Diagnostics

The night I actually met Seth was horrible. The drive home was awkward and quiet. Luke kept looking at me worriedly whenever we stopped at a red light. And we seemed to be stopping at every freaking red light. I was determined not to look at him because my level of annoyance had reached that part where one jostle and I could cry. I felt violated for some reason. And to think I had been so excited to meet Seth that day.

When we reached my apartment building, Luke ran out to open my door for me but I didn’t wait to let him. I opened the door on my own and hurriedly fished my keys out of my purse. I just wanted to get out of there and let out my tears. It was so difficult keeping them in. I needed a good two or three sobs, for God’s sake, and I blame it partly on the hormones.

“Hey, talk to me,” Luke had said quietly as I was busy trying to unlock the building door. “We said we won’t shut down on each other,” he said before I pushed the door open and went inside. I had no reply. I knew he wanted to come into the building when I saw his eyes, but he let me shut the door.

Anne was furious at Seth the moment I recounted to them what happened over lunch the following Monday. “Okay, did you really just tell me he was thirty? Because I don’t believe you right now.”

Carmen seemed to be calculating what she was about to say. And Olive was simply dumbstruck. I hadn’t really wanted to bother them with stupid stuff, especially since we all had mountains of notes to pore over. But I simply couldn’t figure out whatever it was I did wrong, and I needed some consult.

I hadn’t talked to Luke yet, either. He hasn’t called since he dropped me off and I closed the door on his face. I was secretly hoping he’d magically appear out of nowhere, trying his best to pacify me and figure out what was wrong, but it was radio silent between us over the weekend.

I knew how it was so totally juvenile for me to give him the cold shoulder (and suspect that Luke was doing the same), but I didn’t exactly know how I could communicate to him effectively about how his “perfect” brother was simply rude and how he didn’t stand up for me when I expected him to. (Even I thought the latter statement sounded way too demanding from a girlfriend of a mere one week.)

“There has got to be a reason why Luke’s brother was like that. You said Casey herself told you he was just being protective,” Carmen said over the incomprehensible mutterings Anne was doing. “Let’s get our facts straight here. You are a medical student. Luke’s family is basically made up of doctors with apparently sparkling practices and huge connections. You have only been dating Luke four weeks and he’s already arranged for you to meet his family, basically, a week after you went exclusive. Something in that storyline must have sent his danger warnings through the roof. Although, that’s one big paranoid person, if you ask me.” She finished with a meaningful look towards me.

I was speechless. I never thought of it that way. “So let’s say Seth thinks I am a social climber to his brother’s alternative medical connections. Why would he, though? I never even knew half of Luke’s family were doctors until after we decided to be exclusive!”

We all fell silent at that. It would have looked stupid if a stranger looked in on us. We were literally brainstorming over a guy the way we normally would do a difficult diagnostic case. Rule this in, rule this out. The best diagnosis must explain everything the patient has…

“Wait,” Olive said after a while. “You said something about bumping into Dr. Anderson. And the residency offer.” She literally looked like she just discovered fire.

“Oh come on, that was clearly a joke. That could not have been tacked negatively on me! At any rate, that should have made me look better!”

“No, no. I get where Olive’s coming from,” Carmen butted in. “But we can’t ever know for sure by just sitting here. You need to talk to Luke.”

“I can’t,” I answered petulantly, forking a piece of pasta pointlessly.

“Why not?” Anne suddenly asked, coherently this time.

“’Cause I told you, we’re not talking.” I knew I sounded like a kid. And it wasn’t a half hour later when they managed to put some sense into me and convinced me to reach out to Luke. I had decided I’d call him later for coffee. I was planning on studying out after class anyway.

I spent the last class getting anxious about having some serious talk with Luke. I was pretty sure by dismissal that I would be back at square one on that topic by the time I got home. I have never been a fan of serious talks because I have a tendency to not think and get carried away by my emotions that word vomit usually happens. And to know that one was lingering right around the corner was enough to weigh on my heart heavily.

I was delaying on calling Luke. I had decided I’d call him once I got out of the building. So naturally, I was postponing having to leave the building after class had ended. But Anne and Olive saw right through me and dragged me to the elevator.

