#lovecorrah

             “Oh… he was just giving me an update on his niece.” She answered.              “Hmm… are you sure? Why are you grinning like that?”              “I’m sure! I’m just happy ‘cause it’s Friday! I’m not working this weekend, so I’m gonna catch up on some sleep… that makes me happy… and that’s why I’m grinning.” Olivia winked at her nurse.               With an unbelieving nod, Claire let the Doctor pass. Olivia was glad she was in the clear when the clinic door slammed behind her… Claire always asked too many questions for her own good.               Finally Olivia found her way to the Donmar, and found a parking lot a block away. She enjoyed her walk to the warehouse, even though the weather was rather frigid. She just clutched her coat around herself, and tried not to trip over the cobblestone path. The stage door on the side of the building came into view, and so did the small crowd of people around it. As Olivia passed through the crowd, she heard the murmurs from the people… “Have you heard if Tom is coming out after the show tonight?” and “I really have to pee, but I am not giving up my spot here, just in case we get to see him…”                She raised her eyebrows and her hand, knocking lightly on the door.   After a moment, the door cracked open and a brown eye peeked out.               “Can I help you?” The man asked.               “Um… I’m Dr. Beckett… here for… Tom.” Olivia said quietly as she lifted her Doctors bag and jiggled it in front of the man.               The door closed for a moment, which awkwardly left the group of people watching her intently. She could feel the gaze of one young woman, so she turned her head to smile slightly at her. 
               “Are you his girlfriend?”                “Hmm?” Olivia had heard the young woman, she was just shocked that she had been so outspoken. “Oh! Oh, no… I’m just a doctor.”               “Is something wrong with him?” The young woman seemed genuinely concerned.               “Uhh… no… he’s fine.” She didn’t know how to answer that question.               “So… why are you here?”               Livi bit her lip and looked back to the door wishfully. Please door, open…               The heavy black door opened again, and a large man stood there… she matched him with the brown eye that peeked out at her a moment ago.         “Okay, come in.”               “Thank you…” Really, he had no idea how glad she was that he opened the door at that exact moment.               “Tom’s in his dressing room in make-up… but I’ll take you to him.” The large man said, as he looked back on her.               “Okay, thanks….” Livi said lackadaisically as she looked around. She could hear people on stage practicing lines, and the clanging of metal against the hard floor. She had never been into theatre, but this was kinda interesting. The slight stage dust in the air almost twinkled with the lights…                The man stopped beside a door, and held his arm out motioning for Livi to enter. “He’s through there.”                She nodded and quietly stepped through the door. She was in what she figured to be a large theatre dressing room, with make-up all over the place, props, and a plaid couch that had probably seen it’s better days. She didn’t immediately see Tom, but there seemed to be a bathroom off of the dressing room, and she could hear his voice mingled in with a woman’s drifting out.                “Tom?” She asked as she quietly knocked on the bathroom door. When she peeked her head inside, she saw him sitting in a chair, with a plate on his lap, scarfing down an enormous grilled chicken salad, and a beautiful woman worked on some wound makeup on his left arm. 

         “Ah! The good doctor is here.” He said as he winked sat her. “Jasmine, could you give us a bit, please?”             The woman smiled as she obliged, and passed Olivia in the doorway. She got a good look at the woman’s lovely tattoos as she passed, and cringed a bit in jealousy… sometimes she wished that her profession wasn’t as strict as it was.             He placed what was left of his salad dish on the table beside his chair, and grinned at her as he pointed to his forehead. “Well? Am I going to make it? What do you think?”            Oh, yeah… that. She was just standing here staring, completely forgetting what she came for.              “Let’s take a look and see. I’d hate for them to have to cancel the show because the seemingly immortal lead actor perished from a head wound.”              He laughed. “Mmm-hmm. That’s would be tragic… but how very Shakespearean!”               She cleared her throat as she placed her bags on the floor beside his chair, and timidly stepped between his long legs to get a closer look. “Does it hurt?” She asked as she wrinkled her nose, and pulled the piece of gauze that he had placed there from his skin.               Tom’s head suddenly went blank for a moment as he watched her face mere inches from his… her beautiful, twinkling brown eyes, and her full lower lip as she bit it… then she did the wrinkly-nose thing, and that completely threw him off. “Um… no, not really. Not anymore. It hurt when it happened, I felt like my whole blasted head was going to fall off.”              “Aw, you poor thing.” She giggled. “Well, you do indeed need a stitch. I think you really only need one, though, maybe two. I’ll know more after I start.”               He nodded. “I was afraid of that. Well… how do you want me?”               She wished her mind didn’t go to places it shouldn’t. “Well, you’ll need to be lying down.”                “How about the couch?” He asked as he nodded his head toward his dressing room.               “Um… yeah, that should work.”                She pulled all her instruments, and the things she’d need for the procedure from her bag, and set up a makeshift surgical suite right in his dressing room.               He watched as she methodically and perfectly laid everything out. “Do you think you’ll really need all those things? I’m not too fond of needles…”               “I’m afraid so. And really, Tom, I should have made you go to A&E. These aren’t the most sanitary conditions.”              “I know, I know. I told you that I’d owe you one.”               “Just don’t sue me when the gangrene sets in, please.” She chuckled.   After trying a couple different positions, Olivia finally found a comfortable position, with Tom’s head resting in her lap, tilted back a smidge. She reached over, pulling the table to the edge of the couch, before pulling on her latex gloves. “I need to clean it up some, since it’s been open for hours.”              “Yes, darling, do what you need to.” He closed his eyes in nervous anticipation of what was to come.               Livi cleaned the outside of the split skin as carefully as possible, while trying to control the bleeding. “Now… for the lidocaine. This will sting.”              His eyes shot open as he looked up to her with a needle full of clear liquid, and she could see his large hands clutch the fabric of his black Jordan pants.              “Are you really afraid?”              “Well… just a bit. Have been ever since I was a boy.”              “Just look into my eyes. It’ll be over with before you know it.” She smiled warmly at him.              He did as she asked, looking deeply into the pretty doctor’s eyes. He noticed that they weren’t exactly brown, as they had a lot of bright gold running through them, and they were absolutely stunning. Her eyes darted back and forth between the gash, and his crystal clear, cobalt-blue colored eyes. She inserted the needle multiple times, making sure the area was completely numb, and he didn’t even flinch.            “Okay, see? That wasn’t so bad, was it?”             To be honest, he was so mesmerized that he didn’t even know she had done it. He shook his head, and breathed out a sigh of relief, all the same. “I didn’t even feel it. You seem to have the touch, Doctor Beckett.”            “Oh, call me Olivia.”             “Okay then… Olivia.” The way her name rolled off his tongue was absolutely freaking beautiful.            “Now, for the stitches.” She picked up the forceps and the needle holder, and quickly went to work before the medicine began to wear off.            “So, you said you had only been in London for three months?” He asked her, as he was much more relaxed now.             “Mmm-hmm…”            “Where did you come from?”            Her eyebrows knitted together. “Why?”            “I was just curious… just making small talk, since my head is in your lap.”             When she said nothing after that, he continued. “Well, whereabout do you live now?”             “I’m renting a flat… Dressage Court…”             “Oh, that’s Bethnal Green, right?”             “Mmm-hmm…” She concentrated as she moved the needle through his skin.            “That area’s a bit dodgy, isn’t it?”            She shrugged. “No, it’s okay. There are parts of it that aren’t very good… but for the most part, it’s just fine. It’s a mischievous little neighborhood. I don’t mind it.”

