It was February 14, Valentine’s Day. Only a few days had passed since Scott went bowling with three of his friends. On a night meant to celebrate love, Scott found himself alone in a bar that was not Solomon’s. Of course, his solitude was his own choice. Scott sat nursing his beer thinking. He contemplated life, his own in particular. More specifically, he thought about where his personal life and professional life intersected. A number of his closest friends were all colleagues at one point. And he assumed they all respected one another and each person’s specialty. Finding out that was not the case, shook Scott up a bit.

Deciding that his current thought process would only make him depressed, Scott’s switched gears and started to think about his personal life. It was hard not to do when he was sitting alone in a bar on Valentine’s Day. He looked around and for the first time he noticed all of the cheesy love-themed decorations. The sad part about the whole picture, Scott decided, was the fact that most of the bar’s patrons were either drinking alone or in a group of some sort. Few couples seemed to be spending the night together in this particular bar. But then again, it was a bar.

Alone in a bar on Valentine’s Day, Scott thought to himself. Any one of his friends would have something to say about his present situation. Every other year, on this particular holiday, Scott had a date. And if that one did not go according to plan, he would have a back up date. But this year, Scott did not have anything lined up. And really he had not had time to set up any type of dates. His time was monopolized by the hospital, and his new friendship with Emi and Deidre. It had been a long time since he was able to spend time with members of the opposite sex without them expecting anything other than his opinions and company. Over the years Scott found it was hard work being a 'man whore,' as they liked to call him.

By the end of Scott’s second beer, the bar started to fill up with more people.

Wearing a black strapless dress with a sweetheart neckline and an asymettrical hem that stopped just above her knees, Deidre James stepped into the bar. Her dark hair was pulled back in what was once a tight bun, with a few tendrils of hair that seemed to have broken free from captivity. She searched the unfamiliar bar for a secluded spot. Instead, she saw an empty stool at the bar next to her colleague and new friend, Scott Walker. She walked up and took a seat next to him, but Scott was too lost in his own thoughts to notice anything, or anyone else. Deidre called the bartender over and ordered a drink.

"So," she said addressing Scott while looking strait ahead. "Come here often?" She asked.

Scott lifted his head and looked at her. She was simply stunning. He smirked and shook his head. "Nope. What about you?"

"There's a first time for everything right?" She said before she took a sip of the Long Island Ice Tea the bartender placed in front of her.

"What, may I ask brings you here all dressed up? Have a bad Valentine's day date?" Scott asked.

"Yeah I did.” She responded bitterly before taking another long sip of her drink.

Scott laughed lightly at his friend’s actions, “do you want to talk about it or are you just going to get drunk?”

Deidre stopped drinking for a moment and looked in her almost empty glass. She then looked at Scott who was still waiting for an answer. She looked back to her glass, finished her drink and called the bartender over to order another one before she started talking.

“Valentine’s day is a holiday fabricated by the greeting card companies to make single people feel more and more miserable each successive year they are single. It’s a sham!”

“Usually only bitter single people say things like that.” Scott laughed.

“Yeah well, I’m pissed. Who says we need to pair up on the fourteenth of February every year anyway?”

“So, your date was that bad?” Scott asked.

“My date was an asshole, a chauvinistic prick of an idiot. I left before the food came. I walked out and found this lovely little place. What about you? Why are you here instead of being paired off. This seems like your type of holiday. There are plenty of women around waiting for some sexy surgeon to sweep them off their feet.”

"Wasn't in the mood.” Scott answered. He then smirked, “you think I’m sexy?”

“Don’t push it, pretty boy.” Deidre warned.

The bartender came back with a fresh drink for Deidre. She stared at Scott suspiciously as she sipped from the new glass. “So why here at this bar, instead of Solomon’s?" She asked.

"For one thing it is close to my apartment. Meaning when I get drunk, I can walk there instead of paying for a cab. Second, I did not want to be around people from the hospital tonight. I just wanted to be alone with my thoughts. So I thought I'd go somewhere where I'd just be another guy in a bar." Scott explained.

"Is that your subtle way of asking me to leave?"

"No! You can stay, I want you to stay I was having a bit of self-reflection and making a few revelations. But I think it'd be good for me to have a friend around right now. You might keep me from doing something stupid."

