The first time Keifer picked Jay up from the hospital, she almost didn't recognize him.
Not because he looked different—same sharp suit, same composed expression, same eyes that found her immediately in a crowd of people.
But because he was waiting. Patiently. In the lobby. Like a normal person picking up their partner from work.
Jay stopped at the edge of the hallway, still in her white coat, charts clutched to her chest.
"What are you doing here?"
"Picking you up." He said it like it was obvious.
"I have two more hours of—"
"You've been here since five this morning. It's eight at night. You're done."
"I have reports—"
"They can wait."
"Patients—"
"Are with the night shift." He moved closer, ignoring the stares of every nurse, doctor, and patient in the vicinity. "I made reservations. You need to eat. You need to sleep. You need to stop for five minutes."
Jay opened her mouth to argue.
He kissed her.
Right there. In the middle of the hospital lobby. In front of everyone.
Someone gasped. Someone else dropped a clipboard. A phone camera definitely appeared.
When he pulled back, Jay's face was flushed.
"Did you just—"
"Yes."
"Publicly?"
"Very."
"I'm at work."
"You're off work. I'm taking you to dinner. Argue later." He took her hand, pulled her toward the door. "Your coat. Your bag. Now."
Jay blinked.
Then—slowly, reluctantly—she smiled.
"You're impossible."
"You mention that frequently."
"Because it's frequently true."
But she let him lead her out.
The hospital gossip network exploded within minutes.
Did you SEE that?
KEIFER WATSON just kissed Dr. Mariano in the LOBBY.
He picked her up like a normal boyfriend. A BILLIONAIRE NORMAL BOYFRIEND.
She actually smiled. DR. MARIANO SMILED. IN PUBLIC.
I have video. Who wants video?
By the time they reached the restaurant, Percy had already sent seventeen texts.
Percy: YOU'RE VIRAL
Percy: AGAIN
Percy: THERE'S A FAN ACCOUNT NOW
Percy: @JayKeiferForever has 10k followers already
Percy: I'm not even mad. I'm impressed.
Jay stared at her phone.
"There's a fan account."
Keifer, reading the menu, didn't look up. "There are several."
"Several?"
"My PR team tracks them. Apparently we're 'relationship goals.'"
Jay set her phone down slowly. "This is insane."
"This is our life now." He reached across the table, took her hand. "Get used to it."
"I don't do 'used to.' I do 'adapt and move on.'"
"Same thing."
"It's not."
"It is with you." He smiled—that rare, real smile. "Eat your pasta. Then we can argue about semantics."
Jay ate her pasta.
And tried very hard not to think about the fact that she was happy.
Really, truly happy.
The second time was at his office.
Jay's idea.
"You picked me up from work. Fair is fair."
Keifer raised an eyebrow. "You want to come to my office?"
"I want to see where the magic happens." She paused. "Also Percy dared me. But mostly the first thing."
So on a Tuesday afternoon, Jay Mariano walked into Watson Tower.
In her scrubs.
Because she'd come straight from surgery and refused to change.
"Dr. Mariano?" The receptionist's eyes went wide. "Oh my god, you're—I mean, welcome, I'll call Mr. Watson's assistant—"
"I know where his office is." Jay headed for the elevator. "Thanks anyway."
The elevator ride was twenty-three floors of watching employees do double-takes.
By the time she reached the executive level, a small crowd had gathered.
Discreetly. Pretending to work.
Jay ignored them all.
She pushed open Keifer's door without knocking.
He was on a call. He looked up. His expression shifted from annoyed to surprised to something softer.
"I have to go," he said into the phone. "Yes. No. Later." He hung up. "You're in scrubs."
"I was in surgery."
"You came straight here?"
"You said you had a late meeting. I finished early." She dropped into a chair across from his desk. "Your building is fancy."
"You've been here before."
"Not while everyone was watching." She glanced toward the glass walls. "They're all staring."
"Let them." He stood, moved around the desk, sat on the edge in front of her. "You're worth staring at."
"That's cheesy."
"It's true."
"It's both."
He leaned down, kissed her forehead. "Thank you for coming."
"I didn't do it for you. I did it for Percy's dare."
