by Mistake: (Poison & Wine, book 1)

by Sigal Ehrlich

  At eight twenty-five, I pass by the nurses’ station, bid the ladies good morning, and get more than a few warm smiles in return. I drop my backpack in the locker room and reach for my phone to turn it to silent mode. There are two messages from Anna waiting for me. The first reads: All happiness depends on a leisurely breakfast.

  The second message is even better. My smile widens as the images she sent me load. There’s one with Anna still in her pajamas biting into the muffin I brought her with the widest smile. Then there’s one with her lips puckered as she takes a sip of her drink, her eyes radiating joy. I let out a chuckle to the last one where she sticks out her flat stomach in an attempt to look bloated, one of her hands is on the “puffed” stomach while the other holds a handwritten note on an A4 page, saying, Thanks for brekkie, Liam. With a little heart above the I in my name.

  I answer immediately. Anytime, Anna.

  All through the rounds, checking up on my patients at the ICU, and the rest of the day, I’m still smiling. Seeing Anna first thing in the morning seems to have this effect on my day.

  A Woman of God Not a Psychic

  Anna to Liam: Hey, what time today?

  Liam to Anna: 11 at our bench.

  Anna to Liam: Oooh, we have a “our bench” now?

  Liam to Anna: Yeah.

  Anna to Liam: So curt and formal, Doc. No humorous quote of the day?

  Liam to Anna: With people.

  Anna to Liam: Sorry, I’ll do my best to be a good girl and behave. Not.

  My fingers itch to write something even more suggestive. But I don’t. Instead, I call my sister to discuss all things Liam and frustration. “Forgive me sister for I’ve sinned, it’s been . . . um, ten minutes since my last confession.” Yeah, Vicky and I talked before I left home.

  “What troubles you, my child?” Vicky says in a haughty tone.

  I smile to myself, thinking about meeting Liam soon. I miss him. It’s been too long since I saw him last. “Can’t stop thinking about surrendering my virtue, sister.”

  “Ceding to the desires of the flesh in general or is it with someone specific in mind.” Vicky isn’t able to help herself and snorts in amusement.

  “Guess,” I murmur.

  “Child, I’m a woman of God not a psychic.”

  We both scoff now. “Hahaha, no, you’re a comedian.” I inhale with frustration. “Seriously though, I feel like it’s been the longest one-sided foreplay. His arm touches me accidentally and I’m like, Arm-touch, oooh so seductive. I interpret every little thing the guy does as sexual. It’s absurd and sad. Poor thing reaches for water and parts his lips, boom parted lips on my body jumps to my head.”

  “I hear ya. Excruciating,” Vicky says. “I think that Jesse would love to help you if you just say the word.”

  “Not the one I want doing these things to me.” Even the thought leaves a bitter taste in my mouth.

  “I’m sorry to leave you high and dry, or in your case, high and wet,” she amuses herself.

  “True comedian,” I say flatly.

  “But I got to go, sis, meeting’s starting.” She ends the call with, “Praise be.”

  “Bye to you too,” I say to an abandoned, silent line.

  The slowing in my stride as I enter the vicinity of the hospital is unintentional. Even though we talk all the time, more than a few times a day, I’m more than a little giddy seeing Liam. It’s been over a week or so since we last saw each other. A blasphemy, if you ask me. He was busy, I was busy, it just didn’t work. I wish I could see more of him, but I understand that it’s nothing intentional. After pushing out the meeting with the realtor due to Liam’s unavailability, we’re finally going to meet with her today. Which brings me to the present where I’m waiting for Liam at our bench.

  Liam smiles, walking my way. He’s in a white button-down pushed up to his elbows and faded denim, looking, simply put, terrific. “There she is.” He leans in for a hug and I’m hit with a delicious scent of freshly showered with a hint of masculine perfume. Yummers.

