“It was more the exercise thing. Then it grew into an obsession and an actual career. I even surprised myself with the whole PT school thing.” I chuckle, amazed at how I got here.
“You work hard. You must have done well in school to get where you are.”
“Oh, yeah, I put in the hours. And I’ll keep putting in the hours. But, I don’t want to be one of those people who wakes up and realizes they worked all their lives.”
“Some people may not have a choice.” She sets her glass on the tabletop.
“Guess I’ve been lucky so far.”
“Seems like you work hard and play hard.”
I finish a gulp of water and wipe my mouth. “I’m taking it all in right now. If I do get something more permanent, I won’t have as much control over my schedule.”
She drains her glass, and I flag the waitress for refills.
She finishes a long sip. “We’re going to have to go home eventually.”
“Does it feel like we’re in an alternate universe?”
“Yes, but it’s good. This is a fun night.”
“Okay, I’m glad you didn’t say was, because I have one last thing if you’re up for it.”
“Yeah, definitely.”
“Sure you can tear yourself away from dancing?”
“For a surprise, yes. I love surprises.”
“Awesome, I’ll remember that for later.” I point to the exit and guide her outside.
In the parking lot, it’s still hot. I open her door and wait for her to jump in. We head north, away from the city lights. In fifteen minutes, we reach the turnoff.
“Where are we going? This isn’t where you kill me and bury my body, is it?”
“I could’ve done that weeks ago.” I stop the truck in a parking lot and open the back. Tucking a blanket under one arm, I wind around to her side and open the door.
“Make-out point on the first date? Are we reliving high school?”
“No!” I make bug eyes at her. “I hear the city lights are fantastic from the top. Are you okay to walk in those heels? It’s a paved path.”
“Course, it feels wonderful out here.”
“Yeah, it was good that we don’t have clouds, even if rain is good luck.”
“You didn’t need good luck.” She bumps her arm to mine.
“Good to know.” I smile and look up at the stars.
It’s only a ten-minute walk to the top. One other couple is positioned on a rock, and we pass them and find a spot out of earshot. Spreading the blanket out, we sit on the rock surface.
“This is amazing.” She lifts her chin to the sky.
“It’s not as many stars as in the Grand Canyon, but the city’s lights look pretty cool from up here.”
“So, you’ve been here before?”
“Not with a date. I drove up here Sunday night.”
“You’re kidding, right? By yourself?”
“Yes, I mean Cody said it was a good place, but I had to make sure.”
“I’m impressed.”
“Well, that was sort of the point.”
“Thank you.” We sit a few minutes in silence. Her phone beeps. “Midnight.” She sighs.
“Time to get home?”
“Yep.”
I jump up and extend my hand to her. She takes it and we walk, hands swinging between us to the truck, me hoping she wants to kiss me. I figure now is a better time than her doorstep where Brad could pop out at any time.
When we reach the car, she spins to face me. She runs her fingers down my free arm and clutches my hand. “This was one of the best dates I’ve ever had. Thank you.”
“My pleasure. I hope we can do it again, soon.” I bounce on my heels.
“Yes, soon.” She stands on her tiptoes. Her lips are inches from mine, and I lean closer pressing my lips to hers. Warm and soft, I’m caught up in the feel of her skin on mine, the smell of her skin and hair. I drop a hand and wind my arm around her back. She releases my hand and squeezes my forearm. I inch my face back from hers, and she’s smiling. “We should go.”
“I liked that.” I smile and give her another quick kiss.
“Me, too.” She releases my hand.
“Good.” I find the keys in my pocket and open her door, waiting for her to climb in before I close it.
Every act feels deliberate, like my mind is focused on savoring every second with her. We ride in silence until we get to her apartment complex. “You can just drop me off.”
“Hmm, no way.” I pull into a parking space. “It’s after midnight. I’m walking you up.”
I slide from my seat. She’s already out of the truck as I wind around to her side. She takes my hand when I extend it to her. “Thank you, again. This was really fun.”
“I had a great time.”
“A hoot, right?”
I chuckle. “Yes.”
