I was taking vitals for my last little patient before going on break. "There you go, little guy. I'll be back in a little bit. Try not to miss me, handsome."

I'm ready to get off of my feet. "Kathy, I'm going on break. I'll be back in about ten minutes. Want anything? Coffee, soda?"

"I'm good. Thank you," Kathy replies.

"See you in ten." I smile gratefully at her.

I take the elevator to the 8th floor, where the 24-hour cafe is open.

I'm fixing the coffee I purchased when I hear a familiar voice.

"Hello, Mallory. Fancy meeting you here."

When I remember his words from the last time we talked, I wonder how much of a coincidence this is.

"Hello, Dr. Daniels."

He smiles. "Care to join me?"

"Um... sure. I have a few minutes."

We sit at a table for two.

"So, Mallory, I have a confession," he admits.

I'm surprised by his words. "Oh. We barely know each other. What could you possibly have to confess to me."

"Well, when we met at my office, I recognized you but didn't know where from. You then reminded me it was from the hospital, and things clicked. I recalled seeing you here and occasionally giving you a wave, but you didn't know that I always found you extremely attractive," he confesses.

I hold my breath, not wanting him to go on. I want to run but can't move.

He continues, "So, you were wearing an engagement ring at my office. I thought my chances of getting to know you on a more personal level were slim."

Run, damn it, run!

"I was still inquisitive about you, so I asked around and heard that you had lost your fiancé in a fire accident."

Please stop! Just stop! I feel tears begin to fall.

He doesn't stop but looks at me with compassion. "I just wanted to say I'm sorry about your loss and can't imagine what life has been like for you for the past several months. I want to be your friend. If you need help with anything and Scott is unavailable, please don't hesitate to contact me."

Well, shit. I wasn't expecting that.

I wipe the tears from my eyes. "Thank you, Dr. Daniels. That's very kind of you."

"Please, my friends, call me Sam. I would also like you to call me Sam when we're not on the hospital floor. Okay?" He smiles, and I notice his kind eyes.

I grin. "Okay... Sam."

"See, that wasn't so hard." His smile was so warm and inviting that I smiled back.

"How about you hand me your phone, and I'll put my contact information into it."

I nod my head and retrieve my phone from my pocket. I unlock it and hand it to him. He takes a few moments to put in his information and returns it to me. I see the time on my phone's screen and realize my break is over.

I stand up. "Thank you again for your kind words, Sam. My break is over, so I have to head back."

He stands with me. "I hope that now, since we're friends, we can meet for coffee more often."

"I would like that. Bye Sam."

"Goodbye, Mallory. Enjoy the rest of your shift."

"When you have sweet little patients like mine, it's easy," I say, and my lips can't help but turn up happily. 

I leave with a smile plastered on my face, and I'm unsure if it's because I'm relieved that the conversation went from an "I want to ask you out" to a friend-to-friend chat or that I just really enjoyed Dr. Sam Daniels's company.

Sam and I have been running into each other more and more. We've even had coffee a couple of times. When we see each other now, we take time to talk and not just wave to each other. I feel very comfortable around him, and it doesn't hurt that he's funny. I'm hoping to run into him today. I want to see if he can help move my stuff into storage to clean the house and prepare it for Scott and Kendall to move in before Baby Boy arrives.

I decide to shoot him a text.

Hey, Sam. Are you doing rounds today?

He immediately responds.

I'm pulling into the parking lot. What's up?

I have a question for you. If you get a minute, can you please stop by?

I see bubbles before his text.

Absolutely. Is now okay?

I type my response.

Yes. I'm just working on some charts at the nurse's station.

Great, I will be right up.

Ten minutes later, I see Sam coming from the elevator. "Good evening, Mallory. What can I do for you?"

"Good evening, Dr. Daniels. Are you available this weekend, Saturday morning, to be exact, to help Scott and me move things out of my house and into a storage unit? Kendall will be there for moral support and to boss us around. They'll be moving in next week." I smile sweetly.

Sam laughs a deep, roaring laugh. "I can see Kendall handling her job to boss us with gusto."

"I know, right." I agree, grinning g at the thought of Kendall being helpful by telling us what to do,

"I need to double-check my schedule, but off the top of my head, I'm pretty sure that I can make it. I'll let you know when I return to the office tomorrow morning," he informs me.

"Thank you. I would appreciate the help. I know Scott would, too," I relay how much we could use his assistance.

"No problem. I would love to do it. Now I have a question for you." He smirks at me, and I wonder what he wants to ask.

"Ask away," I say cautiously.

"What time are you taking your dinner break?"

"8:00. Why?" I ask.

"I would like to join you if that's okay," he says tentatively.

"Of course. I would love the company." I give him a half smile.

He grins at my response. "Great, meet you at the cafe at 8:00."

"It's a date."

Sam raises his eyebrows.

I set him straight. "You know what I mean... FRIEND," I say, emphasizing the word friend.

"Till then," he says, unable to keep the smirk off his face.

"Till then," I retort, annoyed at myself for calling our dinner together a date.

He turns and leaves, and I can't help but watch his fine ass walk away. He turns his head back to me, and I quickly drop my eyes and feel my cheeks burn at getting caught. I hear him chuckle before getting into the elevator.

"What the hell, Mallory." I chastise myself and want to feel bad for looking, but for some reason, I don't.

"What did you say?"

I jump at the sound of Kathy's voice.

"Holy shit, Kathy, you scared the hell out of me."

"Sorry, Mallory, I heard you say something and thought you might be talking to me since no one else was around," she reveals.

I drop my eyes. "I'm embarrassed to admit that I was talking to myself."

"That's no reason to be embarrassed. Some of my best conversations are with myself." She gives me a reassuring smile.

We both chuckle, and I return to my paperwork, looking forward to dinner.

At 8:00, I entered the cafe and saw that Sam was already there. He saw me, smiled, and waved me over. I grabbed a drink to go with the sandwich I had brought from home.

"Is this seat taken?" I joke.

"I'm saving it for a good friend... but you'll do. Please have a seat." He smirks.

"Haha. That's very funny." I sit down and take my sandwich out of my bag.

Sam's brows furl, and he gets a serious look. "So, tell me more about this move. I'm a little confused. You're moving out; Scott and Kendall are moving in? Did I get that right?"

I had never talked in depth with Sam about Ben other than the first time we had coffee when Sam brought it up briefly.

"Ben and I bought a home together after our engagement. I don't need a big house, so I'm renting it to Scott and Kendall. They have the option to purchase it anytime. If they wait until the final mortgage payment, I'll sign the deed over to them."

Sam's brows now raise with surprise. "Wow. That's quite generous."

"It's too big for me. Scott and Kendall need a bigger place for Baby Boy's arrival, and I don't want to sell it to a stranger. It's a win-win," I reply, taking a bite of my sandwich.

"You're amazing," he says, his eyes never leaving mine.

Heat flushes my face. "I bet you say that to all the people you let sit in the seat that you're saving for a good friend."

"Damn, girl. That was a mouthful!"

"I know," I admit, surprised at my ability to be amusing without trying.

We laugh heartily, and I realize Sam has the best laugh. It's so deep and sincere; I want to hear it more.