The Lucky Bullet

by H. S. Strickland

  When the doctor came back in to check on me, I was feeling a little chatty. While I was watching her take my vitals and temperature, I just watched her fluid movements. You could tell she was passionate about her job, just by watching her; this was where she felt most comfortable. She was so beautiful, her almost white blonde hair, with a wave to it, that hit her back. I couldn’t tell the color of her eyes, they were a green-blue-violet. Not one or the other, but all of them. When she was done I asked,

  “So what's your name?”

  I had a huge goofy grin on my face. I could tell I was drunk off the meds. She replied with a slight chuckle, and said in the softest voice

  “It's Dr. Masters.” She replied.

  “I know what your last name is; I can read your name tag. I want to know what your first name is, babe.” I gave her a look that said not to mess with me, but it was probably off a little due to the drugs.

  “My first name is Ray, Mr. Mace.” She replied with a slight curl of her lips.

  “That’s your given name?” I asked with a raise of my eyebrow.

  “No, my first name is Araylia. Everybody calls me Ray, it's easier.” She gave me a shrug and her cheeks were turning that wonderful hue of pink.

  Damn, I didn't think it was possible for me to get hard while high off meds but I was. She was just so damn beautiful with that long blonde hair that looked so soft that I just wanted to run my fingers through it. Her eyes seemed to draw me in each time our eyes met. There were a beautiful mix between blue and green with a little bit of violet, I think.

  Deciding that it had to be violet, I continued,

  “It's a beautiful name for a beautiful woman.” My response turned her cheeks from pink to a nice shade of red. I laughed; she was too easy to mess with.

  “Come see me before you get off work, or I get discharged, yeah?” I asked like it was a question, but my tone suggested not to argue. She was hesitant but nodded in agreement and proceeded to leave the room.

  After she softly closed the door, I reached over to the wooden table beside my bed; dialing Ryan’s number. He picked up on the third ring.

  I told him to bring me some clothes and shit for tomorrow since I was being discharged. After he agreed, I got off the phone with him, and promptly fell asleep.

  Chapter 5

  Ray

  I couldn’t believe it, but I was pretty sure Mason was flirting with me. It was probably just the meds talking but it had been so long since I had male attention. He told me to come see him before I left, and that thought made me kind of giddy, though I couldn't figure out why. It wasn’t as though he had asked me out on a date. He simply told me to come see him; he could just want me to look over his leg again. Who knows?

  It was nearing early morning and I knew Liam would be getting up soon, if not already. I decided to take a break and call him. The phone rang three times before my Nanny answered with her usual greeting of.

  “Hey shug, how's work going?”

  I always loved the nickname she picked out for me, Shug. I've always remembered being called that, since I was old enough to remember.

  Getting back to the present I answered her.

  “Hey Nanny, work's good. But there is an extremely good looking man here.” I say, almost in a whisper. Nanny and I have always been close so I know I could tell her about this Mason guy.

  I heard her chuckle through the phone.

  “Oh shug, it's about damn time. You haven't had a date since that dick weed and you split up when Liam was born.”

  I sighed, I knew she would bring that up and I really didn't want to talk about it.

  “I know Nanny,” was all I could say in the matter. In an attempt to change the topic I continued, “So how is my boy?”

  Just as the words left my lips I saw Mason limping toward me in the cafeteria. My eyes widened, likely to the size of saucers. It's wasn’t that I was trying to hide Liam, but guys tend to shy away from me once they found out I have a son.

  When he approached me, I held up my hand signaling to him to give me just a minute. He nodded his consent and just as I was putting my hand down, I heard the sweetest voice come through the line of my cell.

  “Hey mommy! What are you doing? How's work, have you saved anybody yet?” My sweet little boy rattled off the questions without even taking a breath in between. The biggest smile spread across my face at the last question. Liam thought that because I was a doctor that meant I was a super-hero. He always asked that same question whenever I picked him up from Nanny's or one of my brothers' after work.

