Fall of Reason - Chapter 7/?
Author: satine_1984
Title: Fall of Reason
Genre: Angst/Romance
Rating: G - NC-17 (It depends on the chapter)
Word Count: ?
Character Pairings: Luke/Reid, most likely Reid/OC, Luke/OC in between
Other Characters: Katie, Jacob, Casey, Bob, Noah, Chris, Lily, Natalie, a few OC’s, possibly other Oakdale citizens
Warnings: There’s smut. A lot of angst but don’t worry, there will be a happy ending. It’s going to be a long way to happiness for Lure, though, and Reid can be quite an ass sometimes. New characters will be getting involved. Noah, the douche, might also get negatively involved but if and how is not sure yet.
Disclaimer: I own nothing.
Summary: Luke has broken up with Noah and finds himself being drawn into a passionate affair with the surgeon he had actually learned to hate.
Set right after 16th /17th March episode when Reid was beat up by Dennis Judd. The story starts with the scene where Reid visits Luke’s home for the first time to ask him to keep quiet about what happened at the Lakeview but you will notice this scene will have a slightly different ending! ;-)
A/N: The other person on the cover is the American actor David Giuntoli. I used him as an inspiration for my character, Daniel Logan, which I have created for this story. If you happen to know this actor pretty well, you need to know that I didn’t choose him for his appearances on television but mainly for his looks as I’d love to give you a vague idea of how Daniel Logan would look like in my imagination.
This is a multichaptered fic and will be updated regularly. I intend to post once a week, since I’ve already written a few chapters ahead. After a while it might take a little longer.
This is my very first Lure fic and unfortunately English is not my first language. Please be kind. :-)
Speaking of language I definitely need to thank my lovely beta-girls bluecactus03 and fremi08 for their suggestions and support and another big thank you to lucsmum, who has given me good advice dealing with smut.
I hope you’re gonna enjoy reading my story and I’d be so happy if you give me your Feedback.
Chapter 7
Reid wasn’t someone who gave up easily but even he had his limits. Especially when it came to kissing asses and fighting politics. That’s what he hated most about his job. It was always about the money, not about saving lives.
He couldn’t even remember how many people he had spoken to within the last three weeks. He’d lost count. From several hospital investor groups, to investment banks, to private investors and foundations....there simply was nothing he hadn’t tried. He had exploited every contact he had ever gotten from his stint in Dallas and Harvard. It was not the fact that they had all said no, right from the start, only 80 percent of them did that. Unfortunately though, it wasn’t any better with the ones that did show interest. There had always been a catch with their offer or they seemed dubious and not trustworthy.
Oh no, Reid was DONE. To hell with them! All of them!
But could he really give up now and settle for a second rate neurology facility which would NOT be state of the art?!
A shiver ran down Reid's spine and he shook his head to clear his mind.
No way! I'd rather move back to Dallas.
Once again he tried to focus on a solution for the wing when suddenly he recognized a familiar voice about 12 feet away from him.
"One large coffee please? No sugar. "
Reid immediately looked up from his table at Java, his eyes zooming towards the counter from where the voice was coming from.
And there he was... the man he least wanted to see right now. A man with so much money in his bank account that could solve Reid's problems all at once. Unfortunately he was also the same young man that Reid had fucked a few weeks ago. Reid groaned trying not to think about that mess he has gotten himself into. He tried to concentrate on his coffee mug instead of the blonde, only realizing in frustration that it had been empty for the past 10 minutes.
Turning his attention back to Luke Snyder, as subtly as he could manage, he picked up something different about him. His outfit - a dark blue buttoned shirt with tight black jeans that showed off his gorgeous ass - finally didn't look like it was passed on from 3 generations before him, as with his usual attire. His blonde hair didn't fall into his eyes any longer since he used a lot more hair gel and his body language screamed confidence. A picture Reid had never seen. He had to admit that he liked this improved version of Luke Snyder very much. The break up with Noah Mayer must have done him well and maybe...just maybe...getting properly fucked after so long has also done its deeds.
Reid watched him casually leaning against the counter, fumbling with his phone while waiting for his coffee to be served. The young man didn't seem to have noticed him yet which was kind of a relief given the fact that Reid was not keen to have a conversation with him right now.
Then again, the feeling was probably mutual. Reid recalled the last time they had seen each other briefly at Noah Mayer’s appointment. The blonde might have tried to appear all casual that day but his eyes had told Reid otherwise. The Snyder kid had looked like a deer trapped in a lion’s cage, mixed with guilt. Plus given his quick escape, he obviously couldn’t wait to get out of the hospital fast enough.
Reid smirked a little at that memory. Clearly Mr. Snyder had been avoiding him for the past few weeks which Reid didn’t mind at all since he finally could focus on his work and work alone. He got exactly what he wanted, didn’t he?
Reid’s smirk disappeared as quickly as it showed up and he tore his eyes away from the young man to play with his coffee mug. This was not fair. Why did the rich kid had to be here today, of all days, when Reid so desperately needed to think of a solution for his problems. He sure as hell didn't believe in fate. Besides... he could have asked the young man for the money anytime he wanted to. So why was he suddenly having second thoughts?
Reid shook his head, trying to clear his mind but when he finally looked up towards the counter again, a pair of warm chocolate brown eyes suddenly met his.
What happened next strangely seemed to be out of Reid’s control. He didn’t know what it was that made him stand up and make his way towards the counter. Maybe it was the changes he had noticed in Luke Snyder today or maybe it was the lack of guilt and insecurity he saw in his eyes. The only thing he knew was that he had one question to ask him. Just one question and that would be the end of it…
*
Luke was looking through his e-mails on his phone, still waiting for his coffee to be served while trying not to glance at the table to his left where he knew Doctor Oliver was sitting.
It was no accident that he chose to be at Java at this exact time. He knew that the picky neurosurgeon always liked to have his coffee on his lunch break at Oakdale’s most popular coffee place. That little information was one of the few things Luke had used to avoid the older man. Luke sighed. Hopefully those days of avoidance would be over now.
He remembered his last encounter with Doctor Oliver at Memorial and Chris’ and Katie’s revelations about the young surgeon following that. He had been such a wreck that day and he probably would have gone on like that had it not been for Casey.
Just the next day, the blonde had suddenly appeared at Luke’s office to invite him to his wedding. Luke had tried to appear all cheerful and happy for Casey’s big day with Allison but his best buddy immediately had sensed that something was wrong and when he kept pushing Luke finally decided that he needed to talk to somebody or he’d go crazy.
So he had told Casey everything that had happened on the day of the break up, carefully leaving out Doctor Oliver’s name and any details that led to him. Afterwards Luke had waited for the blow to hit him. He had been sure he would get to listen to some kind of “Are you crazy, Luke? This isn’t you! Noah is the love of your life! What were you thinking?” speech. So it was even more surprising to hear the complete opposite out of Casey’s mouth.
“Oh my God!” He had cheered, grinning all over the place. “Dude, seriously! It was about time you got laid, man. Well done!”
“WHAT?” Luke had exclaimed, hardly believing his ears.
“Look man…” Casey had continued in a more serious manner, “I know this is a huge thing for you, especially since I know how much you loved Noah.”
“Love!” Luke had corrected him. “I still do love Noah with all my heart!”
“I understand, but…”
“And I was hoping that we’ll get back together eventually. We ALWAYS make it back together. But now I’ve screwed us up, Casey. I’ve screwed us up big time!”
“Luke, seriously? After how he treated you, you still wanna get back together?”
