by Brook Wilder
“Sorry, I’m not used to the new house yet,” he said with a smirk. Junie feasted her eyes on him for a while, taking in his big hazel eyes, his tanned skin and his broad shoulders. He was wearing a plain white t-shirt and nothing underneath, and Junie could clearly see his sculpted muscles bulging underneath his shirt. She opened her mouth but no words came out, and when she realized she was being ridiculous, she held out the box in front of her, a smile settling over her face.
“I just thought I’d welcome our new neighbors,” she said.
Aiden smiled. He eyed her in her uniform, his gaze travelling up and down her pale blue scrubs, which hugged her perfectly around the waist. He reached out and took the box from her. “This is great, you made my day, you have no idea,” he said. “Come on in.”
Junie contemplated whether or not she should go inside. She looked around her, and, when she realized that Amy was at the house with Matt, she figured; why not?
CHAPTER 2
“Sorry for the mess,” Aiden said, fumbling with the cardboard boxes scattered everywhere. “I just got here… the moving truck just literally pulled out,” he continued.
“No, no, that’s okay,” Junie said, eyeing him still. The truth was, she couldn’t look away. Aiden had one of the most sculpted bodies she had ever seen. Suddenly, he reached down and pulled his shirt off, and Junie couldn’t help but look away.
“I’m sorry, was that awkward for you?” he asked. “It’s just really hot outside and I’ve been moving things around all day,” he continued.
Junie turned to look at him again. “No, that’s totally fine,” she said. “Anyways, I really hope you enjoy those brownies.”
“Woah, wait, are you leaving already?” he asked, tilting his head sideways. “I barely got to know you yet… would you care for a cup of coffee?”
“Sure,” Junie said, immediately changing her mind about leaving. She hadn’t felt this attracted to a person in a long time. His body was covered in the dewy mist of his sweat, and the way his muscles shifted as he moved was enough to keep her from going anywhere. He kicked the remaining boxes aside and then raised his eyes to her. When his gaze met hers, Junie could feel herself blushing.
“You wanna step into the kitchen with me?” he asked, already leading the way. His demeanor was very nonchalant, Junie thought, so she followed him as he made a beeline for the kitchen, swung the backdoor open and just stood there, his eyes following the road. “This ought to let some fresh air in,” he said, turning to look at her.
“So, what brought you here?” she asked, standing awkwardly at the door.
“Why are you standing there? Here, you can take a seat at one of the stools,” Aiden said, nodding towards the kitchen counter. Junie walked over and did nothing still, and when she realized she had to do something instead of just stand there, she bent over the marble counter, watching him. Aiden hadn’t answered her question, and even though she wasn’t sure if he did that on purpose or was just distracted, she decided she was just going to shut up. “So, you were saying?” Aiden asked, turning on the stove. “Oh, God, how do you work this thing?” he mumbled. “Oh, there we go.”
“It’s nothing,” Junie said, finally climbing onto one of the bar stools.
“Alright,” Aiden said, flashing her a smirk. Junie could feel a warmth radiate through her. She hadn’t seen a smile this wide, this sexy, in a very long time. She was dying to know more about Aiden, but she figured she had to take it slow if she didn’t want to freak him out. “I’m Aiden, by the way,” he said, walking over and extending his arm out to her.
“Junie,” she said, taking his hand. She could feel the rugged skin of his palm brush up against hers, and she shook his hand, trying not to appear too shy. “It’s really nice meeting you, Aiden.”
“It’s a pleasure meeting you, too,” he said. “Seriously, who even bakes their neighbors brownies anymore?” he asked, raising an eyebrow at her. “You should really let me repay you with this amazing French coffee I just made,” he chuckled. Even his laugh was sexy.
“I’m sure it tastes good,” Junie said, eyeing him as he staggered back and turned the stove off.
“Here you go,” he said, setting the coffee mug down in front of her. Junie blushed.
“Thanks,” she said. There was silence.
“So, Junie, tell me about yourself,” Aiden said, leaning across the kitchen counter.
“Well, I’m twenty-three, I’ve lived in this neighborhood for quite some time now, and I have a son,” she said.
“A son?” he said. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to sound surprised or anything… it’s just really impressive how a young woman like you can handle being a mother.”
“You don’t know me, how do you know I’m any good at it?” Junie asked, being flirtatious in return.
“Oh, believe me, I can tell,” Aiden said. “How old is your son?” he asked.
“He’s three years old, I had him when I was twenty,” Junie said. She always tended to emphasize on that for reasons that were obscure, even to her. “Ice-breakers,” is what she called them. “He’s my whole world.”
“I can tell from the way you talk about him,” Aiden said. “Does he have any hobbies?”
“Well, he’s too young so I can’t really tell, but he does love basketball,” she said, tilting her head towards the window.
“I do have a hoop in my backyard, if he’d ever like to play with it,” Aiden said, smiling.
“I’ll, I’ll definitely keep that in mind,” Junie said, raising her eyebrows at him.