        Her destination came into view… an enormous blue, glass building— The Royal London Hospital. Livi had been spending a lot of time at this hospital since arriving in London, so she could have glided into a spot in the parking garage with her eyes closed. She pulled her bright red woolen peacoat tightly around her body, grabbed her coffee and her bag, and made her way inside, smiling and greeting the people she met along the way. She truly loved going to her job everyday, never minding her long hours, or any of the other hazards that went along with her career choice.

         “Morning, Claire! What kind of appointments do we have on the schedule this morning?” She asked the blonde nurse, as she entered the office. Not only was Claire Livi’s nurse, she had become a very good friend.          “Morning, Dr. Beckett… so far, we’ve got 3 sore throats, a possible case of pink eye, and a sprained ankle…”           “Well…That’s doable.” Livi grinned as she slipped out of her thick coat, revealing baby blue scrubs and a white and gold stethoscope curled around her neck.            “Mm-hmm.” Claire agreed. “So, what did you do this weekend, Doc?"            Livi tried to brush off the question. "Oh... I went to a party downtown... you know... at that club.”             "Um... that club? Righhht." Claire could see right through her. "What did you really do?"              With an exasperated huff, Livi answered. "Fine... Saturday I worked the A&E clinic, and Sunday I binge-watched Netflix. Is that okay with you?"

             Claire giggled. "I admire you, Doc. You give your Saturdays to this hospital— unpaid Saturdays I might add, to work in that clinic... but really, you've been here for three months. Isn't it time you met some people? Got out of that flat and had some fun? Spent some time away from this hospital?"             Livi took her white lab coat off the hook on the wall, pulling a loose thread out of the navy embroidery that read ‘Dr. Olivia Beckett, Paediatrics.’ “For your information, Dr. Phil, I love what I do... I don't mind working Saturdays... so just get off my back, will you? Now, give me 10 minutes, and bring back my first patient, please.”           “You got it, Doc.” The blond nurse winked, before turning back to her computer screen.           Livi walked into her office, and closed the door behind her. She sat behind her dark wooden desk— at least, she thought there was a desk beneath underneath all that paperwork— and pulled her thermos of coffee and plastic baggie of weetabix cereal from her bag. “Mmm… breakfast of champions.” She rolled her eyes as she took a big swig of hot, strong, black coffee, and popped a couple pieces of the chocolate cereal into her mouth. She booted up her computer, and looked at the schedule… yup, 3 sore throats, pink eye, and a sprained ankle. Let’s get this show on the road.          She saw her first two patients, both young boys, with a viral infection that had been going around at the same school. She gave them each a prescription for a cough  syrup, and told them to take paracetamol for their fevers… basic stuff… and sent them on their way.           Olivia stood at the nurse’s station in the center of the examination rooms, filling out the last patient’s chart, and heard a very worried, deep, male voice coming down the hall.            “Yes, I gave her paracetamol last night and this morning, but her fever hasn’t broken yet…”

           She could tell that the man was distressed and nervous, as most people were when their children were sick. She glanced back to the dark blond-headed man, who carried a young girl in his arms. His face was pained and his eyes were narrowed, as he looked down on the girl. “It’s going to be alright, sweetheart.”

          Livi watched as Claire led the man and girl into an exam room, and after a few minutes, she came out and handed her the file.          “So, what’s going on?” She asked the nurse.          “High fever… won't eat… headache.”          Livi nodded as she began to walk toward the exam room, before she heard Claire behind her. “Doc, you know who that is, right?”          “Um… no. Who?”          “That man… that’s Tom Hiddleston… you know, the actor. I tried my best to keep my composure as I asked him questions.” Claire blushed.          “Ohhh… okay.” Livi didn’t know who Tom Hiddleston was. She didn’t have much time to go to movies, and she kinda kept to herself for the most part because she worked so much.          She knocked on the door, and peeked in. The man sat on the pink plastic covered bench with the small girl’s head in his lap. His blue eyes perked up with she entered the room.