“He was going through a tough time, okay? He still is… I was sure we were gonna make it work!”
“Dude, I hate to break it to you but having sex with another guy is the first sane thing you have done in a long time. Believe me or not but you NEEDED this!”
“Of course you’d say that with your history of rebound sex but I’m not like you, Casey. I don’t do stuff like that. Hell, I still can’t believe I actually did this. It was more than wrong!”
“Okay, forget about your guilty conscience for just one moment and answer me this: Was the sex good with that guy?”
Luke had blushed at that, completely caught off guard by his friend’s question.
“Oh my… Look at you.” Casey had leaned back in his chair, grinning like mad. “So it was THAT GOOD, huh?”
“NO, I… What does it even matter?”
“Come on, Luke! Spill the beans!”
“Okay okay, the sex was great! Beyond great! Are you happy now?”
“YES! I’m VERY happy for you man! And you’re absolutely sure that I don’t know this guy? What's his name? How old is he? Is he hot? What am I saying, of course he’s hot. I mean…”
“Stop it, Casey! Please. You don’t know him. He’s practically a stranger to me and what’s worse is that the guy doesn’t even like me. He just used me for a good fuck and that’s it. We haven’t talked to each other since. I…I think I haven’t felt so ashamed since I started drinking.”
“Oh come on. Aren’t you dramatizing this a little? I mean, didn’t you do the same thing? Use him for sex? You just broke things off with Noah! You couldn’t have possibly wanted to jump into a new relationship, did you?”
“No, of course not. Especially not with this guy!”
“So you’re both on the same page. That’s fantastic! Man, I wished all my one night stands could have been so uncomplicated like yours. You both used each other for sex and had a great time. What’s so wrong about that?”
“I get what you’re saying, but Noah…”
“NOAH is gone, Luke. You two have broken up because he didn’t make you happy. You’re single now, remember?”
“I know but..”
“Then act like someone who is. You had great sex without any commitments. You should be glowing instead of working day and night, pretending to be miserable.”
“I’m not preten…”
“Okay, here’s what we’re gonna do. Enough with this self pity of yours! From now on you’re gonna work less hours and hang out with me more often. Let’s go out a lot, get to know new people. Maybe you’ll have another hot date soon. You’re too young to brood over one failed relationship and hell too attractive for that.”
Luke had laughed at that and also realized at that same moment what a good friend he had in Casey Hughes. Even though he had left out the fact that the person he had slept with was Noah’s doctor, it had felt so good to be able to talk to him about it.
And Casey definitely had kept his promise. They had spent a lot of time together within the past three weeks, going to the movies, playing basketball, going out clubbing… hell, they even went shopping one afternoon and Luke had bought himself some new clothes which, according to Casey, made him look like “a new man”. Luke had only rolled his eyes at that, telling Casey to shut up. Secretly though, he had almost agreed with his best friend. He had felt very comfortable with his new clothes and realized that day how long it had been since the last time he had bought himself something nice. He had really let himself go the past few months and promised himself he would take better care of his looks from now on.
Luke had also come across some really nice people in the past weeks. Two attractive guys had even hit on him. Luke had been flattered but he’d turned them both down. On that point, he disagreed with his best friend. He knew he could never be like Casey. Doctor Oliver had been one huge mistake that Luke didn’t intend to repeat. The great love he had with Noah was like a miracle and he would never sully this deep and meaningful relationship by sleeping around to get over it. However, hanging out with new people had felt more than good. His self confidence had grown with each passing day and the urge to hide from a certain neurosurgeon had become less and less important.
So much that Luke had finally come to the decision that he should quit avoiding Doctor Oliver for good and maybe even have the courage to talk to him about what happened between them. Luke had a lot of time to think about that in the past few weeks and also about Noah still being Doctor Oliver’s patient. Doctor Oliver was right. Under no circumstances should Noah find out that he had sex with his doctor, otherwise the surgery would be at risk. Luke knew he hadn’t really talked this through with Doctor Oliver and although he didn’t think that the doctor would say something to Noah, he still wanted to make sure.
That’s what he was here for today and if his coffee wouldn’t take so long he would have made his way over to the doctor’s table by now instead of dwelling in his thoughts. Unfortunately the staff was so busy today that Luke was beginning to fear that Doctor Oliver might leave Java before he even got his coffee.
Trying to look as casual as possible, he let his eyes scan the room until they finally rested on the man in scrubs. Damn, those scrubs. Even from this distance Doctor Oliver looked as hot as ever.
Luke smirked when he watched the young surgeon playing with his coffee mug, looking like he was deep in his own thoughts. He looked very serious which made Luke wonder if he was working on a tough case. But then again, this man almost always looked serious so it was probably nothing.
Luke was just about to turn his attention to the barista to ask about his coffee when suddenly Doctor Oliver looked up from his mug, looking directly at him. Luke was a little stunned that the doctor obviously seemed to know that he was standing there, yet, at the same time he felt surprisingly calm. This was more than convenient. Now he even had an excuse to go over and talk to him.
Never taking his eyes off the surgeon and still thinking about his next move he sucked in a deep breath when he suddenly watched Doctor Oliver leaving his table and making his way towards him. He definitely hadn’t anticipated that, realizing with discomfort that his heart was beginning to beat a lot faster.
“Mr. Snyder.” Doctor Oliver greeted him when he finally reached the counter, his voice sounding almost enthusiastic as if he was greeting an old friend. “Long time no see.”
“Doctor Oliver.” Luke replied shortly, trying to appear as nonchalant as he could manage. “Well I guess Oakdale isn’t such a small town, after all.”
“It certainly seems that way.” Doctor Oliver answered with a weak smile, his deep blue eyes never leaving Luke’s face.
“Your coffee, sir.” The barista’s voice suddenly appeared out of nowhere. “Sorry for the delay.”
Right.” Luke quickly forced himself out of the doctor’s intense gaze, reaching for his wallet.
“I’ll get it.” Doctor Oliver suddenly intervened, handing the barista a bill.
“What?” Luke exclaimed.
“And I’ll have another coffee as well. No milk. Lots of sugar!” The doctor quickly went on, ignoring Luke’s comment.” Oh and could you get the coffee to my table when it’s ready? We’ll be sitting right over there.” He added, pointing towards the table he had just left a minute ago.
“Seriously?” Luke blurted out before he could stop himself. “The GREAT Doctor Oliver wants to sit down and have a coffee with Richie Rich? Why?”
Luke’s casual countenance he had meant to maintain during his conversation with the doctor was completely gone now and he was left with utter confusion that was written all over his face. Doctor Oliver had never sought a conversation with him before. Why now?
Luke groaned inwardly. He couldn’t believe how quickly that man had managed to unnerve him. He had it all planned out and now it suddenly felt like the older man was taking control.
Seeing the doctor’s eyes darken at his little outburst, Luke almost instantly regretted his choice of words. After all, his entire goal had been to have a civil talk with Doctor Oliver. Not to exchange snarks. Luke was inwardly preparing himself for the doctor’s rude comeback he was sure to receive when he suddenly saw the older man biting his lip and averting Luke’s eyes.
“I want you to sit down with me because I really need to talk to you about something.” He finally answered in a calm and clinical voice.
“What’s wrong? Is…is it Noah? Did something happen to him?” Luke blurted out without thinking, feeling the angst crawling up his skin.
“Jesus. There’s nothing wrong with your BOYFRIEND, okay?” Doctor Oliver answered in a harsh tone, rolling his eyes.