“Yeah, I can teach him a thing or two,” he beamed. There was something about the way his eyes lit up when he said that that made Junie feel all warm inside. She didn’t want to appear too pushy, or to make it seem like she was out looking for a babysitter. Besides, she didn’t even know the guy. So she just smiled, in hopes that they would change the topic.
Aiden watched her as she sipped her coffee. His eyes kept finding their way back to her face, which was dotted in small freckles. He noticed her hair as it cascaded in wavy brown locks down the length of her neck, the curls foaming luxuriously at the tips. Aiden couldn’t keep his eyes off her. For a moment, he didn’t say anything, he just watched her drink her coffee, one sip at a time. She looked around her, clearly trying to avoid his gaze. His eyes were boring into her with a curiosity she couldn’t shake off, but she knew that deep down, she was just as curious about him as he was about her.
“Well, I’m pretty sure he’ll grow up having dreams, just like you,” Aiden said.
“Well, he does have this dream of joining the NBA … kids his age don’t even know what the NBA is,” she said with a smirk.
“And then you came along and introduced him to it,” Aiden said, leaning even farther across the counter.
There was silence. “Actually, it was his dad,” Junie said, her eyes dropping to the floor. “He died a couple of years ago.”
“Oh, I’m sorry to hear that,” Aiden said, pursing his lips. She nodded and raised the cup to her mouth, taking one last gulp of coffee.
“That’s okay,” she said with a smile. “I’ve made my peace with it.”
“Yeah, that’s good,” Aiden said, his hands clasped in his lap. “Well, I think I should get going, gotta do a bunch of things for work tonight,” he continued.
“Wait, you work a night shift, too?” Junie exclaimed, hopping off the bar stool.
“Yep,” Aiden said. “You look like a night owl, yourself,” he continued.
“Yeah,” Junie said. “It sucks sometimes, doesn’t it?” she asked, fumbling with the empty coffee mug.
“Only when you have shit to take care of the next morning,” he said, shaking his head.
“Well, I have a son to take care of, so,” Junie said, tilting her head sideways. “Don’t get me wrong, he’s my blessing, but things can get really hectic sometimes when you’re also a night nurse,” she continued.
“Oh, you’re a nurse!” Aiden said, her eyes growing even
wider. He was so sucked into this conversation that even Junie found it a bit weird. Not that she was complaining. “You know, I really admire nurses, or anyone in the medical field, really, you’re pretty much the only heroes left in our country,” he said, raising his eyebrows at her.
“That’s quite the compliment,” Junie said, brushing a hand through her glossy locks. She brought her hair to the side and started braiding it so it resembled a thick rope, and then she gazed at Aiden, this time, not taking her eyes off him. “But I’m not quite where I want to be yet,” she continued. “I gotta pass this exam first.”
“Well, good luck with that,” he said, holding Junie’s gaze. “One day you’re going to save a life and you’re going to be proud of yourself,” he continued. Junie wasn’t sure if he was just being nice, or if he was full-on flirting.
“I sure hope so… the idea of being a hero is pretty appealing to me, I have to admit,” she said, fumbling with her braid so it came undone.
“Hey, nurses are the real heroes,” Aiden said, his voice suddenly serious. “It’s not the police, it’s not the authorities, but it’s the nurses and the doctors, the paramedics and the firefighters,” he continued. Junie’s eyes lit up with admiration. She hadn’t felt that connected to a stranger in, well, ever.
“I appreciate you saying that,” she grinned. “And good luck to you, too.” She turned around and made her way for the door. Something told her this wasn’t the last time she would see Aiden.
CHAPTER 3
Junie leaned back in her chair and closed her eyes. She could feel herself falling asleep, but she had to fight it. It was a relatively still night; no emergencies, no patients coming in. She thought about what Aiden had told her the other day; all that talk about heroes. She wondered if she would ever live up to that image, that idea of what a nurse should be. Her mind kept going back to her nurse exam. What would happen after she passes? Would she live up to her own expectations? Would she live up to her boss’s expectations and the expectations of this entire hospital? She didn’t know. But she figured it would be better if she didn’t trouble herself with all of this now. Right now, all she needed to do was keep an ear out for the phone.
“Lazy night, huh?” one of her colleagues said, stopping at the coffee machine.
“Yep,” Junie nodded, her eyes darting from the phone, to the busty nurse, and then to phone again. “I really want to feel like I’m doing my job for once,” she said, sighing.
“Be careful what you wish for,” the woman said, taking a quick sip of her coffee and then disappearing into the hallway. Suddenly, the telephone rang.
“Hello?” Junie said, gliding to the desk on her rolling chair and picking up the phone.
“We have an emergency on 5th Avenue,” a voice sounded on the other end. “A motorcycle crashed a car across from Lenny’s Pub, we need the team to report in, stat.” Junie hung up and then started scanning the place with her eyes.
“What, did you get a call that wasn’t a seventy year old choking on an orange peel?” the busty nurse asked, appearing in the hallway again.
“Yes, actually,” Junie said, springing up from her seat.