          “Hello. I’m Dr. Beckett. It’s nice to meet you.” She extended her hand to the man, and he took her hand, reciprocating the greeting.           “Likewise, Dr. Beckett. I’m Tom.”           “Okay, Tom, so what do we have going on here? Is this your daughter?”           “Oh, um… no, no. This is Kate, my niece. My sister went out of town for three days and entrusted me with her daughter… she’s sick, and I’m a nervous wreck. I don’t know what to do! I can’t get her fever to break, and she won’t eat or drink. I’m... I’m... worried!”           Livi nodded, and went to her knees before the sick girl. “It’ll be okay.” She smiled up at Tom, trying to calm him, before turning her attention to Kate.         “Hi, sweetie. We’re going to help you feel better, okay?”           The small girl nodded.           “So your name is Kate? What a beautiful name. My middle name is Kate.”            The small girl smiled slightly at the doctor, who was now sitting on the floor in front of her.            “Should she get on the exam table? Would that help?” Tom asked.            “Oh, no… I can tell that she feels terrible. Let her stay where she is.”            Tom smiled warmly at the brunette doctor. Usually doctors weren’t this personable… or this pretty.            “Okay, I’m going to look in your ears, first. Then, we’ll move on to your throat.” She looked into little Kate’s ears as she grimaced at the sight. “Has she been having trouble sleeping?” She asked, as she gazed up at Tom.            “Yes, I’d say so. She hardly slept at all last night.”            “Mmm-hmm… and how old is she?”            “She’s six. Is everything okay?”            Livi nodded her head. “She has acute otitis media.”            “Oh, no! Is that bad?” He asked.            “She’ll be fine! She’s got an ear infection. Her poor little ear is so red inside, and she has quite a bit of fluid trapped behind her eardrum. Everything else looks okay, and that explains all her symptoms. I’ll write her a prescription for an oral antibiotic, and some medicine to drop into that ear to help clear all the infection and fluid out. After the first couple of doses, she should feel much, much better. Keep giving her paracetamol to help control her fever.”           “Oh, thank goodness.” He rubbed Kate’s head lightly.           Livi continued. “Until then, make sure she’s getting plenty of fluids…” She looked down to Kate. “Make your Uncle buy you some popsicles, okay? The strawberry ones are my favorite!” She winked at the small, blond girl, making her giggle slightly.           Livi sat down on her stool in the exam room, and began to write the prescriptions. “Okay, Mr. Hiddleston-”          “Please, call me Tom.”          “Okay… Tom.” She smiled at the man. “Here’s the prescriptions. Get them filled quickly so she can get started on her meds. She’ll feel better very soon, I just know it.” Now that she could get a better look at Tom, she noticed that he was, indeed, very attractive. She watched his twinkling blue eyes behind his glasses as he spoke, now a little brighter because he knew his niece would be okay, and his huge, pearly white smile. She could see a navy sweater peeking out from beneath his wool coat, and he wore dark jeans, and grey suede boots.         “Thank you so much, Dr. Beckett… I feel much better now.” He grinned up at her as she handed him the slips of paper.          “I’m so glad. Please let me know if I can help in any way… and let me know if she doesn’t get any better in the next day or so.”          Tom nodded as he slipped the papers in his back pocket and helped Kate up. “Come on, little darling, let’s get you to the car.”           “Feel better, Kate!”            She heard a small English “thank you” come from the little girl, and smiled at her sweet face, as the pair walked through the door, and out of Livi’s small part of the clinic.            “See, I told you!” Claire said as she took Kate’s chart from the doctor.            “Told me what?”            “That he was cute…”            Livi laughed. “Oh. Yeah… just another patient.”            “Uh-huh… well, if I wasn’t married, I’d be flirting with that man.”            Livi shook her head and snickered. “Let’s be professional, here… You’re so bad.”            “Mmm-hmm… I would be… with him.” Claire winked.            “Ohhkayy… why don’t you stop daydreaming, and go get my next patient?”            After two more appointments, three walk-in patients, and spending way too much time adding their information to their charts, Olivia traded her lab coat for her winter coat, and slowly climbed back into her car, feeling the affects of the long day in her sore feet. She sighed, and turned the car key, bringing the car to life… well, as much life as the poor car had left, anyway. Sometimes, the headlights didn’t exactly work as they should, which was the case tonight. She grumbled quietly, as she pulled to the curb in front of her building. The one bedroom flat she was renting wasn’t the most elegant place, but for the amount of time she was here, it worked just fine. It was actually nicer than some of the places she had seen, so she was thankful for that.            As she made it to the fourth floor of her building, she let her bags fall to the floor as she plopped down into her fluffy chair. She should be used to being on her feet a lot, but these long days still got to her sometimes. She kicked her shoes off, and stripped her scrubs from her body as she padded to the shower. She knew that would make her feel much better, and as she washed her medium-length brunette hair, she thought back through the day. Immediately, she thought of little Kate. She hoped the sweet girl felt better soon. And then… she thought of Kate’s Uncle. He was such a sweet guy, and she could really tell that he loved his niece very much. Her eyes drifted closed as she washed the rest of her body… he was so tall and handsome, even as his dark brows furrowed with worry.            Apparently, he was a celebrity. Livi didn’t know how big of a celebrity though, as she didn’t really keep with Hollywood. She was much too busy, and either worked, or slept. Claire sure seemed to like him. Livi giggled at the remembrance of her friend salivating over him earlier. Hmm… she wondered what movies Mr. Celebrity had been in? Looks like an investigation on Netflix was in order! She hurried to get into her pj’s, which tonight consisted of an oversized Little Mermaid sleep shirt that she had picked up at Primark, and twisted her damp hair up into a topknot. She popped a pod of coffee into her Keurig, and grabbed a couple chocolate biscuits as she waited on her coffee to brew. She grabbed her mug of black coffee and her laptop, and headed to her sanctuary… her bed.             She took a bite of one of her biscuits, flicked the crumbs off her fingers, and typed his name in the search box. Tom Hiddleston. Several different things came up, but she quickly got sucked into the addictive black hole that is Wallander. She got comfortable in her bed, and smiled widely as she first saw Tom on the screen. He looked very different then, and he played a sweet, young, sometimes sassy character named Magnus Martinsson. She giggled at his curly hair, and before she knew it, she had been up all night watching it. She repeated the next night with Thor and Unrelated, and the next with War Horse and Midnight in Paris, finally collapsing from sleepiness the fourth night after The Deep Blue Sea and The Avengers.

