by Mistake: (Poison & Wine, book 1)

by Sigal Ehrlich

  The room comes alive with laughter, everyone is grinning at Pandora, who bows in gratitude.

  Victoria resumes over breathless laughter, “She got her parents a box of sex toys! Can you imagine a group of parents, many of whom are churchgoers, watching Mrs. Wallkins pulling sex toys out of a box like some kinky magician?”

  “I nearly lost a lung laughing so hard,” Anna adds, and I squeeze her hand. She squeezes it back and says to the group, “And Panda, not losing her cool, justifies it by saying that after 20 years together, you got to spice things up.”

  Victoria takes a sip of red wine, sending her sister a cheeky smile over the rim of the glass. “Classic! We’ll never forget that one, will we sis,” she nods to Anna who returns a laugh.

  “Doc, how about you?” Victoria asks. “Tell us your story.”

  I set my sparkling water on the table. Anna smiles at me somewhat curious yet encouragingly. “Well, it was one of the first operations I joined as a resident.” I chuckle self-deprecatingly. “A vascular surgical procedure in which some blood splashed on my protective glasses and I—” I drop my head and chuckle. “Fainted. Needless to say, I got so much shit for that months later.”

  Anna’s smile at me holds no humor, it carries something else, something much more intimate.

  “Lil’ sis?” Victoria moves on to Anna. Anna shakes her head with a smile.

  “Go on, chicken,” the warm words of encouragement arrive from Pandora.

  “Okay, okay. So, it was during a yoga lesson with a small group. We were doing poses that focus on the abdominal wall and it was quite intense, and—” She buries her face in her hands and laughs. Raising her face back to the room she says, “Well, I had beans before and ,well, my stomach was a little upset, and it was quiet and . . . ”

  Pandora cracks up, and we all follow. Anna who’s a couple of shades redder joins the laugh fest.

  The woman just told us about how she passed gas and all I want to do is kiss her sweet smiling lips. I swear I’m falling.

  Victoria scans the room. “Ricky?” They stare at each other and Ricky shakes his head. “C’mon . . . ” She pushes his chest playfully.

  Kevin, the other band member grins at Ricky. “I got this.” He slaps Ricky on his back. Ricky breathes a friendly curse to the mouth of a beer bottle. “It was on a trip to Vegas,” Kevin starts. “Ricky and I went to buy me some shirts. I didn’t have any clean shirts, but that’s a story for another time. So, we’re at this shop getting some shit and all the while a security guy keeps eyeing us suspiciously. Once we pay and are about to walk out he hurries our way and tells Ricky to wait.”

  Kevin smirks, looking at his friend.

  Ricky at this point avoids eye contact. “I show the guy our receipts and he insists that Ricky stole something which he clearly didn’t. We had no bags with us besides the ones we just got at the store. Getting pissed, Ricky tells him, ‘we showed you the bags. I didn’t take anything.’ Then the guy points at the bulge in Ricky’s crotch.”

  “Dude,” Ricky warns his friend to no avail.

  Kevin resumes with a shit-eating grin, “Ricky was wearing tight jeans and the guy keeps insisting that he shoved something down his pants. They go on for a few minutes in which Ricky insists he didn’t take anything, and the guy doesn’t relent.” Kevin cracks up. “Pissed, Ricky unbuttons his jeans, tugs down the zipper, and drops his pants to his knees.” Kevin grins at the room. “Music people don’t wear underwear. It’s a dress code.”

  We all laugh.

  “So, when the guy sees our friend’s endowed junk he apologizes profusely.”

  People laugh and Ricky shakes his head, squinting Victoria’s way to which Victoria’s cheeks tint. I usually don’t notice these things, but even to me it’s quite obvious that something is going on between these two.

  Anna leans closer to me, about to tell me something. Her sweet scent hovers near me and the roomful of people vanish. I raise my brows waiting and something vibrates and buzzes in my front pocket. I check the beeper. “Sorry, I got to get this,” I apologize. “I’ll be right back” I tell Anna, and walk to the hall.

  It’s Jason, a resident who’s also a friend of mine. “Sure, no problems,” I tell him and return to the room. “Sorry, I need to get to the hospital,” I say to the room with my eyes on Anna’s. I give her an apologetic smile.

  As I say goodbye, Anna eases to a stand and walks to me. “I’ll see you out.”

  We stand facing each other at the door, stretching the moment. Reluctantly, I tell her that I need to get going. Telling her that Jason’s kid has stridor and he just had an acute attack. His wife is alone with the kid and asked him to come home, so he asked me to cover for him tonight.