  “Hey baby boy, I'm still at work. I'm on my break actually that's why I called. No I haven't saved anybody yet, little man. I called to see how you've been for your Nanny.” I knew that Nanny was getting too old to run around with a three year old little boy. Eventually I would have to start asking my brothers to watch him. I don't want to take Liam away from his Nanny, but she was at the age where she was going to be needing more help.

  “Yeah momma, she made me my favorite pancakes, the ones that look like Mickey Mouse! They were so good. When are you coming to get me mommy? I miss you,” he replied in an enthusiastic voice.

  “I'll be there to get you tomorrow baby, I've got to finish my day here, then go home and get some sleep. I miss you too, little man. I'll see you soon okay? I love you; tell Nanny I love her too.” I said in a soft voice. I got off the phone with him after promising that I would see him tomorrow morning.

  I looked up toward Mason and craned my neck to see him. He had to be about 6'4, maybe taller.

  “Saved anybody yet?” He laughed, and I noticed that he had perfectly straight, white teeth and a killer smile.

  I was really glad he wasn't being weird about this. Although it shouldn’t matter what he thought since he wasn’t my boyfriend or anything. And even then, Liam would always come first no matter what.

  “Yeah, every day when I get off of work, he asks me if I've saved anybody,” I informed him.

  He just nodded and I noticed his jaw working, I wondered if there was something on his mind. He looked like he wanted to say something, but I wasn't sure since I really didn’t know him that well, or at all for that matter.

  Finally, he opened his mouth then closed it like a fish out of water. It was funny seeing him so unsure of himself, considering his presence demanded he was a confident man. There was no doubt about that.

  “So you're going home today? You don’t work tomorrow?” He asked as he bit on his lower lip; the same lip that I found myself wanting to tug between my teeth. That thought caught me off guard and made me blush. If he noticed the blush staining my cheeks, he didn't say anything. Instead he just kept looking at me with those intense green eyes.

  “Yeah, I leave here around 5 or so. Why?” I asked.

  “My friend Ryan. The guy that was in here with me, when I came in last night? Well, he bailed on me, said he had something to do. So… I have no way to get out of here.” He was shifting from foot to foot, it really was adorable.

  “Why, Mister Mason, are you asking me to pick you up tomorrow?” I said in a teasing tone.

  He just lifted his eyebrows at me, seemingly expecting me to say no.

  “Yeah, I am. I wouldn't ask if I had a way home, I'm sorry if it's out of line,” he explained. He seemed to have gotten his confidence back since he straightened himself up, pulling his shoulders back and finally stopped shifting on his feet.

  “I don't mind picking you up. I know you don't get discharged till tomorrow around 11 or so. Which works perfectly for me. I have to get Liam from my Nanny's around 10, and then we'll come get you. You don't mind if Liam is there do you?”

  “Thanks. I don't mind Liam coming along. How old is he?” He questioned. I wasn’t sure if he was just being polite or if he really cared to know how old Liam was but since he asked I decided I would answer.

  “He’s about to be four. His birthday is in October.” Which was just a few months away. Liam was growing up faster than I liked to think
about. I wish he was just a baby again, small and cuddly. He was always a mama's baby but as he grew older, he started to realize he didn’t need me as much.

  I knew my break was up; I had been out here longer than what I was supposed to.

  “I’m sorry but my break is up, I really should get back to work,” I said as I stood to my feet.

  He smiled, “Well thanks again for agreeing to give me a lift. I ah… appreciate it.”

  I smiled, realizing that mister confident definitely wasn’t always confident, well at least not around me for some reason. I like that!

  “No problem,” I responded before turning away.

  As I walked away from the cafeteria, I felt the tingle in my spine, and I knew Mason was watching me walk away. I put a little extra sway to my hips, for good measure. With a slight smirk on my face, I opened the door to the hallway and went back to work.

  Chapter 6

  Mace

  I couldn’t believe I had to ask Araylia to take me home. My damn douche bag of a brother had to fucking bail on me. I was just glad she hadn’t turned me down. I was really surprised that she had a son though; she just looked so young.

