Chapter 3

"Sir, why are we here?" His driver asks as he pulls into the parking lot.

"To treat my wounds," he plays with a lighter, flicking the lid open and then closing.

"I heard you came to the hospital yesterday."

"Yeah, Lina took me there." He smiled looking outside.

"But you don't usually go to the hospital," The driver killed the engine.

"I know, but she insisted," he says, watching Kimimela from this car. She looked dazzling, she smiled at Ava entering the hospital.

"Are you going in now?" he asked.

"Kim?" he whispered her name, "I want her."

"Sir?" The driver asks, confused. "Kim?"

Kim?" A voice called.

"Yes?" She looked back at the lady that called her. It was Sandra.

"Someone is out there looking for you."

"Me? Why?" Kim placed the clipboard she was going through on the desk.

"He said he's your patient."

"Did he say his name?" She prayed internally that it would be a different person from the weird guy she treated yesterday.

"No. He says you would know who he is." Sandra replies.

Kim's face dropped. "Alright, tell him to give me a minute," she tells her.

"Okay," Sandra left.

Kim steps out of the coffee room. She walks to the hospital lobby and finds a middle-aged man standing. She was somewhat relieved.

"Him?" She looked at Sandra who was typing into a computer.

"No, that one." She points to Miran.

"He isn't my patient," Kim says with finality and turns to Sandra.

"He isn't?"

Kim takes deep breaths. He was frustrated.

"He sort of is," Kim sighs, "I cleaned him up yesterday and had another nurse stitch him up. He's technically her patient now."

Miran notices Kim and walks over to them. "Thank you," he says to Sandra while he struggles with his leg.

"Why are you here?" She asked through her clenched teeth.

"You told me to come today," he gives a big smile.

"I did, I know but, why did you ask for me?" Kim asked.

"You're gonna treat me?"

Kim looked at him. He was too confident, she rolled her eyes and said, "Follow me." She starts to walk away.

"Okay," Miran follows her into a room.

"Seat." She beckons to him while she stands. "I thought I told you yesterday that another nurse would see you today."

"You did but, you attended to me first. You're nicer."

"I have a job. There are far more urgent patients than you who just need a change of bandages. You can do that anywhere. Why do you have to come here?" Kim asked, exasperated.

"Because of you," Miran says calmly.

"I don't think you should do that." She unwrapped his bandages and took her time cleaning the cut.

"Why can't I?" He says.

"Because it's inappropriate. You're at my workplace and you're wasting my time," she says, cleaning it up.

"Doesn't matter, what should I do to get you to look at me?" he relaxed.

"You're cute, you know." she laughs.

"Am I? Then let me take you out for dinner."

Kim paused, she looked at him and he smiled at her.

"Why should you?" She asks instead.

"I will pick you up by 6 pm..." he looked at her.

"Girls like to be asked, not told." Kim began to wrap up the cut.

"You have an ID card today."

"Ah, yes I just got it."

"Kimimela Cortes," he smiled. "I was dying to know what Kim," he says. "Do you know what your name means?" He tilted his head.

"Little butterflies?" She says, raising her gaze at him, she rolled her eyes, did he think she wouldn't know.

"Hmm, butterflies" he smiles, "Wouldn't you like to feel them? I mean the butterflies," he says, Kim paused.

"You should go now," She says as she finishes up, while she clears her throat, he amuses her.

"What do you say?" He holds out his hands. "

I'm too busy today," she said.

"I will take that as a yes" Miran gets up holding his leg. Her eyes travelled the length of his body. She hasn't really studied him well but he looked well off.

"It's a no," she insisted.

"Why?" he grinned.

"Because I don't even know your name, you have an injured leg. Why should I eat with—"

"Miran Mayer," he says.

"What?"

"My name. And my leg won't be an issue. See you at six. Thank you... Kimimela," he winked at her before wobbling out of the room.

Why should I go out for dinner with him? It hasn't even been a week and she is already getting herself involved with a stranger.

"Miran?" She muttered to herself. She looked the name up. "Hmm, Arab origin." She typed in his last name. "German? That's weird."

"What's wrong with you?" Ava asked.

"It's nothing," Kim typed Miran's full name into the search engine.

"Kim?" Ava called.

"Hm?" she replied looking at her phone. "Oh my goodness!" She couldn't believe what she was seeing.

"What? What?" Ava scoots closer to her. She snatches the phone, "Who is... wait a minute."