Luke felt his heart twinge at the “B-word”.
Biting his lip he quickly looked down, trying his best not to snap right back at the arrogant man in front of him. He couldn’t believe that this guy was able to rile him up with a single word. When he finally met the doctor’s gaze again, he was surprised to see a hint of remorse in his stormy blue eyes.
“Look…” Doctor Oliver continued in a much softer tone as if he regretted his last words. “I just had an appointment with Noah this morning and he is fine so there’s nothing to worry about. So can we sit down now? This is really important to me.”
Luke frowned. What was so important that the all so busy Doctor Oliver needed to talk to him about? Well, there was only one way to find out, wasn’t there?
“Okay.” Luke sighed, releasing his anger. “Let’s do this then.”
Doctor Oliver nodded curtly and led Luke towards his table where they both sat down.
Although Luke got exactly what he wanted - the chance for a private conversation with Doctor Oliver - he was suddenly beginning to feel nervous, especially with the way the doctor was acting.
Taking a large sip out of his coffee, he eyed the man in front of him with a wary glance, trying to figure him out. Doctor Oliver was focused on his own, still empty, coffee mug, slowly running two fingers over the edge of it. For a second, Luke felt mesmerized watching his hand moving in circles. Such beautiful, slender but strong hands… Luke swallowed, remembering what those hands were able to do to his body.
Doctor Oliver finally looked up and met Luke’s gaze. Their eyes locked and Luke sucked in a deep breath, feeling like those vivid blue eyes were looking right through him, trying to read his thoughts.
“So…” Luke said, clearing his throat. “What do you wanna talk to me about?”
Doctor Oliver opened his mouth to say something when suddenly the barista arrived with his coffee, placing it down onto the table in front of him.
“Your coffee, sir.” He said, a winning smile on his face.
“Thanks.” Doctor Oliver answered, not bothering to look back at him.
“Can I bring you guys anything else?” The barista asked, looking from Doctor Oliver to Luke.
“No, we’re fine.” Doctor Oliver told him.
“Are you sure? We have a special offer on cakes and…”
“I said we’re fine.” Doctor Oliver barked at him. “Just go pretend to do your job somewhere else.”
Luke released the breath he didn't realize he was holding while watching the barista quickly walking away in silence. Luckily that man had been the friendly type. Otherwise Luke might have witnessed the doctor getting punched in the face again.
Luke looked back at Doctor Oliver, raising an eyebrow.
"You're in a good mood."
“Why, he should have seen that we’re in the middle of something.”
“Right.” Luke tried his best to hide his amusement. “I’m pretty sure that he will avoid this table for the rest of the day, so feel free to go on with what you wanted to talk to me about.”
“Okay look, Mr. Snyder.” Doctor Oliver started, briefly looking at Luke then averting his eyes again.
“I don’t quite know how to… No, let’s start again. I’ve been carrying this around with me for a while now and… Fuck, I’m not really good at this…I…”
“Hey…” Luke interrupted him with a shy smile, slowly figuring out what Doctor Oliver may be wanting to talk to him about. “It’s okay, really. I’m glad you want to talk about this.”
Doctor Oliver’s eyes finally met Luke’s again. “You are?” He asked confused, a deep frown appearing on his forehead.
“Look…” Luke felt his self confidence grow stronger again. “I’m happy that you came to me. I mean I know that what happened between us was a one-time thing but I think it’s a little more complicated than that with you being Noah’s doctor. So maybe it’s good that we finally talk about this, right?
“Right.” Doctor Oliver answered, regarding Luke with a wary glance. “But I didn’t ask you to sit down with me to talk about that.”
“Oh.”
Now it was Luke’s turn to avoid the doctor’s eyes. Looking down at his coffee mug he tried to hide the embarrassment that burnt in his cheeks. He had been so sure that the surgeon wanted to talk about what had happened between them. Now he was even more confused.
“Then what is it?”
“I need to talk to you about the new Neurology wing at Memorial.”
“Okaaay…” Luke said slowly, raising an eyebrow. “What about it?”
“Well, as incredible as this project is, it’s also unfortunately gonna suck.”
“I don’t understand.” Luke said irritated. “I thought you designed it.”
“I did yeah.” The surgeon continued, looking carefully at Luke. “But we don’t have enough money to do it right.”
Luke’s eyes grew wide in realization. THIS was what Doctor Oliver wanted to talk to him about? To ask him for money?
“You’re gotta be kidding me.” Luke mumbled through clenched teeth, not even attempting to hide his disappointment.
“No. Henry Coleman’s donation is only going to get us so far and if we want to have the best facility in the world…”
“…you need more money.” Luke finished for him, a dark twinkle in his eyes.
“Yes.” Doctor Oliver said shortly. “And you’re loaded.”
“And YOU’RE insane.” Luke spat, clearly expressing his anger now. He couldn’t believe it. This was a bad dream.
“No man, come on.” The doctor leaned forward into Luke’s personal space, his piercing blue eyes searching his. “You’re a generous guy. You got a foundation, you make loads of grants. I’m just asking you to make one more.”
“Right.” Luke scoffed, trying to ignore the effect the other man’s proximity had on him.
He couldn’t help but notice that the surgeon had rested his hand right next to Luke’s on the table, slightly brushing. Was that intentional? Averting the man’s intense gaze, Luke quickly withdrew his hand to reach for his coffee mug and after he took another large sip he continued with a challenging glare.
“So after all this time, throwing the fact that I have money in my face, you’re now sitting here asking for a handout?”
“The money is not for me.” Doctor Oliver argued.
“Oh that is bull….” Luke countered bluntly.
Seeing the doctor’s sudden insecurity in his eyes he felt his self-confidence grow rapidly. Leaning forward into Doctor Oliver’s personal space he continued in a much lower tone.
“And of course this is so like you…yeah…I should have figured it all out before.”
“Figured out what?” The surgeon asked confused.
“How manipulative you are.”
Doctor Oliver leaned back into his chair, crossing his arms.
“Says the one who’s an expert in kidnapping and bullying?”
But Luke was not having it.
“Oh come on, Doctor Oliver, admit it! An ambitious doctor like you, who always gets his way, you’d do anything…even sleeping with me, thinking you’d get easier access to my money.”
“That is…totally ridiculous.” The doctor said dryly, his face serious now.
“Just tell me one thing.” Luke continued, ignoring the doctor’s comment. “When you planned this, had you already heard from Noah that we’d broken up or was it a comfortable surprise for you when you heard it from me, so that you’d have less trouble seducing me?”
Luke leaned even closer towards the man in front of him, his lips curling into a mischievous smile.
“Well sorry, Doctor Oliver, but I think you went to all that trouble for nothing, I mean you weren’t THAT GOOD.” - You’re such a liar, Luke!
Doctor Oliver stared at Luke for a long time before his lips twitched into a slight smirk.
"Compared to who? Noah?"
Luke’s cheeks flushed deep red in an instant and it took all his will power not to punch the doctor in his arrogant face.
“Fuck you!” Luke exclaimed and chose to rise from his chair instead, his lips trembling in anger.
“I’m leaving.”
“No. You’re not.” Doctor Oliver objected and quickly reached for Luke’s wrist, pulling him back and forcing him to sit down again.
Luke gasped slightly, the sudden feel of the surgeon’s warm hands around his wrist sent a jolt of electricity through his body and he was instantly reminded of their hot encounter in his mum’s living room. Luke felt like he couldn’t move when he watched the doctor leaning closer towards him, his grip tightening around Luke’s wrist on the table.