We walk up the stairs, and she fiddles in her bag for her keys.
I rest against the door frame. “So, I’ll text you tomorrow, and maybe we can talk after I get off work.”
“That sounds good.” She produces her key and slides it in the door.
The light across the way flicks on, and Brad exits his apartment. He doesn’t even try to hide that he’s been spying. “I thought I heard voices. Everything okay, Liz?”
“Great, Brad, thanks for checking.” When she looks at me, her face is pink. “Goodnight.”
I lean in and kiss her. “Goodnight.” I smile as I see her eyes are big as saucers.
It may have been a little forward to kiss her right then. But, there was no way I was going to let Brad intimidate me.
“Goodnight.” She waves at me and then at Brad. She backs into her apartment and closes the door.
“Goodnight,” Brad’s husky voice calls as he too spins and enters his apartment.
I jog down the stairs to my car, lips and mind buzzing from being with her.
It takes a long time for me to wind down, even after a hot shower. It probably doesn’t help that I keep going through the couple of selfies Liz sent me. The look of her eyes and mouth are addictive, and I wonder if we’re programmed to be attracted to certain things: light eyes, light skin, pink full lips. But Liz is nothing like Amanda. Liz is funny, but in a different way. Not flirty at all, modest and reserved, but not shy. Obviously, I don’t know how she feels, but she didn’t seem nervous, or self-conscious. It was a good date. I had fun. She said she did. And she kissed me. All pluses.
I set my alarm for five. When it wakes me, I press the snooze button. I have a shift and then my game, and realize the need to pack to go straight to the field from work. Part of me is glad I’ll miss volleyball. I’m not sure how Liz and I are going to deal with other people. It’s not like we’re a couple yet. We only had one date, but I hope to repeat that. Plus, I’d really like her to go to San Diego with me. It’s not so much San Diego, or seeing my family, that I’m excited about. The prospect of spending a whole weekend with her makes me happy.
Before the alarm sounds, I sit up and spin off the bed. My phone beeps, and I pick it up.
GOOD MORNING. Liz writes.
GOOD MORNING. I leave a smiley face.
THE DATE WAS GREAT! THANKS AGAIN. TALK TONIGHT.
I THOUGHT SO TOO. LOOKING FORWARD TO IT.
Showering, I pull on my scrubs. I wind through the apartment, starting the coffee and packing my bags. When the brewer dings, I fill my insulated mug and head out the door.
Wishing I had a Mayo shift today, I pull into the parking lot. Seeing Liz sooner than later would make me happy. With the rest of my week packed full, there won’t be a chance till Saturday. I wonder if asking her out for the weekend would be over zealous. We both already said we had fun, and she still wants to talk to me, so I start a plan in my head. The research is halted by Jeff’s invite to a follow-up Grand Canyon trip party at his place. I wait to see if Liz will respond. When she does, I accept the invitation. Beth Anne and Cody are the only ones that know Liz and I went out, so I f
igure we can fly under the radar for a while.
“Whoa, hola, muchachas, look who has some spring in his step,” Carlos calls to me as I cross to his station.
I reply to him in Spanish, summing up that I’m not in the mood to be getting grief. This covers my excitement over my date with Liz. Carlos is the type to want every detail, and I don’t want him picking apart the evening. There are little teeny flags, and I know this, but we’ve only started hanging out. And even though she ended up witnessing my life story, or at least the most pertinent years of it, I wouldn’t have expected her to spill her past on the first date.
Walking to my truck after the game, I’m about to dial her number when the phone rings. A capital L appears on the screen, and I involuntarily smile. “Hello.”
“Hi. I showered after volleyball, so I thought you might be done.”
“Yeah, I am.”
“Cool, do you want to talk, or are you exhausted?”
“No, this is good. How was your day? How was volleyball? I connect the phone to my truck system as I get in.
Telling me about the volleyball matches, she then talks about her day at work. “They’re moving me to pediatrics next week. I’m kind of nervous.”
“Are you kidding? You’ll do great.”
“Have you seen me around kids? How do you know?”
