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Post by tom on Jul 19, 2008 23:09:30 GMT -5
"It's not really considered 'in person' when it's a painting now, is it?" He asked again. "But it would be good to see. I guess I'm more keen on seeing some of the rarer art works out there but I promise not to bore you with details."
He leaned his back against the trunk of the tree and slowly got himself up, indicating to the park bench she'd been sitting on before. "I'd suggest going for a coffee or something, but I'm not sure if you have to go back to work."
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Post by Alice Chase on Jul 19, 2008 23:16:59 GMT -5
"I suppose you're right. It wouldn't be 'in person'." Alice said, pondering it for a moment. She smiled. "I'd love to see some of the rarer ones too - but I can only name a few of them. I don't know all of them. It's one of the reasons I want to travel everywhere."
She glanced down at her watch.
"No, I actually have another half an hour for lunch. We get an hour - so if you wanted to we could go and get some coffee. I think there's a Starbucks right around the corner." |
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Post by tom on Jul 19, 2008 23:21:47 GMT -5
"Starbucks" Thomas repeated, "right then." He started to walk along the path waiting for her to join him. "Lead the way." He gave a wry grin. "Did you know we really only got Starbucks in my home town of Brisbane maybe in the last five years?" He asked, "But I suppose it's so hot back home that drinking coffee is really only a new thing..."
He was brought up drinking tea, really. That's the way it used to be. "I guess things change pretty quickly though, huh? A city like this must be always changing. I find it hard with places like this to really call them 'home', you know?"
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Post by Alice Chase on Jul 19, 2008 23:27:54 GMT -5
Alice nodded and began to walk with him toward the exit of the park. "Really? Coffee - or any caffiene, really - is like my lifeline to reality. I wouldn't be able to function without it." She laughed. "But I suppose in Austraila the heat would be a factor as to why people don't drink it much there."
"Yeah, places like Los Angeles and New York change a heck of a lot. It's why I'd prefer to live in a small town, but I have to find one with a hospital first. I don't want to have to drive two hours just to get to my job." |
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Post by tom on Jul 19, 2008 23:31:16 GMT -5
"We have a lot of ice-coffee though" he added smiling, "that's true about big cities, you probably have plenty of work in a city like this." He paused, not sure if he should bring it up as they walked along, "so in the hospital... there's a lot of kids with problems right? Injured ones and everything?" It must have been hard for her to have that job. She was a much better person that he was. He didn't know what he would do to have someone relying on him that much.
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Post by Alice Chase on Jul 20, 2008 9:40:07 GMT -5
"Yeah, but I always want to try and get the best job I can - Saint Sebastian's was my first choice when I came here - I was lucky to get a job there." She said, frowning slightly when he spoke next.
"Well, yeah - some have just minor injuries, others are more serious. I've seen a lot of things because I treat children as early as premature babies and as old as thirteen - but yeah." Alice replied, glancing over at him. "Why?" |
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Post by tom on Jul 20, 2008 17:13:22 GMT -5
Thomas shook his head slowly. "You're incredible" he breathed. He'd never be able to do that... frankly his fear of dependency on that level made him feel like more of loser than ever. "Saint Sebastian's should consider themselves lucky to have you."
It would have been even more unbelievable if she didn't already know that, but he guessed from the way she acted already that she was modest.
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Post by Alice Chase on Jul 20, 2008 17:37:15 GMT -5
Her cheeks tinted pink for the briefest of moment, her head ducking down modestly. "It's nothing really." She murmured, looking back up at him. "I'm just another Pediatrician. It's not like I'm the only one or anything."
Alice led the way out of the park and down the street, taking only minutes to reach the Starbucks just down the street. "At least it's not busy." |
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Post by tom on Jul 20, 2008 17:47:00 GMT -5
"Yeah, but you're doing something with your life... helping people. I like painting, but who does it really help?" He scratched the back of his head anxiously. It was semi-frustrating that everything he devoted his life to was nothing but his own selfish ambitions. He was used to it now, but he wondered if he would ever get the guts to persue more... noble pursuits.
