Open Heart One Shots (Choices)

The Negotiation

Summary: Ethan has a huge favor to ask of Cassie. But it's going to cost him.

Dr. Ethan Ramsey hated putting on a show as much as he did talking to interns when he didn't have to. It's not that he hated interns, although there were moments. He didn't have the patience to deal with their incessant questions and subtle (and not so subtle) hero worship.

Only one intern had managed to hold his attention long enough for it to not matter. And now she owed him. At least that was his reasoning for the favor he was going to ask one Dr. Cassie Valentine.

He looked up when the Diagnostic Team's office doors slid open. He peered at Cassie from above the rims of his reading glasses, setting them aside when she took the seat across from him. He smiled when she handed him a cup of coffee while she sipped from her own.

"You paged, Dr. Ramsey?"

She sat back and crossed her legs. The movement had her skirt rising. Ethan's eyes drifted to the bare skin visible above her knees. When she loudly cleared her throat, he blushed and quickly looked away. Her wicked grin told him she knew exactly what he was thinking.

"Ah, yes. I need a favor," he said. When his laptop pinged a notification, he closed the lid to avoid distractions.

"Naveen has asked me to speak to a group of sub-interns today during lunch. I want you to do it instead," he said matter-of-factly.

"No dice. Naveen didn't ask me," she smirked. "You're on your own, babe."

He leaned forward, steepling his fingers. "As a third-year resident, you are required to mentor and train interns. And that includes sub-Is. It's part of your training and will help prepare you for attending-hood."

"Uh-huh," she said dismissively, finishing her coffee. "What's the real reason?"

"You owe me," he countered severely.

She scoffed. "How do you figure that?"

He got comfortable, leaning back in his chair and locking his hands behind his head. "If you must know, you ruined my reputation among interns. Everyone thinks I've gone soft. They want the Ramsey Touch, as Naveen called it; lessons to survive an internship."

Cassie burst out laughing. "The Ramsey Touch? I love it. Is that when you call an innocent intern an amateur even before they attend orientation? Or when you assign them a PITA that burps in their face and questions their every move? Or how about...."

"Very funny," he cut in impatiently. "You know you love a challenge. If I hadn't pushed you as hard I did, you wouldn't have been the top-ranking intern for so long."

"Huh. I expected a better argument than that?" She mused, tapping her index finger against her lips thoughtfully. "Maybe you are going soft."

He quirked one eyebrow. "If we didn't have a team meeting in ten minutes, I would take great pleasure in proving you wrong about that."

"Well, there's always tonight," Cassie said, giving him a lascivious look. "I look forward to seeing how hard you can get." Her expression turned shrewd. "I have a counteroffer for you. I will take your place at the intern luncheon today, but I need something from you. A quid pro quo."

"I see," Ethan said cautiously. "What do you need?"

"I want to go dancing with my boyfriend," said Cassie. "Pick an evening; wear that dark suit with the blue tie that makes you look hunky." She waggled her eyebrows suggestively, making him roll his eyes. "I'll wear that red dress you like and drive you crazy all night. And then you'll take me back to your apartment and...."

The doors behind her slid open before she could finish her thought. Ethan silently groaned, hiding his frustration as the rest of the team filed in.

"To be continued?" He whispered before speaking in his normal voice. "So, Dr. Valentine, it's confirmed. I'll let Naveen know you'll speak at the intern lunch today in my stead."

"Sounds good, Dr. Ramsey," Cassie told him in the same professional tone before dropping her voice.

"I think I deserve a kiss for this, and I plan to collect." She smiled and winked at him before joining the others at the conference table.

Ethan watched her walk away until he caught Tobias staring at him, a knowing smirk on his lips. Instead of rising to the challenge, Ethan sighed and grabbed the patient files on his desk.

"Okay, team," he began, coming to stand at the head of the table. "Let's get started."