Page 6

CHAPTER 6

Max

I find myself seated on a bench outside the University of Southern California’s Arts and Architecture building. The sun shines brightly above, warm and inviting, yet the shade tree I'm under rustles with a gentle breeze that provides a welcome respite. The kaleidoscope of light filtering through the dense canopy of leaves above dances in ever-changing patterns on the ground, a display worthy of any Master of the Arts, from today or any past era.

I flip open my notepad, searching through the pages for the list of eight Salvador Dali paintings I know will be on the test. Finding it, I close my eyes and begin ticking them off on my fingers. “The Great Masturbator, 1929. The Persistence of Memory, 1931. Lobster Telephone, 1936. The Burning Giraffe, 1937. Swans Reflecting Elephants, 1937. Shirley Temple, The Youngest, Most Sacred Monster of the Cinema in Her Time, 1939,” I recite aloud, solidifying them into my retrievable memory. “Damn it, there’s one more.” Opening my eyes, I trace my finger down the list until I reach the one I’d forgotten. “Geopoliticus Child Watching the Birth of the New Man, 1943. How am I going to remember that? ”

Frustrated, I hug the notebook to my chest and rest my eyes. The light breeze tickles the little hairs on my arms, but it feels wonderful. The sounds of students coming and going from the university swirl around me in a cacophony of indistinct voices and laughter. I take a few slow, calming breaths to bring down my heart rate and refocus on cramming for the exam. The shipment from last night took the entire shift to unload and get ready for the unboxing today. Some of the crates were moved to the main exhibit hall while others required further study in the laboratory. Had I remembered to put crate seventy-two in Dr. Austin’s lab?

“Is this seat taken?” a voice interrupts my thoughts.

I look up into the face of Benjamin Cooper, the disappearing ER doctor from the other night. His dimples punctuate each cheek as he smiles down at me. Dressed in a dark gray suit, white button-up shirt, and light blue tie, he looks undeniably handsome.

I close my notebook and narrow my gaze but feel relieved that I’d at least showered and brushed my hair this morning—something that wasn’t always guaranteed when scheduled for an early-morning final exam. “What are you doing here?”

“I hadn’t heard from you, so I thought I’d come and see you at school,” he replies.

Creeper . I start gathering my belongings to leave.

“Wait… I’m totally kidding,” Ben steps closer and puts out his palms. “Seriously, I’m not stalking you. I was joking.” He takes a step back. “I can see I need to keep my day job and leave the comedy to the experts.”

I stop shoving my notepad and huge Art History book into my bag and set it down on the ground in front of me. “How’d you know I would be here? I don’t think I mentioned anything about being a college student.”

“I had no idea I would see you here,” he says, pointing to the empty end of the bench. “Can I sit? ”

I shrug.

“I’m here as a guest lecturer.”

Guest lecturer? Really? “Which class?”

“Anatomy and Physiology 201. Professor Kincaid was going to miss the last lecture before final exams, and he asked me to fill in for him. I believe his exact words were ‘if you don’t help me these idiots will all fail’… not that I should ever repeat that to a student.” He laughs.

I smile. “I guess you are a doctor after all. A&P 201 here at USC is probably a little beneath your paygrade?”

He shrugs. “Not really. The biology program here has really made a name for itself recently. Plus, I owe the professor a favor, so it’s pro bono. I’m actually kind of nervous if I’m being honest.”

“An ER doc… nervous?”

Ben’s neck grows red, starting at the collar. “I’m not proud of it, trust me. Give me an MVA with multiple injuries any day of the week over public speaking. It’s truly been my Achilles heel.” He shrugs. “And who knows? There may be a change for me in the near future.”

“Now that I know the superhero doctor’s kryptonite, I’ll have to learn to exploit it.” I wink and pat him on the shoulder. “Nah, I’m kidding. You’ll do great. Trust me. With finals coming up, they’re more nervous about passing their exams than you are about standing up there looking like a fool… not that you’d ever look like a fool.” I laugh.

“Thanks,” Ben looks away before good-naturedly hitting his knee with the palm of his hand. “You just mentioned you have some changes coming up soon?” I ask. “Stuff to do with your ER career?”

“Yeah, you could say that. I don’t know. It’s one of those things where you’re sure you’re going to do it, but then a split second later… I don’t know. Something changes.” His deep bl ue eyes draw me in deeper. I want to know more but figure it isn’t any of my business. At least not yet.

“I’m sure you will make the right decision when the time comes,” I say with a smile.

“Thank you, Max. I appreciate that more than you know.” He clears his throat. “I haven’t done this in a long time, but what the heck? Max… would you accompany me to the café inside before classes start? I’d love to buy you a soda… or coffee?”

