Break a leg, p.3
Break a Leg, page 3
I shook my head. “Nah, I’m going to take a couple ibuprofen actually. I had one or two challenging patients this afternoon, and my head is pounding.”
Cynda’s lovely face scrunched up with concern. “I’m sorry to hear that, Noah. Go sit in the living room. I’m about to have some coffee while this lasagna bakes. I’ll bring you some painkillers and a coffee—the caffeine will help your headache.”
“You’re the absolute best, Cynda. You would make an incredible doctor. Has anyone ever told you that?” I patted her shoulder affectionately. “I have to admit, your bedside manner is a lot better than mine.”
Her contagious laugh spilled out, warming my soul, before she returned to the kitchen to complete her tasks. In no time, she was serving me coffee, ibuprofen in a small paper cup, and a glass of water. I owed this woman so much—Aris and I would have probably never gotten together if not for her. She helped us both admit to each other we were bisexual, and that we were wildly attracted to each other.
“So, tell me what’s new with you, Noah. You seemed a little upset at dinner last night.” She settled down in the armchair and took a sip of her coffee from a mug that said Sharing is Caring!
“Oh, it’s nothing. Don’t worry about it.” I brushed off her concern, though she was right that something was bothering me last night—and today. If I were being honest with myself, my headache probably had more to do with this cloud hanging over my head than it did my afternoon patients.
“Are you sure you don’t want to talk about it?” She tilted her head, and her honey-brown eyes honed in on me. It was like she had lie detectors in them, and they could see straight through me.
Well, telling Cynda would be safer than telling Aris. Aris had a tender heart. He was a notoriously positive person, but he didn’t handle stress well.
“I probably shouldn’t say anything until after I meet with my lawyer,” I offered, hoping that might clue her in to the seriousness of my dilemma. I, unlike Aris, didn’t get stressed about trivial things. If I was going to get stressed about something, it would be something consequential.
This was consequential.
“That doesn’t sound good.” She laid a hand on top of mine. “If you’re not ready to talk about it yet, I understand, but please know I’m always here for you.”
“I love that about you, Cynda. Your loyalty and compassion, your empathy and caring spirit—you’re just such a special person to me. Thank you so much for bringing Aris and me together, and for inviting us to live in your polycule. I have never been happier, and there’s no way I would be able to face what I’m facing without such a great support system by my side.”
She brought her steepled hands to her face, pressing them against her mouth as tears glistened in her eyes. Happy tears, I hoped. “It’s so lovely of you to say such wonderful things about me, Noah. I just knew as soon as I saw you and Aris together that you needed to explore that spark. I’m never wrong about these things…”
“Indeed.” I chuckled.
“Then when I heard you both had less-than-supportive roommates—”
“Homophobic roommates, you mean. Let’s not give them any undeserved credit.” I rolled my eyes thinking about the guys we’d lived with. They didn’t understand why we needed to date each other, why we couldn’t just continue to date women if we liked women too.
“But you date women,” my roommate Brian had said. “So…what, you’re like gay now? You’re not planning to bring him over here, are you?”
He said it like I got to choose who I was attracted to or fell in love with. Or that I should only feel comfortable expressing the side of me attracted to women. That was all bullshit, of course. Cynda was instrumental in helping me understand and believe that both sides of me were equally valid and deserving of recognition.
“I hate that word—because ‘phobic’ means fear, and what it really is…is hate. It’s homo-hatred.” She gave a heavy sigh.
“Maybe. Either way…you rescued us both from what could have been a volatile situation. I will never be able to repay your kindness.”
“The good news is you don’t have to,” she returned. “Just keep paying your part of the bills and enjoying my cooking, and we’ll be all squared away.” She opened her arms wide, welcoming me into her embrace.