  I hand him the coffee I brought him, and I’m reciprocated with the sweetest and most intimate smile. These exact kinds of tender moments, they kill me. We got the whole communication with no words thing down pat like the best relationships have. We can work so well it’s a shame we stay away from what could be an epic romantic thing. Stubborn, perfect fool that he is. Liam removes the lid, bringing the cup to my nose for a rich inhale before taking the first drink. Some couples with substantial mileage don’t reach this level of rhythm and flow. With any other guy, I would have had The Conversation by now. The hey-I’m-falling-for-you-faster-than-an-astroid-coming-at-earth-so-where’s-this-thing-going-dude? But this is not a conversation to be had with this one. Oh no. A guy who told me from day one that he is not looking for a relationship. A guy who very skillfully, quite admirably really, simply warned me to never bring up the subject.

  We walk side by side, talking about random stuff, making each other laugh. As ever, perfect rhythm and flow. Liam stops and points the key fob at his car and shortly after we get in.

  “How many viewings do we have today?” I ask as he cranks the car.

  He shrugs a pair of square sunglasses on. “A few.” He sends his hand to the passenger seat headrest. “Guess, three-four,” he adds as he throws the back window a glance, backing the vehicle out of the parking spot. “All in the same neighborhood. It’s a five-minute drive. I just wanted to make sure we’re on time,” he says in way of explanation for taking the car rather than walking there.

  “Nice neighborhood,” I say, as we enter a cul-de-sac with manicured lawns and a few lofty maple trees.

  “Looks like the perfect place to slowly wither by suburbia.” Liam turns off the engine and pivots to look at me with a thin, sarcastic smile.

  With one foot out and my hand still on the handle, I say, “Let’s check out what Adult Land has to offer. Maybe leave the engine on so we make a run for it if things get too creepy.”

  Liam chuckles and joins me at the curb.

  He beeps the car closed as I ponder out loud. “You’re looking for a house, Vicky just bought her first one and I might own a business soon.”

  “Guess we all follow the same Shit-to-Accomplish-in-Your-Thirties guide—”

  “Hey,” I cut him off. “Some of us aren’t thirty yet, Gramps.”

  Liam just throws his arm around me and squeezes me to his side, then lets me go. And a beat later he takes my hand in his. I fall silent. Perhaps realizing what he is doing, he releases it to put his sunglasses back on. He clears his throat. “There,” he nods at a lady in a grey skirt suit who’s standing next to one of the townhouses.

  After shaking our hands followed by pointless pleasantries, the lady turns to Liam, a folder pressed to her chest. “So, Dr. Brody—”

  “Just Liam,” Liam says with a friendly smile.

  She returns his smile and resumes, “So, Liam said you were looking for a four-bedroom townhouse with a yard?” She looks at us both as a unit.

  “Oh, it’s not for us,” I correct her, waving my hand between Liam and me. “I’m just the prerequisite other set of eyes.” We might be in constant communication, we even have a “our bench,” apparently. Some people refer to us as you in terms of a unit when there isn’t really an us. There’s Liam. There’s Anna. There’s not, unfortunately so, an actual Liam and Anna.

  Two things happen at once. Liam frowns at me, seeming upset with my tidbit revelation. Abigail, relator lady, however, seems more than pleased with the new development. Feels like I just put her on the Pass/Go Liam Brody monopoly square. Because from this point onward she’s in a get Liam race. She mainly talks to him, flashing him with smiles which, if you ask me, aren’t of the professional realm. And there are the assortment of eye flutters as if they were on a very promising date.

  “This one,” she says, looking at Liam as she opens the door with a key. “Has two master bedrooms with attached private bathrooms, two additional bedrooms on the second
floor, two large flex rooms in a finished basement.” She smiles at him, flipping her hair over her shoulder. “Air conditioning, vinyl windows, and a fenced yard.” She unbuttons her jacket to reveal a sheer silk tank top. “Oh, and it has a beautiful outdoor living space and landscaping with covered patio, pergola, fire pit, large yard, and a storage shed.” Then she adds, “Great for entertaining. Do you like to entertain, Liam?”

