by Kylar Wilde
She left soon after that, and the rest of Wilson's day seemed to zoom by pretty fast. He only left the hospital that evening to go and get food for him and Alice to eat. That didn't take long though; he was back very quickly.
“I have arrived,” Wilson said dramatically, as he walked past the large blue door.
“Shush!”
Wilson stopped in his tracks when he saw Alice propped up in a sitting position. He followed her eyes to the TV.
“I'm trying to figure out what I've missed,” she explained. “It's my favorite show.”
“Medical drama?” Wilson scoffed. “You know these things are widely inaccurate, right?”
“Seems pretty spot on to me,” Alice countered. “An attractive doctor who feels like their work is way too important to let them have a relationship, even though they have the time.”
“Hey! I'll have you know that—”
“Shush! Just come and watch with me.”
Wilson shook his head with a laugh. He walked to where Alice sat and joined her.
“That girl there, she's the doctor—just like you. She's also my favorite. Just like you.”
Wilson had no interest in watching at first, but as the show went on, he found that he could hardly take his eyes off the TV. It wasn't the show or plot that piqued his interest—it was the lead actress. He couldn't help but marvel at how she was so beautiful and effortless.
“Maybe if you find someone as nice as she is, I'll loan you my beach house.”
“Very funny,” Wilson responded, with an eye roll. “Let's just watch.”
Chapter 3
A groan left Liz's mouth when she picked up her phone. It was a lot louder than she had expected, but she couldn't help it. Her annoyance has been rising steadily with each call.
Liz declined yet another call from Derek, praying as she did that he wouldn't call her again. Blocking him was no use; she had tried that and it didn't work. Instead, the man had just started using another number. She also didn't want to change her number just because of him. Liz didn't want someone to have that sort of power over her.
The actress had spent just under three days in her new place, and so far, she was loving every bit of it—except the seemingly incessant calls from Derek.
Liz trudged to her fridge in her boxer shorts and a loose-fitting tank top in search of something that could serve as breakfast. She was only greeted with a burst of cold air and nothing more. She moved to a cupboard in the kitchen, and she saw a lone box of cereal. It wasn't her first choice for breakfast, but there were no other options.
Even though the actress had been too engrossed in making sure that her new home was suitable to live in, she had forgotten a very important part of this process: food.
As if on cue, she heard a rumbling sound coming from her gut.
“Damn, I don't even have milk.”
Plans swiftly began to form in Liz's mind regarding the best way to go about her day. She would have to go to the grocery store, but it would be more convenient to do so after work. She had to go to the set that day for filming.
As she paced around the house, an idea came into her head. It was an idea that made her gleam. She quickly moved past the kitchen and moved to one of the windows in her living room. She peered out of this window to check for any sight of her target.
“Got you,” she smiled, as she saw her neighbor's car parked outside his house. It wasn't a familiar sight. The handsome man she lived close to never seemed to be at home.
She hadn't been in the neighborhood long, but in those three days, a few of the other neighbors had come over to welcome her. It had started with Carlos, who was becoming more than a little friendly.
Then Darlene and Evan came by—a young couple that had also just moved in down the street. They had all come with various meals that she had, in turn, used to welcome her friends. A few of her co-stars had come the night before for dinner, and by the time they had gone, there was nothing else left for Liz to eat for breakfast.
In all of this, though, the one person that she wanted to visit her hadn't come over once. Whenever he came home, there would always be a guest at her house, and by the time Liz was done with them, he would be out of the house again.
Now was going to be different though. He was home, and there was no one to stop her. Her brilliant plan was to go over and borrow some milk from him. At least that would lead to some sort of conversation between the two.
With this in mind, Liz moved to the door and in the direction of the house just beside hers. It was still really early. The sun had just started to move up into the sky, but the heat from it hadn't even reached the ground yet. The cold wind that came with the night still lingered slightly as she moved. The major thought in her mind, as she got to his door, was wondering why she hadn't worn something warmer before heading out the door.
Liz lifted her knuckles to the polished wooden door and gave it three taps in rapid succession. There was no answer. She repeated the motion, and when she got the same result, she turned her head to the driveway. Sure enough, his car was there, but no one answered.
“Could he have gone out without it?” she asked herself. It was still pretty early. Liz considered the possibility that he could have gone for a jog, or even just still be fast asleep. She didn't want their first meeting to be one of her waking him up from his slumber.
With her head hung low, Liz walked back to her apartment. The disappointment she felt was almost as bad as her hunger. In her initial excitement, she had forgotten the reason and excuse she went to his house in the first place.
Liz trudged back to her abode and immediately went to the shower. As the warm water flowed over her body, Liz imagined what her first meeting with the man would be. She imagined the way he would speak and what his voice sounded like. It was weird for her. She had not been fascinated by someone for a long time, and now it seemed like she couldn't even pull her mind away from him.
“I don't even know his name.”
Liz got out of the shower, dripping wet. She wrapped a towel around herself and walked around her bedroom, looking for something that she could easily change out of when she got to the set.
