He observes the girlie-girl party accessory, turning it in his hand. Tilting the pointed tip toward his chest, he mouths, “For me?”
I nod, grinning. Go on, I gesture with my hand. Liam looks around hesitantly at the people milling around and his eyes end on mine. He raises his eyebrows in inquiry. I nod, reassuringly. Go on now.
I don’t think so given it’s my place of work, his second inspection of our surroundings says in so many words.
“Okay, birthday boy—” I snatch the hat from his hand and adjust it on his head. I might have taken a couple of more lungful’s while at it. Might have. “Put the damn thing on and smile.”
“So demanding,” Liam says over a surprised chuckle.
“Here, so you’re not the only one looking like a goof.” I send him a radiant smile while adjusting the other cardboard hat on my head, elastic string around the chin and all.
Liam looks at me and bursts out in happy laughter. “Okay, if there’s a moment that has ever deserved a selfie it’s this one.” Liam pulls his phone out of the pocket of his scrubs. “Scoot over,” he says while sneaking his arm around my waist and pulling me against him. Leaning my head against his collar bone, I tilt my chin up and smile at the camera.
“Say goofball,” Liam says and snaps a couple of photos.
The feeling of being pressed against him will never get old. If I had it my way, I’d grab a blanket and stay like this the rest of the afternoon, or until his pager demanded he return to work – I don’t want anyone dying on my account..
Reluctantly, I slide back to my space. I cross my legs on the bench and put a pink box on my thighs. Liam watches me closely as I pull up the lid to reveal rows of thirty sprinkled, chocolate cupcakes.
“Lov – Anna,” He corrects himself, but not quickly enough for an intense look to pass between us. “You really didn’t have to.” His healthy perfect teeth peak beneath his lips, square jaw engaged, cheeky smile appearing. “Not to mention you sort of went overboard with the quantity, don’t you think?”
“Oh, it’s for your friends, up there,” I point my finger at the colossal building. “Doctors, nurses, your buddies.”
Liam’s smile flattens into a soft, clandestine one. For a whole of ten beats or more, he stares at me, slowly cocking his head. His lips part to say something but shortly after snap shut.
“Not a cupcake fan or do you not have any buddies to share with?” I tease, both uncomfortable and deeply moved by his silent struggle.
He clears his throat and the words just seem to escape from his mouth out of his control, “You’re something else.”
I don’t think anyone has ever looked at me the way he looks at me.
My heart, at this moment, is so much bigger than its designated space in my chest. It’s a million tons of moving mass, accelerating in all directions with the only thing that could stop it being this guy. It’s almost more than I can bear. I break the intensity by offering Liam one of the cupcakes which he happily takes. “Oh, wait,” I say as he attempts to take the first bite. I produce a candle from my bag and stick it in the middle of the cupcake. I communicate, “wait,” holding one finger up while searching my bag for the box of matches. Liam waits as told, his eyes caressing me, following my every move. “Here we go,” I say once the candle is properly lit. “Make a wish.”
And the intensity is back as he slowly tilts to blow on the candle, eyes locked with mine.
Now, what I don’t understand is what stupid game we are both playing and why we are on this bench instead of behind some janitor closet jumping each other like two crazy hyenas in heat, just like we clearly do in our minds? An enigma, really.
Breaking the intensity once more, I dig out a metallic pink birthday whistle and blow on it. Liam takes one long look at me, with my silly birthday hat, and the now deflated whistle in my mouth and lets out a healthy chuckle. His eyes are pure happiness as he shakes his head, utterly amused.
“Could you be any sweeter, Anna?” He finally takes a healthy bite of the cupcake and murmurs with a full mouth. “I need more photos of this.”
We take goofy photos of each other with Liam’s phone. Together and alone. Biting into the cupcakes, laughing, sticking our tongues out. Liam with the lame whistle, then me. He then smudges some fondant on my nose and quickly snaps a shot.
“Oh hi, Anna?” A feminine voice coming from nearby halts our playfulness.
We both turn to a smiling redhead. Liam sends her a quick nod of familiarity and I smile at her. “Hey Daphne, haven’t seen you in a while.”
She eyes Liam for a stretch and turns to me. “Yeah, I know, it’s been crazy busy.”
“I understand. Hope to see you soon.” I say, smile intact.
Before leaving, she smiles at Liam. “See you later, Liam. And I guess, happy birthday?”
Liam responds with a nod and a small smile that looks a little confused.
“How do you know Daphne? She works with me in the ER,” he says as soon as she leaves.
Searching for Liam’s birthday gift, I say to my bag, “I took her virginity.” The simple act of breathing seems to be a bit tricky for Liam for a moment, what with the short gasp and the hard cough that follows.
I raise my face to him and roll my eyes. “She’s a client.” And then cheekily add, “Good that there are many doctors around. Looks like you’re about to suffocate.”
Liam coughs a few times more and finally gives me a devilish smile. We grin at each other like two morons for a kitschy little moment. “Okay, I know you need to go back soon, so just a little something—” I hand him the wrapped book.
“Anna, seriously, this is too much. You really didn’t have to—”
“Liam Brody, shush already.”
He nods, “Yes, ma’am.” His smile grows as he studies the cover of the book I bought him. 1001 of the Best Humorous Quotations.
“You seem to really like these, so I thought—”
“It’s perfect, Anna. Thanks! Thanks for everything, it’s really. It means a lot.”
“Okay, I guess it’s time to let you get back to work.”
Liam checks his watch and sighs. “Yeah, I need to get back.”
I turn to gather my things.
“Hey,” Liam says. He stretches his hand to mine, and I link it with his. He tugs on my extended arm and pulls me closer to him. He drops his hand from mine only to properly hug me and say, “You’re the best.” Then he leans back to look at me and leans back in intending to give me a peck on the cheek. Something in our choreography is out of sync. He tilts this way and I that and his lips end up on mine.
Our lips touch softly for a long, pregnant beat in which we both seem to hold our breath like if we move an inch the universe will cease its rotation. It’s way far beyond a brief peck when we finally break apart. Instead of stepping back from whatever it was or wasn’t, Liam opens his arms to cover me in an embrace that lasts many more seconds. A connection that’s long, quiet, intimate, and full of thrilling undercurrents, healthy lungfuls of scents, and two wildly pounding hearts.
“I’m so thankful for having you in my life,” Liam whispers to my hair, pressing a soft kiss to the center of my head.