CEO Attends Charity Auction And Bids On A Mystery Date, Never Expecting To Find His Soulmate
Finding Common Ground
They exchanged contact information. As Lucas walked her to her car later that evening, he found himself looking forward to Friday with unexpected enthusiasm.
Lucas arrived at Per Se fifteen minutes early the following Friday. He had chosen the restaurant for its excellent food and discrete service.
He wanted a place where they wouldn’t be interrupted for autographs or business discussions. He’d considered sending his driver for Ruby but decided against it, not wanting to seem presumptuous.
She arrived precisely on time, wearing a simple emerald dress that complemented her eyes. Her hair was loose tonight, falling just above her shoulders.
“This place is beautiful,” she said after they were seated at a corner table overlooking Central Park. “Though I should warn you, I might identify all the bones in the fish they serve. Occupational hazard.”
Lucas laughed. “As long as you don’t mind if I discuss pharmaceutical binding agents. I’ve been told I do that on dates.”
“So, you’ve been on many dates recently?” Ruby asked, then quickly added, “Sorry, that was personal. Doctor’s curiosity; we’re always taking histories.”
“No need to apologize. And no, not many. The last one was,” Lucas paused, calculating, “about fourteen months ago.”
“A setup by my sister that ended with my date pitching her startup idea instead of having actual conversation.”
Ruby smiled sympathetically. “My last date spent the entire evening talking about his marathon training in fifteen-second increment splits.”
Their conversation flowed naturally from there, moving from awkward dating experiences to their careers, finding unexpected common ground.
“My sister was diagnosed with leukemia when she was eight,” Lucas shared after their entrée arrived. “That’s actually what got me interested in pharmaceutical research. I wanted to develop better treatments with fewer side effects.”
Ruby’s expression softened. “How is she now?”
“Healthy. Married with twins and constantly telling me to work less.”
“Sound advice,” Ruby said. “I’ve had to learn that lesson the hard way. You can’t help others if you burn out yourself.”
“Is that what drew you to pediatric oncology? Helping children?”
Ruby took a sip of her wine. “Partly. I lost my best friend to brain cancer when we were sixteen. Sarah. She was brilliant, wanted to be an astrophysicist.”
“After she died, I decided I would fight the disease that took her from the world.”
Lucas noticed how her voice softened when she mentioned her friend. “That’s admirable, turning grief into purpose.”
“It doesn’t always feel admirable when I’m on hour twenty of a shift. But the kids keep me going. Their resilience is incredible.”
She paused, looking slightly embarrassed. “Sorry, I don’t usually talk this much about myself.”
“I’m glad you are,” Lucas said sincerely.
By the time dessert arrived, Lucas realized they’d been talking for nearly three hours. The restaurant had emptied considerably, but he felt no desire to end the evening.
“This has been,” Ruby began, searching for the right word.
“Unexpected,” Lucas offered.
“In the best way,” she agreed. “Though I should probably get home. Early rounds tomorrow.”
Lucas signaled for the check. “May I walk you home or call you a car?”
“I’m just a few blocks away, actually. The walk would be nice.”
The April air was cool but pleasant as they strolled through the city. Lucas found himself walking slower than usual, wanting to extend their time together.
“This is me,” Ruby said, stopping in front of an elegant pre-war building.
“Ruby,” Lucas said, suddenly feeling like a teenager again. “I’d like to see you again properly. Not because of a charity auction.”
She smiled, her eyes bright in the glow of the street lamps. “I’d like that too.”
They stood there for a moment before Lucas leaned in slowly, giving her time to step away if she wished.
Instead, Ruby moved closer and their lips met in a gentle kiss that felt both new and somehow familiar.
“I’ll call you tomorrow,” Lucas said when they parted.
Ruby nodded, a slight flush on her cheeks. “Good night, Lucas.”
As he watched her enter her building, Lucas realized he hadn’t checked his phone once during their entire evening. It was a first in years.
The next few weeks passed in a whirlwind of dates whenever they could align their demanding schedules.
They discovered a shared love of classic films, debated the merits of various pizza toppings, and spent a rainy Sunday at the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
Three weeks after their first date, Lucas invited Ruby to his penthouse for dinner. He’d considered taking her to another restaurant but wanted somewhere more private.
Despite having a personal chef on staff, Lucas insisted on cooking himself. He prepared pasta carbonara, using his grandmother’s recipe.
“You’re full of surprises,” Ruby said, watching him move confidently around the kitchen. “I half expected you’d have a personal chef hiding somewhere.”
“I do, usually,” Lucas admitted, grating fresh parmesan. “But I wanted to cook for you myself. Though I can’t guarantee it’ll be as good as Antonio’s.”
“The fact that you’re trying means more.”
Ruby sipped her wine, looking out at the spectacular view of the city. “This place is incredible. Very different from my cramped one-bedroom.”
“It came with the job,” Lucas said, stirring the pasta. “Sometimes it feels more like a hotel than a home. I’m rarely here except to sleep.”
Ruby walked around the spacious living area, stopping at a framed photo of a teenage Lucas with a young girl. “Is this your sister?”
“Yes, that’s Lee during her remission celebration. She had been cancer-free for six months.”
Ruby studied the photo. “You can see how much you love her. That’s the look I hope to see on families’ faces in my ward someday.”
Lucas plated the pasta and brought it to the table he’d set on the balcony. The spring evening was perfect, with the city lights beginning to twinkle below them.
Over dinner, Ruby told him about a young patient who had finished his last round of chemotherapy that morning.
