“I don’t remember how they communicated with me at this stage, but some of the communication was via letters. Maybe just for sake of formality.” Billy muses. “Unless they’re overstuffed at the moment, which I don’t believe they ever are. I don’t see a reason why they wouldn’t accept you to the program.” Then he adds, “There’s always need for extra hands when it comes to trauma surgeons. I’d be seriously surprised if it’s a rejection.”
The minute we step into the apartment, I get the thin envelope lying on our coffee table and unceremoniously rip it open. I read the contents with Freddie’s stare zeroed in on me.
. . . In line with the first completed examination for our organization and your recommendations, it’s with deep pleasure that you are here-in invited for a personal meeting . . .
My full-blown grin has Freddie slapping my back. “I had zero doubt, man. It’s you! I’ve known you what, for a million years now?”
Still grinning, I say, “Just about.”
Freddie drops onto the sofa, eyes on me. “Even your risks are calculated. You always know what you’re doing, and you always get what you want. I knew you’d get in.”
I drop my head humbly, a satisfactory smile tilting my lip as I take a seat next to him, propping my legs up on the low table.
Freddie turns pensive. “Now that you got this out of the way, I know you feel like this Anna chick is some sort of a risk right now. A deviation. Doesn’t align with Liam’s meticulously calculated timeline.”
“Wait, aren’t we done talking about my feelings?” I say dryly, opting to change the subject.
He pivots to look at me. “Dude, I’ve never seen you so into someone. Never. Maybe this one’s a risk worth taking even though she’s not on the timeline . . . yet. Not everything should be a Goldilocks situation. Life’s not a predicted affair.”
And Anna leaps back into my thoughts at light speed in tandem to a pang in the vicinity of my chest. The feeling is inexplicable. It’s like my brain has been hijacked and induced with thoughts and emotions that don’t make sense. Not for a person I’ve known for twenty-four hours . . . okay, for much longer . . . but up until that meeting, she was an anonymous person who offered many enjoyable electronic interactions. That was all. I’ve had plenty of crushes before. I even had the love thing, or so I believed. But this – this I can’t understand. It’s different. It’s so much fucking more.
I frown at Freddie. He raises his hands in surrender. “Just saying, maybe tweak that timeline a little. Or give her up altogether.”
Put the Damn Thing On and Smile
“Great job, everyone! See you next week,” I tell the packed studio, full of sweaty faces, colorful hairbands and lemon infused water bottles. I do a quick cleanup around the room and head to the office. I have thirty minutes before my next lesson. Time to catch up on administrative stuff. My phone that’s facing down vibrates on the desk as I take a seat in the corner of the studio office. I pick it up and accidentally accept the call before checking who it is.
“I was about to text you but then decided to call,” Liam says by way of greeting.
“Oh, hold up, let me just call the milk people, I guess we won’t need the missing person thing, after all,” I say, albeit there’s not a trace of animosity in my voice.
He huffs a laugh. I can just imagine him holding the nape of his neck as he says, “About that.”
There’s a hint of humor in my words as I say, “Yeah, I’m all ears.”
He sounds utterly uncomfortable saying, “I was busy and—”
I cut him off and say in a light tone, “No you weren’t. Let’s spare us both any humiliating explanations. I think we’re way beyond that. You didn’t want to talk so you didn’t. Fine. Bygones and all that.” I inhale deeply. “How are you, now that I at least know you’re alive.”
“Anna—”
“Liam,” I mimic his tone. “How are you?”
He lets out what sounds like a content sigh. “I’m good, missed talking to you though.”
“Good that you called me then.”
For a moment and a half, his silence seems a bit hesitant but when I lightly laugh and repeat that we’re good, old Liam is back. The one I’ve been waiting to talk to again, the one who was in my head, confusing the heck out of me for disappearing. “See it was nice having you in my life. I got used to you.” I chuckle and he laughs briefly in return. “What can I say, I like you, Liam.”
His next words are low and somewhat hoarse. “You have no idea, Anna.”
A couple more sentences into the conversation and we’re back to the way we were before he ran from me like I had the plague.
“What, go back,” I say next referring to something he mumbled between telling me about a thing at work and something dumb his friend, the Freddie guy, did. “It’s your birthday?”
“Yep.” Short and flat.
I make an excited sound. “Happy birthday! How are you celebrating?”
“Saving lives!” He chuckles, “God, such a douchey thing to say. I’m stuck here till tomorrow.” He chuckles again. “You know I can’t just walk away, right?”
“Nope, not having it. No birthday of a friend of mine will go uncelebrated.”
“I’m your friend?” he teases.
“Hey, didn’t we establish that you were my number one e-person? I think that constitutes a friendship of sorts.”
“Right,” Liam says. The single word full of delight.
“When do you have a break next?”
He takes a moment, probably checking his schedule or whatnot. “I can have one around four. But it’s not guaranteed, you know, if something big comes in—”
“I’ll take my chances.”
Liam is being paged, but just before ending the call, he suggests meeting at one of the benches outside the E.R. which he explains, twice, how to find.
A bit before four, I drop off the birthday arsenal I brought with me onto The Bench. There are a few benches scattered around the enormous building, but I was able to easily find the one Liam talked about, the shabby, blue one that’s under a lofty sycamore tree.
“Anna,” Liam’s voice reaches me from a few steps away as I close one of the large cardboard boxes I brought with me. I turn around and my stomach does a couple of flips. Liam walks my way in navy scrubs and a genuine, happy smile. “Hey,” he gives me a quick hug. One that brings along his warmth and a musky boy scent that does things to me. Stepping back, Liam looks at me with contentment in his eyes. He shakes his head with such an emotive cadence. It’s an I-find-you-sweet kind of headshake.
I wonder if he can clearly read what my stare is transmitting. The hey-Liam- I’m-so- effing-into-you one. “Happy birthday!” I exclaim and clap with utter joy. Liam’s grin grows and grows. White teeth and a whole lot of happy in his eyes. I gesture to the bench with my hand and Liam takes a seat.
“So,” I say while releasing a soft pink and purple polka dot cone-shaped hat from its twin. I hand Liam one.