  Anna’s eyes drop to my mouth. I take in the little drop of her eyelids, the way her lips part, and swallow hard. Catching herself, she raises her hand to my chest and gently pushes. “Go save the world.”

  I swallow again and take a deep breath. “Night.” I bend to leave a chaste kiss on her lips and walk out the door.

  The Ultimate, Motherloving Homemade, Superfood, Chocolate Flapjack

  Pandora to CHICKENS: Top o’ the mornin’ to ya, fellow hens! so I’m listening to the radio and this little gem from the eighties comes on and well, had to share. Dedicated to our treasured Anna. (link to the music video with the lyrics.)

  Victoria to CHICKENS: Good one, Panda. “Oh doctor, doctor, is this love I’m feeling? Doctor, doctor, can’t you see I’m burning, burning.” Hahahaha.

  Kayla to CHICKENS: Cutting a rug over here. Ha!

  Anna to CHICKENS: Delightful. Significantly enjoying the middle school level humor.

  I check my watch. “Oh, crap, I really have to go. My next class starts in twenty.” I grab my bag and smile apologetically at Jesse.

  “Sure, no problem.” He sends his hand to cover mine. “Hope to see you again, soon.”

  Don’t judge. Here’s the thing: life goes on even after you found The Person. Do I want to have a relationship with Liam, at this point, yes – more than anything. Am I falling for him? Yes, big time. Do I want to get naked with him? In a heartbeat. Does this thing go both ways? In a platonic realm, maybe. So, you see, instead of waiting for something that doesn’t seem like it’ll ever happen you give other people a chance.

  Making my way back to the studio with that stupid song Panda sent this morning playing on repeat in my head, I call the chickens. I set up a conference call, adding each person to the line.

  Vicky comes on. “Guys, I’m going to be muted, am on another call,” she whispers. “But I’m listening.”

  “So, Liam is cool,” Kayla begins.

  “Anna, he’s so sweet and, God is he yummy,” Panda says. “And he has this quiet sophistication about him. I love that in guys. And I think he’s really into you,” Panda says, the group’s official representative of everything optimism, romanticism, and smut-ism.

  “I agree,” Vicky whispers.

  “Guys, I know he likes me. I’m not blind. But he doesn’t want anything more than whatever we have right now. Meaning, nothing apart from a very platonic friendship.”

  “I call bullshit,” Kayla says. “I give him a week. He’ll break soon.”

  A message pops up on the screen. “Hold on,” I read the message. “Vick says, he couldn’t take his eyes off you. He flipping looked at you so smitten after your little fascinating gas expelling story. If that’s not a major crush, I don’t know what is.”

  Kayla chuckles in the background.

  “So, I’m just coming back from meeting with Jesse,” I say and prompt an immediate silence on the line. Another message arrives. I read it out loud. “It’s Vic again, she says, good. He’s plenty yum too.”

  “I don’t know about this,” Panda muses. “I like Liam. You guys have the best chemistry.”

  “He. Does. Not. Want. Me. Like. That,” I say and end my words with a little frustrated growl.

  Disregarding my point, Pandora says, “Describe
both young men in a I-have-to-satisfy-this-sweet-tooth terms.”

  I roll my eyes but play along. “Jesse, umm,” I think of the guy I just had a very pleasant time with. “Jesse would be Almond Joy.” Then I think of Liam. “Liam, homemade, superfood, chocolate flapjack.”

  “Sure, guys. Thanks for the update, send me the reports and I’ll talk to each one of you during the week. Great job.”

  I furrow my brows listening to my sister.

  “Okay, I finished my call.” Her voice is higher when she next says, “Homemade, superfood, chocolate flapjack? Really? I never thought anyone would ever reach that level. Are you in L-word with him, sis?”

  I sigh. “I’m very much in crush with him. He’s all that. He’s kind and caring and funny and intelligent and handsome and he smells so incredible.” My train of words accelerates. “He bought his goddaughter this insane unicorn that must have cost a fortune just because she wanted one, and he hugged her like she was the most precious thing on the planet.” At this point my voice rises substantially, “And he helps and saves people daily and he loves to read and he uses a goddamn reusable cup.” I inhale and nearly yell, “He. Is. The ultimate motherloving homemade, superfood, chocolate flapjack with a creamy chai latte on the side!”

  “Never too late to start her off on pharmaceuticals,” Kayla says flatly.

  We all chuckle in stereo.

  Panda then says in her teacher, no-nonsense tone, “Anna Heidi Nielsen, you have to stick your motherfucking tongue down his stupid hot doctor mouth and make him understand what’s going down.”

