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alj4890 · 4 months ago

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Always Winning

(Tobias Carrick x F!MC) in a Choices Open Heart one-shot.

Tobias Carrick Appreciation Week

Day 2: WWTD? Tobias randomly buys a lottery ticket while getting his morning coffee. Turns out it's the winner, and he's just won $50 million dollars. What does he do?

A/N For this one, we'll set it in Book 3's canon, but my MC is single and perhaps not as against dating someone she works with as she originally thought 😏 This one got away from me.

Masterlist

"It can't be." Tobias whispered.

He stared down at the lottery ticket in his hand, then reread the numbers on the screen.

"Holy--" He covered his mouth, eyes growing larger the more he realized the truth.

He'd just won fifty million dollars.

If it hadn't been for the visit up to New York City to see his older brother and his wife and kids for the weekend, he wouldn't have given in to a wild whim to buy a ticket. He'd decided to top off his gas and grab a coffee for the road before the drive back to Boston. While at the gas station, he remembered how he used to buy a lottery ticket every so often during college.

His younger self swore that all he needed was one set of numbers, just one chance. No need to buy multiple tickets. It made no sense to do so when you already knew you were the lucky, always winning sort.

Remembering that naive, fun loving guy, he purchased one Powerball.

Jumping to his feet with a whoop, he pumped his arms in the air. A thousand, or rather a million, thoughts rushed through his brain on what he should do with the money.

He knew that early twenties Tobias would have blown a large chunk of it on a trip around the world and probably a few sports cars. He'd then have given some to his two brothers.

"I'll still do that." He announced to his empty room. "I'll give some to Hugh and Phillip for the kids' future."

He had no doubt his young nieces and nephews would go far in their chosen careers. They were Carrick's after all. Even though they were all under the age of ten, with one still in diapers; he believed they were on their way to greatness.

A few million invested along with what his brothers already had saved would have them more than ready for a future of buying homes, paying for college, or starting a business.

They might even take after their favorite uncle and want to spend it on a trip around the world.

Tobias began to pace. Having settled on that, he wondered if he should quit work and do that traveling he'd always dreamt of doing.

Granted, he'd already visited many areas of the world that were on his must see list. He'd always been wealthy. Money was never a problem for the Carrick's. Being a physician had only increased his fortune.

The thought of no longer being a doctor made him pause. He couldn't imagine waking up without that purpose. He never imagined retiring early, especially this early in his career.

But if he had the means, should he look into doing something else?

He couldn't think of another profession that could hold his interest like medicine. He thrived on the unending mysteries the human body offered. The innate drive he felt to not only solve those very mysteries along with finding cures was unlike anything else he'd experienced.

"Retirement will have to wait." He muttered.

His mind began to wander to another reason he wasn't quite ready to hang up his stethoscope.

If he did retire, he would lose his time with Dr. Christy Valentine.

His lips quirked into a smile. There was something about Chris that made his days at Edenbrook a delight. Not only was he able to be a part of the famed diagnostics team, he was given an opportunity to get to know her better.

Everything he discovered about her made him want to know even more.

She made work fun for him. He'd originally thought working with Ethan again would be what would make it so, but it ended up being Chris. Her sense of humor meshed well with his own. Her intelligence was something he marveled at. She had a warmth that was irresistible.

He couldn't think of anything he disliked about her, save for one little detail.

She wasn't his.

In fact, she wasn't anyone's. Before he moved over to Edenbrook, she'd teetered on almost being Ethan's. He didn't know the whole story behind that particular folly. All he did know was that Chris had sworn off dating anyone she worked with.

Since he didn't know how to broach the subject that they were perfect for one another, he'd settled (for the time being) in becoming very good friends with her. Many nights were spent over dinner or drinks, talking about anything and everything that came to mind.

He could see her becoming more and more comfortable around him. His occasional flirty comments had the ability to not only make her smile but also blush. He suspected she felt something more for him. Perhaps, the time was drawing near where he could finally make his move.

Glancing down at his lottery ticket, he thought about saving some of the money for his own nest egg. If things went the way he hoped, Chris might one day become his wife. He'd want to build her the home of her dreams.

