BRIDGETTE

If Scott was not there, I would have wrung their necks. And I knew whose neck I would go for first and that would be Quinn’s.

I stepped closer to Scott and looked over my shoulder. Cara was looking at me like she was about to throw up. Well, it served her right. She should not have agreed to Quinn’s plan to ruin my date.

“Hey, Cara,” Quinn said, walking beside me. Scott and I turned to him. “Where did you guys go today?”

“Should you really be asking that?” I asked, evading his question. I couldn’t tell Cara that I turned stalker over my sister for a lot of reasons. She would bug me about it until I would regret it. She might just say something that would sound weird for Scott. Hell, she could do a lot of things. Before Quinn could push his question, I asked, “How about you? Why are you with Bridgette and not your girlfriend?”

That must have worked because his face changed a little before he answered, “She’s not available at the moment.”

I arched an eyebrow. “Really?”

I thought I heard Cara mumble something behind, pulling Quinn back beside her.

We went to a local restaurant and Quinn had already stolen Scott’s attention. They were from different fields, but they had a lot of things to talk about. Men, really. They always find something to say to each other.

“I can’t believe you did this,” I whispered to Cara for the tenth time that night.

“It’s fun, admit it. This is your first date and any awkwardness is gone because of our presence,” she chided.

I looked at her dryly. “In case you forgot, I already slept with the man. The only awkward thing we are experiencing right now is having to deal with the two of you.”

Her face turned sour, probably because she was picturing her body having sex with Scott.

“So, anyway, forget about that. Why is Quinn in a good mood? Did he break up with that bitch?”

Cara looked surprised. “Of course not. And he’s in a good mood because I think he finally got over what happened years ago.”

I rolled my eyes. “He’s in a good mood because he’s with you. I just can’t fathom how he manages to think you are Cara while looking at my face.”

She chuckled. “I wonder the same thing.”

The night would have been perfect. Scott was having a great time and I was enjoying our little secret messages across the table while Quinn and Cara were busy with their food. As I’ve said, the night would have been perfect if not for Quinn’s stupid mouth.

“You two should switch back fast, you know,” he said all of a sudden and when he looked up, he saw my face--probably drained with blood--and Cara’s stunned one.

Scott was chewing on his pasta. He frowned. “Switch? Who?”

Quinn’s eyes panicked and I wanted to kick him under the table if not for fear that I might damage Scott’s instead. “I meant, switch back to their…own apartments.”

“Why?”

“We kind of exchanged apartments,” Cara said, pointing at me.

“Yeah,” I answered in a lame attempt. “We…” I couldn’t think. Shit.

“We realized our apartments, I mean, each other’s apartments are nearer to our own workplaces,” Cara said quickly. I had to give her credit for it. It sounded legit.

Scott slowly nodded. “You know, Bridgette,” he said, forking his pasta as he looked at Cara, “I could mistake you to being Cara. I mean you act like her--the old her that I thought I knew. No offense, of course.”

“The two of them can be confusing at times,” Quinn agreed and I glared at him. He better shut his mouth up. “What?” he mouthed at me with a grin.

“That’s weird,” I told Scott. “She and I are totally different.”

He turned to me and smiled warmly. “I know that.”

The sudden rush of hormones almost took me aback. I was getting used to Scott’s presence but to have his attention entirely focused on me was still unnerving. I didn’t know if I was really feeling that sudden rise of emotions because I was in Cara’s body and I was being fueled by her hormones. But it still felt so real. I had never felt it before. I had never had the urge to make a guy smile like that to me again ever before. I was already thinking of the next thing to say to keep that smile fixed on me.

God, I must be crazy, I thought. I didn’t even say anything and he didn’t really do anything but smile. And now, looking at him talking to Quinn again, I couldn’t help but wonder.

Is what I’m feeling towards this man safe?

CARA

Quinn was disappointed that Bridgette did not cry by the time dinner ended.

“Well, we did everything we could,” I told him once we were inside his car.

“Do you think they can work it out? I mean, did she tell him?” he asked a while later.

I shook my head. “I don’t think she wants to. He would find it hard to believe,” I murmured, looking outside the window of his car. We were still sitting inside his car in the parking lot. Scott and Cara were long gone and yet we stayed there, just talking.

“You told me,” he said.

“I’m different.”

He looked at me and smiled. “I know,” I said, reaching over for the seatbelt. I hope he got the sign that I wanted him to drive me back to my car so I could go home and be alone--be far from him.

 “Cara,” Quinn said as I struggled with the buckle.

I looked up and there it was again. I knew that look and I didn’t want to discuss anything that came along with it. I was tired of that. “Yes?” I couldn’t help but ask.

It took a long time before he blinked and shook his head, “Nothing.”

Grateful he chose to forget what he wanted to say, I smiled and said, “We should get going. We still need to pick up my car.”

BRIDGETTE

We were on our way back to Cara’s apartment, the apartment Scott thought was mine and the one where we…

Stop that thought, Bridgette! I mentally told myself.

Anyway, I thought he was taking me home but then I realized he changed route. My heart started to hammer. Was he taking me someplace where we could do the thing?

Oh, oh. It would not be a very good idea because for one, I would have to refuse him. And second, I might just give in if he as much as smile at me while stripping me of my dress.

Again, I mentally shook the thought out of my head. I should really stop thinking about sex right now.

“Where are we going?” I asked him.

He shrugged. “Somewhere quiet,” he answered.

“You know I won’t have sex with you tonight, right?” Hey! I had to make it clear while his hands were busy with the wheels and my dress was still intact.

