Alex and Ria exchanged a quick handshake, so quick she barely felt it, yet enough to send a warm blush across her cheeks. Alex noticed, of course, and a quiet smirk tugged at the corner of his lips.
"As you know, I'm Alexander," he said lightly. "You can call me Alex… or anything you wish."
Ria nodded, pulling her hand back, still flustered.
"Umm, you know my name, Zaria.."
He cut her off gently. "I'll call you Ria."
She agreed with a shy nod.
"Then… can I call you Xander?" she asked timidly.
His heart skipped a beat at the nickname. Small, soft, but strangely intimate.
He smiled. "Okay, Ria. Shall we continue?" he asked playfully.
Matching his tone, she replied, "Of course, Xander…"
For a moment, he froze. Hearing her say his name so casually, so sweetly. It hit him harder than he expected. Ria blinked, confused by his reaction, and he quickly chuckled and pulled himself together.
She resumed her tests.
"Umm… Xander…" she murmured, hesitation clouding her voice.
"Tell me," he encouraged gently.
"Can you… please lie down? And… also remove your shirt."
Alex raised a brow.
"It's… it's for the ECG. I need to assess your heart function," she added quickly.
He chuckled, shaking his head as he unbuttoned his shirt.
Ria turned redder than a rose.
'What the hell, Ria? Why are you blushing? You're a doctor, this isn't the first shirtless man you've seen. Be professional! ' Her mind voiced.
Alex lay down on the couch as she prepared the wires. She leaned forward to place one on his chest..
..and the door slammed open.
"You f***er!"
The voice boomed like thunder.
Ria gasped, spun around too fast, and her foot slipped. She tipped backward, but Alex's hand shot out. He pulled her toward him, and she landed right on top of him, on his chest.
Her eyes widened in shock.
Her fingers clenched his shirt collar.
His hand held her waist firmly, anchoring her.
Their eyes locked, hers trembling, his drifting for a dangerous second toward her quivering lips.
"Oh my God! Sorry, wrong timing!!!"
Ben's horrified scream shattered the moment. He slapped a hand over his eyes and bolted out of the cabin like a guilty teenager.
The spell broke.
Ria scrambled to her feet, looking anywhere but at Alex.
"I… I'm sorry," she stuttered, face flushed.
He didn't bother hiding the smirk stretching across his lips. A victorious, satisfied one.
Flustered beyond measure, Ria hurried through the rest of the ECG, fixing the wires with trembling hands, while Alex watched her the entire time… that smirk never once leaving his face.
Ria finished the tests as quickly as she could and finally looked at him, still red as a tomato.
"I… I am going then. This equipment…" she mumbled in a tiny voice.
He smiled softly. "No worries. I'll arrange someone to put them back."
She nodded and turned around with her medical kit.
"Ria…" he called out.
"Huh?" She turned again, waiting.
And the great General suddenly began dilly-dallying.
'Come on, Alex! Ask her out for lunch. It's not that hard', his mind screamed.
Ria tilted her head when he said nothing.
"Uhh! I… the reports! Yes, the reports of the check-up…" he blurted.
'What the heck, man!', he scolded himself internally.
She smiled gently. "Oh, I'll send them to you this evening after verifying everyone's records."
He nodded, feeling defeated.
"If there isn't anything else…"
"Yeah, you may go," he said.
She walked out, face still red, one hand holding her medical kit, the other fidgeting with the hem of her dress.
Meanwhile, Alex punched the couch hard.
"To hell with you, Alex!"
He fell back on it, hands behind his head, staring at the ceiling with a foolish smile.
"I've fought so many wars, yet I'm afraid to ask you out. You're in trouble, babygirl. Big trouble."
His brows furrowed suddenly. "Am I forgetting something?"
Then he dismissed it. "Whatever."
He closed his eyes, dreaming about his pretty doctor.
On the other side, someone had already started spreading news about the great General being lovey-dovey with a girl. Ben, as Alex's best friend, had even announced Ria as their future sister-in-law in front of some soldiers, just to make sure everyone treated her with utmost respect.
Neither Alex nor Ria knew any of this.
The medical camp ended peacefully and everyone returned. As promised, Ria sent the entire report to Alex through one of the resident doctors. She was either genuinely busy with an emergency… or simply avoiding him after such an embarrassing day.
Night arrived, soothing the world into sleep, except two men who had completely lost theirs.
Alex lay on his bed, staring at the ceiling, dreaming about her and imagining ways to court her.
Ben sat alone in the basketball court, staring at the moon.
"Why am I thinking about you?" he sighed.
Then, like a strike of lightning, realization hit him. He jumped up.
"Oh my God!"
"I think… I'm in love," he whispered.
Then he suddenly screamed into the empty court,
"I AM IN LOVE WITH YOU, DOCTOR!"
A smile spread across his face.
"I'm really liking this feeling."
Two men were building dream castles, while the two women, blissfully unaware, slept peacefully in their beds.
Just like that, some more days passed in a blink. Alex had gotten Ria's number, and the two had begun chatting whenever they found time.