"Of course." He was smiling. "How much did he dare you?"
"Fifty pesos."
"So romantic."
"I'm a romantic person."
"You're a disaster."
"Our disaster."
He kissed her properly then.
Through the glass walls, every single person on the executive floor saw.
No one pretended to work after that.
The video went viral within hours.
KEIFER WATSON KISSES SURGEON GIRLFRIEND IN OFFICE—EMPLOYEES WATCH
DR. JAY MARIANO VISITS BOYFRIEND AT WORK—IN SCRUBS
POWER COUPLE ALERT: WATSON AND MARIANO CAN'T KEEP HANDS OFF EACH OTHER
Percy's texts were relentless.
Percy: YOU'RE TRENDING
Percy: NUMBER THREE
Percy: NUMBER TWO
Percy: NUMBER ONE
Percy: I'M SO PROUD
Percy: MOM CALLED. SHE'S PROUD TOO. BUT ALSO ASKING WHEN GRANDKIDS.
Percy: I'M JUST THE MESSENGER DON'T KILL ME
Jay threw her phone on the bed.
Keifer, beside her, scrolled through his own phone calmly.
"My board is asking if this will affect stock prices."
"Will it?"
"Probably positively. Romance is good for brand image." He set his phone aside. "Apparently we're 'relatable' now."
"We're billionaires and surgeons. Nothing about us is relatable."
"Tell that to the internet." He pulled her close. "They've decided we're goals."
"Goals?"
"Relationship goals. It's a compliment."
Jay pressed her face into his chest. "I don't understand the world anymore."
"You never did. That's why I love you."
She lifted her head. "You love me because I'm confused by the internet?"
"I love you because you're you. The internet confusion is just a bonus."
She kissed him.
Slow. Sweet. Thankful.
"I love you too," she whispered. "Even though you made me viral."
"Twice."
"What?"
"Twice viral. The hospital pickup and the office visit." He smiled against her lips. "You're welcome."
"I'm not thanking you."
"You will eventually."
"I won't."
"You will."
They argued about it for another hour.
Neither cared who won.
The third time was accidental.
Jay had a rare day off. Keifer had meetings. She decided to bring him lunch.
Simple, right?
Except she forgot that everyone recognized her now.
By the time she reached the Watson Tower lobby, she had been photographed seventeen times. By the time she reached the elevator, someone had live-streamed her entrance. By the time she reached Keifer's floor, #JayVisitsAgain was trending.
She burst into his office, slightly flustered.
"Your building is a nightmare."
Keifer looked up from his laptop. "You brought lunch?"
"I brought chaos. Lunch is incidental."
He stood, took the bag from her, pulled her close. "Chaos is my favorite."
"Your employees are live-streaming me."
"Let them."
"They're calling me 'the scrub queen.'"
"That's accurate."
"I hate you."
"You love me." He kissed her temple. "Thank you for lunch."
"Don't thank me yet. I don't know what's in the bag. Percy packed it."
Keifer opened the bag. Pulled out containers. Examined them.
"This looks... edible."
"High praise from you."
"I have standards."
"Your standards are why I keep you."
He laughed—that real laugh she loved. "Sit. Eat with me. Ignore the world."
"I can't ignore the world. The world is watching."
"Then let them watch." He pulled out a chair for her. "We're not doing anything wrong. We're just... us."
Jay sat.
Ate.
Let the world watch.
And for the first time, it didn't bother her.
Because he was right.
They were just them.
And that was enough.
That night, the fan accounts had new material.
Jay visiting Keifer AGAIN—she's so supportive
The way he looks at her... I want what they have
Scrub queen and her billionaire king
Their kids are going to be terrifyingly brilliant
Percy sent screenshots of the best ones.
Jay saved a few.
Privately.
Where no one could see.
But Keifer found them anyway.
"You saved comments about us?"
"They're funny."
"You're soft."
"I'm not."
"You saved fan comments. That's soft."
"I will end you."
"Love you too." He kissed her head. "Soft, soft girl."
"Keifer—"
"Soft."
"Stop."
"Never."
She threw a pillow at him.
He caught it.
Pulled her close.
And the world kept watching.
Neither of them cared anymore.