  Kayla and I make an elated huff in response.

  “I think,” it’s Vicky’s turn, using her sensible tone now. “I think that since you feel this way about him you should keep him in your life, maybe reduce the frequency. You know, tone it down a little and keep seeing Jesse, see how that goes. You won’t be doing anything wrong. It’s not like Liam staked his claim or anything.”

  We’re quiet again for a few long seconds, till Kayla says, “I say, tell him how you feel and if he doesn’t feel the same way, or see the potential for things going there, cut him out of your life while it’s still fresh. It’s all fun and giggles till you get your heart broken.” This time there’s zero cynicism in her voice. I know this hits too close to home for her, what with pinning for a guy for over a decade.

  “Okay, I’m about to step into the studio. Thank you all for your support and educated guidance. Arrivederci.”

  And before dropping my stuff in the office and getting ready for the next lesson, I text my sister.

  Anna to Victoria: So, Ricky’s, ahem, well-equipped.

  I add some emojis, a shocked face, and eggplant, you know, for good measure.

  Victoria to Anna: Looking forward to in-depth research on the matter.

  Anna to Victoria: Speaking of the man, I warmly suggest he gets another set of eyes, his original ones don’t seem to leave you. Just to make sure, you know, he doesn’t bump into things and injure himself when you’re around.

  I giggle and throw the phone to the desk. The device beeps with an incoming message just as it hits the surface. My stomach does a funny little thing anticipating a text from Liam. It however does not feel the same when I see Jesse’s name on the screen.

  Jesse to Anna: Can I call you tonight?

  Anna to Jesse: Sure.

  As I’m about to put the phone down again, it rings. I answer reluctantly, not even checking who’s calling. “Yeah?”

  “Hey, so can I come over tonight?”

  My heart mimics my stomach from a moment ago with its own little jitter. You know how sometimes you hear a song for the first time and it fills you with this jittery excitement. When the music grabs you right in the gut and tugs? That’s exactly my reaction to Liam’s voice.

  “I’m about to start a class so I’ve only got a sec. What did you have in mind?”

  “Just hang out.”

  I say, “Sure.” Hoping that by hanging out he means in my bed without any articles of clothing.

  “Later. So long, and thanks for all the fish,” he says and hangs up.

  I grin at the phone, because,

  Book reference!

  I’ll see him tonight.

  Liam.

  All of the above.

  And then I scold myself for being pathetic.

  “Hi.” A simple word with a swoon-worthy smile that makes my heart give a little extra flutter.

  I step back to let Liam in. He walks in and turns my way. His brows pull in and his lips tip up sheepishly. “Do you mind if I take a shower first?”

  For a whole moment, I blink at him.

  First?

  Shower?

  Umm, what’s next . . . after . . . the shower part?

  My unintelligent, “Uh?” a bit later doesn’t help much. If I ever thought about a career as a seduction goddess now’s the time to consider other options. A true pro would have answered with something in the vein of, “Get in the shower. I’ll be around if you need any help.” And then there’s me with my smooth uh?

  “It’s been a long day,” Liam explains, gesturing at his wrinkled scrubs. If you look closely you can even spot a few dots of . . . blood? Obviously, he’d like to clean up and not necessarily in preparations to lay me down and . . . Focus, Anna. Simply a shower to freshen up after a long day.

  He waits with a raised eyebrow. “If you prefer I don’t, it’s okay, I don’t want to—”

  “Yeah, of course.” I shake myself out of my absurd daze. “Second door on the left. Let me just get you a towel.”

  Liam follows me as I show him to the bathroom. “Great apartment,” he says from behind me.

  I throw him a smile over my shoulder. “Thanks.” Then add, “Umm, do you need a clean shirt or anything. I can try to find something big.”

  He pats his backpack. “I have everything here. I was planning to take a shower at the hospital, but I knew that if I stayed a little longer they wouldn’t let me leave.” He drops his bag to the floor and casually says, “And I wanted to see you.”

  Liam closes the door behind him, and I stay put for a stretch. “And I wanted to see you.” Be still my poor heart as it starts to fervently analyze the concluding wee statement. As I finally make my legs walk away, the notion that he didn’t lock the door behind him doesn’t leave me. It tingles as I go get water, and when I scroll through Instagram. Panda’s words come back to me, “stick your motherfucking tongue down his stupid hot doctor mouth and make him understand what’s going down.” Should I barge in and make him understand what’s going down? This is bananas! Can’t I just let the poor guy freshen up after a long day without plotting ways to take his innocence away? I need to get a grip, like yesterday.

  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.