“Since I knocked you over, can I please buy you a coffee? It’s the least I can do.”
I think about it a bit while watching him smile at me. His smile could make me do anything he wants. I believe he’s flirting with me. However, I have no clue because I don’t even remember the last time I was flirted with, let alone someone I wanted to flirt with. I didn’t have many boyfriends in college.
“I would like to,” I hesitantly say. “But, I just got here and orientation isn’t over until five. How about we meet for a light dinner or drinks later in the evening? Maybe Kerry’s Pub?” Since when do I initiate going to dinner or for drinks? And with someone I don’t even know. It’s a bit different from having coffee.
There’s a pause on his part. Maybe he’ll say no. I hope I’m not being too forward.
“Okay. Sounds like a plan, blue eyes.”
I’m in over my head. When a guy smiles at me like that, it makes me weak in the knees. These feelings are so foreign. I have never had a guy so gorgeous flirt like this with me. I kind of like it though. It makes my body quiver in a good way.
“How about eight thirty?”
“Can’t wait, blue eyes.” He winks.
I watch him as he walks away. He looks good from every angle. His biceps flexed when he handed me my tampon. A tampon! At this point, I can only laugh at myself. I have a date even after that. Pure anticipation pulses through my veins. I have never been instantly attracted to a guy before.
Should I change my clothes? Do I have something nice to wear? Will I look like I’m trying too hard if I do? The last date I had was over six months ago, and it was a disaster. The dating scene was never my thing. I already have knots in my stomach.
I should ask my roommate, Emily, for some fashion advice. Emily and I don’t live in a dormitory. We live off-campus. She rented the apartment first and advertised her spare room on the Internet. It’s a little bit expensive, but when Mom died, she had a life insurance policy. Dad gave me and Tina money to help us with school. I answered Emily’s ad, and we’ve been roommates for a few months now. We hit it off instantly. It’s nice to have someone to hang out with and talk to. My few friends from college have moved on with their lives. We’re still in contact, but randomly. I miss my sister, Tina. We are best friends, but she lives and works about an hour from here. I don’t drive, so when Tina and I get together, she visits me.
Emily is starting medical school as well. I don’t know why she isn’t at orientation today. I didn’t see her this morning. She probably went on another date last night and never came home. With her beautiful, long, shiny black hair and olive skin, she attracts men like a bee to a beehive. She has been on more dates in the past two months than I have had since I was sixteen. She will be shocked when I tell her I’m meeting someone for a drink. Maybe I can borrow some of her clothes.
After a thorough consultation with Emily, I chose a scoop-neck navy-blue jersey dress. Nothing too revealing but just enough to keep him guessing. It hugs my hourglass curves in all the right places. She suggests I wear her secret push-up bra to enhance my boobs. I can’t believe it fits me. Now I know why her boobs always look so big.
She insists I wear a pair of her black high heels. I never wear them, so I choose the shortest heels possible, which are still two inches high. I practice walking in them for half an hour and am not confident it helped. Blisters are already forming.
“How do I look?” I say as I turn from side to side in front of the mirror.
“I’m not going to say it again. You look beautiful. If I had your body, I would show it off all the time.”
“Okay, miss tall and exotic. We wear the same size in a lot of things. I wouldn’t complain if I were you. Men obviously think you are beautiful because they line up at the door to go out with you.”
She flips her hair over her shoulder and fixes her lipstick in the mirror.
“My makeup isn’t too much?” Pushing her out of the way, I peer into the mirror at my eyeliner. She helped me with my makeup. She used black eyeliner to enhance my blue eyes, since he likes my eyes. I want him to recognize me, so I didn’t change my hairstyle.
She sighs in frustration. “I’m getting pissed now. I’m not saying anything else.”
“I’m sorry. I told you, I haven’t been on a date in a long time. Especially with someone who’s so attractive. I’m really nervous.” I straighten the dress and put on her ridiculous heels. I am going to kill myself in these things. I rotate in front of the mirror. However, my legs do appear quite slender and longer. Running several times a week keeps my legs firm. Maybe I should wear heels more often. Every once in a while, it’s nice to feel taller.
