by Kylar Wilde
“Here goes nothing.”
Liz moved out the door and watched where the man she admired stood. He was facing his car and because of the pressure from the water, he didn't hear her approach.
“Hi,” she said, instantly regretting the action. She spun on her heel to run away, but it was too late. He had turned to see her.
The man was even more handsome up close. His hair seemed to have grown out a bit, and the same had happened to his stubble. It had started to form the characteristics of a beard; a look that Liz fully appreciated.
The man's mouth hung open slightly as he looked at her. He cocked his head to the side and mouthed something that sounded like Lucy. Then he smiled.
“Uh, what?”
“Lucy,” he repeated, louder this time.
It took her a moment to understand what he was saying. Then, like a bus, realization hit her.
“Ohhh, yeah, that's my character.”
“No, Serious? I thought you are someone who looks like her. I um . . . just started watching your show,” he said. The man turned the water off. “What are you doing here?”
Still a little rattled by the exchange, Liz tried to answer. “I just, um . . . Liz.”
“What?”
“My name's Elizabeth. You can call me Liz.”
“Oh, sorry. I'm Wilson. I guess you can call me Wil if that's easier.”
“Wil, that is a great name,” Liz said. She began to mentally chide herself at the awkward encounter. Normally it was never this difficult to meet people, but that was usually because of them. Most men that she met knew who she was and instantly tried to get her attention. Wilson was different.
Wilson knew who she was, but he didn't seem starstruck. If anything, he just seemed pleased to meet her.
“Please do not take this as me being rude, but what are you doing here?”
“Oh, I came to say hi.”
“No, I mean in the neighborhood. I didn't know any famous people lived around here.”
“Oh, I'm not so famous,” Liz blushed. Her cheeks flushed even a deeper shade of red when she realized that was probably not the answer that he had been expecting.
“I moved into that house over there,” the actress replied. Her finger guided Wilson's eyes to her house. “I'm your new neighbor.”
“That's wonderful. I only found out yesterday that someone had moved in. I would have come by earlier, but I've been busy with work.”
“Yeah, I know,” Liz said, under her breath.
“Huh?”
“I asked what you did? Like for a living—what do you do?”
“I'm a doctor.”
“Me too,” Liz said, almost immediately.
“What?” Wilson asked with a laugh.
“Sorry, I meant I'm a doctor on TV. I play a doctor, but you know that. You said you watched the show.”
“Yeah, just recently. It's pretty good. I'm usually not one for medical drama, but yours has a nice touch. And pardon me for saying, but I think you're the highlight.”
Liz felt blood rush into her cheeks. She tried to disguise it by hiding her face a bit. It didn't help that she suddenly became aware that he was wearing only shorts. Her eyes glanced at his upper body. It was well defined and muscular, making her wonder how he was able to exercise that much with his hectic schedule.
With her closeness, she could smell him. He smelled expensive. That was the only word her mind could think of to describe it. It was sort of like how a luxury hotel room would smell.
The fact that he was still wet only made it worse. The sun shone on him, making him glisten. He looked like something out of Greek mythology. Liz had to physically shake her head to clear her thoughts.
“You're probably really busy, so I'll leave you to your work. Maybe I'll get to see you around some time.”
“I hope so too.” Wilson's voice was poised. In her mind, he seemed like he would make a great actor. She wondered how he had managed to stay calm during their interaction, when all she could think about was the fact that he wasn't wearing a shirt.
As she escaped to the safety of her home, Liz had to urge to bang her head on a table.
“Oh God, I've embarrassed myself,” she cried, dramatically. “What if he caught me staring at him?”
As she moved through the scenarios in her head, she began to regret not sticking to her decision.
Liz picked up her phone instantly and called the only person she could think of.
“Erica,” she moaned, with fake sobs, “I'm such an idiot!”
“What did you do now?” her best friend's voice asked from the other end of the line.
“I finally talked to him.”
“Oooh! What's he like!”
Liz could tell that Erica was sitting up, wherever she was. “He is amazing! He's a doctor, and he is so gorgeous. I couldn't even talk when I saw him.”
“Oh no,” Erica lamented. “Is this like that time you met James Elle?”
“It's worse!”
James Elle was an actor that Liz had grown up having a major crush on. The day they met, she had just stood there trying to create words, but her brain decided not to play ball.
“Shit. So what now?”
“I don't know,” the actress confessed. “He knew who I was. He said he had just started watching the show, and he really liked me in it. He was so calm and poised, and there I was, making a complete fool of myself. I'm so embarrassed—I'm never leaving this house.”
“No, you can't give up,” Erica complained. “You finally made progress.”
Liz thought about the request. “I don't know. Let's see how things go.”
She hung up, and as the conversation ended, she tried to remove the events of the morning from her mind. After a few more minutes had passed, Liz peered out the window to check on Wilson. He wasn't there anymore; he was back at his place.
The weird part was, as much as Liz hated how their first meeting had gone, she really wanted to talk to him again. Something about him was calming, and she liked it.