  Seeing her face light up when Liam was put on the phone made me feel like I was interrupting a private conversation. Araylia's whole face went soft, with the sweetest look I had ever seen on a woman. It did something to me. My chest felt like it had shifted. I feel like a damn chick obsessing over it, but I could not for the life of me get that look out of my head.

  Here I was, sitting outside the hospital in a wheel chair that I didn’t want to be in, waiting for Ray. I got discharged a little earlier than expected, and it wasn’t like I could call her and tell her to come get me since we didn't exchange numbers. So, I had been sitting out here for half an hour. When I heard an unmistakable roar of an engine, I looked up from my chair to find a gleaming red 1969 Mustang idling. What I saw next, I was unprepared for. Araylia got out of the driver’s side with her blonde hair down and blowing in the wind.

  My first though was, how in the hell did she drive that? That Mustang had more power than I thought her tiny frame could handle. Seeing her looking so damn sexy as she climbed out of that vehicle made my dick stir in my pants. Shit, that sight may have just made me come a little too!

  She was wearing jeans that hugged her ass perfectly, and damn what a fine ass that was. I needed to get it under control before she came over to help me up. I didn’t want her to find me hard as a rock, again! I watched as she bent down in the car and started talking. I realized then that I really needed to get control because her son was in the back of the car. I had completely forgotten that he was coming along, especially when I saw her get out of that Mustang.

  We didn't talk until we got in the car and she shot off like a rocket from the curb.

  “How in the hell do you drive a car like this?” That's what came out of my mouth. Smooth, Mace I thought.

  She just laughed, as if she was used to that kind of reaction, which she probably was.

  “Watch the mouth, little ears back there,” she said with a slight chuckle. “And I love muscle cars almost as much as I love my son,” she finished with amusement still lacing her tone.

  At her comment about little ears, I turned around and saw a little boy with blonde hair and dark blue eyes. I wonder where he got his blue eyes from since his mom had a light blue in her eyes, not dark. I reached toward the back seat, and thrust my hand out toward him.

  “Hey little man, I'm Mace.” He stuck his hand out and shook mine and replied

  “I'm Liam, but my mommy tells me not to talk to strangers,” he told me in a small, scared voice.

  Araylia laughed and told him it was okay to talk to me. After that, Liam and I talked the whole time we were in the car, other than the few times I had to stop and give Araylia directions to my place. Liam told me all about his toys he had at his house, his Nanny's pancakes, and the trampoline he wanted for his birthday, along with a dog. The kid was adorable and you could definitely tell he was his mom's son.

  When we pulled up in front of my place I started to unbuckle my seat belt and get out. I was having a lot of trouble with my bad leg so Araylia asked if I needed help. Before I could tell her no, she was around on my side of the car with a hand shoved in my face to help me up. I took it gratefully, I wasn't about to admit that I needed that help, but I was grateful nonetheless.

  “Would you like to come in for a drink?” I asked once I was safely out of the car. I wasn’t sure why I asked, but I did. She looked toward Liam, who was still sitting in the car, with a little frown on her face. I realized she didn’t want to leave him in the car. I hastily added, “Bring him with you, I don’t mind.”

  Only then did she nod and move around the car to get Liam out. I hobbled to my front door, unlocked it and shuffled in. After Ray and Liam walked in behind me I turned the alarm system off. Shutting the door behind them, I watched as both of them took in my house. The living room was straight ahead of the foyer, having two steps, it was sunken in. Off to the right of the living room was the kitchen, with a long breakfast bar with bar stools. The back of the couch was facing the kitchen, and I had set up the 62' flat screen to face the kitchen so I could watch it while cooking. Off to the left of the living room was a long hallway that housed all of the bedrooms and bathrooms. I had remodeled the whole house myself, and I was quite proud of the work I had done. Although it took quite some time, I still loved it.