I glance at the clock. “Shit. It’s time to go.” I straighten the dress again and grab my handbag. This dress will be stretched down to the floor by the end of the night.
“Have a great time and stop worrying. Be yourself. If he doesn’t like it, then you know he isn’t worth it. You are both old enough not to play games.” She opens the door and pats me on the butt as I walk out. “Go get him, killer.”
Kerry’s Pub is a five-minute walk from my apartment. I see the sign, a beacon telling me I’m almost there—and without killing myself in these heels. As I reach the pub, the door swings open and a few guys walk out. This pub is a popular watering hole for residents and doctors from the university hospital. Emily said if Bryant doesn’t show up, I’ll have a pool of other residents and doctors to pick from. I had to laugh, but what if he doesn’t show up? What will I do then? I don’t know how to pick up anyone.
“Radiate confidence when you walk in,” I mutter to myself. I pull the dress down for the hundredth time, keep my back straight, shoulders back, and head up. My eyes roam the bar in search of Bryant or an empty table. I notice a small group of people wearing scrubs. It isn’t too busy tonight. After a few minutes of searching, I don’t see him. I let out a sigh of relief.
There’s an empty table in the corner, opposite the bar. I weave my way through the tables, praying I won’t fall. As soon as I arrive at the table, I pull a chair away, blaring a horrible scraping noise. I sink into the chair to hide my embarrassment.
I lean my elbows on the table, with a napkin in my hand and wait for a few minutes. I look at the door again and then my watch. It’s 8:40. Since he’s late, I’m going to order a drink. I need to do something other than tear up this napkin or read the label on the ketchup bottle.
A waitress is nearby, so I wave to get her attention. She approaches with a friendly smile. “Hi there. My name is Gloria, and I’ll be your waitress tonight. What can I get for you? Would you like to see a menu?”
“I’m waiting for someone to arrive. But I would like to order a Corona Light with lemon, please. I’ll wait until my friend gets here to order some food. Can I please have a menu though?”
“No problem. I’ll be back in a few minutes with your drink and a menu.”
“Thanks,” I say as my eyes wander to the door again. There he is.
My body stiffens. My heart rate picks up instantly as my stomach flutters. Shit, he is cuter than I remember, and it was only a couple of hours ago when I met him. Cuter isn’t the correct word. Sexier is better. He changed his clothes, just like me. He’s wearing blue jeans and a light-blue polo shirt. I’m annoyed he’s late, but I’ll disregard it because he looks so good. I think I will eat him for dinner. What the hell is wrong with me?
Do I get up and wave to him, or do I just wait until he sees me? Our eyes meet before I can answer. He approaches the table, never breaking eye contact. I stand up too quickly and lose my balance. At the same time, he reaches over to give me a hug. He hugs me tight and saves me from embarrassing myself. These damn heels. His scruff grazes my cheek as he lets me go. Goose bumps form all over my body.
“Hi, blue eyes. Sorry to keep you waiting. I had a private matter to attend to. I usually don’t leave a beautiful woman waiting for me. Please forgive me.”
“You’re forgiven. This time anyway,�
� I say as I bat my eyelashes. I try to flirt, but I’m not sure he notices.
“You look beautiful in that dress. It’s too bad we’re in public.” He eyes me up and down. My blood instantly rushes to my face. The heat from his eyes burns me as they travel over my body. He sits down in the chair next to mine and motions for me to sit down.
I slide into the chair and immediately fire questions at him. “How was the rest of your day? Are you hungry? This place has the best nachos. Do you want to order some? I already ordered a beer. What are you going to drink?”
He smiles at me and proceeds to read the menu.
“Sorry, that was an overload of questions.” I fold my hands in my lap. Do not ramble, Lisa!
“Nachos and a beer sound great. I plan on going to the gym tomorrow, so I don’t mind.”
Red flag. Should I worry about what I’m eating in front of him? I like to eat. I run every chance I get, so I don’t count calories. I shouldn’t care. If he doesn’t like it, screw him, as Emily would say.