____________________________________

            The next morning, she woke and stretched as much as she could. It was Friday, and for that she was so glad. Maybe she’d be able to catch up on her sleep over the weekend. She promised herself no more movies with Mr. Celebrity in them. He was much too distracting…and she was thankful that she’d never have to see him again. She didn’t usually share Claire’s tastes, especially in men, but she agreed with drooling over this one.              She showered, had some breakfast, and went to her closet to pick out her clothes for the day. Fridays were short, as they were only open half the day, so she opted for actual clothes underneath her lab coat instead of scrubs. Today she picked out a thin black sweater, tan skinny jeans, and tall, black riding boots. With a chunky statement necklace, a quick fingering through her wavy hair, and a smidge of makeup she was ready to go. She made it to the hospital in record time, and was greeted by a smiling Claire as she walked into the clinic.              “Morning, Doc!”              “Morning, Claire. What does this morning look like? Busy?”              “Not too bad… five appointments.”              Livi yawned. “That’s good.”              “Why are you so tired, Olivia?” The nurse looked at her with a knowing look on her face. “Have you been staying up late?”


             “Of course not… I’m not tired! I just haven’t completely woken up yet. I need my coffee.”              “Hmm… have you been staying up late watching a certain someone on Netflix?”               Livi’s mouth dropped open as a vivid crimson blush spread across her cheeks. “Oh, come on, Claire. No!”              Claire giggled as she watched her friend hurry into her office, slamming the door once she was safely on the other side. _______________________

         “Morning, Claire! What kind of appointments do we have on the schedule this morning?” She asked the blonde nurse, as she entered the office. Not only was Claire Livi’s nurse, she had become a very good friend.

         “Morning, Dr. Beckett… so far, we’ve got 3 sore throats, a possible case of pink eye, and a sprained ankle…” 

         “Well…That’s doable.” Livi grinned as she slipped out of her thick coat, revealing baby blue scrubs and a white and gold stethoscope curled around her neck. 

           “Mm-hmm.” Claire agreed. “So, what did you do this weekend, Doc?“            Livi tried to brush off the question. “Oh… I went to a party downtown… you know… at that club.”

            “Um… that club? Righhht.” Claire could see right through her. “What did you really do?”

             With an exasperated huff, Livi answered. “Fine… Saturday I worked the A&E clinic, and Sunday I binge-watched Netflix. Is that okay with you?”

             Claire giggled. “I admire you, Doc. You give your Saturdays to this hospital— unpaid Saturdays I might add, to work in that clinic… but really, you’ve been here for three months. Isn’t it time you met some people? Got out of that flat and had some fun? Spent some time away from this hospital?” 

            Livi took her white lab coat off the hook on the wall, pulling a loose thread out of the navy embroidery that read ‘Dr. Olivia Beckett, Paediatrics.’ “For your information, Dr. Phil, I love what I do… I don’t mind working Saturdays… so just get off my back, will you? Now, give me 10 minutes, and bring back my first patient, please.”

          “You got it, Doc.” The blond nurse winked, before turning back to her computer screen. 

          Livi walked into her office, and closed the door behind her. She sat behind her dark wooden desk— at least, she thought there was a desk beneath underneath all that paperwork— and pulled her thermos of coffee and plastic baggie of weetabix cereal from her bag. “Mmm… breakfast of champions.” She rolled her eyes as she took a big swig of hot, strong, black coffee, and popped a couple pieces of the chocolate cereal into her mouth. She booted up her computer, and looked at the schedule… yup, 3 sore throats, pink eye, and a sprained ankle. Let’s get this show on the road.

         She saw her first two patients, both young boys, with a viral infection that had been going around at the same school. She gave them each a prescription for a cough  syrup, and told them to take paracetamol for their fevers… basic stuff… and sent them on their way. 

          Olivia stood at the nurse’s station in the center of the examination rooms, filling out the last patient’s chart, and heard a very worried, deep, male voice coming down the hall. 

           “Yes, I gave her paracetamol last night and this morning, but her fever hasn’t broken yet…”

           She could tell that the man was distressed and nervous, as most people were when their children were sick. She glanced back to the dark blond-headed man, who carried a young girl in his arms. His face was pained and his eyes were narrowed, as he looked down on the girl. “It’s going to be alright, sweetheart.”

          Livi watched as Claire led the man and girl into an exam room, and after a few minutes, she came out and handed her the file. 

         “So, what’s going on?” She asked the nurse.

         “High fever… won’t eat… headache.”

         Livi nodded as she began to walk toward the exam room, before she heard Claire behind her. “Doc, you know who that is, right?”

         “Um… no. Who?”

