"Ow?ow?ow"

"Oh come on now, you're an adult woman. Stop acting like a child."

"Ow ow ow? then stop hurting me."

"You know Miss Martin we are going to have a permanent room reserved for you as often as you come into my Emergency Room. What is this? the third time this month?"

"Yeah. Well listen doc, you should be happy, I'm helping to pay your salary."

"So what were you doing this time to get yourself hurt?" The pretty young Emergency Room doctor asked her patient..

"I was roller blading." Terri offered the doctor with a heavy sigh.

"Roller blading. What was it last time? Rock climbing if I remember correctly. And the time before that, you were practicing Aikido, wasn't it? Miss Martin, have you ever considered taking up something safe, like knitting?"

"Are you kidding? Have you ever noticed how dangerous those knitting needles are?"

"Nurse will you have Miss Martin's arm x-rayed please?" With that the pretty young doctor left the exam room with Terri's eyes following her retreating hips.

Terri Martin looked the attractive blond nurse over appraisingly. "Hi, are you going to hurt me too?" Terri gave a little smirk at the nurse.

"I think you might like it if I do." The young nurse retorted back. "Here Liz, she is all yours. X-ray is expecting her."

The nurse's aid rolled Terri in the wheelchair towards the elevator,

"You're new here, aren't you? I don't think I have ever seen you before and I'm sure I would remember."

Liz, the nurse's aid, blushed with the inquiry. She had been warned about Terri Martin being a flirt with the nurses but this was the first time she was on the receiving end of Terri's flattering comments.

After flirting with all the women in x-ray Terri was back into the exam room to wait for the doctor to return.

"Okay Miss Martin. We have the results of your x rays." The captivating doctor said as she entered the exam room. "You have a deep tissue bruise. I suggest you refrain from any activities where you could hit it again for a couple of weeks to give it time to heal. It will probably feel better if you put your arm in a sling to keep it immobile. Other than that, I really can't do a lot for you."

"Aw come on doc. You could do a lot for me if you would go out with me."

The young doctor shook her head in disbelief as she started to leave. "Nurse, get Miss Martin a sling and get her out of here." With that she was gone.

"The doc doesn't like me much, does she?"

"You're just barking up the wrong tree." Sandy, the nurse paused then looked into Terri's eyes. "When are you going to stop flirting with her and ask me out?"

Terri sat on the end of the exam table with her mouth open. She always flirted with the nurses on her many visits to the ER, but none had given her any indication they were interested.

"Huh?"

"Quick comeback you have there slick. I bet you swoon all the girls with it." Sandy smiled seductively at Terri.

Terri quickly recovered her butch bravado. "How about dinner with me tonight around seven."

"Great. Why don't I meet you at Angelo's on Morton Avenue? Here put your arm in this."

Sandy helped Terri put the sling on while she took liberties feeling the muscles in Terri's arm and chest. Terri hadn't replied an agreement to Angelo's so Sandy asked again.

"Is Angelo's okay with you?"

"Yes, great." Terri felt she might have sounded a bit eager and tried to recover some control. "Anywhere you want to eat, Sugar, is fine with me."

Sandy laughed lightly at Terri's attempt in regaining her butch identity. She patted Terri on the knee. "I'll see you at seven tonight. You know how to check yourself out." Sandy then left to see about her next patient.

Although Terri was a constant flirt she seldom had anyone accept her advances. Now she had a date with the beautiful little blond from the ER. Her day had suddenly turned around and was running full steam into being the best day of her life.

********

Terri and Sandy sat across from each other in the back booth at Angelo's. Terri with all her butch bravado could not seem to gain the courage to be her normal flirtatious self with the pretty blond. She was really attracted to her and had been from the first time she was in E.R. with a dislocated shoulder gotten while practicing Aikido.

Sandy knew that Terri was having a hard time maintaining her butch persona with her. She was sure that the dark haired woman was genuinely attracted to her and that she didn't know what to do about it. Sandy decided that if they were going to get to know each other outside the E.R. she would have to take control.

"What do you do for a living Terri? I hope that it is nothing very dangerous. It seems you are prone towards injury."

Terri looked at Sandy in relief that she initiated the conversation. Her mind had been a total blank on what to say. "I work in a paint store, mixing custom colors for contractors and interior designers."

"That sounds safe enough. Why is it that you seem to end up in E.R. so much?"

Terri ducked her head and blushed. "I am a bit of an adrenaline junkie. I tend to pick activities that have some danger factor, especially since I like to push the envelope."

"Why do think that is?"

Terri looked across at the pretty blond and thought for a moment. "You know I really don't know. I guess it makes me feel alive and that I have a reason for living."

"So, doing things that could get you killed gives you a reason for living? I see you are going to be a challenge."

Terri's head popped up. "Challenge? Does that mean we will be seeing more of each other? Outside of the E.R., I mean."

Now Sandy was feeling embarrassed as a faint blush ran up her neck. "I had hoped so. Do you not want to?"

Terri was quick to answer. "Oh hell yeah! I mean?sure that would be great."

They smiled across at one another, finding the conversation flowed more easily throughout the remainder of the meal.

"Where is your car? I'll walk you to it." Terri looked to Sandy, wishing the evening was not ending so soon.

"I didn't drive. I only live three blocks away so I walked."

"May I drive you home?" Terri asked happy. She wanted to spend at least a few more minutes with this interesting and beautiful woman.

Sandy smiled broadly as she too was not ready to end her time with Terri. "I would appreciate a ride. You will have to let me thank you by coming up to my apartment for a cup of coffee." Sandy snuck a glance at Terri to judge if she was receptive to the idea and was rewarded with a mega watt smile.

"Sounds like a deal to me. I'm parked over there by the streetlight."

****

Terri found it odd wandering around Sandy's apartment looking at her pictures and mementos while Sandy fixed the coffee She felt at home, comfortable, like this was where she belonged. She didn't even feel that way in her own apartment.

Terri was looking at the pictures on the mantel shaking her head when Sandy walked in with the coffee.

"Why are you shaking your head?"

"Oh, nothing." Terri turned around startled out of her thoughts. "I was just thinking how nice your apartment is and how homey it feels."

"Thank you, I like it here. Come sit on the couch with me and have your coffee."

Terri did as she was told and sat down on the couch. She sat at the far end of the couch.

Sandy cocked an eyebrow when she noticed how far away Terri sat. "What's the matter? Do you think I'm gonna bite you?"

Terri, feeling very comfortable and regaining some of her bravado, challenged Sandy by looking her in the eye and saying, "I wish you would."

Sandy blinked twice before quickly moving across the couch to suck Terri's bottom lip between her teeth. She bit down gently but firmly. She soothed the bite with her tongue before pulling back from the dark haired woman. Smiling broadly "I thought you would never ask."

They fell into each other's arms and began to kiss. They traced each other's features with their mouths and tongues. They both felt a comfort from the other that they had never known before, an attraction that they would have to explore. However, for tonight they were happy to just be holding each other as they set on the couch sharing kisses with one another.

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