He reached out and grabbed her hand again, wincing at his pained knuckles as he did so. "Alice... I... I never do this but..." he stuttered slightly, even though he was lying. He occassionally did this and it always ended up the same way. He gently pulled her into him and kissed her, before she had a chance to go inside.
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Post by Alice Chase on Jul 20, 2008 18:04:52 GMT -5
"It helps the paint and brush factories earn money...." She offered as a suggestioned with a laugh, tucking hair behind her ear as she made to open the door.
She was momentarily confused as to what had happened, but when she did realize it, her eyes went wide for a brief moment. He had kissed her. Alice didn't move, nor kiss back, waiting until he pulled away so she could speak. Or smack him, whichever she decided.
"What was that?" She demanded in a soft tone. |
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Post by tom on Jul 20, 2008 18:13:24 GMT -5
"Sorry..." Thomas stuttered and then brought his hand up to his face. What was he doing? This wasn't Claire. And he had a horrible pattern of reliving the Claire situation over and over. He stared at her for a moment, realization etching his face slightly. "Sorry... but I just can't do this... I mean, I know it's only coffee but what if it was more than coffee? And..." He rubbed his brow wearily. "I thought I could. I really thought... It was nice meeting you." He took out his wallet and handed her a twenty. "Get yourself a coffee... and it was really nice meeting you." For some reason his expression now seemed somewhat petrified as he turned to walk away.
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Post by Alice Chase on Jul 20, 2008 22:37:25 GMT -5
Alice frowned.
"Hey, wait." She said, catching his wrist as he turned to go in an attempt to stop him. She tucked the twenty back into his pocket. "It's all right - I'm not mad or anything." She said quietly, still slightly confused about the whole matter.
"Just - if you want it to be more than coffee, possibly give me some sort of heads up next time. If you just want it to be coffee - that's fine too." Alice said, her head whirling slightly. "But - would you mind explaining why you did that? At least tell me if you're going to leave." |
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Post by tom on Jul 20, 2008 22:43:40 GMT -5
Thomas turned back to her as she caught up to him. What was he supposed to say? He was terrible at relationships? He happened to mess up even ones that he was just considering getting into in the first five seconds?... Well, ever since Claire anyways. He starred at her for a long moment debating this in his mind. "Sorry... I just..." Bugger. He still hadn't come up with an answer.
"I guess maybe I was getting ahead of myself and decided to make that leap of faith, you know? But then... realizing that I'm just not ready." He looked down at the ground, "the whole thing with Claire really screwed with me."
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Post by Alice Chase on Jul 20, 2008 22:54:20 GMT -5
She watched as he seemed to struggle with words, confused for a moment. She frowned slightly, but smiled slightly.
"It's all right. If you want to be friends, that's fine. But if it's too hard or something for you, I suppose we can pretend we never met." She offered softly. "But eventually, you're going to have to get over Claire and get back out there. You can let it haunt your life forever." |
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Post by tom on Jul 20, 2008 23:01:45 GMT -5
"Yeah, I know..." Thomas said with a small glance upward. It wasn't helping though... what he knew he had to do and what he actually did were two very different things. He didn't know if he should just pretend they hadn't met or not. Of course he could say that now... pretend they hadn't met and he would just go back on his choice and not be able to stop thinking about her later. That was the way it worked for Thomas. He wanted what he couldn't have and he feared what he could. So if he said 'pretend we haven't met' then he would be kicking himself later and probably show up at her work saying he was an idiot, just like he was here to do with Claire or if he decided not to, then there was the risk he'd run again. And as much as he knew the pattern, he couldn't stop it.
"It's not just that which is haunting my life. It's me. I make bad choices. I just want to go before I screw this up like I seem to do with everything."
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