         “That man… that’s Tom Hiddleston… you know, the actor. I tried my best to keep my composure as I asked him questions.” Claire blushed.

         “Ohhh… okay.” Livi didn’t know who Tom Hiddleston was. She didn’t have much time to go to movies, and she kinda kept to herself for the most part because she worked so much. 

         She knocked on the door, and peeked in. The man sat on the pink plastic covered bench with the small girl’s head in his lap. His blue eyes perked up with she entered the room.

         “Hello. I’m Dr. Beckett. It’s nice to meet you.” She extended her hand to the man, and he took her hand, reciprocating the greeting.

          “Likewise, Dr. Beckett. I’m Tom.” 

          “Okay, Tom, so what do we have going on here? Is this your daughter?”

          “Oh, um… no, no. This is Kate, my niece. My sister went out of town for three days and entrusted me with her daughter… she’s sick, and I’m a nervous wreck. I don’t know what to do! I can’t get her fever to break, and she won’t eat or drink. I’m… I’m… worried!”

          Livi nodded, and went to her knees before the sick girl. “It’ll be okay.” She smiled up at Tom, trying to calm him, before turning her attention to Kate.        

          “Hi, sweetie. We’re going to help you feel better, okay?”

          The small girl nodded.

          “So your name is Kate? What a beautiful name. My middle name is Kate.”

           The small girl smiled slightly at the doctor, who was now sitting on the floor in front of her. 

           “Should she get on the exam table? Would that help?” Tom asked. 

           “Oh, no… I can tell that she feels terrible. Let her stay where she is.”

           Tom smiled warmly at the brunette doctor. Usually doctors weren’t this personable… or this pretty.

           “Okay, I’m going to look in your ears, first. Then, we’ll move on to your throat.” She looked into little Kate’s ears as she grimaced at the sight. “Has she been having trouble sleeping?” She asked, as she gazed up at Tom.

           “Yes, I’d say so. She hardly slept at all last night.”

           “Mmm-hmm… and how old is she?”

           “She’s six. Is everything okay?”

           Livi nodded her head. “She has acute otitis media.”

           “Oh, no! Is that bad?” He asked.

           “She’ll be fine! She’s got an ear infection. Her poor little ear is so red inside, and she has quite a bit of fluid trapped behind her eardrum. Everything else looks okay, and that explains all her symptoms. I’ll write her a prescription for an oral antibiotic, and some medicine to drop into that ear to help clear all the infection and fluid out. After the first couple of doses, she should feel much, much better. Keep giving her paracetamol to help control her fever.” 

          “Oh, thank goodness.” He rubbed Kate’s head lightly. 

          Livi continued. “Until then, make sure she’s getting plenty of fluids…” She looked down to Kate. “Make your Uncle buy you some popsicles, okay? The strawberry ones are my favorite!” She winked at the small, blond girl, making her giggle slightly.

          Livi sat down on her stool in the exam room, and began to write the prescriptions. “Okay, Mr. Hiddleston-”

         “Please, call me Tom.”

         “Okay… Tom.” She smiled at the man. “Here’s the prescriptions. Get them filled quickly so she can get started on her meds. She’ll feel better very soon, I just know it.” Now that she could get a better look at Tom, she noticed that he was, indeed, very attractive. She watched his twinkling blue eyes behind his glasses as he spoke, now a little brighter because he knew his niece would be okay, and his huge, pearly white smile. She could see a navy sweater peeking out from beneath his wool coat, and he wore dark jeans, and grey suede boots. 

        “Thank you so much, Dr. Beckett… I feel much better now.” He grinned up at her as she handed him the slips of paper. 

         “I’m so glad. Please let me know if I can help in any way… and let me know if she doesn’t get any better in the next day or so.” 

         Tom nodded as he slipped the papers in his back pocket and helped Kate up. “Come on, little darling, let’s get you to the car.” 

          “Feel better, Kate!”

           She heard a small English “thank you” come from the little girl, and smiled at her sweet face, as the pair walked through the door, and out of Livi’s small part of the clinic.

           “See, I told you!” Claire said as she took Kate’s chart from the doctor.

           “Told me what?”

           “That he was cute…”

           Livi laughed. “Oh. Yeah… just another patient.”

           “Uh-huh… well, if I wasn’t married, I’d be flirting with that man.” 

           Livi shook her head and snickered. “Let’s be professional, here… You’re so bad.”

           “Mmm-hmm… I would be… with him.” Claire winked.

           “Ohhkayy… why don’t you stop daydreaming, and go get my next patient?”

           After two more appointments, three walk-in patients, and spending way too much time adding their information to their charts, Olivia traded her lab coat for her winter coat, and slowly climbed back into her car, feeling the effects of the long day in her sore feet. She sighed, and turned the car key, bringing the car to life… well, as much life as the poor car had left, anyway. Sometimes, the headlights didn’t exactly work as they should, which was the case tonight. She grumbled quietly, as she pulled to the curb in front of her building. The one bedroom flat she was renting wasn’t the most elegant place, but for the amount of time she was here, it worked just fine. It was actually nicer than some of the places she had seen, so she was thankful for that. 

           As she made it to the fourth floor of her building, she let her bags fall to the floor as she plopped down into her fluffy chair. She should be used to being on her feet a lot, but these long days still got to her sometimes. She kicked her shoes off, and stripped her scrubs from her body as she padded to the shower. She knew that would make her feel much better, and as she washed her medium-length brunette hair, she thought back through the day. Immediately, she thought of little Kate. She hoped the sweet girl felt better soon. And then… she thought of Kate’s Uncle. He was such a sweet guy, and she could really tell that he loved his niece very much. Her eyes drifted closed as she washed the rest of her body… he was so tall and handsome, even as his dark brows furrowed with worry. 