“Junie,” a voice came up from behind her. She turned around and it was Dr. Neeson, the head of the paramedics team. “I’m going to need you to come with us to 5th Avenue, I think you’re experienced enough by now to, well, help save a life.”
Junie could feel a warmth radiate through her. She nodded, rushing down the hall and grabbing her first aid kit from the medicine cabinet. She joined the rest of the team as they climbed into the ambulance, and it took off with a vroom. Junie could hear the sirens sounding in the night, the adrenaline rushing through her like never before. She figured it was about time they called her for something like this. Her fingers tightened around the handle of her first aid kit, and she tapped her foot against the floor, waiting impatiently for the ambulance to reach its destination. Soon enough, she caught a glimpse of a car, flipped on its side in the middle of the road. Her jaw dropped when she saw a line of motorcycles, one after the other, flee the scene. Immediately, she knew they were responsible for this. The ambulance pulled over, the team hurried out the back and rushed to the scene. Junie felt her heart sink when she stepped out. Her eyes travelled up and down the road, trying to take in this painted picture that looked a whole lot like the night her husband died. Suddenly it all came back to her; the flames, his car flipped on its side, the motorcycles. It was all too much for her to handle.
“Hey, are you okay?” one of her colleagues asked, lingering at the back of the pack. “You look worried.”
“No, it’s just,” Junie said, her eyebrows furrowed. The closer she got to the scene, the more she just felt like running to the side of the road and heaving. “It’s nothing,” she murmured. “I’ll be right there.” Her colleague nodded to her and caught up with the others, and Junie fought to stay in line. Finally she reached the scene, watching the paramedics as they broke into the window of the car and pulled the driver out.
“Get him on a stretcher,” Dr. Neeson said, his voice firm. “Junie, check his vitals.”
She pulled out a small flashlight from her pocket and held it between her teeth, flipping the man’s eyelids inside out and shining the light over them. “Pupils are unresponsive, but he has a pulse,” she said, stuffing the flashlight back into her pocket.
“Alright, let’s get him to the hospital,” Neeson said, motioning for a couple of paramedics to wheel him back into the ambulance. He put both hands on his hips and shook his head, his eyes travelling up and down the road. “This is the work of motorcycle gangs,” he said, massaging his temples with both hands.
“They’re all dirty bastards,” Junie snarled. Suddenly she felt a lump rise in her throat. She was this close to tears, but she decided she had to keep it together. If she were to lose control this time, Dr. Neeson would probably never trust her to go on something like this again. She thought about what Aiden said about saving lives, and he was right. Junie did have the potential of becoming a hero, so she decided to act like one. But that didn’t mean her heart didn’t break over the fact that those bastards were still on the loose. She thought back to that night when her husband died, when she found out those gangsters crashed into his car and killed him. This accident was an exact replica of what happened to him that night, and suddenly Junie felt like she was reliving it all over again; the pain, the anxiety and the heartache of losing her husband the night their son was born. She turned around and walked back to the ambulance, sighing loudly as the paramedics crowded around the injured driver.
“BP’s eighty-five over fifty-five,” one of them said, their voice but a distant echo in Junie’s ears.
“Give me some gauze,” Neeson said, climbing into the back of the ambulance and holding up the man’s arm, which was oozing out blood.
“Shallow breathing.”
“Junie, put in the breathing tubes.”
She had to ball up her hands into fists for a moment to stop them from trembling. She reached for the kit and pulled out the bendy plastic tubes, slowly passing them down the victim’s airway. She squeezed the air pump a couple of times and then let out a sigh, realizing that his heart rate was going back up again.
“Good job, Junie,” Dr. Neeson said, glancing at her briefly before he started pumping at his chest. He raised his eyes to the heart monitor, nodding to himself before he turned to face the rest. “Heart rate’s back to normal,” he said. There was a collective sigh amongst the people inside.
“So, who do you think did this?” a paramedic asked, shifting his weight to one leg.
“Might be the Mercenaries,” Dr. Neeson said, shaking his head. “I’ve heard they’re trying to wage war on the rest of the motorcycle gangs,” he continued. “I have no idea what kind of a sick world this is that they live in.”
“Oh, and they’re expanding,” Junie said, raising her eyes to Neeson. “I see them all over the news now, it’s like they’re trying to tak
e this town by storm.”
“They’re doing a pretty good job at it, too,” he said. “They’re trying to gain media attention; they just want the people to look at them.”
“They also want to monopolize the drugs market and the weapons trade,” she said, her hands clasped in her lap. “They’re horrible people… they’re outlaws who do nothing but go around hurting innocent souls, they’re going to pay for this.”
“It’s funny how you know so much about biker gangs,” another one of her colleagues said, flashing her a smirk.
“Oh, you have no idea,” Junie said, turning to look at the window.
“Junie,” Dr. Neeson said. “You go join the team… they’re trying to find the guy on the motorcycle. The rest, you’re going back with me to the hospital… this guy’s going to need surgery.”