His boyish nervous looks make the butterflies flap about in my belly. “Like a date?”

“Um…”

I smile and smack his shoulder. “I’m kidding. I think we both need to leave the comedy to the experts.”

We chuckle together for a moment. “I’d love to have a drink with you.” I check the time on my watch. “I don’t have a lot of time, but I could use a latte. In fact, I can always use a latte… for future reference.”

“Perfect.” Ben jumps up and offers his hand.

I accept the help and then pull my heavy backpack up and sling it over my shoulder. “Thanks.”

We walk inside and downstairs to the café. The large brightly lit room is filled with round white tables and black chairs. Vending machines and water fountains are in the back of the room, fountain drink stations to the right, and a long line to order food to the left. After ordering, we sit in the far back corner of the expansive room. The café is used by each person visiting it today for something different. Multiple tables are makeshift napping stations, with students using their backpacks as pillows. There are a few people kicked back on their phones, while others eat their lunch and study for tests. It truly is a multipurpose and necessary sanctuary.

“I haven’t spent much time down here,” I say. “But I kind of like the vibe. ”

Ben gestures over his right shoulder at the blue-haired girl painting her toenails. “Really? You like that vibe?”

I laugh. “Okay… maybe not the bare feet on the tabletop. But I can see why people come here to study and chill out. There’s enough random shit going on to meld together into human white noise.”

“I guess I can’t be too hard on toenail-girl. Back when I was in grad school, I used to have to pull an all-nighter studying and end up brushing my teeth in the drinking fountain before class.”

“Gross.”

He nods. “Not my finest moment.”

I take a sip of my latte. “It’s not Java Java Hut, but this is actually good… or I just really needed it.”

“I love that place too, but eight bucks for a large iced coffee is a little rich for my blood. I’m glad you like their USC special.” He blows on the hot drink before he indulges. “Do you mind if I ask you something?”

“As long as it’s nothing personal.”

“Well… I mean…” Ben stammers.

“Just kidding.”

“I need to figure out your poker face pretty soon or I’m not sure I’ll last very long.”

“I’ll behave.” I wink, pleased with how easily I can make him squirm. “Please… ask away.”

Ben sets his coffee down on the table before leaning back into the chair. “The other night… at Taco Caliente?”

“Yeah?”

“Did the manager ever give you my number?” Ben looks down at his drink. “I was hoping to hear from you.”

“Hector? Yeah, he gave it to me.” I sit back in my chair and sigh. “Honestly, that evening was a blur. I pulled a girl from a burning car and then had to get to work on time so I wouldn’t incur the wrath of an idiot. Plus, I needed to make a good impression on my boss.” I shake my head. “I couldn’t tell you where I even put your number.”

“Fair enough,” he says. “Wow, you pulled a girl from a burning car. You okay?”

“I’m fine. I was sore that evening, but I’m alright now. Where did you disappear to that night anyway? I looked for you, but the crowd was huge by the time I left.”

“The driver of the other car had a head laceration and a broken pelvis. I was trying to calm him down so he didn’t attempt to get out of the car and possibly bleed out from a severed artery. It was weird though.”

“What was?”

“Some of his injuries I expected, and some were out of place.”

“What do you mean?” I sit forward in the chair, my cop mind surging to the front of my consciousness.

“The head laceration and broken pelvis… totally typical of the type of crash that night. But there were bruises on his arms and legs and what looked like a cut across his neck.”

“Could the seatbelt have caused it?”

Ben thinks about it for a few moments. “I guess so, but in my experience, the seatbelt will burn, bruise, or even tear at the skin of the MVA victim… this looked more like a slice.”

“Did you ask the guy what happened? Maybe his injuries caused the crash?”

“I was more concerned about his broken pelvis and keeping him stable. When I arrived at the hospital he’d passed away. The attending physician had already declared him dead from the accident. I kind of put it out of my mind.”

I turn my head slightly to the right as if I'm trying to see what was playing out inside my mind. I was thinking about that night. There was something that had struck me as odd too, but what was it?

There was something else .

“Are you okay, Max?”

I nod slowly. “I was thinking back to the crash. When I was pulling the girl from the car, a man ran past me. At first, I didn’t think too much of it, although it struck me as odd.” I shake my head. “I don’t know… I feel like maybe there was someone else involved in this crash.”

“Like another victim?” Ben’s tone grows concerned.

“No… Maybe? I’m not sure. I think I’m being crazy… never mind me.”