I couldn’t resist a Cynda hug. It was a momentary reprieve from worrying about Aris dating my patient…and from my legal troubles.
four
danielle
“So did Dr. Evans hook you up?” Raine asked as soon as I bustled in the door, dumping my heavy bag, purse and coat on the chair in the entryway. My heart was pounding from my hike up to the third floor, so I’d have to catch my breath before I could answer.
Whew, okay.
“Um, why didn’t you tell me that Noah was so hot…and that Aris is poly?” I cut right to the chase. This conversation seemed loads more important than a silly medical condition. With my lungs burning, I had to prioritize.
Raine’s melodic laugh filled the air. “Speaking of Aris…he texted me to see if he could get your number.”
I froze in place, shock reverberating through my system. “Are you serious?”
“Would I lie about such things?” My roommate batted her eyelashes at me. “So, did you get answers for your throat or not?”
“Yes, I did. And I sure hope you wouldn’t lie to me!” I recalled the image of Aris’s captivating smile when the elevator opened to reveal him in those blue scrubs. “He’s absolutely gorgeous. I don’t know why he’d be interested in me, though. Hell, his boyfriend is prettier than I am! And he hasn’t texted or called me, anyway, so maybe he already changed his mind.”
Raine held a hand up. “Chill, sis. It’s been like fifteen minutes, for fuck’s sake. Now, come have some tea and tell me what Dr. Evans said about your pipes.”
My wonderful roommate already had the tea kettle on, and as I followed her into the kitchen, it began to whistle. The timing literally could not have been better, and we both laughed for a solid twenty or thirty seconds about it. Then I poured us both some tea, added honey to mine, and we went to sit in the living room.
“Well, he gave me an antibiotic for a sinus infection, but he wants to check what else is going on, so he’s ordered a CT scan of my sinuses and an endoscopy.” I sighed. “I really hope it’s just the sinus infection though. I can’t afford for anything else to be wrong with me. Especially not if I get a good part in this show!”
“Well, you gotta get through auditions first,” Raine reminded me, then she let out a whistle almost as shrill as the teapot’s. “You should see some of the costume designs for the show. They are stunning!”
“I know—I already popped one of those pills, and I’ll take another before bed tonight. I’m just going to keep thinking positive. You know how hard that is for me. I’m not a glass-half-full kind of person.” I sighed. “And I’m sure if you had anything to do with the costume designs, they’re absolutely gorgeous.”
“Thank you.” She grinned. “And I know how you are, Ms. Grumpy Pants. But I’ll keep trying to send you my positive vibes.” Raine sipped her tea and put the cup down on the saucer. “Now…tell me what Aris said when you ran into him.”
I relayed the conversation. “So did you know he’s bi and poly?”
“Well, not exactly, but Bonnie did say she knew he’d dated women in the past. Do you think you’ll go out with him?” she asked.
“I wonder if he and Noah are a package deal?” My eyebrows waggled as I thought about being in an Aris-Noah sandwich.
“Mmm, can you imagine being in a Noah-Aris sandwich?” My roommate’s voice had a dreamy quality to it.
My eyes bugged out. “Holy shit, you did not just say exactly what I was thinking!”
My roommate’s jaw fell open. “Get the fuck outta here! That’s what you’re hoping for?”
“I didn’t say ‘hoping…’” I realized right then that this might be one of those “be careful what you wish for” situations. “Is Noah bisexual too?”
She shrugged. “Good question. I’m sure Bonnie knows…”
“What do they call it when it’s three…?” I totally spaced on the term. Not a couple, but a…
“Hot as fuck?” Raine supplied.
“Throuple!” I blurted out, suddenly remembering.
“Oh my god, I thought you said ‘trouble’ at first.”
I shrugged. “Well, you never know…”
And before I could say anything else, my phone chimed in the purse I’d left in the entryway. I was so attuned to the sound, I heard it loud and clear over our laughter, even though it was several yards away. I leapt up and did an Olympic-caliber steeple chase to get into the foyer and collect my phone.
My heart was pounding as I swiped the unlock code for my phone, knowing full well it was probably something mundane like an email related to school. A girl could dream, though, right?
