BEEP BEEP BEEP.

The sound of the alarm jolted my eyes awake. I turned over and felt for Jean-Paul, but he wasn't there. I looked around the room and realized that I was in my apartment. It was a dream. The proposal hadn't really happened. I was disappointed.

I walked into the bathroom to turn the water on for a shower. I just stood there in the bathroom thinking about my dream. It felt so real. I could feel the emotions as he had seeped into my unconsciousness. I suppose all of the thinking I had been doing about Jean-Paul had affected my dreams. That was the first time since I've met Jean-Paul that I had actually dreamt of him.

Was I getting too close? Was this just a realization that nothing more would ever happen between Jean-Paul and I? That once his visit is over that we will just be nothing more than distant memories? My heart sank when I thought about the dream and how greatly I wished it were real. The feelings scared me. Jean-Paul and I had never discussed where this relationship was leading. What if he didn't want anything further after his vacation had ended? What if these strong feelings that I was developing were one-sided?

With a sigh, I pushed the thoughts from my mind and focused on getting dressed for the long day ahead.

When I stepped out of the apartment complex, the morning air swept through my long brunette locks. On the drive to the office, my mind was on Jean-Paul and our date the previous night. By the time I arrived at work, I was smiling from ear to ear. Nina, the head nurse took in my good mood right away.

"You look happy today. Is it that boyfriend of yours?" She asked. I half-smiled before the words flew out of my mouth.

"Actually, Max and I aren't together anymore."

The smile disappeared from her face and was replaced with a frown. She pulled me close into a hug and whispered, "Oh honey I'm sorry."

"It's okay Nina. It was a month or two ago. I was upset about it for a while, but then I met this new guy named Jean-Paul." The frown melted away and she returned to her normal, happy self.

"You have got to tell me all of the details!" She exclaimed.

We walked back into the lounge area of the office and I poured myself a cup of coffee and added a bit of french vanilla creamer. Nina and I sat at one of the tables and I began to talk.

I told Nina all about Jean-Paul, about showing him around New York, and our date the previous evening. By the time I was finished, she was on the edge of her seat, hanging on to my every word.

I showed Nina my bracelet as she inspected it and oohed and ahhed over it.

"Then last night I had a crazy dream that we were on the beach and Jean-Paul proposed to me. I woke up and realized that it was only a dream. But it felt so real."

Nina looked at me and a big smile spread from ear to ear.

"Maybe your dreams are trying to tell you something. Maybe this means that he's the one," she winked.

I shook my head, my stomach doing anxious somersaults. "No, I don't think so. It's been an emotional few weeks, and I think it's starting to mess with my sleep. It couldn't mean more than that...could it?" Nina smiled. "I wouldn't be dismissive of the dream just yet, Blakely. It sounds like your heart is trying to tell you something. You just need to listen." She gave my shoulder a reassuring squeeze before leaving the break room to unlock the front doors.

I sat there for a moment, sipping my coffee, and thinking about what Nina said. Was it possible that I was in my head so much that I was preventing myself from being honest about my feelings for Jean-Paul? Was I standing in the way of my own happiness because I was hanging on to my relationship with Max, or afraid of being hurt again?

I let out a sigh and left the lounge, shaking my head. Whatever my feelings were for Jean-Paul, I would have to figure them out later. For now, I needed to focus on my work, to put the health of my patients before my own mixed emotions.

I waited as Nina started to call the first patient back to an exam room. I washed my hands and grabbed my computer as I went into exam room number one. In that room was sitting a little boy and his parents. They were new to my office because I had never seen them there before. The little boy hid close to his mom.

"What is going on with this little guy today?" I asked as I reached into my pocket and pulled out a lollipop. "Do you mind if I give this to him?"

His parents nodded their heads yes and then proceeded to tell me the issue. "Andre has an odd rash on his body. We aren't sure what it is or what could have caused it, but he seems to be in a bit of discomfort."

"Can you climb up here for me and take a seat?"I asked Andre. He held his lollipop in his hands and climbed on up the examination table.

I began to lift Andre's shirt up and take a look at the rash.

"Have you changed any of Andre's soaps, the laundry detergent, given him a different food that he's never had before?"

"We haven't, doctor. Do you know what it could be?"

I hesitated for a moment as I checked his stomach, chest, arms, and hands. I even looked more closely at his face as I placed my fingers on either side of his neck and kneaded the lymph nodes gently.

"Has he had a fever at all?" I asked.

"Yes, but the last office we were at couldn't find a cause for the fever. We were just told it was an infection of some kind. Then the rash appeared."

"Judging by the rash and the fact that he had a fever prior to the onset of it looks to be roseola. Roseola is a viral infection. There isn't much you can do except let him rest as much as possible, making sure he's getting plenty of fluids, and treating the fever with a fever reducer."

"Thank you, doctor." Andre's parents said as they shook my hand in relief that they finally know what is ailing their son.

"Would you like a sticker?" I asked Andre. He shook his head yes. I walked out of the room and to the nurses' station to retrieve him a sticker with a car on it. His eyes lit up as if he had gotten his favorite toy.

They walked out of the room and a smile spread on my face. I'm glad the doctor that I'm working under allowed us to get stickers for the office. I had no doubt that that little boy would feel safe enough to come back to the office in the future.

I washed my hands and got ready for the next patient. The clinic was full and it kept me busy. I was thankful for the full schedule because it didn't give me time to dwell on Jean-Paul and my budding feelings for him. Time went on until it was finally time for lunch.

I started to walk out of the building to get a chicken sandwich at my favorite fast-food restaurant for lunch. I saw Nina sitting at the nurses' station without anything to eat. I walked up to her to invite her to eat lunch with me.

"Nina, are you eating lunch today?" I asked as I stood off to the side where she was working.

"Not today, Blakely. I didn't have enough time to prepare my lunch this morning. My life has been hectic as of late."

"How about you come and eat lunch with me? My treat."

Her head shot up from the computer that she was working on and her eyes lit up. "Sure," she whispered.

So Nina and I walked out of the office building and into my car. We went through the drive-thru of Chick-fil-A. I ordered a grilled chicken sandwich with a cherry coke, while Nina ordered a salad. I paid for our orders and we went back to the office where we ate our lunch in the lounge room.

We ate in silence although I could see a smile coming through to Nina's face. No other person in the office had done anything for Nina as I had. She wasn't used to the politeness of a coworker.

We finished our lunch and went through the rest of the day at the office. The afternoon was just as busy as the morning was, so the rest of the workday flew by.

When it came time to close the office, I finished with my last patient and sent them on their way. I walked into the back to take my computer back to my office and turn it off for the night.

I walked back out into the hallway and by the nurses' station stood Jean-Paul with a bouquet of Hershey's chocolate wrapped in a pink paper and tied off with a big red ribbon. Inside of the chocolate bouquet was some faux roses and baby breath.

Nina walked in and saw Jean-Paul standing there. "Oh. My. Goodness." She mouthed the words to me behind his back. A smile shot across her face.

I stood frozen in the office. I ran up to Jean-Paul and slung my arms around his neck.

Never in my life had a man surprised me at work. I knew that he said he would but I honestly didn't expect all of this. I was in complete shock.

"I told you I would surprise you at work." He managed to say. The whole office erupted into laughter and applause.

Nina looked and me before giving me a wink.

"Can I take you to dinner?" He asked.

An image of the dream flashed in my mind. I stood there hesitant, unsure if I was ready. But then I remembered what Nina said about listening to my heart. So I pushed the doubts from my mind. "I would like nothing more," I said with a smile, I intertwined my fingers with his.

We walked out of the office, hand in hand.