“You really believe that this was my sinister plan? Fucking your brains out for money?”
Luke shivered at Doctor Oliver’s blunt words, noticing that his voice had dropped to a disturbingly seductive tone.
“Well, I’m sorry to disappoint you Mr. Snyder but my needs back then were only of primitive nature.”
Luke blushed and quickly pulled his hand out of the doctor’s grip, averting his eyes.
“Yeah right…” He started, trying not to lose the strength in his voice. “You might be able to fool others but you can’t fool me. I’ve heard a lot of things about you.”
“Is that so?” Doctor Oliver asked in a slightly amused tone, biting his lip, which irritated Luke even more.
“Yes!” He said stubbornly. “Chris Hughes for example told me you’re a cheat and you’ll do anything to achieve your goals."
Not getting an immediate reaction from the doctor he continued.
"And from Katie I heard you pick up plenty of hot guys randomly so why would you waste any time with me if not for money?"
"You have to ask?" Doctor Oliver’s smirk had vanished, leaving him with a puzzled look.
"Right! I don’t even need to.” Luke went on, getting angrier by the second. “I've figured it out myself. You're the great Doctor Oliver and to you I'm only some spoiled rich kid, that can't pull his life together."
"I'm glad you've got it all figured out but can we stick to the case now?"
"Oh you mean...giving you money for your precious neurology wing?"
"It'll save a lot of lives, Mr. Snyder. Wouldn't you want that?"
"Well, sure.” Luke’s voice was pure venom now. “But not if it’s run by a surgeon who only thinks about his career and not his patients."
"Excuse me?"
"You didn't even show the slightest compassion when you were talking about that man's daughter the other day. You treat everyone at the hospital horribly. From the nurses to the patients, to..."
“Great! You know what?” Doctor Oliver interrupted him harshly, rising from his chair. “Forget it! From now on, I’ll stay away from you. You’ll stay away from me. Then we’ll both be happy. I can build this wing without your help. Thank you for nothing!”
With that the doctor left their table and was out of Java before Luke even had a chance to react.
*
That son of a bitch!
Reid was fuming when he made his way through the other occupied tables at Java, heading for the exit. He couldn’t believe what Luke Snyder had just said. How dare he question his work ethics?
Who the hell was he to tell him how to treat his patients or his staff? He was one of the best neurosurgeons in the world. He had saved so many lives and now this rich brat contended that he didn’t care about his patients?
Reid rushed out the door, deeply breathing in the cool air outside.
It was a mistake to ask him. I knew it would be.
“Reid?”
Reid froze, immediately recognizing the female voice, calling from behind. God, no. He didn’t have the strength to have a conversation with Katie now.
“What’s wrong? You look even more miserable than usual.” She asked, walking up to him.
“Katie, let’s talk at home, okay? I really need to get back to work.”
Reid didn’t even wait for her response and headed straight for Memorial with only one goal in mind. He needed to find a brain to carve into as soon as possible, otherwise he’d go mad.
*
Luke quickly finished his coffee, eager to leave Java as well and forget this whole conversation ever happened. What was he thinking? He would never be able to talk civilly with this guy.
Luke didn’t expect the doctor to be the first one to leave but the more he thought about it the more it made sense. Of course that cold hearted jerk wouldn’t waste another second within Luke’s breath as soon as he’d realized he wouldn’t get what he wanted from him. God, how delusional was that guy? Did he honestly think that just because they had sex, Luke would be willing to donate millions for a guy he hardly even knew?
Luke was just about to get up and leave his table when he noticed a familiar blonde entering the coffee place. Luke groaned inwardly when he saw that Katie had spotted him within seconds. Waving and putting on her brightest smile, she eagerly made his way towards him.
“Hello Luke.” She greeted him. “Mind if I sit with you. This place is packed today!”
“Yeah, sure!” Luke answered, forcing a smile. “I was going to leave anyway.”
“Thanks.” Katie sat down. “I’m in such great need for a coffee. I hope the waiter comes quickly and…” But then she suddenly noticed the untouched coffee right in front of her. “Oh sorry. Are you here with somebody?”
“No, not at all!” Luke answered with a bitter taste in his mouth.
“You don’t look too happy. Did something… Oh!” Katie frowned. “Was Reid sitting here?
“How did you know?” Luke asked, unable to hide his surprise.
“I ran into him outside.” Katie answered honestly. “Were you two in a fight or something?”
“Well, he didn't get what he wanted from me. Let's leave it at that." Luke said shortly, eager to end this conversation.
“Oh my god.” Katie’s eyes widened in realization. “He did it. He actually did ask you for the money.” She said all excited.
“What?” Luke asked irritated. “You knew about that?”
“Sure I did. It was my suggestion in the first place, though Reid didn’t like it at all. He told me he’d rather stand next to a homeless person, begging for the money, than asking you, of all people, for a donation. Wow…he must be real desperate if he has changed his mind. So you apparently said no?”
“Uh…yes, I told him he couldn’t have it.” Luke answered, feeling more uneasy by the second.
“But why?” Katie asked, looking totally bewildered.
“That’s my business, Katie.”
“But the money is for a good cause. I thought your foundation supports something like that.”
“Not if the wing is going to be run by someone like Doctor Oliver. He’s rude and arrogant and he only thinks about himself. Why would Memorial need a doctor who doesn’t care about his patients nor treads them with any respect?”
“You’re wrong, Luke. Reid does care about his patients. He’s a really good doctor and a good man. It’s just a little difficult for him to show it, sometimes.”
“Sometimes?” Luke scoffed. “How about never?”
“Look.” Katie went on. “You don’t know how passionate Reid is about his work. He’s hardly here for three months and he’s already fully dedicated himself to Bob, Memorial and its patients. I’ve seen the plans he’s got for the new wing and they are brilliant. You cannot imagine how devastated he was when Bob told him three weeks ago that they weren’t able to build it without the proper amount of money.”
“Bob told him…three weeks ago? They didn’t know they needed the money from the very beginning?”
“No, they didn’t. When Reid sent his plans over to Bob, they had no idea this would blow their budget…not before Bob did the calculation.”
“Oh.” Luke said in a small voice, swallowing hard. “I…I had no idea.”
“Does it matter?” Katie asked, frowning.
“No. Of course not!” Luke agreed, nervously chewing on his lip.
“Think about it Luke. Please, sleep on it, will you? Give Reid a chance to prove himself. He’s been dragged out of his life in Dallas and here in Oakdale he’s got nothing but his work.”
Luke averted Katie’s hopeful eyes, swallowing hard. He didn’t want to feel this way but somehow suddenly a little guilt overcame him. Katie was right. Doctor Oliver did have a life in Dallas, after all, before Luke had dragged him out of there. A life he probably would have liked to get back to after his charges were dropped and yet he was still here…even willing to do Noah’s surgery in Oakdale.
“Luke?” Katie asked, trying to get his attention.
Luke snapped out of his thoughts and looked up at Katie, realizing that she was still waiting for an answer.
“Look, Katie.” Luke started, suddenly standing up. “I’m sorry but I really have to go now. I’ll see you around.”
“Luke, wait…” Katie pleaded, getting up as well.
“No, Katie. Just stop it, will you?” Luke snapped at her, suddenly losing his patience. “I won’t donate and that’s final!”
Seeing the hurt look in Katie’s eyes, Luke almost regretted his harsh words but he wouldn’t take them back now. Without another word he rushed out of Java, not daring to look back.