Her hands moved to her cheeks. They were warm to the touch.
“Am I falling for him? Already?”
Liz had never liked someone this quickly before. It was strange. It was new. It was exciting.
Eventually, Liz was able to push her thoughts aside and go about her day. She didn't have a lot to do that day, so she just went to get the last of her shopping done.
As Liz walked out of the supermarket that day, she fiddled in her purse for her car key. She couldn't find it, so she set down the bags in her hand to search properly.
“Need some help with that?” Liz heard a familiar voice say. She froze on the spot. Her eyes widened, and she felt something rush down her spine.
“You haven't been taking my calls. Is that where we're at now?”
Liz looked up and came face-to-face with the last person in the world that she wanted to see.
“We are nowhere, Derek. I don't want to see or talk to you.”
She ignored him and went back to her task. This time, Liv was successful, and she opened her car door as quickly as she could. As she put her things in, Derek grabbed her arm.
“Don't walk away from me.”
“Derek!” she yelled, as his grip got tighter. “You're hurting me.”
“Listen here you little—” Derek suddenly stopped in his tracks when he realized that there was a small crowd starting to form around them. He let go and stormed off reluctantly.
“Are you okay, ma'am?” one of the onlooker asked.
“Yeah, thank you," Liz answered weakly. She was still a bit shaken up, but she was able to get into her car and drive home.
Chapter 6
There wasn't a lot on Wilson's mind lately. Things around him were going pretty smoothly. His job was great; he was back to working his schedule, and life just seemed to be going well. The only thing that seemed a little out of place with regard to his existence was his new neighbor, Liz.
They had lived close to each ot
her for some time now, but each meeting looked to just be an awkward mumbling of words. She was someone that he admired. From the moment he saw her on TV, he had started to develop a sort of crush on her. It only increased when he saw her in person.
Of course, he had been able to play it cool. He was a doctor: he was used to talking to people with a poker face, so that he wouldn't give information away. It now acted as his defense mechanism whenever she was around. He wanted to tell her how happy he was to have been able to meet in person and just how excited it made him.
However, Wilson didn't do this. A part of him continued to worry that she may find it a bit off-putting. That wasn't the impression he was going for. He did not want to do anything that would scare her away.
“What's up with you?” Benson asked. Wilson looked up at his friend who sat across from him. Wilson had spaced out again, and this time, he didn't have a good excuse
“Don't tell me you're gonna bail on us, Wil. Come on, man, we've been planning this since—”
“No, we're still on for tonight,” Wilson corrected. “It's just . . . I've been thinking about this girl lately.”
“Who is it?” Benson asked, like a high school girl who was about to hear some juicy gossip.
“Her name is Elizabeth Keaton.”
“Wait, I know that name.”
“Yeah, I figured you might.”
“Isn't she an actress?”
“She is. She is in this medical drama.”
“Oh, I remember now, ‘Wards and Roses.’ A lot of people who work night shifts watch it. Where did you meet the actress?”
“More like where did she meet me. She's my neighbor. She's been living at the house just next to mine for like a month now.”
“That is mad! Have you talked to her yet?”
“Yeah, but our talks aren't really the best.”
“Wow, that bad huh? Well, I have a few more things I need to sort out. Make sure your evening is clear.”
“Don't worry, I'm free tonight. Besides, I've missed you guys and Hanson’s incredibly loud habits.
“To the Sons of Saint Mercy!”
Tatiana's Place had seen a lot of regulars over the years. However, out of all of them, none really made the impact that the Sons of Saint Mercy did. Maybe it was because of how loud Hanson was, or maybe it was because his friends were always trying to get him to calm down. Either way, this impact was felt.
“I think you're the major reason people call us that,” Wilson said, after Hanson shouted. He looked around the bar, and sure enough, a few heads had turned in the direction of the five doctors—Wilson, Hanson, Benson, Lawson and Jason.
“That's true!” Lawson said. “I noticed they say that, but not to our faces. You're the one who's carried it on. You're even saying it in public.”
The men, who were collectively known as the Sons of Saint Mercy, were known around the neighborhood. They were all young doctors, and they were all single. Hanson and Benson were only single because they enjoyed playing the field. Their lives consisted of a different girl every week. The more challenging, the better.
For Wilson, Jason, and Lawson, these three men hadn't had the best luck with girls so far, even though they were extremely attractive people. Jason and Lawson were looking for something meaningful, but Wilson didn't know if he was ready to date.
Jason turned to Wilson, while the rest of the group mumbled on. “Wil, how's Alice? Is she doing okay?”
Wilson's mind ventured to the elderly woman. He had gone to check on her a few times after she left the hospital, and she seemed to be doing fine.
“She's okay, for the most part. She doesn't look like she's in any danger of regressing, so fingers crossed for a complete recovery.”
“That's great,” Jason commented. “I hope she does well—she's been through a lot already.”
“What are you two muttering about?” Benson asked. “Is this about the actress? It's about her, isn't it?”
The rest of the men turned to their blushing friend, who had suddenly found a fascinating interest in his drink.