           Apparently, he was a celebrity. Livi didn’t know how big of a celebrity though, as she didn’t really keep up with Hollywood. She was much too busy, and either worked or slept. Claire sure seemed to like him. Livi giggled at the remembrance of her friend salivating over him earlier. Hmm… she wondered what movies Mr. Celebrity had been in? Looks like an investigation on Netflix was in order! She hurried to get into her pj’s, which tonight consisted of an oversized Little Mermaid sleep shirt that she had picked up at Primark, and twisted her damp hair up into a topknot. She popped a pod of coffee into her Keurig, and grabbed a couple chocolate biscuits as she waited on her coffee to brew. She grabbed her mug of black coffee and her laptop, and headed to her sanctuary… her bed. 

            She took a bite of one of her biscuits, flicked the crumbs off her fingers, and typed his name in the search box. Tom Hiddleston. Several different things came up, but she quickly got sucked into the addictive black hole that is Wallander. She got comfortable in her bed, and smiled widely as she first saw Tom on the screen. He looked very different then, and he played a sweet, young, sometimes sassy character named Magnus Martinsson. She giggled at his curly hair, and before she knew it, she had been up all night watching it. She repeated the next night with Thor and Unrelated, and the next with War Horse and Midnight in Paris, finally collapsing from sleepiness the fourth night after The Deep Blue Sea and The Avengers. 

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            The next morning, she woke and stretched as much as she could. It was Friday, and for that she was so glad. Maybe she’d be able to catch up on her sleep over the weekend. She promised herself no more movies with Mr. Celebrity in them. He was much too distracting…and she was thankful that she’d never have to see him again. She didn’t usually share Claire’s tastes, especially in men, but she agreed with drooling over this one. 

             She showered, had some breakfast, and went to her closet to pick out her clothes for the day. Fridays were short, as they were only open half the day, so she opted for actual clothes underneath her lab coat instead of scrubs. Today she picked out a thin black sweater, tan skinny jeans, and tall, black riding boots. With a chunky statement necklace, a quick fingering through her wavy hair, and a smidge of makeup she was ready to go. She made it to the hospital in record time, and was greeted by a smiling Claire as she walked into the clinic. 

             “Morning, Doc!”

             “Morning, Claire. What does this morning look like? Busy?” 

             “Not too bad… five appointments.”

             Livi yawned. “That’s good.”

             “Why are you so tired, Olivia?” The nurse looked at her with a knowing look on her face. “Have you been staying up late?”


             “Of course not… I’m not tired! I just haven’t completely woken up yet. I need my coffee.” 

             “Hmm… have you been staying up late watching a certain someone on Netflix?”

              Livi’s mouth dropped open as a vivid crimson blush spread across her cheeks. “Oh, come on, Claire. Are you serious? No!”

             Claire giggled as she watched her friend hurry into her office, slamming the door once she was safely on the other side.  _______________________

            The day was going normally and Livi just had one more appointment left, and then she was off for the weekend… she couldn’t wait. Before she could go into the exam room, Claire stopped her. “You’ve got a phone call, doc.”

             “Oh? Who is it?” She asked as she watched a wicked grin crop up on the nurse’s face, making her blue eyes sparkle wildly.

             “It’s Mr. Celebrity.”

            “No!” Livi said as her stomach lurched up into her throat. She dropped her voice to a whisper. “What the hell does he want?”

           “How should I know? He didn’t ask for me, he asked for you!”

           Livi tried to calm herself as her fingers wrapped around the handle of the clinic telephone. “Doctor Beckett.” She answered confidently, though inside she was anything but. 

           “Doctor Beckett, hello, Tom Hiddleston, here.” That deep, velvety voice quite literally dripped through the mouthpiece of that old phone, and landed in a puddle of sex right at her feet.

           “Hello, Tom. What can I do for you? Is Kate not feeling better?”

           “Oh, no, Kate is perfectly well, thank you! She’s gone back to my sister already. She began feeling better that very night. We went all over London looking for those strawberry popsicles you mentioned. She’s convinced that’s what made her well.” He laughed into the phone.

           “Oh, well that’s great, those popsicles work wonders! So glad she’s better. Is there anything else I can help you with?” I twirled the once-white-but-now-cream-colored phone cord around my pointer finger. 

          “Yes, actually there is. I’ve had a bit of an accident.”

          “An accident?”

          “Yes… you see, I began the second leg of Coriolanus at the Donmar last night… to make a long story quite short, a few minutes ago I was in my dressing room and I had bent over to grab my bag at the same time the door was opened, nipping me in the head.”

         “Your… head?” I asked, unbelieving.

         “Ehehe… yes, it seems I have a bit of a gash in my forehead.”

         “Um… a gash? Why are you on the phone with me? Shouldn’t you be getting that checked out?”

         “Well, yes, but I go on stage in a few short hours, and I don’t really have the time to visit A&E. I can’t miss this performance. Do you think you could come by the Donmar and look at it for me? I may need a stitch… or two.”

          “Tom… I’m a pediatrician.”

          He laughed. “I know that. How many children’s chins have you stitched?”

          “Too many to count.”

          “There you are… same thing! I wouldn’t be asking if I didn’t trust you.”

          “Well…”

          “You’d be doing me a tremendous favor, love.”

           Well, that’s just playing dirty. “Fine… I have another appointment now, but I can be there in an hour or so.”

           “I owe you one… really.

           I sighed. “Yes, you do. Where’s the Donmar?”

           “Really? You don’t know where the Donmar is?” He asked with a hint of surprise in his voice.

          “No, I don’t! I’ve only been here three months, and going to the theatre hasn’t exactly been at the top of my priority list.”

