Chapter 206 - Room 412 (6)

JoAnna raised an eyebrow. She glanced next to him and observed a plate with three croissants. She walked over and took one.

Jeff frowned. "That is my breakfast." He was outraged with her brazen behavior. 'That is my food!'

JoAnna looked at him calmly and took a bite of the pastry. "It's good." She went back and sat on the sofa. "You didn't answer my question."

"Which one?" Jeff was still thinking how outrageous she is... she took his food without asking!

"How did we end up together last night?" JoAnna asked between bites.

Jeff hesitated for a second before responding. "I wanted to know your name."

JoAnna's eyes widened in surprise. "Did you find it out?"

"Yes, I did... JoAnna." He nodded.

"And? ... I told you my name and followed you to your room?" JoAnna shook her head. That does not sound right.

"Not exactly." How is he going to tell her that she passed out, barfed on him and then he carried her to her room while she was unconscious? Just thinking about it makes him smell the vomit. And then because of her he ended up spending a night on an uncomfortable sofa. That is not a way for a man to live with dignity, he can't say that... it's good that she does not remember. He shook his head. "It's not important. You only need to know that I was a gentleman."

"Looking at your eyebags, you didn't sleep well." JoAnna observed.

Jeff grimaced. Of course, he didn't sleep well. Besides thinking about 'little J' most of the night, the sofa was uncomfortable. Thinking about 'little J' he had to ask. "Did you spend any summer on the East Coast as a child?"

JoAnna was surprised. "What kind of a topic change is that?"

"Just answer me... like 10, no... 15 years ago. Did you spend a summer on East Coast?" He was leaning toward her, eagerly expecting her answer.

"Croissant." JoAnna said with a flat voice.

"What?" Jeff didn't understand, what kind of an answer is that?

"Give me one croissant and I will respond." JoAnna's lips curved into a smile.

Reluctantly, he took the plate with two croissants and extended it toward her. When JoAnna took one pastry, he returned the plate with now only one croissant back to his desk.

She happily took a bite. "Maybe."

Jeff thought that his insides are coming out from anger. This woman is just too much. "What kind of an answer is that?"

"The best one I can give." JoAnna looked at his angered face and found it amusing. She decided to elaborate. "I know that when I was a small child, my paternal grandparents used to live on East Coast, so it's possible that I spent some time with them... but I don't remember." As she spoke, JoAnna finished the croissant and was back to sipping coffee.

He was disappointed with her answer. What did he hope to hear? He was not sure himself. Jeff looked at her cheerful expression. "How come you are not hangover? You were quite wasted last night."

JoAnna thought for a second and responded honestly. "I don't know. It seems I expelled alcohol from my system somehow."

Jeff remembered her vomiting on him, and immediately regretted his question. He was also curious why other nurses at Franciscan Medical Center said that they don't know her. "I asked few nurses if they know you, and they said that there is no such nurse in the hospital."

"Is there a question in there?" JoAnna raised an eyebrow and tilted her head slightly.

Jeff shook his head helplessly. "I don't know... " It seemed that his anger is subsiding.

She smiled revealing two rows of perfect white teeth. "How did you ask if they know me?"

Finally! He was happy that she showed interest in answering his question. "I asked if they know a nurse by name Jo."

JoAnna's carefree giggles filled up the room. "My name is not Jo, and I'm not a nurse."

"Yes, it's JoAnna... but what are you, if not a nurse?"

JoAnna straightened her back and tilted her head looking behind his shoulder. He followed her gaze, and his face fell. Jeff took the plate with last croissant which was behind him and placed it in front of her. She just smiled and took the croissant. "I'm a resident."

To normal people, there is no difference between nurses and residents, because their duties related to patients are almost the same. However, to people who work in the hospital, this is something that can't be mixed up.

She looked at his angry face and could not help but giggle again. "You have until end of this croissant to ask questions." She took a bite out of it.

He really felt that this woman is too much. Is she only thinking about food? How can she be so infuriating? "Don't you have anything that you want to ask me?"

She shook her head. "Not really."

"How come? Don't you want to know who I am? Aren't you curious, why am I interested to find out more about you?", there was a hint of desperation in his voice. He asked her many questions, but she never showed a slightest interest in finding out anything about him. Isn't it normal to be curious about the person who wants to know more about you? And why is she not interested to know more about him? This thought bothered him more than he wanted to admit.

JoAnna looked at his handsome face, eyes full of curiosity and she felt as if something is tugging on her heart. She lowered her gaze. There was a mix of sadness and regret swelling within her, but it took only a moment for JoAnna to suppress it. She took a deep breath, and looked him in the eyes as she explained: "Besides the fact that you spent two days in room 412 due to exhaustion, and you needed an IV for dehydration, there is not much more to know about a person I will probably never meet again. Even information about your hospital stay will gradually fade from my memory. As for last night... whatever happened I already don't remember it." JoAnna stood up. "This was a nice chat, thank you for breakfast, Mister 412." She took her purse and walked outside. She stopped in front of the door. Desire to see his face just once more overwhelmed her. 'Just once more…' She turned toward him on her toes, gracefully, like a ballerina, and bowed slightly, "Thank you for treating me like a gentleman." She smiled, and he stared at her bright blue eyes and a dazzling smile. By the time he regained his senses, he was looking at the closed door and JoAnna was out of sight.

He wished that she called him Jeff at least once... and he wished that she didn't leave.