Turns out I didn’t have to call. I saw Luke leaning on a column at the lobby once the elevator doors opened. He was still wearing his uniform and it was already past six. I had forgotten I already handed him my schedule. Our eyes immediately caught each other’s and my heart began pounding. Here goes…

Anne and Olive said goodbye the minute Luke walked up to me. I have to admit I considered following them out of the building for a second. But that wouldn’t get me some progress, would it?

“Hey,” I greeted him awkwardly. He leaned in for a kiss on the cheek and I let him. It was… restrained.

“I’m just gonna say it, okay?” he started assertively with his hands stuffed in his pockets. “I don’t know if you still wanna see me or talk to me, but I’ve given you your space and it was hard to do that but I did, and I think I deserve at least a moment for you to let us discuss what happened.” He was panting by the end of his sentence. He clearly thought this through. And I have postponed thinking about anything. Something’s definitely wrong with the stereotypes we’re playing, I thought mindlessly.

Meeting Doctors

Tonight was the night Luke had set for me to meet his brother Seth and his girlfriend Casey. Anne and Carmen were shocked to hear it. Luke and I have only been official one week and they kept warning me at just how fast things seemed to be going between us. I didn’t think it was a big deal anymore though. Things were running smoothly, I just didn’t think meeting Luke’s brother would make any negative impact.

Seth had confirmed the dinner on a Saturday evening. Three days after Luke called. He had said his brother’s schedule was a challenge to overthrow and three days was a good interval. Anyways, it was going to be at this upscale restaurant that was simply impossible to get a table from if it were only me and my measly budget and strings. It was a different case with Luke’s brother who knew the owner, though.

I browsed the internet about the restaurant’s menu, just so I wouldn’t get so out of my league when it came time to order. (I think that was probably the control freak in me.) And I almost died when I saw the price list. Suffice it to say that I just can’t wait to be a doctor myself if it meant I could eat without worrying about how to pay for it.

I had decided to wear a dark green cocktail dress for the occasion and matched it with strappy silver heels. I wanted to make a good impression and I was ready to go when Luke called me to say he was waiting downstairs. He was leaning against a black sedan when I got out of the building.

“I’ve never seen you drive a car before,” I said to him after I greeted him with a kiss on the lips. He looked extra nice in a crisp white shirt, black pants, and skinny black tie.

“The bike’s faster and less restraining.” He opened the passenger door for me and gestured for me to go in and I did. He handed me a long-stemmed red rose and kissed my cheek before he closed the door before I could even say thanks.

That was his thing. He’d do something so utterly sweet out of the blue and he’d act as if it was totally normal that he does these things. As if it was no big deal when it actually was.

“You ready?” he asked once he got inside the car.

“Yes.”

“Don’t ditch me when you see him, okay?” he said, looking at me seriously while also trying to stifle a laugh. He had been saying how much better Seth was than him. And that Seth’d probably be more my type than himself because Seth was a doctor and he was not. He’d always say it like it was a joke. But somehow I felt he was not so confident when it was his brother involved.

I giggled. “I won’t,” I promised with a huge smile on my face. I had long decided I would wait until he felt comfortable enough with me to open up about how he felt about his brother.

It turns out Seth was an anesthesiologist who already had a flourishing practice at age thirty. He has practically inherited the patients of the surgeons that their mother worked with four years into his fellowship when their mother decided to retire and go on an extended cruise with their father at the Caribbean just a couple months ago. I’d never have known Luke’s mom was a doctor too if I hadn’t asked about Seth! And Luke only said he never knew how to stir it into the conversation.

Luke’s father (was not Darth Vader, sorry), on the other hand, was a businessman who had a flexible time so the brothers never had to grow up alone. It was a well-thought plan, in my opinion, a doctor marrying another from a different field that was less demanding of time than her own. And it explained the reason why Luke went to a completely different direction than his mom and Seth. It wasn’t like the whole family was a bunch of doctors. It wasn’t a stuck-up thing where he was expected to follow everybody else’s footsteps just ‘cause (which actually tend to happen A LOT in families made up of doctors). It was to each his own.