And maybe...they might start a family of their own.

He knew that was Chris's dream. She told him that since she had the career she'd always hoped for, she wanted to one day have a family all her own.

****************

A few months earlier...

"I don't think that's too much to ask." She mumbled over drinks. "I know my love life is pretty much non-existent, but there has to be someone out there who wants what I want too."

"I wouldn't say your love life is non-existent." Tobias countered. "Just stalled."

Her lips quirked into a brief smile. "That does sound more promising."

"Trust me, Chris," he leaned closer to her, "you will have all that you want."

She lifted her eyes to his. Blushing somewhat over having him so near and for basically crying over her love life, she tried to make it a joke.

"Are we adding fortune telling skills to your resume?" She teased.

Tobias rolled his eyes. "You don't need psychic powers to see that you're the whole package."

Chris stilled. "You think I'm the whole package?"

"Any man who doesn't see it is a fool." He told her. "And I've never been a fool."

Chris's lips parted to say something. The two were interrupted before she had a chance to speak by Bryce coming over to tell them about one of their patient's surgical consultation. The conversation never returned to what they'd been discussing.

Tobias was left wondering what she'd been about to say of his observation.

**************

"Saving for my own future wouldn't be such a bad idea."

Besides, if he and Chris weren't meant to be and he never met anyone else, then he could make certain his nieces and nephews inherited his fortune.

He sat down on his sofa to study his winning ticket. Something was still off about his decision. He didn't really need fifty million dollars. Giving some to his family and of course the taxes that he would have to pay, still left him with more than he needed.

I need more time to think.

Reaching for his phone, he called Ethan.

"I won't be coming to the hospital this week." He told him.

"Are you sick?" Ethan asked.

"No." Tobias sighed. "I need some time alone to figure out a few personal issues."

"Call if you need longer than a week." Ethan told him.

"Will do." Tobias replied.

After ending the call, he decided to sleep on his decisions.

**************

Five days later...

Tobias had just finished a conference call with his brothers when he heard a brisk, yet persistent tapping on his front door.

Curious, he peeked out to see who his unexpected visitor could be.

Eyes widening, he opened the door.

"Chris?" He leaned against the doorframe and flashed his most charming smile. "What brings you here?"

She folded her arms, eyes narrowing while doing a quick study of him.

"Are you okay?" She asked.

He waved down his body. "Can't you tell?"

Instead of her typical laughter whenever he playfully complimented himself, she instead bit down on her bottom lip.

"Ethan said you needed some personal time off."

"That's right." He stepped back to invite her in.

Her worry only grew with how casual he was being about everything.

"May I take your coat?" He asked.

She glanced down at her crisp, white Edenbrook coat. She'd forgotten to remove it when she decided to leave work and come check on him.

Without a word, she shrugged out of it and handed it to him.

"Can I get you something to drink?" He noticed the time. "You probably haven't had lunch yet. I could make us some--"

"I don't want anything." She cut him off.

He raised an eyebrow over her brisk tone.

"What's wrong?" He asked.

"You!" She snapped. "I know it's none of my business, but you never take personal days!"

"That's not true." He motioned for her to sit down. "I went to visit my mom last month for her birthday."

"That wasn't personal." She stressed while taking a seat near him. "You always tell me when you plan a vacation or to go see your family."

"I suppose I do." He grinned over that fact.

"So why couldn't you tell me about taking off?" She demanded.

Chris knew she sounded crazy. Something hit her the wrong way when he didn't bother to tell her he wasn't coming in to work this week. Having to ask Ethan if he knew whether or not Tobias was sick had been hard enough.

Weren't they friends? Didn't she tell him everything? Didn't he feel like he could tell her if something was wrong?

Her fear, that had grown larger when she didn't hear from him, was that he was planning on leaving Edenbrook for another hospital. Things had been tense between him and Ethan since he started. She wouldn't blame him for going to work somewhere else.

She couldn't imagine losing him now that she knew him. She refused to dig deeper into why having him near was so important to her.