  So here is this Abigail person, doing her job while being friendly and all I can think of is punching her in the middle of her face. It troubles me beyond any measure. I’m not that kind of woman. I love women, I mean, to me we’re all sisters. I generally think we’re the better gender. I’ll be the first in line to fight our fight, to support each other, and maximize our potential. But Abigail here is healthily appreciating Liam a little too much, and though I can’t really blame her, and in any other circumstance I’d be communicating, “quite a catch, huh, sister?” the stunt she is pulling is killing me. It’s something I’ve known, but never really made myself admit to. When it comes to Liam, I’m possessive. He’s not even mine to be possessive of. This is beyond ridiculous! I feel ashamed and glad that all these revelations are internal with no one to witness the vileness.

  Abigail went out to the front yard to answer a call from a potential client, but says before she goes “I’m right outside if you need me, Liam. I’ll make it quick.”

  “Hold my phone for a sec,” I ask Liam as we walk around the kitchen area. “I like this space,” I say, rummaging through my bag, looking for my lip balm.

  “Yeah. The backyard has potential,” Liam says, his eyes wandering around the space.

  I finally find the lip balm. We end up on two sides of the kitchen’s pass-through window. Bracing himself on the counter on the side connected with the dining room, Liam watches me as I apply the balm on my lips. “It’s cozy and functional. I like it better than the first one,” I say through the process.

  He nods, his stare not leaving the finger hovering over my lips.

  “Hey, so why didn’t you tell me you were accepted to Doctors Without Borders?” Not sure why I bring this thing from a couple of weeks ago up right now, but it popped into my mind earlier and I’m feeling a bit anxious. Plus, I feel more comfortable asking this question with a wall separating us.

  Liam scratches his cheek with his thumb. His brows draw in. “Didn’t I?”

  I shake my head. “No, you didn’t. Casey mentioned it on Isabella’s birthday and you just sort of confirmed it.”

  His tongue plays with his front teeth as he contemplates for a couple of beats. “I don’t know.” His eyes hold mine. “Maybe telling you would make the saying good-bye part real.”

  Trying to lighten the sudden tense moment, I say, “It’s not going to be a real good-bye, though, is it?”

  Liam’s hardening features scares the lightness away.

  “When did you say you were leaving?”

  His demeanor makes me brace for the answer. He drops his eyes. “In a week.” Slowly his eyes come back to mine.

  My mouth drops a little. “A—” I frown. “Week?”

  We hold a taut stare for a stretch till an incoming message alert comes from my phone and breaks the silence. I look for it in my jeans back pocket, remembering handing it to Liam while I was busy looking for the lip balm. I watch Liam as he drops his eyes to the device in his hand. So many expressions pass over his features as he looks at the screen. There are the narrowing eyes, then the frown, then the little mouth drop followed by slight red tint on his cheekbones, and last, the scorching stare when his eyes glance at mine.

  He clears his throat. “It’s your sister.” He passes me the device through the window. His stare follows my every move while he is doing a lousy job of trying to hide a smile with a sinister flair.

  I swallow thickly in tandem to the heat blazing my face now as I read the message frozen on the screen.

  Victoria to Anna: Hey, so about your hornyness situation, since you and Liam are such good buddies and all, why not ask the good doctor to lend you a hand . . . Pun intended.

  Sliding the phone into my back pocket, I plot how I can become an only child. Glancing at Liam somewhere near his shoulder, not daring to meet his eyes, I dismiss the thing with, “My sister, just your usual set the world to rights sort of thing.”

  “Mmhmm,” Liam nods, looking like he’s about to either crack up or pin me to the nearest wall. His mouth is set in a sexy smile while his eyes but devour me.

  “Sorry about that.” Abigail’s high heels announce her return. “Are we ready for the next one?” Again, her attention zoomed in on Liam. “It’s a bit of a walk or we can drive there, together.”

  “We’ll meet you there,” Liam says and tips his head, gesturing for me to follow.

  “This one is even closer to the hospital,” Liam says as we get out of the car, ready for the last viewing.

  “I love the exterior, and look, it has a porch with a swing,” I say enthusiastically. Liam’s eyes shine with joy as they follow me.

  “So, this one is a 4-star Built Green,” Abigail says . . . to Liam. “It has airy open floor plans and upgraded details which include custom kitchen islands with designer colors, stainless steel appliances.” Her heels click on the hardwood floor as she makes her way to draw the curtains. “As you can see, natural light is abundant.”