Liz drove to the set in less than an hour. Her new place was a little further away, but it wasn't an inconvenience. She was greeted by her best friend.
“Woah, what's with the look?”
“I haven't eaten anything today,” Liz complained.
“Really? With the feast you put out last night, I assumed you had enough food to last for at least two months.”
“The neighbors will probably bring some over today.”
“Are they still trying to pretend like they don't know you're a famous actress?”
“Some do, but it slips out every now and then.”
Erica laughed at her friend. “On the topic of neighbors, how's yours?”
Liz let out an exasperated sigh. “Can we get something to eat first? If I start talking about that now, I might just die.”
“Sure, filming doesn't start for another hour. Let's just go to the place across the street.”
The cafe stood just on the opposite side of the road. Both women crossed over with the mind to be back in less than an hour. Liz ordered the first things she saw; a double cream latté with donuts. Erica only took a coffee.
“So what's he like?”
“Ugh, I wish I knew,” Liz said, with a mouth that was almost full. “He looks so charming, and I'm sure he smells really nice, but I haven't even gotten the chance talk to him. It's frustrating.”
“How is he always so busy? What do you think he does?”
“I don't know, but whatever he is, the hours are pretty scattered. I went over today because I saw his car out in the driveway. Didn't help, man. I think he was sleeping or something.”
“You think maybe he has a secret lover or something?”
Liz turned to her friend with a frown. “Are you trying to make me depressed?”
Erica lifted her hands in defea
t. “My bad,” she smiled. “Still, there's time. You haven't even been there long. With the way he moves around, I don't think he even knows he has a new neighbor.”
Liz thought about it for a second. “You know, you're probably right.”
“I am right. Besides, it's you. You're Elizabeth Keaton. I'm sure he'll be just as awestruck when you finally meet. It's not every day you see a famous actress . . .Well, except me—or if you look in a mirror.”
Liz rolled her eyes at this, but her mind remained on it. Would he really react like other people? It would make things easier, of course. She was attracted to him, and it would be very helpful if he felt the same way.
She decided that she would continue to try and get to know him. Liz made a mental note to try at least once a day to say hi. She still couldn't understand why she was so intent on doing this, but she had never been one to give up before trying.
“Gosh, this is so exciting,” Erica said giddily. Imagine if this turns out to be your love story, it would be so romantic.”
“It's all so mysterious,” Liz commented. “I don't even know his name or if he has a partner.”
Chapter 4
“Doctor Wilson Kane!”
Wilson rolled his eyes. “I know my own name, Hanson. Do you really have to shout?”
“Of course I do. It's for dramatic effect.” Hanson had a huge smile on his face. He was really proud of himself.
Wilson tried not to look up too much. The sun was beating down on both men, and without the clouds for cover, Wilson desperately wanted to get into his car to be safe from the heat. Hanson seemed to have a different plan altogether.
The other doctor ran up to his friend, meeting him halfway between the hospital and his car.
“How is she?” Hanson asked, when he finally caught up with Wilson. “How's Alice?”
Wilson paused for a moment so that Hanson could catch his breath. “Wow, for a doctor, you're pretty out of shape.”
“What? No, I'm not!”
“You barely ran a few yards, and you're already out of breath.”
“Wow, you're really gonna do me dirty like that? And here I was, just trying to be a good friend to you.”
“Alright, I'm sorry,” Wilson apologized, even though he was still laughing. “Alice is fine. We've sent her home, and now that's where I'm going too. I really need the rest—I feel like I haven't slept in days.”
“You haven't! I don't know why you worry so much, but yes, go rest. We'll check in on you later.”
“Sure, thanks man. Now I'm guessing you're gonna run back upstairs? Try not to pull a hamstring or something.”
Hanson shot his friend a dirty look before walking back to the hospital. Wilson didn't wait. The sun was really getting to him now. He wondered why it was so hot even when it was almost evening. When he finally got to his car, he was stopped again.
“Wilson!”
“Oh for the love of—” Wilson looked up to see a familiar face. “Oh hey, Katie. Hey.”
Katie was one of the doctors at Saint Mercy. She hadn't been working there for long. At least, not as long as Wilson. “You're going home earlier than usual. Is everything okay?”
“Yeah, I wasn't actually scheduled to work for most of this week, but I had a patient I really wanted to check on.”
“Oh, I heard about that. Alice, right?”
“Yes. She seems fine though, so we've sent her home. Hopefully she doesn't end up back here again.”
Kate gave a smile that Wilson mirrored. “It's nice to see you are so caring: you're a good man, one of few.”
“I don't know about being good, but I try.”
“That's what counts,” Katie replied. “Well, I think you've been here long enough—I'll see you later.” Katie left after that, and Wilson was finally free to go home. He shoved the key into the ignition. The car came to life almost immediately. Soon he backed it out of the parking stall at the hospital and exited the lot onto the street. From there, Wilson made his way home.
Wilson drove home and parked just outside his house. He had a few chores that he hoped to get out of the way so that he could relax. The first thing he did when he walked through the front door was go straight to the kitchen. He picked up the trash that he had already tied and left in the corner.