You swore off men you work with, she reminded herself. See what happens when you actually fall for them.

She jumped to her feet, bumping into his coffee table and nearly tripping over the area rug.

"Chris?" He reached out to try and steady her. He felt his own alarm over her abrupt behavior when she moved further out of his reach.

"I should go!" She raked a hand through her hair, almost yanking a handful out. "I shouldn't have come to nag you into telling me what's going on. It's none of my business what you do with your time. Your reasons are your own for taking off."

"Hold on!" He grasped her arm, stopping her near sprint out of his living room. "I can tell you."

"Really," she tried to twist free, "there's no need."

"I won the lottery." He announced.

She stilled. Her temper nearly exploded over him making light of her concern.

"Fine! Don't tell me." She snapped. "I don't know why I came here."

"I'm serious!" He went to retrieve all the paperwork he'd received when he accepted the winnings. "Look."

She glanced down. Her anger turned to astonishment when she saw his bank draft.

"YOU WON FIFTY MILLION DOLLARS!" She shouted.

"I did." He chuckled over her reaction.

"No wonder you took off work!" She dropped back down on his sofa.

Tobias watched as her surprise gave way to utter sadness.

"Being a multimillionaire isn't that awful." He joked.

"You're not coming back are you?" She asked, fighting back tears.

"Where? To work?" He sat down next to her.

She nodded. A few stray tears slipped out.

"I thought about that." He wrapped an arm around her shoulders.

She sniffed, dabbing at her eyes with a tissue she'd found in her pocket.

"I'll miss you." She admitted. "I can't imagine not having you around the hospital anymore."

"I'm not leaving." He squeezed her close. "You're not getting rid of me that easily."

She bit down on her bottom lip and kept her eyes averted.

"So, you taking off was to collect your winnings?"

"That and to decide what to do with it." He explained. "I went ahead while in New York and had my brother, Hugh, help me set up trust funds for my nieces and nephews."

Her head jerked up at that. "You gave it to your family?"

"Some of it." He relaxed back against the sofa cushion, pulling her with him. "I plan on keeping some for myself."

He felt a glimmer of hope that his plans for his own share wouldn't go to waste when she remained tucked against his side.

"The rest," he continued, "I'm still debating on."

"Oh." She felt foolish for her behavior.

Taking a deep breath, she forced herself to look up at him.

"I'm sorry." She mumbled.

"For what?" He asked.

"My coming over here, forcing you to tell me what was going on, and--"

"You didn't force me." He reminded her.

"Still." She looked down at her hands clasped in her lap. "You should have been able to keep this private."

"I tell you everything as it is." Tobias squeezed her in another side hug. "I was planning on telling you when I was done making decisions."

He watched her fight back a smile.

"I should let you get back to thinking." She got back to her feet. "And I should probably get back to the hospital before Ethan realizes I left."

"He's already missing one brilliant mind on his team." Tobias teased. "He can't have his two smartest doctors missing in action."

Chris burst out laughing.

"I'll see you later." She said on her way out.

"Chris, wait." He followed her out. "Let's have dinner Sunday night."

"Okay." Her smile made his heart flip. "But you're paying, Dr. Moneybags."

He laughed, shaking his head in mock resignation. "I knew you'd only want me for my money."

She waved goodbye, still smiling that particular smile that made him want to admit his feelings for her.

Perhaps dinner would be the perfect time to do that very thing.

*************

Sunday morning, Chris received a phone call from her parents.

Dr.'s Lorna and Jamie Valentine were currently in Yemen working with their Doctors Without Borders team. The married surgeons had been working for as long as Chris could remember to offer healthcare for those in need. She had traveled with them often growing up, only spending time for school in Inverness and Edinburgh with the rest of the Valentine's. When the pair wasn't working with their team, they were traveling to different universities to teach their vast knowledge of medicine.

"How are things going?" Chris asked.

"Even better than expected!" Lorna told her. "We received a donation, one specifically requested for our team to use."

Chris stilled. "You did?"

"Someone who wished to remain anonymous gave us close to ten million." Jamie explained.