“Well, I guess not. But you have younger sisters and a brother, so I figured you got along with them. Didn’t you have to babysit? That was the worst. My parents made me start as soon as I turned twelve. Then, when I started driving, I had to drive them everywhere.”
“My sisters weren’t that bad. We were really close in age. I usually worked at my”— there is a second of silence, and it sounds like she inhales—“Mom’s shop.”
She explains that her mom owned a beauty salon. Liz checked in customers and cleaned up for her mom. “My dad’s family is pretty big though, so there were always lots of kids at the family gatherings.”
“Yeah, and you seem patient and kind. I mean you didn’t lash out at Josie. Lots of people would have.”
Her laugh echoes through the speakers. “I yelled at you the first time we met.”
“Okay, yeah, but there was the heat, the first-day thing, and the Lydia-and-Rose thing.”
“You’re so sweet to give me a pass on that.”
“You did apologize and buy me dinner.” I pull into my parking space and cut the engine. “Hey, I’m home. I’m switching back to my phone again.” Tapping the phone button, I grab my bag and put the device to my ear. In my apartment, I listen as she lists all her misgivings about working with kids. I unpack my bag and make a sandwich.
“Sick kids can be scary,” I say between bites. “But you gotta be cool and make them feel comfortable. Just talk to them like they’re your friends. Tell them everything you’re doing, and they’ll respect you.”
“I’m so glad I speak Spanish.”
“Yeah, that helps a lot. I took a refresher this spring.” Scarfing down the last bite, I clean the kitchen and move to my bedroom. We talk about the trip dinner at Jeff’s and what we’ll bring and how to act. I tell her I’ll make sure Beth Anne and Cody don’t mention our date.
“So, do you want to hang out over the weekend, maybe wash your car, catch a movie, something like that?” I ask.
“Yeah, definitely.”
“Great. I can research something cooler to do.”
“I don’t mind hanging out. Plus, I could do an internet search too.”
“Sounds like a plan.” I don’t want to get off the phone, but I’m beat and have two more days of this grueling schedule.
“Hey, there’s a botanical garden that looks cool.”
A yawn escapes my lips. “Don’t forget about the heat.”
“Oh, yeah. Are you tired?”
“I’m sorry. I’m enjoying talking to you.”
“No, I should get to sleep too. We’ll chat tomorrow.”
“Okay, goodnight, sleep tight.” I wait for her to say goodnight and end the call. Setting my alarm, I crawl under the covers.
The next day is a cookie cutter of Wednesday. Except with more sleep and more anti-date sobriety, I feel less zombie-ish.
“What? No loco smile for me today, chico?” Carlos asked as I started taping his knee.
“Nope, normal Zack.”
“You seem happier though. Have anything to do with a certain redhead?”
I can’t hide my smile. “Maybe.”
“Well, I’m rooting for you, hombre.”
“Gracias, amigo.”
Watching the game, I hate that I haven’t had time to research any interesting things to do in Phoenix. But, I have a job to do, and I need to stay sharp.
Exiting the building, I push the call button on her contact screen. I cropped one of the pictures of her from our date to create the contact image. It makes me happy because she looks so pretty with her pink top, the braid in her hair, and long curls.
She answers right away. “Hi, how are you?”
“Good? And you?”
“Yeah, good.” She chats about her day, and I wonder if this is moving too fast. I mean, I probably should keep up with the rest of my friends. I make a mental note to get in a basketball session with Mitchell and socialize with other people over the weekend.
“You’re at Mayo tomorrow?” she exclaims when I tell her about my schedule. “The one day I’m not there.”
I’m glad she’s thinking the same way. “It’s crazy. We’re out of sync with the work thing.”
“I’d bring you lunch, but Brad planned this big thing at the pool with his buddies. I invited some of my friends from work to hang out with us.”
“That sounds fun. I never stop for lunch anyway.”
We talk as I drive home, and I grab a bowl of cereal once I arrive. She has a list of the top-twenty things to do in Phoenix, and we weed out the outdoor ones. We decide to go to a museum, and I tell her I have to check with some friends about a basketball game.