“Well, anyway,” Ben continues. “When the paramedics showed up to stabilize and transport the patient, I left to look for you.”

“You did?”

He nods. “My phone started blowing up with texts and calls from the chief of surgery at the hospital. You know the wreck on the freeway? It was one of the worst in recent memory and I was there all night doing my best to patch people up.”

“Damn,” I say. “Long night I bet.”

He smiles and looks off for a brief moment, a sadness in his eyes. “Lost a few but saved as many as we could. Let’s not talk about all this sad stuff. I did leave my number with Hector at Taco Caliente, hoping he would give you my number.”

I cross my arms. “I kind of feel bad. The more I’d thought about how you’d left, I might have… accidentally misplaced your number.” I hold up my hands in mock self-defence. “Maybe it was an accident, who can tell?”

“Totally understandable.” He smiles. “If I’m being honest, I sure am impressed with you and how you handled yourself out there.”

“Yeah?”

“Absolutely. Kind of sexy seeing you pull that girl from the car.” He chuckles. “How about I give you my number directly this time? ”

I take out my phone and type in the number as he recites it to me. His phone buzzes. “There,” I say. “Now you have my number too and neither of us can accidentally lose it.”

Ben nods. “Max Salgado,” he says as he saves my number in his phone. He puts it back into his pocket. “Is it okay if I call you tonight? Maybe we can go out for dinner?”

My face flushes with excitement. I nod. “I’d like that. Plus, it’s my day off from work. I’d asked for the time in case my test today went badly. I figured I might need a drink or three.”

Ben looks me in the eye. “Somehow I doubt you’ve ever failed at something you put your mind to.” He sits back in his chair. “I have a good sense about these things.”

His confidence in my abilities mirrors my own. Despite the butterflies before a test, it always seemed to work out for me. It feels good to have someone in my corner. “That’s very kind of you to say.”

“Do you mind if I ask what you’re majoring in?”

“Here at USC, I’m mainly taking classes for further development. I’m the newest junior curator at the museum, but I have more to learn if I want to keep advancing.”

“Nice. Should I be calling you Doctor?”

“Only if you want me to call you one?” I love hearing myself referred to as a doctor by someone else who appreciates the effort it took to reach that level of schooling.

“Fair enough… Max it is then.”

“I never thought I would be back in school to begin with. It seems like I’ve been in and out of the classroom for most of my life. I went through the police academy years ago… even ended up with a degree in criminal justice with an emphasis in forensics. Then after I left the force, I received my PhD in Paleoanthropology. Since then, I’ve been taking other courses in Art History and Archeology.”

“Wow. That’s incredible. You’re full of surprises today. Why the big career change? ”

“It’s a really long story, but honestly my real love has always been art and history. I guess I was influenced by my abuela’s brothers. They were cops. I looked up to them and tried to follow in their footsteps. But now, my ultimate goal is to become a museum curator somewhere in the city and continue researching all of the world’s most interesting and unanswered questions.”

He nods. “Impressive.”

“Like I said, that’s the long game. There are many years between where I am now and my goals, but it’ll be worth it… to do what I love.”

“It’s an amazing feeling to get up every day and go to work, doing something you enjoy. Makes it seem less like work.”

“I take it you are in that position?”

“Lucky for me.” He nods and takes a few seconds before he continues. “Which class are you testing in today?”

“Art History. The worst part about the test is it’s all fill in the blank. Impossible to really guess if you don’t know the answers. From what I’ve been told, there will be a series of images presented, we will need to identify them and the date they were created. Then the second half of the test is an essay. The professor presents images, and a series of questions related to each image. We then have to vomit out everything we know about the paintings, artists, and symbolisms within the works until our time runs out.”

“Sounds tough.”

I nod and let out a sigh.

“From my experience, tests like that are made to intimidate you. A sheet full of blanks… no options to choose from when you get stuck? Here’s the thing though, it’s straight memorization. You’ve been given the information and you no doubt have studied all of it. There’s no judgement calls to be made except for the symbolic stuff. There’s not questions like, pi ck the best option and from what I already know of you, you can think logically and come up with something related to symbolism. One tip from when I went through Art History 101… if it could remotely be a penis… it’s a penis.”

I laugh.

“You’ve got this. I have zero doubts.”

“I noticed that about the phallic symbols… it’s like the more repression during the time period, the more penises popped up.”

Ben laughs. “There’s an inappropriate joke in there, but I’m going to leave it to the experts.”

I smile. “Good idea. Anyway, the professor definitely provided all the answers during class and reviews.” I relax back into my chair. “I do actually feel somewhat better… thank you.”