He waves over the waitress and orders a Yuengling and nachos. The waitress stares at him. She obviously likes what she sees. He sure has me melting at his feet. It’s probably those damn eyelashes. He doesn’t seem to notice how the waitress gawks at him. She finally walks away.
“Please tell me something about yourself, Bryant. How old are you? Are you a medical student or a resident?”
“I’m twenty-seven and a second-year resident in the pediatric department at the hospital here. I love being a pediatrician. To be able to make a baby, child, or teenager smile at the end of an appointment makes my day. The future pay scale is also very enticing,” he says, wiggling his eyebrows.
Red flag number two.
“I guess if you are going to be surrounded by them every day, you should love to be around them,” I remark with disappointment. More to myself than to him.
His face lights up when he talks. “I’ve always had an interest in medicine and becoming a doctor. When I started medical school, I had no idea which medical field to pursue. I took some classes revolved around children and cancer. It really hit me hard, because my cousin’s son died of cancer at the age of seven. I found it fascinating and enlightening. I’ve always been surrounded by children and teenagers. My extended family is very big. Once I became more involved toward the end of medical school, I knew this was the medical field for me. No matter what, children always need doctors.”
He likes kids. I should walk out of this bar right now. I’m setting myself up for heartbreak. He will split me into two. This is why I never get involved with guys. Once they find out the truth about me, they’ll walk away.
“My parents are already pushing me or my sister to get married so they can have grandchildren.” His hand flies up. “Can you believe it? I haven’t even finished my residency, and I’m not even in a relationship or looking for one. The time will come for that, but not right now.”
Red flag number three. But, why am I annoyed he doesn’t want a relationship with anyone?
He looks toward the bar. “Hey, that’s funny. Speaking of the pediatric department, the woman over there with red hair, sitting at the bar with that guy, is also a resident. Maybe she’s on a date. I won’t bother to say hello. I don’t want to interrupt her,” he says as he points to where she’s sitting.
Interesting. She looks like the woman I saw today. “Do you know if she was at orientation today? I think I saw her at a table with that guy she’s with.” I only see the back of the guy’s head again. He has the same color hair and broad shoulders as the other one. Maybe they are the two from orientation. “Funny coincidence if they’re the same people.”
“Yes, she was. She’s a third-year resident in pediatrics. She helped out today. I’ve worked with her during several rotations. She’s extremely smart. I’ve learned a lot from her,” he says as he turns in his seat toward me.
Our nachos and his beer finally arrive. “Here’s to bumping into a beautiful stranger and getting a date out of it,” he says as we clink the bottom of our bottles together.
“Cheers to bumping.” I blush again. I can’t believe I just said that. We eat in comfortable silence as our knees rub together.
We stare at each other for a few seconds. Now his eyes are the color of light-brown sugar, with large specs of amber.
“You have beautiful eyes, Lisa. I’ve never seen eyes so big with the color of crystal-blue oceans. And you have a sexy body. You are perfect, especially in this dress,” he says as he runs his hand up my arm.
Oh my gosh. I don’t know what to say. I’m utterly clueless.
“Thank you. I’m not used to receiving so many compliments. Especially from someone like you.”
“I don’t believe it. Any guy would turn their head twice when you walk by. You are gorgeous, with a killer body and sexy legs in heels.”
“Stop it now,” I say. “You’re getting me all hot and bothered.” Flirting is so difficult and exhausting.
We talk for a while about casual things, but I find it weird he never asks me what I’m going to medical school for. Red flag number four.
Even though I find it strange, I can’t help the attraction. Is it my hormones? I know I haven’t been with anyone in a long time. To be honest, I’m still a virgin. I haven’t been with someone I felt was worth it. It’s also out of fear. Just being near Bryant makes me reconsider my virginity without even knowing him for more than a couple of hours. Is this what sexual attraction is?