"Give me my phone," Kim was amazed by what she had seen.

"Wasn't he the one at the club?? And the hospital too?"

"I can't believe this. He asked me out to dinner this evening."

Ava gaped. "Wow, you hit the jackpot girl, an Arab billionaire!!"

"Hush!" Kim said, looking around. "We're at work, keep your voice down!"

"Look at you girl!"

"Why would he go after me?" Kim wondered aloud.

"After what he saw at the club, if I were him, I would do the same," Ava remarked.

"Don't play with me," she blushed.

"I'm serious."

"Whatever, wow. I'm stunned, he's into so many things," She says looking at her phone.

"Nah, Kim I must say, you really scored it big," She cries.

"It's one date. It doesn't mean anything. And I think he's German."

"What?" Ava was intrigued. She locks her arm with Kimimela.

"His last name is German, so he must be German."

"Also from the United Arab Emirates. Born and raised."

"His mother seems to be the Arab one."

"Yeah."

"He asked me out for dinner," She says, what it means finally dawning on her. She smiled.

"Ooooou, look at you."

"I'm just kidding," She wiped the smile off. "I told him no. I'm not going."

"Why?"

"You know I don't like attention. If he's that popular and rich and we start something, the word is sure to go around." She explains.

"But still, if you fall for him, you wouldn't mind. Think about how popularity will help your career. Think about the exposure." Ava tried to convince her.

"I don't care. If I was an actress, then the exposure would be nice. But, I'm a nurse. It doesn't change anything."

"He's popular in the business sector, people don't give two cents about it."

"They will, once he falls in love with someone," she argues. "That someone is not me."

"You make a point... but you're not gonna give him a chance at least? If you don't, he might keep chasing after you. He looks ambitious."

"He'll eventually get tired and give up. I just have to play hard to get and give him warnings," she smiled at her.

"So ambitious," Ava says smiling.

"Nurses and gossip," Mr. Williams— the hospital director said as he walked over to them. "You aren't going home yet?"

"We are. We were about to head to the changing room. Bye, sir." Ava pulls Kim away.

"That man..." Kim begins.

"Mr. William, right?"

"Yes, I don't like the way he stares at me." She says picking up her bag.

"Ahhh, everyone has complained about it," Ava says.

"So it's not just me?" She breathes.

"He's looked at pretty much all the female nurses like that before. Including me."

"That's better," she smiled.

"It could be a weird way of showing his respect and we could be misunderstanding it."

"I'd rather misunderstand it and be wrong than brush it off as nothing and still be wrong."

"You're right."

Ava and Kimimela walked out of the hospital laughing as they told each other stories.

"Oh my god," Kim jumped, seeing him in front of the hospital. He wore an all-black with a black car.

"Wow," Ava whispered.

"That was a long wait," He says, pushing out of his car and heading towards them.

"No one asked you to wait." she breathes.

"Our dinner, did you forget?"

"I said no, did you forget?" Kim returns.

"Can I borrow her tonight?" He asks Ava.

"Of course!" She pushed Kim to him.

"Hey!"

"Just for tonight," She says in sign language.

"Oh, you do sign too?" He smiled.

"Mr. Mayer..." She says.

"I see you remembered my name," He smirks.

"Well, I have a smart brain. And you're the latest thorn in my heel," She says.

"Wow, quite the comparison," he says. "Where would you like to go?"

Kim groaned. "This is a one-time thing. I'm only doing this because I haven't eaten dinner, I won't next time" she said looking away.

Miran smiled, "This way," he directed her to his car.

***

"How can I help you?" A waiter walks up to their table.

"Miss Cortes," Miran beckons.

"Just Kim," She smiles and looks at the menu.

"Okay..." He looked at his menu too.

"I would like... pasta and chicken," She says.

"Alright..." He took her order. "What about you Sir?"

"The same as the lady."

"Okay. If that'll be all..." The waiter bowed and left.

"Spanish?" Miran guessed.

"No, Mexican." She says.

"Wow."

"What's wrong?" Kim asked.

"You amaze me, that's all."

"Ahhh? I see." She nods to his words, he had a way with words and she liked that.

"Do you speak Spanish?" He asked.

"Yes, of course."

"I guess it would be awkward if I ask you to speak," Miran says.

"usted es guapo, señor," She says, Miran smiles and looked up at her.

"Gracias hermosa," He replies.

"Oh my!" she pinched her lips.

"It's nice of you to compliment my looks." He laughed, earning a smile from her.