          “Ouch, darling! You just stomped on my tender Shakespearean heart!” He hissed, making me laugh. “Earlham Street… It couldn’t be but maybe 10 miles from the hospital. Just come to the stage door down from the entrance.”

           I breathed deeply, wondering if I was really agreeing to do this. “Okay. I’ll see you in an hour.”

           “Can’t wait… oh, and by the way, Doctor Beckett, I’m bleeding profusely, so please hurry.”

           I giggled. “Oh, dear… I’ll try.”

           With a “fantastic!” he hung up. He actually had a sense of humor when he wasn’t worried sick about his niece. 

         Let me tell you a little about myself, first. My name is Ava Blaire, but my business associates know me by the name ‘Eden.’ Like the Garden of Eden. Paradise. I’m a 26 year old woman, that doesn’t stay in one place for too long. I like a change of scenery often… I like new adventures… I like climbing mountains, metaphorically of course, and conquering things. That’s me. I’m a conqueror. I’m a charmer. I also seem to have an aversion to feelings, which makes me perfect for this job. I don’t get attached to people, which is good because I have several regular clients that pay me very well for my time and attention. It’s not always sex, either. Most of my clients are very busy businessmen, and just want someone to spend time with. 

        I keep my business circle very close, but I even have a couple of celebrity clients. I won’t name any names, but my latest has a very famous father, that made the quote ‘go ahead, make my day’ popular. (*cough* Scott Eastwood) He absolutely loves cigars, and the last night I spent with him made me love them too. Mmm-hmm… he was very sweet, but like every other man, they have their own preferences, and I’ve had to learn them.        My crazy story all started out with a simple phone call. I was nursing an evil hangover, when my phone roused me from my soft bed. It was a strange woman who… well, I told you about that earlier. Let’s go back to that time, that wasn’t that long ago…        The next couple of days after that phone call were spent getting ready for this interesting adventure she had proposed to me. I booked a suite at the Savoy Hotel, as Taylor had left it up to me to find the perfect place, and I adored that hotel. It was a classy place, and if this man is as ‘gentlemanly’ as she said was, he’d love it too. It had a very old, English feel to it.        After booking the room, I decided to browse lingerie at the London Agent Provocateur, and I wondered just what to buy. I pulled my cell phone from my bag and started a text.

                 2:49 P.M. So, what kind of lingerie does this            boyfriend like?                      -E

         I continued to browse as my phone came to life in my hand.

                 3:01 P.M. I guess red… maybe lace… Why?                      -T

          I grinned.

               3:03 P.M. Because I’m shopping for him.                      -E

        “Ooh, this is pretty.” I whispered, as I pulled a lovely red lace bra from the rack that was trimmed with a beautiful floral embroidered lace. It had matching cheeky panties, that weren’t thongs, but exposed most of the bottom, and a garter belt with long red suspenders, that would hook perfectly to some black colored thigh highs that I had in my drawer. I paid for the lingerie, which was a little too expensive. At least, if this fell through, I’d have some nice lingerie in my drawer.            I caught a cab back to my flat, where normally I’d walk. That day, the clouds were producing curtains of rain, that would freeze and become sleet before hitting the ground. If I learned anything about February in London, it’s that you can’t predict the weather. One day, you might see daffodils blooming, and the next, it will be frigid and snowing. When I decide to relocate, I promise it will be somewhere not so rainy and cold in the winter. Los Angeles, perhaps? Hawaii? Miami? We’ll see.          The cab pulled up in front of Riverbank Tower, where my flat was located. I paid the driver, checked my post, and stepped onto the lift inside of my building. I lived on the 23rd floor, which gave me a beautiful view of the River Thames, and the London Eye. It was absolutely glorious at night. I had a large balcony outside the flat that I frequented at night, when I was actually at home. I could sit out there for hours, drinking wine and watching the lovely lights on the Eye. I’m sorry, I’m getting off topic. I do that a lot, unfortunately.           Taylor and I had agreed that we’d do this thing the next night, which was a Friday. I agreed to meet her in the hotel bar for a drink, around 5 P.M., to discuss what would happen later that night, and to get my payment— which, to be honest, was the most important part. After we met, she was going to take her ‘boyfriend’ out for a fancy dinner and drinks, and then they’d come back to the hotel around 9.            I have to tell you, however, that as the time drew closer, I began to grow a little nervous. Normally, I’d be able to meet the men before we actually spent time together. It was a huge risk on my part to leave things so up in the air. I’d never met this man, or his girlfriend, before— I didn’t even know his name. Although, it was a huge risk on Taylor’s end too. She had agreed to an astronomical amount of money, and she didn’t even know if her boyfriend would go through with it. I guess we both had a lot to lose.          I spent the next day packing a bag of everything I thought I might need for the encounter… my lingerie, some toiletries so that I could freshen up, a couple extra changes of clothes, some scarves for bondage, candles, and of course, a thin, black paddle, in case this ‘gentleman’ thought I needed a good spanking. Who knows how kinky this guy was? She said he was into that, but there’s quite a range as to what people were actually ‘into.’ I guess we’d see soon. I needed to be prepared for anything.          By 3:30, I had my bag packed and began to get dressed. I picked out a classy, short-sleeved navy cocktail dress and slid into it, along with some pretty black heels and some gold studs for my ears. I brushed my chestnut-colored hair that came to just below my shoulders, making sure to remove all the tangles, and applied a little makeup. I didn’t really need much, and from experience, men would rather have relations with a woman with light makeup, than a woman that had layers of it caked on her face.          I threw my bags over my shoulder, and went down the lift, hoping to catch a taxi quickly. Thank goodness that one was outside the door, poised to take me where I needed to go.         “Good afternoon, Miss. Where to?” The cabbie asked.         “The Savoy Hotel, please.”         With a nod, he pulled away from the curb. Call me insane, but I absolutely love London taxis. I move around so much, it seems, that when I arrived in London, I didn’t even buy a car— these taxis had become very important to me on days like today, when it was too cold to walk. Soon enough I had arrived at the hotel, and walked into the large, marbled building. It was full of large vases of flowers… beautiful pink peonies, with greenery of all shades. I slowly walked to the desk, and retrieved my key to the room… the other, I’d give to Taylor. The room I booked was the River Suite, which was a large suite with a living room, a bedroom, and a balcony with a breathtaking view of the river, Big Ben, and the Eye. I plopped my bags onto the bed, and decided that it was time to make my way to the bar, so I slid my cell phone into my purse, and headed that way. 

