Page 8 of Stat: Love In Scrubs

I stood in my parents' kitchen, eating a few fries from the basket my mother had beside her. She had just started dinner when I came over before my date with Liz was tonight. The crazy thing is that I hadn’t dated since my wife died.

I did other things, but dates weren’t an option until her.

I didn’t believe in coincidences; it was beyond unlikely that the woman my daughter talked so highly of was the same woman I had met in the club that night.

My phone buzzed, so I grabbed a napkin to clear them of the oil from the fries. I tapped the screen, and Liz’s name popped up with a text.

Liz: I can just meet you there. You don’t have to pick me up.

Me: Nah. Send the address. I’m driving.

I locked my phone and glanced up to see my mother staring intently with a smile.

“What I do?” I asked with a raise of my brow.

She shrugged her shoulders, then turned around to continue cooking.

“I can’t be happy to see my son showing all 32. So much so, your dimples have made a starring appearance.”

I ran my hand over my mouth and across my jaw. Her words only made the grin worse.

“Come on, now, Ma. Don’t do me like that.”

She smiled and continued to stir whatever she was cooking in the pot.

“I’m just saying, Son. But where are you taking her?” she asked.

“I wanted to do something where I can actually get to know her, Bowling.”

She turned to face me with a smile.

“You always did love bowling. I’m not going to get into your business too much, but I want you to actually give it a chance, understood?”

I stayed silent before finally answering.

“I hear you. But, before I go, is there anything you need for Esa?” I asked.

Before she could respond, my dad was walking into the room with Esa giggling on his back.

“Boy, we got this. If you don’t gone and have a good time. I know something.”

I shook my head with a smirk.

“Alright, I’m going. And watch that back, old man. You aren’t as young as you used to be.” I joked.

My dad waved me off as I walked around the island to place a kiss on my mother’s cheek. Then show Esa a little love, before dapping him up. I didn’t want to waste another minute since Yara had finally sent over her address.

It took me twenty minutes to make it to her place from my parents. She stayed in a set of townhouses, one of the newly built models. I pulled into her connected driveway, parked, then hopped out to ring her doorbell.

I waited briefly before the door was opened. Earlier, she had asked me what she should wear since I hadn’t told her where we were going. She was wearing a pair of jeans with a blue top and a leather jacket. Yara’s hair was in natural curls that fell past her shoulders.

I couldn’t help but smile.

“You’re so beautiful.”

Her cheeks reddened as she looked down at the flowers in my hands. I had almost forgotten I had them.

“Are those for me?” she asked, gesturing towards the flowers.

I nodded, then handed over the bouquet. It’s been years since I felt this nervous in a woman’s presence. Shit, I’d met Liz before. Not only that, but I knew what that pussy tasted like. Six years of not doing this, and it showed. My hands felt clumsy, my usual smooth confidence nowhere to be found.

I rubbed my hands together, needing something to do with them now that they were free of the flowers.

I followed her, then stopped at the entry of her place.

I glanced around at the pictures of her with her family.

One photo had a woman who looked exactly like her, so I had to assume that was her mother.

Outside of the pictures, her house felt warm, but not as in the temperature.

But definitely like it was made for a family, as if it was more than just a house, but her safe haven.

The thought brought a smile to my face. This was what I hoped my place felt like for Esa.

It was a touch; I felt women brought to any space they entered.

“You ready?” she asked.

I nodded, then turned to step outside and head for the passenger door to open for her. I waited briefly for her to lock up her place before she walked over, then slipped inside the truck. I closed her door, then walked around to the other side.

For the first ten minutes of the drive, we settled in, listening to the radio. Neither of us felt the need to say a word. At least for the moment, I could tell she was nervous by the way she continuously tapped her fingers against her thigh while staring out the window.

“Penny for your thoughts?” I asked with a smirk.

She chuckled, then glanced in my direction.

“Didn’t I tell you my thoughts were worth more than a penny?” she asked with a lift of her right brow.

“You may have, but I also mentioned the number of times I’ve seen you go off into your head at the aquarium. You were going to need to settle for that penny, or I’d be broke.”