“Somewhat better, for the win. You’re welcome. Trust me, I’ve been through way more tests than I care to remember. It seemed to get better as I went because I settled into a routine for test taking.”

“You’re not only cute, but you’re also smart too,” I say with a smile. Why can’t I stop myself from flirting? I look away but am drawn back in by the way Ben’s suit pants cling to his muscular legs.

He watches me with a smile and my belly flutters as I see Ben’s face register my flirtatious comment. The twinkle in his eyes solidifies our shared feelings. Come on, doc. Tell me again how awesome it was to see me this morning.

“I can’t believe my luck, running into you here today,” Ben says. “Literally the best thing to happen to me all year.”

There it is. I feel the same way, doc. “You’re very sweet, thank you.”

It looked like Ben wanted to say something, but then he cleared his throat and looked away. I was making him nervous, and I loved it .

“Dude, I have been looking for you everywhere,” London says as she hurries over to us. Her tall, slim frame is dressed in impeccable taste, designer jeans and a cute fluffy vest. “I thought we were going to meet up and quiz each other for the…” She turns her gaze to Ben and stops her rebuke, instead slicking down her right eyebrow with her index finger. The way London straightened up, cocked her hip, and then arched her perfect eyebrow signaled she liked what she saw.

“I’m so sorry, London. My friend Ben offered me some coffee… and you know how much I love a good latte.”

She puts her hands on her hips and looks around the room, a dramatic pause accompanying each turn of her head. “What about this dump screams good latte to you?”

I set my jaw and widen my eyes into a nonverbal threat. London blinks a few times in rapid succession and then smiles before tearing her gaze away from him.

“I’m sorry to interrupt,” she says, waving her hand in front of the two of us, “whatever this is, but I’m London James.” She offers her hand.

Ben stands and they exchange a handshake. The huge smile on London’s face and the way she stared down at their hands makes me smile. My best friend approves of Ben, and things in my world just got a little easier.

I stand and give London a hug once she lets go of Ben and then whisper in her ear. “He might call me tonight for a date.”

“Can I come?” she asks.

I squeeze the breath out of her before letting go.

“Kidding.” London smiles up at Ben. “Max, we really need to get to class. The crowd is forming outside the lecture hall, and I won’t pass the test unless we sit in our usual seats.”

I nod. “Absolutely.” Turning to Ben, I open my arms, offering him a hug. He leans in and wraps his strong arms around me. Ben smells great, a mix of sandalwood and man. “Thanks again for the pep talk and coffee.”

“Absolutely,” he says, letting go and stepping back. “I’ll call you tonight?”

“I’d like that.”

“Good luck on your tests. It was great to meet you, London.”

“You too.” She hooks her arm through mine and pulls me away. “He’s hot,” she whispers.

“I know, right?”

“Tell me everything. What’s he all about?” We climb the flight of stairs arm in arm and turn down the hall toward our classroom.

“His name is Benjamin Cooper. He’s an Emergency Room physician.”

“Good kisser? I mean, those dimples are hot.”

I laugh. “I don’t know. We haven’t kissed.”

She stops dead in her tracks. “One of you isn’t playing for the right team… What are you saying to me?”

I slap her arm playfully and tug her forward toward class. “We just met. You know how I like to take things slow.”

“Where’d you meet? No… let me guess. Bumble? Match? Okay Cupid? Do not tell me you used the Devout Singles or Farmer4Farmer apps?”

“Eww. No, we met at Taco Caliente.”

London fake gags. “Gross. I’ve told you a hundred times they use rat meat in their tacos.”

“Shut up, they do not.” I chuckle. “How many times have I told you your Auntie’s cousin’s husband’s best friend’s girlfriend is not a reliable source of information.”

“Umm, wrong. It’s my Auntie’s cousin’s wife’s best friend’s girlfriend… and she worked there.”

“Anyway, he came over and sat next to me, but we didn’t get much of a chance to talk because there was a car accident.”

“Ugh, let me guess, you had to help save a life? You’re such an amazing badass… you know that? ”

I smile. “Please don’t ever stop reminding me of that. While I was waiting for you, Ben shows up out of nowhere and says he’s teaching a class here for an Anatomy and Physiology professor.”

“Destiny… shit wasn’t there a painting titled Destiny? Who painted that?”

I shake my head. “No. You’re thinking of John Gast. Late 1800s. He did a Manifest Destiny series of paintings.”

“I’m not going to pass.”

“Yes, you are. You have to pass. We have our grand plan, remember?”

We stop at the entrance to the lecture hall, and she turns to face me. “You’re absolutely right. Grand plan, new life… for both of us.”