        Thankfully, the bar was nearly empty, save for a couple closer to the entrance. I made my way to the end of the room, and found a dimly lit, secluded booth, that would have been romantic had the situation been different. I ordered a cocktail, and settled into the cozy booth. I looked at my phone… 5:08… She was late. I sipped on my cocktail quickly, wondering whether or not I should leave, when I heard a female voice come from behind me. 

        “Eden?”         I smirked and turned around to greet the woman, when my smirk was quickly replaced with a wide-eyed shocked expression.         The blonde woman spoke. “Uh, hi, Eden. I’m Tay-”         “I know who you are…” Standing before me was one of the most recognizable faces in the world. Taylor Swift. I didn’t normally get star-struck, but I usually had a little notice as to who I was meeting. I could strangle Ms. Hattie for not giving me some warning. She looked relatively normal, however, in her dark jeans, black cotton hoodie with her hood pulled up, canvas shoes, and signature red lipstick.           She smiled as she pulled the hood from her head, and slid into the booth across from me. “Sorry.” She said, gesturing to the hood. “I’m trying to not draw any paparazzi. They seem to be hot on my tail right now.” She leaned closer to me. “Do you know, I just read that they’re calling us ‘HiddlesSwift?”          My eyebrows raised. “Ohh.” Fuck. So, if Taylor Swift is sitting across from me, then the man I am meeting tonight was… Tom Hiddleston? Well, that makes a hell of a lot of sense now. Mr. Proper English Gentleman.           “So… I’m a little nervous. Where do we start?” The normally bubbly blonde starlet said, a little more subdued than I’ve seen her act on tv.           “Um, well… I guess I could go over what’s going to happen tonight. That’d be a good place to start.”           She nodded her head, making her short blond ponytail bob behind her. I slid a hotel card across the table to her. “Room 324. By 9, I’ll be ready. Just show up, I’ll take care of everything else.” I reached into my bag, grabbing a nondescript envelope, and slid across the table to her, as well.           “What’s this?”           “Oh… it’s the paper from my doctor… saying that I’m clean. I guess it’s not required… I just wanted you to know.”            “Oh…” She laughed nervously. “Um, thanks. I’ve got something for you too.” She pushed a fat envelope across the table to me, and I quickly retrieved it, put it in my lap, and opened it. Wow. Two big bundles of $100 bills were nestled neatly inside the envelope, each wrapped in a yellow strip of paper with $10,000 written on it.           She must have noticed me looking at the money for a little too long, because she kept talking. “$20,000. That’s what we agreed on, right?”           I nodded. “Yes. That’s right, thanks. So…” I continued as I put the envelope in my bag. “Is there anything that’s off-limits tonight? I don’t normally mess with men that are in relationships, for… well, for several reasons.” I could think of more than one relationship that had gotten awkward after one of our meetings. I had sworn off them a long time ago… but, this was $20,000. I would have been dumb to say no. “I just want to respect your boundaries, is all.”           “Um… yeah, I was thinking about that. I’d prefer if you didn’t kiss him on the lips…”           “Okay… no kissing on the lips, that’s a pretty common request… anything else?”             Taylor shook her head. “I don’t think so. Oh, wait…” She blushed, as she leaned closer and began to whisper. “ um… he’s asked me to call him Daddy before…”            I nearly choked on my cocktail when she whispered that to me.           She continued. “I just can’t do it, though… when I say that, I think of my father… and it’s just so not sexy… you know… it’s just weird.”          I giggled. “Oh, Okay, I’m glad you told me that.” I secretly wondered just how much she was going to tell me about this man’s private desires, poor guy.  “Um, well, I know that you’re new to this, Taylor. If something happens that you aren’t comfortable with tonight, just stop me, okay?”            “Okay, thanks, Eden. See you at 9?”            “I’ll be ready and waiting.”            We smiled at each other, as she pulled her hood back up, and slithered back through the door of the bar. I got the feeling that she wasn’t completely comfortable with what was planned for later that night, but she was the one that initiated it. We’d just see how far we’d get before she stopped it. I fished my phone from my bag, and dialed Hattie’s number.            “Hey, honey.” She answered.            “Hattie! You didn’t tell me that I was meeting Taylor Fucking Swift!” I hissed, as she laughed.             “Would you have gone through with it, if I had?” She asked me.             “Well… yes, probably… especially now. Do you know who her boyfriend is?”             “Mmm-hmm. Of course, I knew all of that before I gave her your number. Plus, it’s been all over the magazines… Just breathe, it’ll all be just fine. You’re perfect for this job. You can handle it.”              “Ugh… I gotta go. I just wanted to bitch for a minute.”              “You have fun, honey!”              I huffed as I hung up on my boss. Thankfully, she really didn’t care. I sat there for a moment, finished my cocktail, and ordered another one... I felt like I was going to need it tonight. 

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