  I moved toward the kitchen and asked both Liam and Ray what they would like to drink. Liam yelled “Orange juice please!” pouting his bottom lip, and Ray said a beer for her if I had any.

  I poured Liam some orange juice and set him up at a stool, gave Ray her beer and leaned a hip against a counter. I looked at her and took a moment to just study her face, watching her while she watched Liam. She looked down at him with such adoration, adoration that I can’t even remember seeing in my child hood. She caught me staring at her, and ducked her chin to her chest, causing me to smirk at her.

  “You got a boyfriend?” The question flew out of my mouth before I could stop it.

  She looked at me with a slight frown in her brow.

  “No, I don't. I never really had time for one.” She tilted her head toward Liam.

  I looked toward Liam, and said, "Hey buddy, why don't you go turn on my TV and find some cartoons to watch, yeah?"

  He ran off with no problem. I wanted to ask Araylia something, but without Liam around since I wasn’t sure if it would be a touchy subject for him.

  “Where's his dad?” I asked once Liam was out of earshot. At the mention of Liam's father, Araylia's entire body tensed up. I now knew this was a touchy subject with her. She started shifting her feet, not making eye contact with me. I felt bad for asking, but I want to know why he isn't around his own son.

  “We…uh, split up when Liam was born.” That's all she gave me. She was so uncomfortable right now; I decided not to press this issue. I didn’t want her running out the door and not wanting to come back. I had more plans for her.

  “What are you doing Friday night?” I asked, hoping like hell she didn't have to work.

  “As far as I know nothing, I don't have to work. Why?” She answered with a shrug of her shoulders, and a faint blush stained her cheeks.

  “You and me, we're going out Friday, around 7. I'll pick you up. Can you find someone to baby sit?” I told her. I wasn't going to give her a reason to back out in any way.

  “I guess I can ask one of my brothers. I don't think Matt is working, but I'm not sure.”

  She looked up at me as she finished answering me. She was biting on her bottom lip and that turned me the fuck on. She was going to have to stop right now before shit got out of hand. I stalked toward her, my strides eating up the distance between us. She back up until she hit the counter, and I caught up with her. I leaned down toward her mouth, and then quickly changed my direction toward her cheek up to her ear. There I whispered, “You’re going to have to
stop doing that.”

  Her reply was breathless when she answered, “Stop doing what?” I turned toward her, our lips were mere inches apart, and it took every single ounce of self-control I possessed not to attack her mouth. I lifted my hand and pulled her teeth from her lip.

  “That, it's driving me insane.”

  Her breathe hitched when I spoke. I liked the way she responded to me, it was driving me to madness. I abruptly pulled away, having heard Liam coming into the kitchen. Just as I had gotten about 2 feet of distance between us, Liam came barreling through.

  He looked up at his mom and said “Look mom, he has Finding Nemo! Can I watch it pweease?" She looked up at me with an apologetic look on her face.

  “No baby, we have to go home.” She said in a ‘mom’ voice.

  He pouted his lip but eventually gave up, and huffed back to my living room. She straightened back up and looked at me, “I'm sorry, we really should get home. I need to start cleaning my house.”

  I nodded my head in affirmative then placed our drink glasses in the sink, and rattled my phone number off to her.

  I walked her out of the front door and to her car. I waited while she got Liam buckled, then turned around to face me. She looked nervous and flushed so I gave her a little smirk and saw desire flare through her eyes. I walked the little bit of space between us, backed her up against the car, and leaned down to closer to her face, until our lips were mere centimeters apart. I could hear her breathe as it puffed against my lips.

  Chapter 7

  Ray

  I stepped into the shower and started to lather my hair with shampoo. Liam and I had just gotten home from Mason's house. After I gave Liam a bath and then put him into bed, I needed time to relax and think about today so I decided to take one myself. The shower was always my thinking place, it helped me relax and ease my mind, so that's where I was. I really needed to call my long time best friend, Dakota. I hadn’t talked to her in quite some time.