Unknown number. My breath hitched.
812-555-7865: Hi, it’s Aris. Hope you don’t mind I got your phone number from Raine. Enjoyed running into you today.
I squealed as I walked back into the living room, where Raine was still standing there looking flabbergasted.
“What?”
“What?! You practically set a world record to get to your phone!” Raine chuckled at her own joke. “Well? Don’t hold me in suspense.”
“It’s from Aris!” I read her the text, analyzing every single word for hidden meaning. “Should I text him back now or wait?”
She tilted her head. “How old are you?”
“Twenty-five.” I stared back at her. “What? I don’t want to fuck this up.”
“It’s a text,” she said, “not a final exam. Just text him back. Sheesh!”
I set my phone on the end table next to the sofa. “Look, you know my history with men, and what little history I have is not positive.” I’d had exactly two relationships: a long-term boyfriend in high school—we broke up when I went away to college. And a broken engagement that crushed my heart around the time I graduated from college. Since then? Nada. Well, nothing worth noting, anyway.
Raine’s nose wrinkled. “Well…there’s no pressure, right? It would just be hanging out. Like a friends-with-benefits thing, right?”
I blinked a few times. “What do you mean?”
“Well, he’s living with Noah. They’re together. I know they’re poly, but—”
More confused blinking ensued. “Well, what difference does that make?”
She sighed as if frustrated by my lack of comprehension. Then she sat down on the sofa and took a sip of her tea. I plopped down and did the same, savoring the sweetness of the honey on my tongue.
“I didn’t think you’d want to get serious with someone who is already involved with someone else,” she said. “I mean, I could be wrong, but—”
“But what?”
“Poly is a lot of work,” she warned me. “I thought you would want a man all to yourself. You know, like a traditional relationship. Marriage. Kids. White picket fence.”
“Sheesh, Raine, you’re kinda jumping the gun here, aren’t you?” I already knew I wasn’t cut out for poly. I even told him as much today when I ran into him.
I just wanted to have some fun. I deserved some fun, right? I still wasn’t sure what Aris saw in me, but maybe hot Greek guys with sexy man buns thought curvy brunettes were the epitome of beauty?
“Aren’t you?” She stared right back at me. “If you’re thinking of it being more than just a friendship? Maybe some great sex?”
I wasn’t sure why we were arguing. It sounded like we were making the same conclusion, just not reaching it in the same way. “Are you asking if I can have casual sex with Aris and not get attached?”
She bit her bottom lip, her eyes bouncing between mine. “Yes. I guess that’s what I’m asking. I know you, Dani—you have a tender heart, even if your façade is aloof and in control. I don’t want you to get hurt. This just doesn’t seem like a forever-type thing, you know?”
Everyone needs a best friend who can be honest with you, and Raine was the bluntest, most honest person I knew. “You’re right that I get my feelings hurt easily, but if I do, I keep it to myself. I certainly won’t come crying to you about it.”
My gaze spun around the room, trying to find a focal point that wasn’t the intense love and devotion shining in her eyes because now tears were welling in mine. To have someone care so much for me—I wasn’t used to it. It was triggering something deep inside me that I tried to keep shoved down where it belonged.
“Dani,” Raine set her teacup down again and stood up, “I love you so much. I see through your act where others don’t. You come across as this tough, confident diva…”
I stood up too. “You don’t think I can handle Aris?”
“I just don’t want you to get hurt.” She smiled. “That’s all I’m saying.”
“I’m not as weak as you think.” I cleared my throat and squared my shoulders.
She reached out to touch my arm. “I know you’re not weak. It takes a strong person to cover up their scars the way you do. No one would ever have a clue about your family, Dani.”
I swallowed hard, sending the sniffles and tears that were burgeoning down my throat. I didn’t want them right now. Didn’t need them. I could turn them off and on at will. Not just because I was an actress and had been trained to, but because I grew up learning to hide my emotions.