*
Title: Fall of Reason
Genre: Angst/Romance
Rating: G - NC-17 (It depends on the chapter)
Word Count: ?
Character Pairings: Luke/Reid, most likely Reid/OC, Luke/OC in between
Other Characters: Katie, Jacob, Casey, Bob, Noah, Chris, Lily, Natalie, a few OC’s, possibly other Oakdale citizens
Warnings: There’s smut. A lot of angst but don’t worry, there will be a happy ending. It’s going to be a long way to happiness for Lure, though, and Reid can be quite an ass sometimes. New characters will be getting involved. Noah, the douche, might also get negatively involved but if and how is not sure yet.
Disclaimer: I own nothing.
Summary: Luke has broken up with Noah and finds himself being drawn into a passionate affair with the surgeon he had actually learned to hate.
Set right after 16th /17th March episode when Reid was beat up by Dennis Judd. The story starts with the scene where Reid visits Luke’s home for the first time to ask him to keep quiet about what happened at the Lakeview but you will notice this scene will have a slightly different ending! ;-)
A/N: The other person on the cover is the American actor David Giuntoli. I used him as an inspiration for my character, Daniel Logan, which I have created for this story. If you happen to know this actor pretty well, you need to know that I didn’t choose him for his appearances on television but mainly for his looks as I’d love to give you a vague idea of how Daniel Logan would look like in my imagination.
This is a multichaptered fic and will be updated regularly. I intend to post once a week, since I’ve already written a few chapters ahead. After a while it might take a little longer.
This is my very first Lure fic and unfortunately English is not my first language. Please be kind. :-)
Speaking of language I definitely need to thank my lovely beta-girls bluecactus03 and fremi08 for their suggestions and support and another big thank you to lucsmum, who has given me good advice dealing with smut.
I hope you’re gonna enjoy reading my story and I’d be so happy if you give me your Feedback.
Chapter 7
Reid wasn’t someone who gave up easily but even he had his limits. Especially when it came to kissing asses and fighting politics. That’s what he hated most about his job. It was always about the money, not about saving lives.
He couldn’t even remember how many people he had spoken to within the last three weeks. He’d lost count. From several hospital investor groups, to investment banks, to private investors and foundations....there simply was nothing he hadn’t tried. He had exploited every contact he had ever gotten from his stint in Dallas and Harvard. It was not the fact that they had all said no, right from the start, only 80 percent of them did that. Unfortunately though, it wasn’t any better with the ones that did show interest. There had always been a catch with their offer or they seemed dubious and not trustworthy.
Oh no, Reid was DONE. To hell with them! All of them!
But could he really give up now and settle for a second rate neurology facility which would NOT be state of the art?!
A shiver ran down Reid's spine and he shook his head to clear his mind.
No way! I'd rather move back to Dallas.
Once again he tried to focus on a solution for the wing when suddenly he recognized a familiar voice about 12 feet away from him.
"One large coffee please? No sugar. "
Reid immediately looked up from his table at Java, his eyes zooming towards the counter from where the voice was coming from.
And there he was... the man he least wanted to see right now. A man with so much money in his bank account that could solve Reid's problems all at once. Unfortunately he was also the same young man that Reid had fucked a few weeks ago. Reid groaned trying not to think about that mess he has gotten himself into. He tried to concentrate on his coffee mug instead of the blonde, only realizing in frustration that it had been empty for the past 10 minutes.
Turning his attention back to Luke Snyder, as subtly as he could manage, he picked up something different about him. His outfit - a dark blue buttoned shirt with tight black jeans that showed off his gorgeous ass - finally didn't look like it was passed on from 3 generations before him, as with his usual attire. His blonde hair didn't fall into his eyes any longer since he used a lot more hair gel and his body language screamed confidence. A picture Reid had never seen. He had to admit that he liked this improved version of Luke Snyder very much. The break up with Noah Mayer must have done him well and maybe...just maybe...getting properly fucked after so long has also done its deeds.
Reid watched him casually leaning against the counter, fumbling with his phone while waiting for his coffee to be served. The young man didn't seem to have noticed him yet which was kind of a relief given the fact that Reid was not keen to have a conversation with him right now.
Then again, the feeling was probably mutual. Reid recalled the last time they had seen each other briefly at Noah Mayer’s appointment. The blonde might have tried to appear all casual that day but his eyes had told Reid otherwise. The Snyder kid had looked like a deer trapped in a lion’s cage, mixed with guilt. Plus given his quick escape, he obviously couldn’t wait to get out of the hospital fast enough.
Reid smirked a little at that memory. Clearly Mr. Snyder had been avoiding him for the past few weeks which Reid didn’t mind at all since he finally could focus on his work and work alone. He got exactly what he wanted, didn’t he?
Reid’s smirk disappeared as quickly as it showed up and he tore his eyes away from the young man to play with his coffee mug. This was not fair. Why did the rich kid had to be here today, of all days, when Reid so desperately needed to think of a solution for his problems. He sure as hell didn't believe in fate. Besides... he could have asked the young man for the money anytime he wanted to. So why was he suddenly having second thoughts?
Reid shook his head, trying to clear his mind but when he finally looked up towards the counter again, a pair of warm chocolate brown eyes suddenly met his.
What happened next strangely seemed to be out of Reid’s control. He didn’t know what it was that made him stand up and make his way towards the counter. Maybe it was the changes he had noticed in Luke Snyder today or maybe it was the lack of guilt and insecurity he saw in his eyes. The only thing he knew was that he had one question to ask him. Just one question and that would be the end of it…
*
Luke was looking through his e-mails on his phone, still waiting for his coffee to be served while trying not to glance at the table to his left where he knew Doctor Oliver was sitting.
It was no accident that he chose to be at Java at this exact time. He knew that the picky neurosurgeon always liked to have his coffee on his lunch break at Oakdale’s most popular coffee place. That little information was one of the few things Luke had used to avoid the older man. Luke sighed. Hopefully those days of avoidance would be over now.
He remembered his last encounter with Doctor Oliver at Memorial and Chris’ and Katie’s revelations about the young surgeon following that. He had been such a wreck that day and he probably would have gone on like that had it not been for Casey.
Just the next day, the blonde had suddenly appeared at Luke’s office to invite him to his wedding. Luke had tried to appear all cheerful and happy for Casey’s big day with Allison but his best buddy immediately had sensed that something was wrong and when he kept pushing Luke finally decided that he needed to talk to somebody or he’d go crazy.
So he had told Casey everything that had happened on the day of the break up, carefully leaving out Doctor Oliver’s name and any details that led to him. Afterwards Luke had waited for the blow to hit him. He had been sure he would get to listen to some kind of “Are you crazy, Luke? This isn’t you! Noah is the love of your life! What were you thinking?” speech. So it was even more surprising to hear the complete opposite out of Casey’s mouth.
“Oh my God!” He had cheered, grinning all over the place. “Dude, seriously! It was about time you got laid, man. Well done!”
“WHAT?” Luke had exclaimed, hardly believing his ears.
“Look man…” Casey had continued in a more serious manner, “I know this is a huge thing for you, especially since I know how much you loved Noah.”
“Love!” Luke had corrected him. “I still do love Noah with all my heart!”
“I understand, but…”
“And I was hoping that we’ll get back together eventually. We ALWAYS make it back together. But now I’ve screwed us up, Casey. I’ve screwed us up big time!”
“Luke, seriously? After how he treated you, you still wanna get back together?”