"I wonder who it could have been." Lorna added. "I've been wracking my brain to think of some millionaire we've met in the past."

Chris had a feeling she knew who they had met. Though it had been a horrific time in all their lives, they had met a certain doctor when she'd been dying from the attack on Senator Farrugia.

And since he had just won the lottery, that certain doctor had to be the donor.

Her parents continued to tell her how the money would be used for the clinic they'd started. They didn't notice how quiet their daughter was during their excited plans. Once they made sure she was doing well, they ended the call.

Chris couldn't help but be touched that Tobias had thought of her parents' work to give money towards.

"Of course," she mumbled to herself, "it could be someone else they know who secretly has that kind of money to donate."

She knew that was farfetched.

"It was Tobias." She later told her reflection as she got ready to meet him for dinner.

It makes me love him even more, she thought to herself.

She stilled as the realization struck.

No. No. NO! Her mind screamed. Did you learn nothing with Ethan?!

She slumped down and softly hit her head on the bathroom counter, hoping it would knock some sense into her.

"Welp." She muttered once she sat back up. "No stopping it now."

She was and had been, for longer than she wanted to admit, in love with Tobias Carrick.

****************

"Damn." Tobias stood up to pull out a chair for her. "Someone went all out for dinner."

Chris did her best not to be flustered over that compliment. Since she realized what she felt for him, she decided to dress specifically for him.

The off the shoulders, little black dress hugged her curves while showing off her long legs.

"This old thing?" She smiled at him. "I keep this for any normal night out."

"Then why haven't I had the pleasure to see you in it before?" He asked, enjoying the sight she made in it.

"I didn't want to spoil you." She teased.

He snorted, pulling his own chair closer to her side of the table once she was seated.

"Too late." He told her.

She sighed in playful resignation.

"I knew I should have left this hanging in the closet."

"That is not a dress that should be hanging in a closet." Tobias remarked.

"Then where should it be?" She asked.

Chris waited to see if he'd take her flirty bait and run with it. She soon saw that she wasn't going to be disappointed.

He slowly smiled at her, eyes lingering upon her cleavage. "If it's not on you, then it should be on some lucky man's floor."

That was just the opening she'd been hoping for.

"Some lucky man, hmm?" She pretended to ponder that.

Picking up her menu, she cut her eyes at him and waited for him to take a sip of his drink.

"You seem pretty lucky to me." She remarked.

Tobias coughed, choking on his whiskey sour.

Her smile grew over his reaction.

Once he was able to breathe, he studied her face to see just what she meant by that.

She met his eyes, winking at him.

"Of course," she continued, "I would like to enjoy dinner before this dress hits your floor."

"Chris?" He couldn't believe she was actually flirting with him. "Before you continue teasing me like this, you should know that I want more from you."

"More." She repeated. "As in?"

"As in us being together." He explained. "As a couple."

"So if I were to introduce you to someone as the man I'm in love with?" Chris prodded.

Tobias took her hand in his.

"Then I would say it's about damn time since I've been in love with you for a while now."

She squeezed his hand. Her eyes were shining with an emotion he'd hoped to one day see directed at himself. "Good thing I know how to introduce you from now on."

He lifted her hand to press a lingering kiss upon her knuckles.

Tearing his eyes from her, he attempted to study the menu.

"Now that that's settled," he couldn't contain his smile, "what's the fastest thing we can order on this menu so we can get out of here?"

Chris began to laugh as she tossed her menu down.

"Glasses of water?" She offered.

"I have that at home." Tobias reminded her.

"I do like your water." She stood up, pulling him along with her.

"Only the best in town." He added, while paying for his drink.

"I'm willing to see if that's true." Chris tugged him close.

Tobias leaned down the short distance to kiss her.

She wrapped her arms around his neck, deepening the kiss.

When he lifted his head, he found her smiling at him in a way that told him this was just the beginning of all he wanted.

After all, he struck the jackpot when he won Chris.

#tcaw #tobias carrick appreciation week #tobias x chris #tobias carrick #open heart fanfic #choices oh #choices the stories you play #choices fic writers creations

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