  Liam and I exchange a look, our eyes having a quick conversation about how much we like the place. Liam asks Abigail to see the brochure with the floor plan and the price again. Too eagerly, Abigail plants herself at his side, offering information he didn’t ask for while inching closer and closer. I swear her boob is about to graze his bicep.

  My brazen-flirtation allergies play up. I twist my mouth and go outside to the patio in favor of some fresh air.

  “Thank you, Abigail, we’ll be in touch,” Liam says moments later where we stand on the front lawn.

  Abigail produces a business card from her purse. “Here’s my card if you need anything. Questions, second viewing, I’m available twenty-four-seven.” She draws out a pen and scribbles something on the back. “Here’s my private number just in case you can’t reach me.” She smiles at Liam, handing him the card. “I’m available if you need someone to discuss the properties, or just talk.”

  Liam hooks me into a side embrace. “Got my Anna. She knows what’s good for me.” He winks at me, leaving his arm around me. With his other, he shakes Abigail’s hand. I give her a small wave and we make our way back to Thanos. Got my Anna, and leaving in a week, keep playing in my head all through the drive back, and long after Liam drops me off at the studio and returns to the hospital.

  When it Works All the Rest is Just Noise

  “Last round and we’re done,” Freddie says with a strain of exertion as he loads the massive cooler onto Thanos’ trunk. “Shit’s heavy,” he puffs out through a labored exhale.

  Helping him load up my car which I lend them, Billy and Freddie, for their road trip, I put two fishing rods and other fishing paraphernalia next to the cooler. “I’ll get the tent.”

  Freddie nods and we both head up the stairs to our apartment. We get back down with the last of the equipment in time for Casey to park next to my car. Their trunk lifts automatically, followed by Billy stepping out of the vehicle. He stretches then jogs around to the back to start unloading his stuff. “Yo, Brody, give me a hand, here.”

  I help Billy with his camping crap first and then open the backseat door and release Isabella from the child-seat. I lift her above my head and say, “Hey, monkey. Missed you.” Bringing her down, she wraps her arms around my neck and clings like the truly adorable monkey she is.

  Casey joins us, giving Freddie and me a kiss on the cheek.

  “I still can’t believe you’re giving this idiot a break for three whole weeks,” I tease.

  Billy squints at me. “Stop being a shit-stirrer, asshole.”

  I put a hand to my mouth in utter feign dismay and scold him. “Language
, Daddy.”

  “You’re right, Liam. Maybe three weeks is too much,” Casey goes along playfully, then jabs Billy in the side before giving him a hug. “Just never forget that you won the wife lottery,” she says with a cheeky smile.

  “Sure did.” Billy demonstrates his appreciation by kissing his wife like there aren’t two other adults and a toddler in proximity.

  “I’d say get a room, but we need to get going,” Freddie says, closing Thanos’ trunk with a thud.

  “Whoa, be gentle with my beauty,” I admonish.

  Billy steps my way and slaps me on the back. “Thanks for lending us your car, man.”

  I nod, communicating, anytime, anything for you guys. He then smiles at his daughter in my arms and opens his arms, motioning for her to climb over. Billy peppers kisses on Isabella’s bouncy curls.

  By Freddie’s side, Casey watches her husband adoring their kid with a look that’s the epitome of what I want in my future. After I accomplish what I set for myself. In a year or so when I start my fellowship. Up until recently, I didn’t have a specific person in mind when I thought about the future. Now it’s more than clear. Anna. For a short moment, I see Anna with a little girl that’s her spitting image and it feels like someone sucker kicked me in the gut.

  After Billy hugs his girls one more time and promises to drive safely and that he’ll call every night, and Casey nods and tells them to have the best time because the next time anyone disappears for three weeks it’ll be her, the guys turn to me.

  “Hey man, you take care of yourself and enjoy. It’s a very special time.” Billy pats me on the back in a half hug, referring to my upcoming trip to South Sudan. “Beer first thing when we’re all back.”