She laughed loudly, this time trying to cover her mouth to stop it. I reached over and knocked her hand away with a smile.

“Nah, I’m gone need to see the evidence that you’re having a good time. In case you try to pretend later like I was the worst date ever.”

She kissed the front of her teeth with a smirk.

“A couple of fake laughs don’t equate to a good date. I’m not that easy—and don’t you say a word to that last part.”

I lifted one hand from the wheel in mock surrender with a smirk.

“I wasn’t going to say a damn thing because we know what’s up. If anybody is easy, it damn sure was me.”

She stared at me with a straight face before we burst into laughter together, making fun of our first meeting.

“So, are you ready to tell me where we’re going yet? I would hate to think I didn’t catch the serial killer vibes on you.”

I shook my head before responding.

“You don’t like surprises much, huh? And definitely not a serial killer. I damn sure don’t have enough time for that.” I joked.

I glanced in her direction, and she shrugged her shoulders before responding.

“I don’t think I’ve been given many surprises. I was raised by a single dad for a good portion of my life. He is a straight-shooter kind of guy and didn’t find any reason not to tell me what I wanted to know. Most times, I would know what I was getting for Christmas before I unwrapped it.”

I laughed.

“I get that. My mom gets on me all the time about allowing Esa to have an imagination about things. But I personally don’t see the point of lying to her. I will say I at least keep Christmas a secret. What was the point of him wrapping it if he already told you?”

I glanced briefly in her direction to see her smiling. I could tell her father was her happy place and was very important to her.

“Before Maria came around, he would just give them to me on Christmas, like, here you go. I hope this is what you wanted from that list. But when Maria came around, she told him he was taking all the special parts of Christmas away by doing that. It didn’t bother me, but I also didn’t mind it when she changed things.

She is part of the reason I am who I am today. ”

I kept my mouth closed, choosing not to comment on the subject.

I could tell that her talking about Maria and her father put her in a new headspace.

It took us another ten minutes before we pulled up to the Stars and Stripes Bowling alley.

I didn’t want to go on a clichéd dinner date.

Not to mention, I needed some fun, and with the job she had, I could assume she needed some too.

“How did you know I liked to bowl?” she asked.

I tapped the side of my head. “It’s all up here. Don’t touch that door handle, I got it.”

She smiled, then released her hold on the handle to wait for me.

Once I parked, I got out, then opened the door for her before leading her into the bowling alley.

It was in full swing, but I had reserved a VIP suite-styled lane.

It had custom lighting; we had our own server, and besides that, there were only a few people near us, so it wasn’t as busy or loud.

Once we made it to the front counter, I gave the clerk my name, to which she responded by asking for our shoe sizes.

I had already paid for the lanes before I came, so she printed me a receipt, then had someone lead us over to where our lane was.

Liz and I grabbed the balls we wanted to use, then placed our order for drinks and food.

“When I met you at the club, you told me your name was Liz. Is that true?” I asked.

She smiled, then gripped her hips. “It is my name, well, my middle name shortened. My first name is actually Yara.”

“I like that, it fits you. Do you prefer I call you Liz or Yara?”

“Doesn’t matter to me, but nobody actually calls me Liz.”

I nodded, then picked up my ball to bowl my turn since she wanted me to go first.

I lined up with the dots on the floor, then rolled it down the lane, knocking over every pin. I turned around with a smirk, then walked back to where we were seated.

“You think you’re the shit this early on?” she asked.

“I can’t help it. I’m good, baby.”

She scrunched up her nose, feigning annoyance with a smile. Then grabbed her ball and strutted towards the lane with an extra sway of her hips.

“Let me show you how to really throw a strike,” she announced.

“Aye—” I called out.

I opened my mouth to warn her about her shoes, but she was already in motion.

She pulled her arm back, then tossed the ball.

Only for her foot to step briefly over the line in her regular shoes.

Her body collided with the bowling lane.

In a fit to catch herself, she landed on her right arm.

The sound of her hitting the lane—that sharp smack of body meeting wood—made everyone in nearby lanes stop and stare.

The sound made my heart jolt against my rib cage. I was up in seconds, rushing to her side. My gut twisted at the way her wrist bent wrong, too wrong.