I have just taken a big sip of water from my cup when Liam walks back moments later, in jeans and a black tee, his hair still wet from the shower. I’m glad he’s a physician just in case I choke, because I’m having a hard time swallowing. The fact that I once thought he wasn’t a hundred percent my type is truly laughable.
“Let’s start over,” he says as he comes over to hug me. “Hey.” He smells like my body wash and him, and the combination does things to me. The hug is too swift for my liking.
“Get you anything?” I say, stealthily checking him out in the pretense of waiting for his answer.
“Anything cold’s good.”
I gesture to my water and he nods. I fill up a glass and hand it to him as he looks around and makes his way to the living room. As Liam observes my place, I observe him. The way his jeans sit on him, a bit lose, worn and sensual. He is barefoot and casual, and I really need to stop this.
“What does your week look like?” he asks as he plops onto the sofa.
I take a seat at the other end of the sofa and hug my folded legs, facing him. “Not too busy, why?”
“I have a few viewings planned with a realtor,” he sets the water on the table and turns to face me. “I thought, maybe you could join, always good to have another pair of eyes.”
“You’re moving out?”
“Not at the moment. Eventually, yeah. I’ve been playing with the idea of buying a townhouse. It’s a good time.”
“Buying?”
He grins at my economical use of words. “My parents paid for my education, my grandpa from my mom’s side left me a nice little pile of money when he passed away and, I tutored all through med school and managed to save quite a bit since then, you know with no real social life besides work.”
“Sure, I’d love to.”
His eyes roam over me and his lips stretch in a soft smile. His hand moves to scratch the opposite shoulder and the hem of his short sleeve moves up a little to reveal a colorful tattoo. I cock my head with a frown. “You have a tattoo?”
His eyes follow mine to the tattoo adorning his right bicep. He chuckles. “Yeah.”
I motion with my finger for him to lift the sleeve a little more. My lips tip to the Superman logo tattoo. “How apt,” I say, and he drops his head with another chuckle. Beaming, I say, “Okay now I clearly need the story behind it.”
He mirrors my smile. “We were eighteen, Billy and I, shooting hoops. Out of nowhere Billy says let’s get tattoos. And then he is like, oh I know, even better, whoever loses gets a Wonder Woman tattoo.”
I exhale a peal of laughter.
Liam goes on. “I asked what the winner would get. And Billy immediately said a Superman tattoo. Billy had wanted to get one for forever.” Liam’s eyes dance with mirth. “And what do eighteen-year-olds do?” Liam’s grin turns playful. “Incredibly terrible ideas are like an immediate green light, right?” He shakes his head amused. “What can I say, your mind doesn’t really work properly before your thirties.”
“So, Billy lost the bet,” I say, utterly amused.
“Yep, Billy ended up with the Wonder Woman tattoo.” He laughs. “Yes, Francis has a Wonder Woman tattoo. Sometimes life is a marvelous thing.” We laugh in unison.
I eye Liam’s somewhat faded tattoo. “It suits you.”
His eyes glue to mine. “Think so?”
“I like it.” Then I add in a gentler voice, “You are some kind of a superhero, after all. Isn’t saving lives like the number one requirement in the superheroes job description? You don’t need a cape to be one. I’m sure you’re more than a few people’s superhero.”
Liam drops his stare to the glass of water, slowly bringing it back to mine. He remains silent.
“I read a little about what you do,” I say next.
His brows pinch. “You did what?”
“Read about your job. I mean, on paper it’s quite straightforward. I know what E.R surgeons do. I just, the other night I read some more. Like what a nightshift on the emergency unit is like. I even watched this lady on YouTube, a trauma surgeon, sharing some parts of her nightshift.”
Liam looks a little baffled. “You could have asked me.”
“You tend to play things down when you talk about yourself. Just like your reaction to what I said, about you being some kind of a superhero. And also, you were on a shift when I was looking it up.”
He shrugs, a tad uncomfortable. “It’s not a one person’s job, it’s a whole team. It’s a job, that’s what I do. No need to—” The end tail of his sentence melts on his lips.
We hold a tense stare. “You know, you can be a little cocky, you earned it.”
“Not in my nature.”
“One of the things I like about you.”
“You like things about me?” he teases.
I smile with sass. “Many things. Hence, your presence here.” His smile grows and I ask, “So I know it’s a crazily demanding job, but what’s the best part about it?”
“It’s a ‘team sport.’ You get to work and learn from some exceptional people. Every day you learn something new. There are many players that work together for a good outcome. It’s a wonderful feeling to be a part of such a thing.” His easy smile turns into a yawn which he tries to hide behind his hand.
“You’re tired?”
“Been tired since forever,” he smiles a small smile. Another yawn takes hold of his mouth. “Sorry,” he covers his mouth, preventing the yawn from fully evolving.
“It’s okay.” I smile. “Do you want to take a nap or something?”
He shakes his head. “I’m good.”
“Okay.” I stand and tip my chin at the kitchen. “I’m getting myself wine, get you some?”
“Thanks.” Liam’s eyes follow me as I make my way to the kitchen.
Not sure why, but as I reach the kitchen and there’s a wall between us, I release a long exhale. I busy myself, pouring wine into two tall glasses. I get some cheese and cut a couple of vegetables, arranging them on small plates. By the time I get back to the living room, I find Liam with his legs stretched before him on the low table and his arms folded on his chest, eyes closed, breathing a little heavily. I return his wine to the kitchen and lean my side on the kitchen’s doorpost. With a glass in hand, occasionally taking a small sip, I watch him for a while. I never considered myself a person who idolized others. Never had the room full of posters or went through the notebooks full of some celebrity person’s name scribbled all over phase. I don’t recall ever fawning over someone. Yet, here I stand, with a glass of wine in my hand flooded with all the feels, gazing dreamingly and adoringly at a sleeping Liam.
A muffled sound coming from my phone that’s vibrating against the kitchen counter shakes me out of the moment. I have a little doubtful moment as I decide if I should answer Jesse’s call when Liam is just a few steps away. I finally decide that it’s nonsense and that I’m doing absolutely nothing wrong by getting the call.
“What are you up to?” Jesse asks.
“Nothing much.” Okay, this feels a bit off. Why am I not saying that I’m hanging out with a friend? Why not tell the truth. I take a deep breath. “Jesse, listen, you’re such a great guy and—”