“Hang on; what are we talking about?” Lawson questioned.
“Our friend, Wil here, lives close to a famous actress,” Benson clarified. A simultaneous display of shock that came with open mouths and wide eyes filled the table.
“I told you not to say anything to these guys.”
“Why wouldn't you tell us, mate?” Hanson asked. “Spill everything. Did you two bone yet?”
Wilson rolled his eyes. “This is exactly why I didn't want to say anything to you guys.”
“I think this is great,” Jason commented. Anyone we know?”
“She's that chick from ‘Wards and Roses.’ The brunette.”
“Oh, I know her,” Hanson said. “Damn, she's hot. What's taking you so long?”
“She moved in the neighborhood about a month ago. She seems okay, and we've talked a bit, but I don't know. Do you really think I could date someone famous? I don't even know if she likes me.”
“Have you seen you?” Lawson asked. “Of course she likes you.”
“Besides,” Benson added, “If you guys have talked more than three times, that's a guaranteed hit. Do you really think a popular actress would just talk to you, just to be nice?”
“She might.”
“Doesn't mean she is though. I guess you'll have to find out.”
Wilson had to admit that he had wondered. After their awkward first encounter, she had made a few more appearances, but they were all equally awkward. That was when it hit him. She had made the appearances.
It was always Liz coming to see him and trying to say hello to him. He had never actually tried. There he was, doubting himself, when this beautiful woman was showing interest in him. He had been out of the dating scene for so long, he barely recognized the signals at this point.
“I'll think about it.”
“Okay then,” Benson continued. “Drinks on Hanson!” He lifted his beverage, and everyone at the table followed suit.
“Hey!” the man in question tried to object.
“Oh relax,” Benson said. “You're like a billionaire. This is nothing.”
Hanson rolled his eyes, then lifted his drink as well. Cheers erupted.
After a fun evening at the bar, Wilson made his way back home with Liz still on his mind. If he was being honest with himself, their awkward meetings were something he actually liked. He had even started to look forward to them, and it felt nice to think about.
As he got back to his home, the first place the doctor looked at was his neighbor's house. There were no lights on in the house, but there was a car parked outside. It took further inspection for him to realize that it was Liz's car. This car was smaller, and he couldn't quite make out if there was anyone in it or not.
The odd thing was that she was nowhere to be seen. Liz wasn't home, and whoever this was, was waiting for her to get back. Wilson tried to brush it off as nothing and instead just went to his home.
However, this proved to be a bit difficult to do. He had the sinking feeling that there was something wrong. It wasn't something that he could quite place, but he didn't like it one bit.
Wilson shook his head to clear it. He had never been one to stick his nose in another person's business, and he wasn't going to start now. The doctor entered his home, and after pouring himself a nice cup of milk, he retired for the night.
Chapter 7
“I hate it here,” Liz cried. She was in the middle of a scene and completely engrossed in her lines.
“I've never wanted to be around hate, but that is all you've given me. But I loved you, I always have, and now I know that I always will. That's my curse, isn't it?”
“Cut!” the assistant director yelled. He motioned to the camera crew, and they quickly shut down.
“Fantastic as usual,” the director said, when Liz walked off the set. “At this point, I think I've run out of compliments to give to you. You bring such power to this character. Such tr
uth.”
“Thank you,” Liz replied humbly. She talked with him for just a bit more and then she retired to her dressing room. Her solitude was soon disrupted when someone else burst through the door, startling the young actress.
“Oh man, I've been waiting all day. Tell me you did it!”
Liz gave her friend a sad smile. “No, Erica. I didn't do anything.” The pout that Erica wore perfectly mirrored how Liz felt on the inside.
After a few back-and-forth conversations, where Liz's brain chose when to and when not to work, she had all but quit. However, Erica had come up with the amazing idea to just ask him out and see what happens.
“What's the worst that could happen?” she had asked. “You'll just ask him out to dinner or something, and he says no. At least then you'll know what to do, and you can move on.”
We'll it hadn't been that easy. She had tried, of course, but the courage to ask him out had disappeared. Instead, she had made up a dumb excuse that she couldn't even remember and bolted out of there, as quickly as she could.
“You wuss,” Erica laughed. “You chickened out, didn't you?”
“Maybe it's just not meant to be," Liz maintained.
“I'm not even going to try and convince you. Let's just hope that by some miracle he decides to ask you out because it's pretty obvious that you aren't gonna do it.”
“What makes you think I'll say yes?” Liz questioned. This only made Erica’s laugh harder.
“Please, he could tell you to give him your kidneys, and you would still say yes. You're smitten, honey. There's nothing we can do about that now.”
Liz picked up a throw pillow and held it to her face. Then she screamed into it, to vent her frustrations out a little bit
“Better?”
“Yeah, I guess so.”
“You need a night out.”
Liz looked at her phone. “It's a bit too late for that.” The shoot had gone on for longer than either of them had anticipated. It was now too late to have any sort of fun that they wouldn't regret in the morning.