“Hang on a second. I distinctly remember you saying you weren’t rich at all,” I had told him the moment I realized just how wealthy he must have been if he had an anesthesiologist and a businessman for parents. I was flashing back on all the signs: the Ducati, the big tips, the clothes, the apartment.

“I’m not, though. My family’s wealthy, not me,” he answered so nonchalantly before he kissed me into submission. And what a typical answer from a typical Richie Rich. Dang it, I was stupid, wasn’t I?

We got stuck in traffic two blocks away from the restaurant and we were already running late when Luke received a call from his brother.

“We just ran into a bit of traffic. We’re almost there,” said Luke. Seth said something on the other line. “No. Don’t be ridiculous. I just didn’t know the road’s gonna be like this. I brought the car.” A pause, and then Luke hung up.

“You okay?” I asked reaching out for Luke’s hand, noticing he was a bit agitated after the call.

“Seth just has this thing about being punctual, and we’re ten minutes late. Don’t worry about it.” I could feel just how affected he was by Seth’s call that I wondered whether there was more to it than he was letting on.

We arrived at the restaurant five minutes after the call and found Seth and Casey waiting for us at the bar.

“You guys, this is Samantha, my girlfriend,” Luke introduced me with an arm draped around my shoulders. “Samantha, this is Seth, my brother, and this is Casey, his fiancée.”

Casey was very sweet, warm, and smoking hot. She was wearing a sleek black asymmetrical cutout dress with her hair high up in a bun – a look only models could have pulled off. She hugged me so tightly after Luke’s introduction and she seemed so genuinely pleased to meet me.

I couldn’t say the same about Seth, though. He was civil about me, as far as civility is concerned, but he merely shook my hand so coldly. Not that I was expecting to be treated like family instantly, but it was anticlimactic, if you ask me. Luke had portrayed his brother as this warm, kind, and loving older brother that this cold and aloof person in front of me seemed to be an entirely different person from who I was debriefed to meet.

The moment our hands touched, my jaw almost dropped to the floor. I could see past his shoulder. Wearing a sterling suit and leaning into the other side of the bar with a glass of scotch was Dr. Karl Anderson and his wonderful grey eyes. He was talking to a couple other guys who I assumed were around his age as well. My heart stopped out of sheer admiration. Dr. Anderson looked absolutely perfect.

An usherette walked up to us to inform us that the table was being prepared. At that exact moment, Dr. Anderson looked over his shoulder towards the door. He seemed to be waiting for someone else to arrive. And then, his eyes fell on my little group. First on Seth, then on Casey, and finally on me. The recognition that clearly showed in his expression made me float in the air. He remembers me still!

I furtively watched him excuse himself from his friends and walk right up to our side of the bar. He was looking at our direction and I did not know exactly what I should do. Panic was the right word for it, I think.

Dr. Anderson greeted Seth, Luke, and Casey and it clearly showed they all knew each other well. “And how did you manage to get your hands on Ms. Miller?” he asked Seth humorously while shaking my hand in greeting. “No stealing from my department!”

Seth only responded with a forced laugh.

“Oh, there’s our table. I’ll see you around,” Dr. Anderson waved us goodbye once he saw his friends leaving the bar. “Ms. Miller, I’ll put in a good word for you in Surgery if you don’t take up this man on any Anesthesiology offers.”

I was sure my eyes were wide as saucers because Dr. Anderson merely looked at me amusedly before taking off. I think I was able to mutter an “I’d be honored” before he had gone. And Seth had returned to his previous stony expression before Dr. Anderson came by to have a chat.

My mind was immediately in a buzz. I did not know whether I could take Dr. Anderson’s word for this bright future in Surgery at such an informal meeting. But then again, much of everything in taking up posts at the hospital happened this way, as far as I’ve heard. It’s all word of mouth until they give you a paper to sign and everything becomes official.

If Dr. Anderson were being serious, him putting in a good word for me in his department would be a huge deal. His word would as good as seal the deal on a surgical residency for me in the future! No competing with other applicants. No unwarranted asskisseries to senior residents during internship just for a decent endorsement. Just a residency spot waiting for me, served on a silver platter with ice cream on top. But that’s just me counting my chickens before the eggs are hatched.