“Exactly. I left law enforcement.”

“And I left the tech world behind. If I never have to code or develop an operating system again in my life… this will have all been worth it.”

“Once you get your PhD, the sky’s the limit. Plus, we might be able to work together in the future. You’ve only got a few more classes to go, right?”

“Right.” We hug. “Good luck,” we say in unison.

I pull the door open and say, “After you, my friend.”

“Meet me right here when you’re done. I’m going to need moral support,” she says.

“I’ll be waiting.” I give her arm a squeeze as she steps past me into the lecture hall.

I stand outside in the hallway, waiting for London. My phone buzzes in my backpack. Pulling it out, I see an unfamiliar number. I let it go to voicemail and slip the phone back into my bag just as London bursts into the hall .

“What the fuck was the answer to number six? Seriously, how would we ever know that?”

“Which one was number six?” I sling the bag over my shoulder as we start walking toward the exit.

“The picture was some naked chubby woman standing on a seashell?”

“Birth of Venus by Sandro Botticelli? Come on, London. You knew that one.”

“No, I did not. There’s no way I would have forgotten that weird-looking shit. Sometimes I think I should have stayed in computers.”

“What did you put down for your answer?”

“Selling Seashells, by Sally Seashore.” She laughs and scratches the top of her head. “I seriously didn’t remember that one.”

“Otherwise, how do you think you did?”

“I’m sure I passed,” she says. “I could have done better if I had more study time.”

“I’m sorry. That’s my fault. I should have met you before class like we had planned.” I stop before the exit and give her a hug.

“You’re damn right you should have… but also, I’m not sure what I would have done if some Hunky McTight Pants offered me a latte.” She pushes the door open for me. “Plus, it’s kind of my own fault.”

“Why’s that?” I walk outside and shield my eyes from the bright sunlight.

London puts on her Dolce and Gabbana sunglasses. “I was up late last night hacking into my nana’s bank account.”

“What the hell? That’s illegal… plus, it’s your grandma.”

“Exactly. She couldn’t remember her account number or password and after searching for an hour through piles of paperwork, I decided to just hack in. Probably saved me five hours of stress. Not to mention I have to eat all the time when she’s around or she accuses me of being anorexic.”

“Anorexic? Seriously?”

“She’s watched enough episodes of Doctor Donny to be a danger to herself and others.” She holds up her key fob and pushes the unlock button. “Where the hell did I park?”

Beep .

“Over there,” I say, pointing to the north side parking area. “I’m glad you passed.”

“How’d you do?”

“I’m very confident I passed… but I was hoping to maintain an A in this class so the museum will reimburse me for the tuition.”

“Oh, honey.” She slides her arm around my waist and pulls me tight. “You’re the most amazing man I know. You can simultaneously save lives and kick ass. There’s no way you didn’t get an A.”

I sigh. “There’s nothing I can do about it but wait for our grades to be posted. If you see they’re up before I do, text me.”

“Will do,” she says. “Are you going to be okay tonight? Should we go get some drinks?”

“I’ll be fine. I’m hoping to hear from Ben.” I cross my fingers on both hands and wave them at London.

“Boy, you got it bad.” She hugs me again. “I love this for you.”

“Thanks… me too.”

“Okay, get home safe. Text if you need me.”

“Talk to you tomorrow?”

“Only if you promise me details. All. The. Details.” She claps between each word.

“I’ll write them all down if I have to,” I say as London starts toward her car.

“That’s my boy.” She turns, waves, and blows me a kiss. “Bye. Love you. ”

“Bye. Love you too.” I square the backpack on my shoulders and hurry toward my car. If I make good time, I can beat the worst of the traffic and have time to sleep and take a shower in case I have a date tonight.

I fish my key fob from my pocket and push the unlock button. The familiar beep comes from the right, and I follow the sound when something catches my eye.

A sick feeling lurches in the pit of my stomach. I see a man standing at the end of the row of cars. He's far enough away that I can't make out his face, but the way he stands watching me sends all the red alerts going off at once. Fight or flight? The age-old question never changes.

I look back at my car, mentally calculating the distance and time it would take to get there. Refocusing on the imminent threat, I turn back to the man, but he's gone. The image of the ankh flashes into my mind. My palms grow sweaty, and I clench my fists. Where did he go? Why had he been watching me?

Hustling to my car, I unlock the door, get in, and slam it behind me. I start the car and put on the seatbelt. The metal latch scrapes against my side as I try to place it without taking my eyes off my surroundings. My sensitive scar burns where I’d scraped it. “Damn you.” I flip the car into gear and speed from the parking lot.