“He was going through a tough time, okay? He still is… I was sure we were gonna make it work!”
“Dude, I hate to break it to you but having sex with another guy is the first sane thing you have done in a long time. Believe me or not but you NEEDED this!”
“Of course you’d say that with your history of rebound sex but I’m not like you, Casey. I don’t do stuff like that. Hell, I still can’t believe I actually did this. It was more than wrong!”
“Okay, forget about your guilty conscience for just one moment and answer me this: Was the sex good with that guy?”
Luke had blushed at that, completely caught off guard by his friend’s question.
“Oh my… Look at you.” Casey had leaned back in his chair, grinning like mad. “So it was THAT GOOD, huh?”
“NO, I… What does it even matter?”
“Come on, Luke! Spill the beans!”
“Okay okay, the sex was great! Beyond great! Are you happy now?”
“YES! I’m VERY happy for you man! And you’re absolutely sure that I don’t know this guy? What's his name? How old is he? Is he hot? What am I saying, of course he’s hot. I mean…”
“Stop it, Casey! Please. You don’t know him. He’s practically a stranger to me and what’s worse is that the guy doesn’t even like me. He just used me for a good fuck and that’s it. We haven’t talked to each other since. I…I think I haven’t felt so ashamed since I started drinking.”
“Oh come on. Aren’t you dramatizing this a little? I mean, didn’t you do the same thing? Use him for sex? You just broke things off with Noah! You couldn’t have possibly wanted to jump into a new relationship, did you?”
“No, of course not. Especially not with this guy!”
“So you’re both on the same page. That’s fantastic! Man, I wished all my one night stands could have been so uncomplicated like yours. You both used each other for sex and had a great time. What’s so wrong about that?”
“I get what you’re saying, but Noah…”
“NOAH is gone, Luke. You two have broken up because he didn’t make you happy. You’re single now, remember?”
“I know but..”
“Then act like someone who is. You had great sex without any commitments. You should be glowing instead of working day and night, pretending to be miserable.”
“I’m not preten…”
“Okay, here’s what we’re gonna do. Enough with this self pity of yours! From now on you’re gonna work less hours and hang out with me more often. Let’s go out a lot, get to know new people. Maybe you’ll have another hot date soon. You’re too young to brood over one failed relationship and hell too attractive for that.”
Luke had laughed at that and also realized at that same moment what a good friend he had in Casey Hughes. Even though he had left out the fact that the person he had slept with was Noah’s doctor, it had felt so good to be able to talk to him about it.
And Casey definitely had kept his promise. They had spent a lot of time together within the past three weeks, going to the movies, playing basketball, going out clubbing… hell, they even went shopping one afternoon and Luke had bought himself some new clothes which, according to Casey, made him look like “a new man”. Luke had only rolled his eyes at that, telling Casey to shut up. Secretly though, he had almost agreed with his best friend. He had felt very comfortable with his new clothes and realized that day how long it had been since the last time he had bought himself something nice. He had really let himself go the past few months and promised himself he would take better care of his looks from now on.
Luke had also come across some really nice people in the past weeks. Two attractive guys had even hit on him. Luke had been flattered but he’d turned them both down. On that point, he disagreed with his best friend. He knew he could never be like Casey. Doctor Oliver had been one huge mistake that Luke didn’t intend to repeat. The great love he had with Noah was like a miracle and he would never sully this deep and meaningful relationship by sleeping around to get over it. However, hanging out with new people had felt more than good. His self confidence had grown with each passing day and the urge to hide from a certain neurosurgeon had become less and less important.
So much that Luke had finally come to the decision that he should quit avoiding Doctor Oliver for good and maybe even have the courage to talk to him about what happened between them. Luke had a lot of time to think about that in the past few weeks and also about Noah still being Doctor Oliver’s patient. Doctor Oliver was right. Under no circumstances should Noah find out that he had sex with his doctor, otherwise the surgery would be at risk. Luke knew he hadn’t really talked this through with Doctor Oliver and although he didn’t think that the doctor would say something to Noah, he still wanted to make sure.
That’s what he was here for today and if his coffee wouldn’t take so long he would have made his way over to the doctor’s table by now instead of dwelling in his thoughts. Unfortunately the staff was so busy today that Luke was beginning to fear that Doctor Oliver might leave Java before he even got his coffee.
Trying to look as casual as possible, he let his eyes scan the room until they finally rested on the man in scrubs. Damn, those scrubs. Even from this distance Doctor Oliver looked as hot as ever.
Luke smirked when he watched the young surgeon playing with his coffee mug, looking like he was deep in his own thoughts. He looked very serious which made Luke wonder if he was working on a tough case. But then again, this man almost always looked serious so it was probably nothing.
Luke was just about to turn his attention to the barista to ask about his coffee when suddenly Doctor Oliver looked up from his mug, looking directly at him. Luke was a little stunned that the doctor obviously seemed to know that he was standing there, yet, at the same time he felt surprisingly calm. This was more than convenient. Now he even had an excuse to go over and talk to him.
Never taking his eyes off the surgeon and still thinking about his next move he sucked in a deep breath when he suddenly watched Doctor Oliver leaving his table and making his way towards him. He definitely hadn’t anticipated that, realizing with discomfort that his heart was beginning to beat a lot faster.
“Mr. Snyder.” Doctor Oliver greeted him when he finally reached the counter, his voice sounding almost enthusiastic as if he was greeting an old friend. “Long time no see.”
“Doctor Oliver.” Luke replied shortly, trying to appear as nonchalant as he could manage. “Well I guess Oakdale isn’t such a small town, after all.”
“It certainly seems that way.” Doctor Oliver answered with a weak smile, his deep blue eyes never leaving Luke’s face.
“Your coffee, sir.” The barista’s voice suddenly appeared out of nowhere. “Sorry for the delay.”
Right.” Luke quickly forced himself out of the doctor’s intense gaze, reaching for his wallet.
“I’ll get it.” Doctor Oliver suddenly intervened, handing the barista a bill.
“What?” Luke exclaimed.
“And I’ll have another coffee as well. No milk. Lots of sugar!” The doctor quickly went on, ignoring Luke’s comment.” Oh and could you get the coffee to my table when it’s ready? We’ll be sitting right over there.” He added, pointing towards the table he had just left a minute ago.
“Seriously?” Luke blurted out before he could stop himself. “The GREAT Doctor Oliver wants to sit down and have a coffee with Richie Rich? Why?”
Luke’s casual countenance he had meant to maintain during his conversation with the doctor was completely gone now and he was left with utter confusion that was written all over his face. Doctor Oliver had never sought a conversation with him before. Why now?
Luke groaned inwardly. He couldn’t believe how quickly that man had managed to unnerve him. He had it all planned out and now it suddenly felt like the older man was taking control.
Seeing the doctor’s eyes darken at his little outburst, Luke almost instantly regretted his choice of words. After all, his entire goal had been to have a civil talk with Doctor Oliver. Not to exchange snarks. Luke was inwardly preparing himself for the doctor’s rude comeback he was sure to receive when he suddenly saw the older man biting his lip and averting Luke’s eyes.
“I want you to sit down with me because I really need to talk to you about something.” He finally answered in a calm and clinical voice.
“What’s wrong? Is…is it Noah? Did something happen to him?” Luke blurted out without thinking, feeling the angst crawling up his skin.
“Jesus. There’s nothing wrong with your BOYFRIEND, okay?” Doctor Oliver answered in a harsh tone, rolling his eyes.