Raine was right—she was one of the few who knew the real me with all my scars.
“As you said, it’s just a text. I’ve hardly dated since I started this program. I need a little fun in my life. I don’t know what’s going to happen with Aris, but would it be a crime if I just got laid once or twice? Enjoyed myself for a few minutes?
After a deep sigh, I continued, “As soon as my MFA is complete, I’ll be off to New York to start a new life and audition for shows. I’ll probably have to wait tables somewhere while I audition my heart out, waiting for my big break. It’s going to be rough as fuck—I know that. Maybe this is my last chance for a good old-fashioned fling while I’m still young enough to enjoy it.”
“Maybe…” Raine smiled. “But you’re so talented, I think some casting director is going to snatch you up right away.”
“But even then I’m going to be focused on my career. I’m not going to have time for fun,” I argued.
“What about the marriage, family, and white picket fence?” Raine asked.
It was a legitimate question. “I’m only twenty-five. I can do that later…after I’ve conquered Broadway.”
She grinned. “And you will, too. I just know it.” She handed me my phone from the end table. “You’re right—I wasn’t giving you enough credit. You should text him back. Have fun. Get laid.”
I accepted the phone and unlocked it again, swallowing down more of those threatening tears. “Okay, here goes nothing.”
Me: Hey, Aris! It was nice to see you today too. How’s your day going?
aris
My heart fluttered when my text was answered not long after I sent it. Thinking about that beautiful curvy brunette immediately brought a smile to my face.
“What are you smiling about?” Wendy, one of the nurses in my office, asked.
“Oh, nothing.” I didn’t have the type of skin to flush easily, but my cheeks felt hot nonetheless.
“Text from Dr. Evans?” Her well-groomed eyebrows arched as she stared at me like she was trying to solve a puzzle.
“No, no…” I needed to figure out what to say to Danielle, but that could wait. “I’m going to finish up restocking, and then I’m out of here.”
“Have a nice evening!” Wendy waved as she headed off to greet our last patient of the day.
Noah wasn’t thrilled about our relationship being so public, but nearly everyone we worked with had seen us together. Before we knew it, the rumors were flying. It was hard to keep anything secret in this medical office building. There were four doctors here: ENT, orthopedics, gastroenterology, and a urologist. And I had never met a bigger group of gossipy people. Nurses were the absolute worst, too.
I checked over all the supplies and made sure there were enough bandages, braces, gloves, and other odds and ends before gathering up my things and heading out to my bike. I was lucky to live close enough to bike to work—and the hills in Bloomington were great for my legs and stamina. I’d like to think all the bike riding improved my performance in the bedroom too.
I swung my leg over my bike and stood there for a moment, fumbling for my phone. I wanted to text Danielle back before I left work. Maybe when I arrived home, there’d be another text from her waiting for me.
Me: Just finished up work and I’m about to bike home. Just wondered if you’d like to hang out sometime. Coffee? Drinks?
I wanted to add: with your naked curves pressed against me? But that seemed a little too forward. I really didn’t know much at all about this woman, only that she was a theater student and her area of expertise was musical theater. And she was absolutely stunning.
Hopefully I’d be learning more—much more—about her soon.
noah
Working in the same building as your lover does make it hard to maintain any semblance of privacy. I’d always been a private person, and although I deeply admired Aris’s openness, it was just not my style. I needed to meet with my lawyer without my boyfriend asking a million questions—and Aris always asked a million questions—so I booked the appointment for right when I finished my eight o’clock surgery.
It was a simple tonsillectomy, and there were no complications, so I was on my way from the hospital to my attorney’s office without anyone keeping tabs on me. I checked in and took a seat in the small waiting area across from the administrative assistant.
Maggie welcomed me with a hug—she was just that kind of person, magnanimous and effervescent, despite having a sharp and creative legal mind. She was a friend of a friend, and I was grateful for the referral.