Wilson was incredibly neat. He always had been, thanks to his mother. Growing up, it had been just the two of them. He had learned to clean up after himself, so he could help his mother around the house. Even now that she was no longer with him, his habits hadn't changed. His house was absolutely prim and proper. His books were color coded; his work equipment was arranged according to relevance. His friends joked that he couldn't stand one dirty wrapper in the house.
The doctor picked up the trash bag and carried it outside the house. He walked to the garbage can beside the street, and he tossed the big black bag into it. As he did this, he noticed something. The house just beside his own seemed to have a party going. There was no music, but he could tell that there were people in the house.
He could hear excited chatter and laughter, which surprised him. As far as he knew, the house had been up for sale for a long time.
“When did people move in?” he asked himself. He had been so busy the past few days, he hadn't even noticed that there had been people living in the house next door.
I should probably go say hello sometime, he thought. It would not be at that very moment though; the doctor was bone tired. He moved back into his apartment and changed out of his clothes so he could take a shower. The shower was short and sweet. The next few moments saw Wilson plopped unceremoniously on the bed.
The doctor woke up hours later. A drawn-out yawn escaped from his lips, but it wasn't one of satisfaction. Wilson was still exhausted. He couldn't fall back asleep however; he needed to eat something. He had forgotten to eat all day, and now he was too hungry to go out and get food. It seemed like such a stressful endeavor.
Wilson opted instead to call a restaurant and have food ordered. He would've preferred to cook if he had the choice, but this would be a lot faster. He hadn't even been to the grocery store either.
It didn't take long to order his meal; now all he had to do was wait. He needed something to help him pass the time, and an idea popped into his head.
“No way,” Wilson said to himself. He looked around the house, as if there would be someone watching him. Then he took in a deep breath, like he was preparing himself. Wilson looked at the clock on the wall and saw that it was just about time.
“Might as well—it's not like I have anything better to do.”
Next, he picked up the remote and turned the TV on. He flipped through the channels until he got to the one he had been searching for. It was the medical drama that Alice had shown him just a few days ago. The show had been on his mind for a few days now, but he had never gotten around to watch it.
He knew nothing about the story at all, but he was watching for just one thing: one person. Her name was Lucy. She was the lead in the series, and she had caught his eye the moment he looked at the TV in Alice's hospital ward. She was beautiful and, in his words, effortless. Even though the entire show was cringe worthy in his opinion, he still enjoyed watching her.
As he focused on the show, he began to see what Alice had been talking about. He and Lucy shared a lot of similarities. They both worked a lot harder than they needed to, and they both got a lot of attention from the opposite sex.
Wilson could understand why Lucy got attention from the other men at the hospital. She was simply gorgeous. Added to how smart she was, he saw no reason why anyone wouldn't want her. In his case, though, that was something that he could never understand. He had been told he was attractive—a lot—by a bunch of people, but it was not something that ever stuck with him. Though, with the way that girls pursued him relentlessly, he was starting to believe it.
A knock on the door pulled him out of his program. Wilson moved to the front door to answer, fully expecting his meal. He opened the
door to see someone a little younger than him, wearing a delivery uniform. She looked up at him for a moment, and her mouth hung open.
“Um . . . Hi,” Wilson said, after a few more moments of silence. “I'm guessing that's mine?”
“Huh? Oh yeah, sorry. That'll be $9.95.”
Wilson passed her a twenty-dollar bill. “You can keep the change. I'm sure making deliveries this late might stress you out a bit.”
“Oh no, it's fine,” she said, with a shy smile. “Thank you for ordering from Stefano's Italian.”
“Thank you for bringing me Stefano's Italian.”
The delivery girl continued to stand there awkwardly for a bit, until Wilson broke the silence again.
“Is there anything else I could help you with?” This seemed to snap her out of her trance.
“Oh, no—sorry. Thank you.” After mumbling her words, the delivery girl made a hasty retreat back to her car. Wilson only smiled at how shy she was before closing the door.
He walked back to the couch and took his seat, still laughing slightly at the exchange. He looked back at the TV just before a commercial break. The name of the show flashed in front.
“Wards and Roses,” he mused. “I guess I could get behind it.”
Chapter 5
“Damn! It's always when you give up, isn't it?”
Liz couldn't believe her luck. The night before, she had finally given up on ever meeting him. The actress had decided that if it was this hard to meet someone, then maybe it wasn't meant to be.
From what she could see, her neighbor seemed like the quiet shy type that would love to keep to himself. It hurt a bit, but she had made up her mind not to try again—only for her to wake up the following morning and see him just outside his house, washing his car. This was the perfect opportunity. It was the one that she had waited for, for a very long time. He wasn't going to go anywhere, and she could finally say hello.
Hello, she thought. That is so stupid.
Even though she had wanted to talk to this man for a while, Liz had never actually figured out what she was going to say. She took another glance at him and saw him hosing down his vehicle. He had on a pair of beach shorts. He wasn't wearing a shirt, and some of the water had splashed on him. Her gut began to churn as her nervousness grew.