Luke felt his heart twinge at the “B-word”.
Biting his lip he quickly looked down, trying his best not to snap right back at the arrogant man in front of him. He couldn’t believe that this guy was able to rile him up with a single word. When he finally met the doctor’s gaze again, he was surprised to see a hint of remorse in his stormy blue eyes.
“Look…” Doctor Oliver continued in a much softer tone as if he regretted his last words. “I just had an appointment with Noah this morning and he is fine so there’s nothing to worry about. So can we sit down now? This is really important to me.”
Luke frowned. What was so important that the all so busy Doctor Oliver needed to talk to him about? Well, there was only one way to find out, wasn’t there?
“Okay.” Luke sighed, releasing his anger. “Let’s do this then.”
Doctor Oliver nodded curtly and led Luke towards his table where they both sat down.
Although Luke got exactly what he wanted - the chance for a private conversation with Doctor Oliver - he was suddenly beginning to feel nervous, especially with the way the doctor was acting.
Taking a large sip out of his coffee, he eyed the man in front of him with a wary glance, trying to figure him out. Doctor Oliver was focused on his own, still empty, coffee mug, slowly running two fingers over the edge of it. For a second, Luke felt mesmerized watching his hand moving in circles. Such beautiful, slender but strong hands… Luke swallowed, remembering what those hands were able to do to his body.
Doctor Oliver finally looked up and met Luke’s gaze. Their eyes locked and Luke sucked in a deep breath, feeling like those vivid blue eyes were looking right through him, trying to read his thoughts.
“So…” Luke said, clearing his throat. “What do you wanna talk to me about?”
Doctor Oliver opened his mouth to say something when suddenly the barista arrived with his coffee, placing it down onto the table in front of him.
“Your coffee, sir.” He said, a winning smile on his face.
“Thanks.” Doctor Oliver answered, not bothering to look back at him.
“Can I bring you guys anything else?” The barista asked, looking from Doctor Oliver to Luke.
“No, we’re fine.” Doctor Oliver told him.
“Are you sure? We have a special offer on cakes and…”
“I said we’re fine.” Doctor Oliver barked at him. “Just go pretend to do your job somewhere else.”
Luke released the breath he didn't realize he was holding while watching the barista quickly walking away in silence. Luckily that man had been the friendly type. Otherwise Luke might have witnessed the doctor getting punched in the face again.
Luke looked back at Doctor Oliver, raising an eyebrow.
"You're in a good mood."
“Why, he should have seen that we’re in the middle of something.”
“Right.” Luke tried his best to hide his amusement. “I’m pretty sure that he will avoid this table for the rest of the day, so feel free to go on with what you wanted to talk to me about.”
“Okay look, Mr. Snyder.” Doctor Oliver started, briefly looking at Luke then averting his eyes again.
“I don’t quite know how to… No, let’s start again. I’ve been carrying this around with me for a while now and… Fuck, I’m not really good at this…I…”
“Hey…” Luke interrupted him with a shy smile, slowly figuring out what Doctor Oliver may be wanting to talk to him about. “It’s okay, really. I’m glad you want to talk about this.”
Doctor Oliver’s eyes finally met Luke’s again. “You are?” He asked confused, a deep frown appearing on his forehead.
“Look…” Luke felt his self confidence grow stronger again. “I’m happy that you came to me. I mean I know that what happened between us was a one-time thing but I think it’s a little more complicated than that with you being Noah’s doctor. So maybe it’s good that we finally talk about this, right?
“Right.” Doctor Oliver answered, regarding Luke with a wary glance. “But I didn’t ask you to sit down with me to talk about that.”
“Oh.”
Now it was Luke’s turn to avoid the doctor’s eyes. Looking down at his coffee mug he tried to hide the embarrassment that burnt in his cheeks. He had been so sure that the surgeon wanted to talk about what had happened between them. Now he was even more confused.
“Then what is it?”
“I need to talk to you about the new Neurology wing at Memorial.”
“Okaaay…” Luke said slowly, raising an eyebrow. “What about it?”
“Well, as incredible as this project is, it’s also unfortunately gonna suck.”
“I don’t understand.” Luke said irritated. “I thought you designed it.”
“I did yeah.” The surgeon continued, looking carefully at Luke. “But we don’t have enough money to do it right.”
Luke’s eyes grew wide in realization. THIS was what Doctor Oliver wanted to talk to him about? To ask him for money?
“You’re gotta be kidding me.” Luke mumbled through clenched teeth, not even attempting to hide his disappointment.
“No. Henry Coleman’s donation is only going to get us so far and if we want to have the best facility in the world…”
“…you need more money.” Luke finished for him, a dark twinkle in his eyes.
“Yes.” Doctor Oliver said shortly. “And you’re loaded.”
“And YOU’RE insane.” Luke spat, clearly expressing his anger now. He couldn’t believe it. This was a bad dream.
“No man, come on.” The doctor leaned forward into Luke’s personal space, his piercing blue eyes searching his. “You’re a generous guy. You got a foundation, you make loads of grants. I’m just asking you to make one more.”
“Right.” Luke scoffed, trying to ignore the effect the other man’s proximity had on him.
He couldn’t help but notice that the surgeon had rested his hand right next to Luke’s on the table, slightly brushing. Was that intentional? Averting the man’s intense gaze, Luke quickly withdrew his hand to reach for his coffee mug and after he took another large sip he continued with a challenging glare.
“So after all this time, throwing the fact that I have money in my face, you’re now sitting here asking for a handout?”
“The money is not for me.” Doctor Oliver argued.
“Oh that is bull….” Luke countered bluntly.
Seeing the doctor’s sudden insecurity in his eyes he felt his self-confidence grow rapidly. Leaning forward into Doctor Oliver’s personal space he continued in a much lower tone.
“And of course this is so like you…yeah…I should have figured it all out before.”
“Figured out what?” The surgeon asked confused.
“How manipulative you are.”
Doctor Oliver leaned back into his chair, crossing his arms.
“Says the one who’s an expert in kidnapping and bullying?”
But Luke was not having it.
“Oh come on, Doctor Oliver, admit it! An ambitious doctor like you, who always gets his way, you’d do anything…even sleeping with me, thinking you’d get easier access to my money.”
“That is…totally ridiculous.” The doctor said dryly, his face serious now.
“Just tell me one thing.” Luke continued, ignoring the doctor’s comment. “When you planned this, had you already heard from Noah that we’d broken up or was it a comfortable surprise for you when you heard it from me, so that you’d have less trouble seducing me?”
Luke leaned even closer towards the man in front of him, his lips curling into a mischievous smile.
“Well sorry, Doctor Oliver, but I think you went to all that trouble for nothing, I mean you weren’t THAT GOOD.” - You’re such a liar, Luke!
Doctor Oliver stared at Luke for a long time before his lips twitched into a slight smirk.
"Compared to who? Noah?"
Luke’s cheeks flushed deep red in an instant and it took all his will power not to punch the doctor in his arrogant face.
“Fuck you!” Luke exclaimed and chose to rise from his chair instead, his lips trembling in anger.
“I’m leaving.”
“No. You’re not.” Doctor Oliver objected and quickly reached for Luke’s wrist, pulling him back and forcing him to sit down again.
Luke gasped slightly, the sudden feel of the surgeon’s warm hands around his wrist sent a jolt of electricity through his body and he was instantly reminded of their hot encounter in his mum’s living room. Luke felt like he couldn’t move when he watched the doctor leaning closer towards him, his grip tightening around Luke’s wrist on the table.