The usherette led us to our table moments later, and I found out Seth already had the chef prepare a menu for our dinner. It seemed a bit too controlling, in my opinion. But I decided to just zip my non-paying mouth and go with the flow.

“Luke tells us you’re already in third year, Samantha. How are you getting on?” Casey said over dinner. She seemed so very enthusiastic about almost everything that I wondered how she could tolerate Seth’s attitude on a frequent basis, really. He just seemed so… standoffish.

The rest of the dinner conversation was mostly shouldered by Casey on Seth’s end, who had generally been just quiet and watchful that it was almost too rude even for me. And I have an unbelievable threshold, you guys. I did not understand what I could have done wrong to even deserve such impoliteness.

Luke, on the other hand, was trying to act as if everything was normal. And honestly, it was starting to get on my nerves. I was really only putting on a nice attitude because I did not want to be rude to Casey who was trying so hard to salvage the situation. But it was simply too challenging to not be fazed by this man’s attitude.

Before dessert was served, Casey asked me to go to the lady’s room with her. I went just because I could not stand Seth anymore and any break from his rude behavior was too welcome.

“I met Seth in medical school, you know,” Casey shared once we were both in front of the mirror powdering our noses (oh, so ladylike of me).

“Oh. Luke never said you were a doctor, too.”

“Yeah, he doesn’t always know when to say stuff like that,” she agreed. “I’m guessing Luke told you last minute about Seth and his mom being doctors?”

“Yeah,” I mumbled in response.

“He’s a bit uncomfortable about it. I think he thinks people treat him differently once they know.”

“But why does he think that?”

“Oh, it’s just Luke being Luke. Trust me, I’ve known him long enough,” she said as she let her hair down glamorously. And by God, her hair was luxurious. I’d never be able to pull off a hair down from a bun in a jiffy and in one day. “And right now, that’s just Seth being Seth. I do apologize about his behavior. I really want to smack him with that attitude of his. But he is very protective about Luke, I hope you understand.” She put her hands on my shoulders and turned me to face her. “Don’t let this phase intimidate you, please. I really like you for my little brother-in-law-to-be. And I know Seth’s gonna like you, too, if he gets over his tantrum tonight.”

“Thank you.” I smiled at Casey’s kind words and was inwardly thanking I did not end up making drama at the table. I was this close to calling Seth’s ugly behavior out. That was how rude he was being. And I did not exactly care that Seth was eight years my senior then.

We went back to our table with me a little bit saner than when I left. I felt Luke squeeze my hand beneath the table once I was seated and I turned my head towards him. He was looking at me with concern and I only gazed back at him with pursed lips. In an instant, I was slightly annoyed by the fact that he never called his brother out at the way I was being treated. And it annoyed me more that the person who had enough sense to appease me had to be Casey, who was practically a stranger to me.

Dinner ended uneventfully after that. We said our goodbyes and Casey and I exchanged numbers before I quietly walked over to where Luke’s car was parked. I think I put on a good show for Casey and Seth, but now that I’ve watched their car leave the parking area, I no longer had to pretend I was happy to meet Seth at all.

A Pancakes-and-OJ Kind of Morning

I woke up to the smell of pancakes wafting in my bedroom. Luke’s side of the bed was empty and I had to smile despite the filthy hangover that was starting to come on. I had to get glucose into my system fast.

I fell asleep securely tucked in Luke’s arms last night/this morning. He had remained quiet, but he cuddled with me and I was fine. (But that was just because I was tired.) I still had no idea why he was acting weird though because I never had the guts to ask.

“Morning,” Luke greeted me when I walked out of my bedroom. He flipped a pancake to an empty plate before he walked towards me and kissed me at the top of my head.

“Morning,” I greeted him back. “Which syrup do you want?” I asked as I walked towards the fridge, trying to be casual. “I have maple, chocolate, and a bit of strawberry left from last time.”

“Whatever you’re having,” he answered.

“Maple, it is” I announced, bringing the bottle to my tiny breakfast table.

“You always pick maple,” he observed.

“I always do, don’t I?” I responded, trying to keep the conversation alive. It was tough.

