Authors Note: This was a submission for @blackcatkita‘s Margarita Drabble Challenge!
Casey slams back her fourth shot of tequila, swaying slightly on her stilettos.
“It’s just, when you said we were getting margaritas, I kind of thought there’d be other ingredients?” Sienna squeaks, looking nervously at the full shot glass in front of her.
“Fine,” Casey sighs. A sudden idea hits her “Wait, I’ll be right back!”
She weaves through the crowd, leaning in conspiratorially when the bartender asks for her order. “I need limes. Like, a lot of limes. How many can you fit in a bowl? Two bowls!” Her hands fly wildly as she talks, almost knocking over a nearby glass of scotch.
“Limes, Rookie?” Her eyes narrow at the familiar nickname.
“Yes, Dr. Ramsey, limes. Are you going to criticize them too? What, not green enough for you? They’re trying you know. It isn’t easy being a new intern. I mean citrus fruit.”
Ethan is too stunned to speak. She’s unreasonably close to him, and he can see the little flecks of copper in her eyes, the way her lower lip is trembling as she continues her defense of assorted cocktail garnishes. She turns, trips over some unseen impediment, and falls squarely against him.
She smells like salt, and sunshine, and something sharp and bright he can’t quite place. It’s intoxicating, and he’s all too aware of her hands on his chest, her soft breath near his cheek. Clearing his throat, he takes her elbow and guides her back to her feet. “Are you okay, Dr. Valentine?” he says her name softly, and her eyes widen at the sound of it on his lips.
“Of course I am.” She hopes her voice sounds steadier then she suddenly feels. “I don’t need some hard-chested — I mean hard-headed — I mean, I don’t need you to save me. I can save myself. I’m a doctor.”
And with that, head held high, Casey stalks back across the bar to her friends.
_________
Bonus Scene
Casey’s fingers fumble blindly across her nightstand, her eyes clenched tight against the light pouring in through her window. Her hand hits something damp and cold, and she yelps before braving a quick peek. A glass of water and full bottle of Tylenol left within reach. Sienna. Bless her.
Her head throbs as she grabs her phone and sees a new message from Dr. Ramsey. She braces for whatever she’s done wrong now, her brow furrowing in confusion as she reads. How much did she have to drink last night? She read the text a second and third time, but it still doesn’t make any sense.
“I think the limes are amazing.”
Sighing, Casey tosses her phone to the side and closes her eyes again. She isn’t sure what her attending means, but she can figure that out later. When she isn’t so hung over.