Scott gave off a laugh, his shoulders shaking. “Why do you have to say the most outrageous things? No, we are not having sex tonight. Not yet, if you know what I mean.”

I literally blushed. I could peel my cheeks and make tomato sauce with them. “I just wanted to make things clear.”

“You already did. I know we should have waited, but it happened and we can’t do anything about it. Now, we’ll take things slow if that’s what you want.”

No, not really. What I want is to go back to my own body and live with you in my bed for weeks, I wanted to say but chose to keep my mouth shut. “Then where are we going?”

“I told you. Somewhere quiet.”

And so we ended up on a roof deck of the hospital.

“I’ve never been here,” I said, actually a little bit disappointed. No one else was around and it should be good enough, but the place looked like it was not supposed to be visited other than the maintenance staff. I was not even sure if we were allowed to be up here.

He was quiet as we stared down the street below, the cars and their lights making a good picture. “I have never been anywhere far from the hospital for a very long time,” he admitted.

Okay, fine. I should give the guy some slack. So what if he couldn’t take me somewhere more romantic? A rooftop had always been a good shooting scene for some romantic movies anyway.

“Because of your work?” I asked. I knew doctors barely have time for themselves especially for someone who works in a public hospital.

“At first, yes,” he answered, his gaze now fixed on something far below. It didn’t move and I knew he was thinking of something else entirely.

I didn’t push him to say more. I wish I could, but since it was our first date together, I knew I was not in the right place to demand something that was obviously worth months of dating before telling.

“At first, it was just my job who kept me in this building,” he continued, surprising me. I stopped my fingers from pulling at my hair blown by the wind and anticipated his next statement. I held my breath as he said, “but then my girlfriend was killed in our apartment and this place has become my sanctuary.”

My sharp intake of breath made him turn his head and look at me. He smiled faintly. “I’m sorry,” I whispered. Did he really have to tell me that? God, he told me something about himself, something he obviously didn’t tell just anyone. Why did he tell me something that big on our first date? Shit!

He shook his head at my words with a smile. “I’m surprised you don’t know about it. Almost everyone in the hospital does,” he said.

I frowned. “I’m not aware of that.”

“She had asked me to come home that night, you know,” he said.

I was starting to shake my head. I didn’t want to hear more of that sad story.

“But I said I was busy so…” he shrugged, not finishing his sentence.

“Why are you telling me all of this?” I asked, my voice breaking down. Tears were welling up my eyes and he saw them.

“Hey,” he said with a laugh, raising his hands to brush the tears away with his thumb as he palmed my face. “Don’t cry. And I’m telling you all of this because I want you to know that you are the first woman I dated after Jenny. And it has been a long time, I tell you.”

The tears just wouldn’t stop. Why did he have to tell me that? Why did he have to make me feel so important? It would have been better if I was just some random girl he happened to like and dated, but no. I was the woman he chose after his wounds were healed. That put a big weight on my shoulders. Now, I couldn’t just break his heart. And how could I avoid that when he finally learned the truth?

CARA

We drove in silence until the mood was lighter. The light tension between us was once again present earlier before we left the parking lot, but I think we both got used to it that it became easier for us to handle.

I knew both of us were stupid. He knew he wanted me back but why did he have to continue making plans for his wedding? Oh, yes, because I was more stupid to tell him that it would never work out for us. And I had my reasons.

“Do you remember this song?” he asked with a laugh when the radio played a familiar tune.

I couldn’t help the giggle that escaped my throat. “Who couldn’t? It’s Bridgette’s song! God, I missed those days when we were still friends,” I said with a trace of longing.

The pain was gone. I couldn’t change the past or Bridgette’s actions. I did things that I shouldn’t have done to her as well and I regretted that. But the happy years we had before that night ten years ago were more than enough to make me laugh again today. “And that outfit!” Quinn was saying, his shoulders shaking.

“Please, stop. I can’t take it anymore,” I managed in between laughs. My eyes were starting to water as I bent over, my hand on my aching stomach. “It’s just…God, please change the music!” I cried, my face now aching with so much laughter. Remembering Bridgette in that stupid outfit on stage while she danced to the music was just hilarious. It was her most embarrassing moment and it was the highlight of the year for everyone else.

Quinn changed the music and a soft jazz started playing. “Better?” he asked, laughing.

“Yes,” I said, my laughter ebbing away, except the little giggles that emerged every now and then whenever Bridgette’s face popped in my head.

We reached the restaurant in no time and Quinn stopped the car just behind mine.

“Thanks for the ride,” I told him as I unbuckled my seatbelt.

“Thanks for going with me on my mission,” he answered with a chuckle.

I looked at his blue eyes hooded by the darkness of the car and smiled. “It’s nothing. It was fun and I enjoyed it.”

He nodded and we fell in silence, stuck in time in that small space. It seemed that we were in sync at that moment. We both knew what we wanted but were also both aware that we were afraid. We had said a lot of things to each other since the moment we met again, but it seemed that they all didn’t matter anymore. Right that moment, right that very time, nothing seemed to matter as Quinn held my gaze and reached for my hand. Nothing mattered as his face inched closer to mine.

At the last minute, I froze, remembering I was inside Bridgette’s body. Quinn was going to kiss Bridgette’s lips. And he would be seeing her face and not mine.

He must have read my mind because he whispered, his breath brushing against my face, “I don’t see her, Cara. I see you.” His eyes were looking straight to mine and I knew he was telling the truth.

And that did it. I crushed my lips against his and gave in to the kiss.

 ***ComVo if you can, guys! It makes me happy to know that you are fond of this story. :)