“We have this bell they ring when they complete treatment. Today, when Max rang it, I swear I could have heard it from the street. He was so excited.”
Lucas loved how animated she became when talking about her patients. “You really care about them.”
“I try not to get too attached, but it’s impossible not to,” she admitted. “The hardest part is when the treatments don’t work.”
“I can’t imagine.”
Lucas reached across the table to take her hand. “The research we’re doing now will hopefully mean fewer of those hard days for you in the future.”
Ruby squeezed his hand. “That’s why what you do matters so much. Every breakthrough means more birthdays, more graduations, more lives.”
After dinner, they moved to the couch with dessert. Ruby curled her legs under her, looking comfortable in his space in a way no one else ever had.
“Tell me something you’ve never told anyone else,” she said, her voice soft.
Lucas thought for a moment. “Sometimes I’m terrified I’m not good enough to run the company my father built. That one wrong decision could undo decades of work and affect countless patients.”
Ruby nodded, understanding in her eyes. “I have days when I question every medical decision I make, even routine ones. I think that fear is what makes us good at what we do.”
“It keeps us careful, vigilant. What about you? Something you’ve never shared?”
Ruby was quiet for so long Lucas thought she might not answer.
“I almost quit medicine after my first patient died. He was five, with the same cancer that took Sarah. I thought I was prepared because I’d already experienced loss, but it was completely different.”
“It was different being the doctor who couldn’t save someone.”
Lucas moved closer, putting his arm around her. “What made you stay?”
“His parents, actually. At the funeral, his mother hugged me and thanked me for making his final months less painful.”
“She said he’d talked about the doctor who didn’t treat him like he was broken. That’s when I realized that even when I can’t cure, I can still heal in other ways.”
Lucas kissed her forehead gently. “You’re remarkable, Ruby Lawrence.”
She looked up at him, vulnerability and warmth in her eyes. “So are you, Lucas Stone.”
When they kissed this time, it was different. It was deeper, filled with a connection that had been building since that night at the auction.
Later, as Ruby lay sleeping in his arms, Lucas realized with startling clarity that he was falling in love with her.
Two months into their relationship, the challenges of their demanding careers began to surface. Ruby was called away during a weekend trip to the Hamptons when a patient took a turn for the worse.
Lucas understood completely, driving her directly to the hospital and waiting with coffee when she emerged twelve hours later. She was exhausted but relieved; the child had stabilized.
The following week, Lucas had to fly to Switzerland for an emergency meeting with research partners when a clinical trial showed unexpected results. He called Ruby from the tarmac.
“I’m so sorry about dinner tomorrow,” he said, watching his team board the private jet.
“Don’t apologize,” Ruby assured him. “This is important. The trial results could affect patients like mine.”
“You’re incredible, you know that? Most people would be upset.”
“I’m a doctor, Lucas. I understand emergency meetings at 2:00 a.m. and canceled plans. Just come back safely.”
Lucas found himself smiling despite the stress of the situation. “I’ll bring you Swiss chocolate to make up for it.”
“Now you’re speaking my language.”
When he returned three days later, Ruby was waiting at his apartment with takeout from his favorite Thai restaurant and a stack of medical journals.
“I thought you might want to decompress before diving back into work,” she explained.
It was such a thoughtful gesture that Lucas nearly told her he loved her right then. But the words felt too important for a jetlagged moment over Pad Thai.
He kissed her instead, hoping she could feel what he wasn’t yet ready to say.
As summer approached, they fell into a rhythm, carving out time together between their responsibilities.
They started a tradition of Sunday morning walks in Central Park, followed by brunch at a small café Ruby had discovered.
During one such walk, Ruby brought up the hospital’s annual fundraising gala. “It’s next month,” she said, as they strolled hand in hand.
“I usually attend alone and leave early, but I was wondering if you’d like to come with me.”
“I’d be honored,” Lucas replied, squeezing her hand. “Though I should warn you, I might get competitive during the auction portion. I have a history of over-bidding at these events.”
Ruby laughed. “That’s how we met, if you recall. Though this time, no mystery dates. Just boring artwork and vacation packages.”
“Meeting you was worth every penny of that 50,000,” Lucas said sincerely.
Ruby stopped walking, a serious expression crossing her face. “Lucas, there’s something I need to tell you.”
His heart stuttered momentarily. “What is it?”
“The hospital board offered me a position heading a new pediatric oncology research initiative. It would mean more administrative work, but also the chance to integrate clinical practice with cutting-edge treatments more directly.”
“Ruby, that’s incredible,” Lucas said, genuinely thrilled for her. “You’d be perfect for it.”
“There’s more,” she continued. “Part of the job would involve collaborating with pharmaceutical companies on pediatric trials. Including Stone Pharmaceuticals.”
Lucas understood her concern immediately. “You’re worried about a conflict of interest.”
Ruby nodded. “If we’re together and I’m working with your company, it could look like favoritism.”
“Have you discussed this with the board?” Lucas asked.
“Yes, they’re aware of our relationship and have protocols in place for exactly this situation. All decisions would go through an independent review committee.”
She looked uncertain. “But I wanted to make sure you’re comfortable with it before I accept.”
Lucas considered this carefully. “I think you should take the position if it’s what you want. We can be transparent and professional. Your work is too important to pass up an opportunity like this.”
Relief washed over Ruby’s face. “That’s what I hoped you’d say. I’m going to accept it.”
Lucas pulled her into a hug. “I’m proud of you.”
As they continued their walk, Lucas realized their relationship had reached a new level of seriousness. If they were discussing professional boundaries and future plans, the thought didn’t frighten him.
