Penny looked down at the chart and hesitated. With a sigh, she moved to sit down on the opposite end of the couch. She tugged at her pants, then the bottom of her knit shirt. Her hands twisted together in her lap.
An uncomfortable silence filled the space between them.
Kim was more convinced than ever that Penny was trying to work up the nerve to ask her out. Let's get this over with. "Penny?" She was already preparing herself for what to say to let Penny down gently.
Penny's gaze darted toward the door, then back to Kim. She took a deep breath. "My BFF scored tickets to the Bed Heads." She grinned, peering at Kim expectantly as if waiting for an excited reaction.
Who or what the hell are the Bed Heads? "That's nice," Kim said with all the enthusiasm she could muster. Which wasn't much.
Penny's expression fell. "You don't like them?"
"Honestly, I have no idea who they are."
"Oh." Penny looked at Kim for just a moment as if she was seeing her in a different light. She shook her head. "Well, I know you'd love them. They are just the bomb. And Beba's voice is so..." A dreamy expression filled Penny's face.
BFF? The bomb? What adult talks like that? This was not how Penny talked when conducting ER business.
Kim shifted on the couch, drawing Penny's attention back to her.
"Anyway, my girl's boss wouldn't let her off on Saturday." Penny scowled, then her expression brightened and she smiled. "Would you go to the concert with me? We'll have a blast."
Keep it simple and concise. "Thank you, but no," Kim said.
"No?" Penny echoed.
Kim shook her head. "No, thanks."
Penny's shoulders slumped. "Oh... okay. I guess it is last minute. I should have asked you sooner."
Wouldn't have mattered a bit, but you don't need to know that. The tight knot in Kim's stomach started to ease. That wasn't so bad. "I should get back to work." Kim reached for her chart.
"Wait!" Penny slid across the couch. Her progress was stopped when her knee hit the chart on the cushion between them.
Kim removed her hand from the chart and crossed her arms over her chest. She didn't want to give Penny an opening to try and take her hand again. I knew that was too easy. She sighed.
"Are you free next weekend? How about dinner?" Penny's eyes lit up. "Afterward, we can go clubbing."
Kim glanced toward the door. Normally, the staff lounge was a busy place. Today, of course, had to be the exception. No help for it. Just get it over with. You tell people things they don't want to hear every day. Problem was, she knew Penny well enough by now to know that no matter what she said it was not going to be well received.
"I appreciate you putting yourself out there to ask. But my answer is still no."
"But I thought..." Penny flushed. "You're not gay?"
"Yes. I'm a lesbian."
Penny flinched at the word lesbian. Her gaze darted away from Kim for just a moment before returning to hesitantly meet her eyes.
Kim was curious about the strange reaction but remained focused on the issue at hand. She chose her words carefully. While she didn't want to hurt Penny, she didn't want her to continue to ask her out either. "I respect the job you do here in the ER. I think we work well together. But I'm not interested in anything else. I'd prefer to keep our interactions on a professional level."
Tears filled Penny's eyes. She sprang from the couch and bolted for the door.
Ah, damn. Kim stood but resisted the urge to call her back and try to comfort her. She knew it would just make things worse.
The door to the lounge swung open just as Penny reached it.
Unable to stop her forward momentum, Penny plowed into the person coming through the door.
Bates grabbed her biceps to keep them both from falling. "Watch where the hell you're going," he snarled.
Penny wrenched away from him and ran out the door.
"Stupid cow," Bates said. He started when he spotted Kim, then smiled. He stepped into the room and let the door swing shut behind him. "Hey, Kim."
Kim gritted her teeth. Although she knew she should call him on using her first name without her permission, she decided to ignore him. After the confrontation with Penny and continued worry about the situation with Jess, she was not up to dealing with Bates at the moment. She moved toward the door. "Excuse me. I've got work to do."
Bates remained in place, effectively blocking the only exit.
Great. Just when I thought this day couldn't get any worse.
"What's got Penny's panties in a twist?" A speculative look filled his face, and then he laughed. "You finally tell her you're not a freaking queer like her?"
His words landed like a spark on dry tinder. Kim's temper flared. "Dr. Bates —"
"It's okay, Kim." Bates smirked. "I knew all along it was just a ruse to keep a bunch of loser guys from pestering you." His eyes swept down her body. "You're way too gorgeous to be a dyke."
The flare burst into flames, rendering Kim momentarily speechless. Her hands clenched at her sides.
Bates slithered closer. "Don't worry. It'll be our secret." He tried to touch her face.
Kim batted his hand away. It took every ounce of her professional training to mask her blazing anger. She had to handle this calmly. An emotional outburst would put her in the wrong. "Do not ever touch me again," she said in a flat, ice-cold voice that would have done Jess proud.
Bates backpedaled. His retreat was stopped by the wall next to the lounge door. He raised his hands beseechingly. "Come on, Kim. Don't be like that —"
"Stop right there." This ends here and now. "First: You will address me as Dr. Donovan."
Bates's face turned red and he started to interrupt.
Kim cut him off. "Quiet. Second: I am not your friend, nor am I interested in dating you. Not now —" she pinned him with a hard stare, "not — ever. Don't ask me again. If you persist, I will file a comp —"
The lounge door started to swing open.
Terrell slid to a halt. His gaze bounced between Kim and Bates.
Bates hissed. "Get lost, Terry."
Terrell shot Bates a sharp look. He pushed the door open fully and blocked it from swinging shut with his foot. "Dr. Donovan?"
Great, an audience. Just what I don't need. She spared a glance at Bates. He looked like he was about to rupture something. Okay, maybe a strategic exit wouldn't be such a bad idea. He definitely got the point.
"What can I do for you, Dr. Johnson?" Kim asked, dropping the icy tone she had used with Bates.
"I've got a patient I could really use your help with if you're not busy."
"Sure. I'd be more than happy to help you. Lead the way," Kim said.
Without so much as a glance at Bates, she followed Terrell. As Kim stepped through the door, she heard Bates mutter something under his breath. She was glad she had not heard him clearly because she would not have been able to let it go if it was something derogatory. Which she knew more than likely it was.
* * *
Terrell led the way toward the back of the ER department. He stopped in the hallway just down from Jess's office.
Kim quirked an eyebrow. "What's going on? Where's your patient?" There were no patient rooms back here.
"I just..." Terrell shuffled his feet. He dug the tip of his shoe into the linoleum and refused to meet Kim's gaze. He looked like a little boy who knew he was in trouble. "I lied. There isn't any patient."
More curious than angry, Kim asked, "Why did you do that?" Even as she asked, Kim realized why — Bates. He was trying to rescue me.
"It's just... I know how Peter can be," Terrell said, his gaze firmly locked on his shoes.