Unlike all the other mornings, when talk flowed so easily between the two of us, today I ate quietly, not really knowing what to say after the little awkward conversation we just had. The air between us was simply weird.

I was trying to figure out why Luke had been quiet and acting the way he was while I chewed on a piece of pancake. I stared out the kitchen window, hoping to clear my mind and identify what was wrong in this picture but I was drawing blanks and I didn’t really want to entertain the idea of just asking Luke about it. I knew I was being stupid, but I couldn’t really work up the courage to call him out. Maybe I just had to give him some space or something.

“You’re quiet,” Luke nudged me gently after a while.

“You’re quiet,” I answered back, figuring the conversation’s about to happen anyway. “You sort of shut down on me last night.” I didn’t mean for my tone to be accusing, but it did come out that way. So much for deciding to just let him be.

“I’m sorry,” he apologized softly as he touched the corner of my lips, apparently wiping off a crumb. “I was just… thinking last night.”

“About what?” I put down my utensils and stared at his brown eyes intently. They looked so beautiful against what little sunlight crept inside my apartment, and it was distracting.

“About how much I like you,” he said so matter-of-factly.

“I don’t understand. I like you, too.”

“I like you too much, I… I don’t know what to do with you.” He answered, looking at me as though I was a puzzle he can’t solve.

“You what?” I asked stupidly. I didn’t really fully understand what he meant. Or whether I should be offended or something.

“Samantha, I don’t want to see other people.” He breathed deeply before continuing on. “I don’t want you to see other people. I don’t know what to do with you seeing other people,” he said, not taking his eyes off me.

“I’m not seeing other people right now,” I muttered almost incomprehensibly. I couldn’t even understand where all of this was coming from.

“Do you want to?” he asked.

His eyes looked unsure, and I had to smile. Now I get it. And I realized just how stupid I was for not recognizing it earlier. I blamed it on the alcohol. “No. I don’t want to see other people.”

He smiled widely at that. And then he kissed me. It was a soft, soothing, maple-y kiss. His eyes were still crinkled with a smile when he pulled back.

He stood from his seat and walked towards the fridge, taking out a box of orange juice. I was secretly celebrating how my kitchen was freshly stocked with decent food and how perfect everything was with Luke in it. I watched him fill two glasses before walking a couple steps right back.

He sat in front of me again and sipped on his drink, looking at me intently. I felt like I was chewing on the pancake quite loudly now that no one else was eating with me, and I felt quite conscious.

“So. I can call you my girlfriend now, right?” he said once the sound of my chewing had momentarily stopped.

“I guess.”

“And you can call me your boyfriend now, too. Congratulations,” he said, faking arrogance that worked well with his messy morning hair.

I only smiled at him, tilting my head a little at the ridiculous way his cockiness sounded. A second later, he had already pecked on my lips so quickly.

“Let’s not shut down on each other again, hmm?” he said after a while, pausing just before he drank from his glass.

“Let’s not.” I agreed, fully understanding he was referring to himself. “And let’s not get jealous over Jack. Who was flirting with the bartender last night, by the way.”

He pursed his lips guiltily. “I wasn’t.” He was actually trying to hide a smile while he busied himself looking down on the floor.

“Yeah. You weren’t,” I teased. He was just so adorable.

Turns out he thought something was up because he found me and Jack alone at the bar while our friends were out on the floor. And that my awkward introduction between them was received as shady.

“Well, I’m sorry I didn’t know how I was supposed to introduce you!” I said, blushing at how ineffective my introduction skills were. In my defense, they have never been the best.

“Now you do.” He smiled.

We finished our breakfast and cleaned up together. And then we spent the rest of the morning lounging lazily in the couch, flipping on random TV channels. The couch was still small for the two of us, but we didn’t mind. I was only so relieved I didn’t have any case papers I needed to write.

We later decided we’d go out for lunch after we went to his apartment for him to change. I’ve never been to his place, which I thought made this thing between us seem faster than it already was. He’s already my boyfriend and I’ve never been to his apartment! I was hyperventilating inside, panicking myself over nothing, knowing it was stupid all the same.

