trouble. She already knew it.