“You really believe that this was my sinister plan? Fucking your brains out for money?”
Luke shivered at Doctor Oliver’s blunt words, noticing that his voice had dropped to a disturbingly seductive tone.
“Well, I’m sorry to disappoint you Mr. Snyder but my needs back then were only of primitive nature.”
Luke blushed and quickly pulled his hand out of the doctor’s grip, averting his eyes.
“Yeah right…” He started, trying not to lose the strength in his voice. “You might be able to fool others but you can’t fool me. I’ve heard a lot of things about you.”
“Is that so?” Doctor Oliver asked in a slightly amused tone, biting his lip, which irritated Luke even more.
“Yes!” He said stubbornly. “Chris Hughes for example told me you’re a cheat and you’ll do anything to achieve your goals."
Not getting an immediate reaction from the doctor he continued.
"And from Katie I heard you pick up plenty of hot guys randomly so why would you waste any time with me if not for money?"
"You have to ask?" Doctor Oliver’s smirk had vanished, leaving him with a puzzled look.
"Right! I don’t even need to.” Luke went on, getting angrier by the second. “I've figured it out myself. You're the great Doctor Oliver and to you I'm only some spoiled rich kid, that can't pull his life together."
"I'm glad you've got it all figured out but can we stick to the case now?"
"Oh you mean...giving you money for your precious neurology wing?"
"It'll save a lot of lives, Mr. Snyder. Wouldn't you want that?"
"Well, sure.” Luke’s voice was pure venom now. “But not if it’s run by a surgeon who only thinks about his career and not his patients."
"Excuse me?"
"You didn't even show the slightest compassion when you were talking about that man's daughter the other day. You treat everyone at the hospital horribly. From the nurses to the patients, to..."
“Great! You know what?” Doctor Oliver interrupted him harshly, rising from his chair. “Forget it! From now on, I’ll stay away from you. You’ll stay away from me. Then we’ll both be happy. I can build this wing without your help. Thank you for nothing!”
With that the doctor left their table and was out of Java before Luke even had a chance to react.
*
That son of a bitch!
Reid was fuming when he made his way through the other occupied tables at Java, heading for the exit. He couldn’t believe what Luke Snyder had just said. How dare he question his work ethics?
Who the hell was he to tell him how to treat his patients or his staff? He was one of the best neurosurgeons in the world. He had saved so many lives and now this rich brat contended that he didn’t care about his patients?
Reid rushed out the door, deeply breathing in the cool air outside.
It was a mistake to ask him. I knew it would be.
“Reid?”
Reid froze, immediately recognizing the female voice, calling from behind. God, no. He didn’t have the strength to have a conversation with Katie now.
“What’s wrong? You look even more miserable than usual.” She asked, walking up to him.
“Katie, let’s talk at home, okay? I really need to get back to work.”
Reid didn’t even wait for her response and headed straight for Memorial with only one goal in mind. He needed to find a brain to carve into as soon as possible, otherwise he’d go mad.
*
Luke quickly finished his coffee, eager to leave Java as well and forget this whole conversation ever happened. What was he thinking? He would never be able to talk civilly with this guy.
Luke didn’t expect the doctor to be the first one to leave but the more he thought about it the more it made sense. Of course that cold hearted jerk wouldn’t waste another second within Luke’s breath as soon as he’d realized he wouldn’t get what he wanted from him. God, how delusional was that guy? Did he honestly think that just because they had sex, Luke would be willing to donate millions for a guy he hardly even knew?
Luke was just about to get up and leave his table when he noticed a familiar blonde entering the coffee place. Luke groaned inwardly when he saw that Katie had spotted him within seconds. Waving and putting on her brightest smile, she eagerly made his way towards him.
“Hello Luke.” She greeted him. “Mind if I sit with you. This place is packed today!”
“Yeah, sure!” Luke answered, forcing a smile. “I was going to leave anyway.”
“Thanks.” Katie sat down. “I’m in such great need for a coffee. I hope the waiter comes quickly and…” But then she suddenly noticed the untouched coffee right in front of her. “Oh sorry. Are you here with somebody?”
“No, not at all!” Luke answered with a bitter taste in his mouth.
“You don’t look too happy. Did something… Oh!” Katie frowned. “Was Reid sitting here?
“How did you know?” Luke asked, unable to hide his surprise.
“I ran into him outside.” Katie answered honestly. “Were you two in a fight or something?”
“Well, he didn't get what he wanted from me. Let's leave it at that." Luke said shortly, eager to end this conversation.
“Oh my god.” Katie’s eyes widened in realization. “He did it. He actually did ask you for the money.” She said all excited.
“What?” Luke asked irritated. “You knew about that?”
“Sure I did. It was my suggestion in the first place, though Reid didn’t like it at all. He told me he’d rather stand next to a homeless person, begging for the money, than asking you, of all people, for a donation. Wow…he must be real desperate if he has changed his mind. So you apparently said no?”
“Uh…yes, I told him he couldn’t have it.” Luke answered, feeling more uneasy by the second.
“But why?” Katie asked, looking totally bewildered.
“That’s my business, Katie.”
“But the money is for a good cause. I thought your foundation supports something like that.”
“Not if the wing is going to be run by someone like Doctor Oliver. He’s rude and arrogant and he only thinks about himself. Why would Memorial need a doctor who doesn’t care about his patients nor treads them with any respect?”
“You’re wrong, Luke. Reid does care about his patients. He’s a really good doctor and a good man. It’s just a little difficult for him to show it, sometimes.”
“Sometimes?” Luke scoffed. “How about never?”
“Look.” Katie went on. “You don’t know how passionate Reid is about his work. He’s hardly here for three months and he’s already fully dedicated himself to Bob, Memorial and its patients. I’ve seen the plans he’s got for the new wing and they are brilliant. You cannot imagine how devastated he was when Bob told him three weeks ago that they weren’t able to build it without the proper amount of money.”
“Bob told him…three weeks ago? They didn’t know they needed the money from the very beginning?”
“No, they didn’t. When Reid sent his plans over to Bob, they had no idea this would blow their budget…not before Bob did the calculation.”
“Oh.” Luke said in a small voice, swallowing hard. “I…I had no idea.”
“Does it matter?” Katie asked, frowning.
“No. Of course not!” Luke agreed, nervously chewing on his lip.
“Think about it Luke. Please, sleep on it, will you? Give Reid a chance to prove himself. He’s been dragged out of his life in Dallas and here in Oakdale he’s got nothing but his work.”
Luke averted Katie’s hopeful eyes, swallowing hard. He didn’t want to feel this way but somehow suddenly a little guilt overcame him. Katie was right. Doctor Oliver did have a life in Dallas, after all, before Luke had dragged him out of there. A life he probably would have liked to get back to after his charges were dropped and yet he was still here…even willing to do Noah’s surgery in Oakdale.
“Luke?” Katie asked, trying to get his attention.
Luke snapped out of his thoughts and looked up at Katie, realizing that she was still waiting for an answer.
“Look, Katie.” Luke started, suddenly standing up. “I’m sorry but I really have to go now. I’ll see you around.”
“Luke, wait…” Katie pleaded, getting up as well.
“No, Katie. Just stop it, will you?” Luke snapped at her, suddenly losing his patience. “I won’t donate and that’s final!”
Seeing the hurt look in Katie’s eyes, Luke almost regretted his harsh words but he wouldn’t take them back now. Without another word he rushed out of Java, not daring to look back.
*