Deidre raised a brow, curious as to what that ‘something stupid’ was. She decided to ask about that later.

"In that case, you will be buying my drinks for the evening."

"Why is it that every time we go to a bar, I end up paying for your drinks?" Scott asked.

"Because you think I’m hot, and you want me. And I’m going to milk those two facts. So I figure, you'll keep buying me drinks because you want to convince me to go on a date with you." Deidre explained finishing her second drink. “But to be nice I’ll slow down and order beer for the rest of the night.”

"I guess I see your logic.” Scott said.

The bartender came back over and took away Deidre’s empty glass.

“Do you want another one?” The bartender asked.

Deidre shook her head, “no but I will have whatever he’s drinking. Also our tabs are together.” She looked over at Scott and shot him a faux-sweet smile. “He’s buying,” she pointed to Scott as she informed the bartender of their payment plan.

The bartender walked away and came back with two fresh beers; he sat one in front of each of the two friends.

“So, Ms. James, will it work?” Scott asked.

“Will what work?”

“Me buying you drinks?" Scott smiled.

"Not a chance in hell. So, Dr. Walker what sorrows are you trying to drown tonight?"

“I’m not really drowning sorrows. I’m just contemplating life.”

“Really?”

“Yes. Chase is wrong.” Scott said as if it were an explanation.

“What?” Deidre asked confused. “Chase is wrong about what?”

“He’s wrong about me. I’m serious. I’m a serious guy. I just like to have fun as well. Everyone does. My having fun does not interfere with who I am as a doctor.”

“Wow,” Deidre said. “You’re not drowning sorrows, you’re fueling pent-up anger.”

Scott gulped down the last of the beer in front of him before raising his hand in the air to call the bartender back over. After a new beer was placed in front of him, Scott began to talk again.

“He doesn’t respect me, James.”

“Wow, we go from anger to sadness in 2.5 seconds. Look, maybe you ought to have this conversation with him.” Deidre suggested.

"You may be right."

"I know I'm right. I'm always right."

"You know James, you’re very arrogant." Scott said

"It's not arrogance Walker, its confidence."

Scott rolled his eyes before changing the subject. "I have a couple of friends coming into town in a few weeks, and I'm thinking about having a dinner party, you in?"

“You cook?” Deidre asked in disbelief.

“I can cook!” Scott defended.

"I might show up, with the proper incentive." Deidre said.

"And what would that be?"

"No flirting. I can’t have you flirting with me the whole evening. It’s never going to work."

"I can't make any promises, James." Scott said leaning his head towards her as he took a sip from his glass of beer.

"Could you at least make an effort?"

"I'll try?"

"That's better than nothing. Who all are you inviting to this game night besides me? Anyone I know?" Deidre asked curious to see what type of crowd would be present.

"You, and Emi, my two friends from Las Vegas, and probably Chase." Scott said.

“You think that’s a good idea with all those emotions you have floating around?” Deidre asked genuinely concerned.

“First of all, I’m not a female; I can keep my thoughts to myself.”

“Are you implying that women can’t?” Deidre asked clearly offended.

“I’m just saying that generally, men are more level headed,” Scott’s voice began to fade as he looked over at Deidre.

“Yeah, go ahead and keep talking.” She said sarcastically in a threatening manner.

Instead he moved on to his second point. “’B,’ my friends from Las Vegas went to med school with me and Chase. We were all really good friends and I promised them that we could all get together.”

“Wait a minute did you switch from using numbers as your listing device to using letters?” 

“Yeah, that may have just happened.” Scott said. “I guess it’s probably time for me to go.” Scott called the bartender over one final time to close out his tab. “Some people have to work in the morning. I need my sleep. People trust me with their lives you know.”

Deidre rolled her eyes before getting up. “This evening ended better than it started for me.”

"Really?” Scott smirked as the two walked out of the door.

“Yeah this was good.”

“Was it good enough for you to let me take you out on a date?" He asked.

"No, Nice try though." She stopped in front of one of the waiting taxis and opened the door. "I’ll see you around.” She said getting into the car. She closed the door and waved.

Scott watched Deidre’s cab until it was out of sight. He then turned around and headed in the direction of his apartment.