Since he doesn’t ask me about Clarion, I purposely withhold why I’m going to medical school to become a psychiatrist. Maybe it’s a blessing he isn’t asking me anything personal. I can’t go down that path of explaining what happened years ago. It’s not the time or place. That will only happen when I feel a relationship is serious enough to open up like that. Should I just walk away from this now, like I always do when it comes to getting close to a guy? This screams red flags. But…it’s not like I am going to marry him.
“Hello to Lisa.” He waves his hand in front of my face. “You seemed to have spaced out a bit. Everything okay?” He puts his hand on my thigh and keeps it there.
I nod. “Yes, I’m fine. I just remembered I need to do something tomorrow. Sorry. What were you saying?”
He laughs. “Where are you from, and how old are you?” His hand rubs my thigh.
“I’m twenty-three years old—well, almost twenty-four. My birthday is at the end of this month. I’m from New Jersey. I’m a genuine Jersey girl,” I say proudly as I shake my body back and forth on the chair. “I’m starting medical school one year late because I took extra classes at Johnson College. I wanted to be more prepared for this.”
No reaction. “Where are you from?”
“I’m from Vermont. I’m a genuine Vermont boy,” he says mockingly.
My eyebrows shoot up.
Red flag number whatever. Who doesn’t appreciate a genuine Jersey girl?
“Where in Vermont are you from?”
“I’m from a small town not too far from Killington. I’m assuming you know where Killington is.”
“I used to ski there, since I was little. I haven’t been in a while because of school and money. The last time I was there, I witnessed the most horrible ski accident. A skier in front of me was slammed into by another skier who was out of control. Both went flying through the air. I helped one of them until the ski patrol took him away. The skier who was out of control almost hit me. He shot right in front of me, missing me by a couple of inches. It was a terrifying experience.”
“I’ll bet. Injuries like that happen all the time on the mountains. I don’t ski as much as I did in the past. I don’t really miss it though.”
Time passes quickly as he talks about his family and how they come from old money. He plays tennis and goes to the gym as much as possible. He doesn’t visit his family often due to his schedule. We hardly spoke about me.
He looks at his watch and slaps his hands on the table. “I need to work tomorrow.
Would you mind if we get the check?”
So soon? Was I boring? “Of course not. No problem.”
He waves over the waitress and asks for the check. My gaze wanders toward the bar. The redhead is still there.
“Bryant, let me help pay for the check.”
He puts his hand up. “No way. I knocked you over today, so I’d like to pay to say sorry. Where do you live? Shall I walk you home?”
Several red flags. Do I go with my gut or with my hormones?
“I would love that. Thank you.” Hormones win. “I don’t live far from here. Do you know the Greenhouse Apartments?”
“Yes. Let’s go.”
He opens the door to let me out first. As we proceed down the street, he grabs my hand. I’m confused, because after all the red flags, he doesn’t seem to be the type to hold hands. He’s hard to read.
I feel something almost electric. It prickles all over my body. My reaction to Bryant is bizarre. I’m either lovesick or just horny.
This has been one of the most interesting days I’ve had in eternity. For the first time, I need to just relax and enjoy going out with a guy without any expectations on either end. What can come of this anyway? He has his residency, and I start medical school next week. We wouldn’t have time for dating. At least I try to convince myself of that.
We arrive at my apartment complex. “I live in apartment one.” I point to my door. Do I just go inside, or encourage him to kiss me? I’ve been fantasizing about kissing him and have never felt so attracted to someone. Maybe I drank too much.
I peer into his eyes, and I see something I have never seen before. Passion, lust…I can’t tell. His hands tug my hips closer to his. My lips are so close to his that I feel soft puffs on my lips. The anticipation kills me, so I grip his shirt as he lowers his lips to mine. Our kiss starts off slow but then heats up.
He puts one hand around the back of my neck, and the other hand travels downward, brushing the side of my breast, then down to my backside. My body responds everywhere, especially between my legs. His lips are so soft but demanding. His tongue is so delicious, so arousing. Don’t get me wrong—I have kissed my share of guys, but somehow kissing Bryant is a whole new ball game.
Lives Collide (Collide #1) Page 4
