Chapter 1

SELENE

She hated, more than anything, the smell of hospitals. It smelled of plastic gloves, old chairs, and death… or many people close to it. This wasn't her idea in the first place and she was close to getting up and walking right back out the door she came in through. It had already been a 30-minute wait, which she thought was long enough entertainment of this ridiculous plan.

Her parents had just moved to New York a couple of months ago after selling the little land that they had back in England. Where she had come from it seemed it was okay to be at home at the age of twenty-three and unmarried. No one had been around to bother her about it. But it seemed as if the moment they got here her mother was trying to get her out and married. And this was only the start to her plot. A check-up.

The deep hacking cough of the old man next to her made up her mind. As soon as she stood up to leave the nurse called her name.

"Selene? Selene?" She called in an uninterested nasally voice.

"H-here. That's me." Selene raised her hand.

The small woman seemed to look her up and down before continuing, "Right this way, please."

Selene carefully stepped over the children playing on the floor and around the walker blocking her way. She sighed and caught up behind the nurse.

They finally arrived to at an empty room.

"In here." The woman ordered. "The nurse will be with you in just a moment."

"Uh, thank you." The woman closed the door behind her and left Selene alone.

She placed her jacket in the empty chair beside the bed and looked about the room at the different charts hanging on the wall. How are you today? How much pain do you feel? I'm in a bad mood today and my mother is the pain, thanks for asking, She thought. There was a diagram of breast exams, ear infections, and pink eye. She must have looked over everything twice… the nurse was taking a long time.

"Sorry about that Ms. Knight, we've been pretty backed up all day."

Selene spun around at the sound of the man's voice. He was still looking over her chart as he closed the door behind him.

This was her nurse?!

He had dirty blond wavy hair with a few pieces that fell right over his eyebrows…

Selene shook her head. Why was she noticing his hair?

He put her chart down on the sink counter and started washing his hands.

Either they didn't make scrubs in his size or he just needed to tone down his workouts in the gym. Selene also noticed his toned muscles as he finished up washing his hands. Not only was she not used to a male nurse, but she was not used to a male nurse this good looking. At least he wasn't her doctor.

He dried them off and finally turned towards her.

"Ms. Knight?"

Selene realized she was staring. She started to blush. Quick, think of something to say!

"Just Selene."

"Very well. Selene, would you take off your shoes and step on the scale for me please?" He stepped back and went back to looking at the chart. His hair fell over his eyes and hid his face. For a nurse he seemed pretty distracted.

He quickly took her weight and blood pressure without a word. When he was all done he scribbled a few more things in her chart. Selene sat quietly watching him. Even his hands looked strong. If she were going to meet more men like him then she wouldn't have a problem with her mother's match making decisions. Well, she hoped the man would at least look and speak to her. She wondered if this was how all men here were.

She had agreed to go on this blind date with the son of her father's boss, only because her mother started crying about how important it is for her to see me happy. Though she was perfectly content, she hated to see her mother so distraught. So she figured one blind date, try not to be too terrible because her father just got this job and she didn't want to somehow ruin it, but pray it goes bad enough that her mother never pulls something like this again.

But the reason she was here? Her mother and father both demanded she get a physical to make sure everything was still working and she was 'clean'… after a very heated argument on that they just decided they wouldn't talk to her until she did. Now here she was… once again staring at the world's most silent handsome man.

"I'm going to need you to undress."

His words broke her out of her thoughts.

"Excuse me?" She sounded more nervous than she meant too.

"For the doctor?" He looked up at her. He finally looked at her. It seemed to be a moment that lasted forever as she finally saw his blue eyes. Or were they green? Hazel perhaps. A small smirk came over his serious face. He found her amusing. Selene wasn't sure whether to be proud or embarrassed.

"You do remember what you came here for right?" He said trying to hold back a smile.

"I-I do. I guess it's just been a while."

He shrugged his shoulders. "You know, you didn't have to come through the emergency entrance though. There doesn't actually seem to be anything wrong with you. "

Now he must think I'm an idiot, she thought. Somehow her mother made up some story to the nurse at the window when they first entered the emergency room. Her mother believed she would get her test results sooner if they came here.

Noticing her silence he stood and closed her chart.

"Well anyway," He combed his fingers through his hair pushing it away from his eyes, "the doctor will be here shortly. Here is something to change into."

He handed Selene a paper gown from the drawer. He turned to walk out of the room and looked back once more to give her that same smirk. Her heart skipped a beat. Then he was gone.

What was that look for? Selene was trying to get her heart back to a normal pace. She didn't even know him… he never even said his name!

Selene almost got mad until she realized she'd probably never see him again. She found out yesterday that many, many… many people live in this city. The chances of running into them twice were not likely.

Slightly disappointed Selene began to undress and pray that the physical would be over soon. And maybe that she might be able to see the nurse again.