“Maybe we could make it a group thing. Are you brushing your teeth?” she asks as I rinse my toothbrush.
“Sorry, should have put the phone on mute.”
“I’m messing with you. No biggie.”
I wipe my face with a towel and fall onto the bed. “So, do you like art? Is going to museums your thing?”
“Not on a routine basis.” She tells me about the Philadelphia museum and one in New York they’d been to. I keep her talking by asking questions about her taste in music. We discuss artists and swap concert stories. Then, we list our favorite movies. Turns out we like a lot of the same stuff. Somehow, the conversation circles back to dancing.
“Did you have to do that Cotillion school thing?” she asks.
“Oh, right, that was what I did before my bar mitzvah.”
“That was the worst. I was so glad I could do it with my sister.”
“My friends and I did it together, and all we talked about was how hot all the girls were. The teacher hated us.” I roll over and look at the ceiling. “But, we should definitely go dancing again.”
“I would like that.” I imagine her smile and wonder why we’re not video chatting. It may be too intimate for our relationship status.
“You sound exhausted, I guess we should say goodnight,” she says after my third yawn.
“Sorry, yeah, I should get some sleep. Enjoy your day off.”
“I will. Too bad you aren’t off. Seems like Brad throws amazing parties.”
“Are you going on the hike Saturday morning?”
“As long as I don’t have heat stroke or sun poisoning.”
“I’ll text you every hour to remind you to reapply lotion.” I like picturing her in her swimsuit. I wonder if she’ll wear a sexier suit or if the tank and brief option is her go to. Yes, I wish I could be there with her.
She laughs. “I’m programming an alarm on my watch.”
“Okay, well, I guess I’ll see you Saturday morning.”
“Yep.
Take care.”
“You too.” I end the call.
The next morning, I resist messaging Liz before work. No one wants to be up early on their day off. Time passes slowly as my attention is split between thinking of seeing her again and my tasks. In line at the sandwich cart, I figure it’s a reasonable hour and message her.
HI, HOPE YOU SLEPT WELL. I tap my foot, waiting for a response.
YEAH, I DID, HOW ABOUT YOU?
YEP. WHEN DOES YOUR SHINDIG START?
BRAD SAYS NOON, BUT THEY’VE ALREADY BROUGHT THE KEG UP.
SOUNDS LIKE A BIG ONE.
“Hey, who’s L?” Lydia appears beside me.
“Well, we know it’s not you.” Rose puts her hand to her hip and rolls her eyes.
“Just a friend.” I slide the phone in my pocket. “How are you guys?” I turn my attention to the girls.
“Good. You haven’t been here in a while. You avoiding us?” Rose continues.
“No, I actually like working here. Everyone does. That’s why I don’t get many slots.”
I reach the front of the line and choose my lunch and pay.
“Hey,” Lydia calls. “You eating here?”
“No, sorry.” I wave my sandwich at her. “Gotta get back.”
I sit at my desk and slide the phone from my pocket. Eating with one hand, I check my messages.
YEAH, WE’LL SEE HOW WILD IT GETS, Liz replied.
SORRY, GOT HELD UP IN THE SANDWICH LINE. Awaiting a reply, I take another bite of my sandwich.
LYDIA AND ROSE STILL BEING NICE TO YOU?
YES. THEY WERE IN LINE BEHIND ME.
We chat about weekend plans and friends till my alarm sounds for the end of my lunch break.
I’LL CALL YOU 2NITE, she texts when I tell her I need to go.
THAT’D BE NICE BUT DON’T FEEL LIKE YOU HAVE TO. SOUNDS LIKE AN ALL-DAY PARTY. Finishing the last bite of my sandwich, I wipe my mouth.
I LIKE CHATTING WITH YOU.
GREAT! SAME HERE. CATCH YOU TONIGHT.
“Someone’s doing major texting.” Mitchell looks over my shoulder.
I let the phone slide onto the desk. “Just making weekend plans. Hey, you up for some b-ball?”
“Yeah, we’re getting together tomorrow. You in?”
Deepest Scars: A Being Me Stand-Alone Companion Novel Page 12