“You’re not changing your mind about us, are you?” he nudged me after he parked his bike. It was as if he had read my mind. I didn’t realize he was already beside me, waiting for me to walk up to his apartment with him. He took my hand and pulled me near just enough for me to catch a whiff of his scent. “’Cause I’m not letting you,” he whispered in my ear before kissing the top of my head.

I was speechless when we entered his apartment. It was spacious and well-furnished, as if an actual interior designer came in and fixed the place. My own apartment looked extra shabby in comparison to this, and I wondered why he never asked me to spend the night instead of the other way around. It would have been much more comfortable. For the both of us.

“I won’t be long. Feel at home,” he said before disappearing into his bedroom.

I went to the kitchen to get myself a glass of water, and saw stuck on the refrigerator door a photo of him and an older guy who looked so much like him, but with glasses. That was probably his older brother Seth. Luke always talked about things he’d done with his brother. But I had never asked Luke what Seth did for a living. By this picture, he looked so much like a corporate man. Someone people like me despised and admired for being rich at such a tender age.

“I see you’ve seen my brother,” I heard Luke’s voice from across the kitchen counter.

“He looks so much like you.”

“I want you to meet him soon,” he said, throwing the idea out there just so very casually. Oh, this man is killing me with his speed. “I’m sure you two’d get along great. He’s a doctor too, by the way.”

“Oh. You never said,” I uttered with a small voice. I looked at the picture again. The idea of Luke’s older brother being a doctor fit the profile indeed. And then I realized that was probably why Luke was always so concerned about me studying. He already knew how hard and time-consuming it was.

“I had to make you my girlfriend first. Or you’d probably just ditch me and go after him instead,” he said as he walked over to where I was standing. “Girls do find Seth hotter, I think.”

“That’s a stupid notion.” I put my arms around his neck and kissed him long and hard. “I think you’re hotter.”

“You say that now. But I’ll take it.” He smiled his cute smile and kissed me again, pressing my back flat against the cold fridge. We never got to eat out for lunch. Or dinner.

I Think We Know How to Party, Too

A/N: Sorry about this late one. Ze boyfriend surprised me with a Valentine getaway before I finished writing. :/

It’s been almost two weeks since I bruised Luke’s chiseled abs. (Yeah, I just had to put that out there once more.) And he has spent a total of three nights in my apartment since then.

He always made me breakfast. Which was actually starting to spoil the heck out of me. And I have yet to be late whenever he was here (since we both had to go to the same building at the same time). All was doing fine. Until the post-exam batch party last night, that is.

I’d already told Luke about the upcoming party. I had wanted to ask him to come with, but I thought he might feel out of place since he hasn’t really gotten to know a lot of people in my circle yet. He had also said earlier he’d probably go and visit his brother then, so I figured I wouldn’t invite him altogether.

Friday arrived and everyone looked like a zombie that morning. You have got to understand, guys. A week in third year medical school does take its toll. Everyone’s been taking hits since Monday. And even though partying that night seemed like a very bad idea over getting some much-needed sleep with this zombified crowd, I knew everyone was gonna bring their A-game on tonight’s party. And I was not mistaken.

When the afternoon class was over, everybody went home. I bagged a couple hours of sleep before getting ready for the party. I donned a pair of black leather leggings, a sparkly tank top, and a pair of black high-heeled ankle booties. And when I arrived at Monica’s place, the party was already in full swing.

It was almost like a college party, really. Only with a bit older people with Latin vocabularies and better mixed drinks. The loudness, the dancing, they were practically the same. These kinds of parties are where doctors-to-be let loose and forget about just how a doctor-to-be should behave.

I found Anne and Olive dancing their feet off with Jack and Chris, and I zoomed towards them in an instant. “You guys! Where are the others?” I shouted over the loud dance music. That was me now. I never know who the artist is anymore, all I ever really know is when it sounds good.

“Getting drinks!” Jack answered. “Have you seen Monica’s bartender? Tall drink!”

I laughed, trying to get a good look at where Jack’s lips were pointing. Jack was bi, more recently veering towards the gay side, I think, with the streak of guys he has been going out with. He pulled it off, you know. He had brown hair, blue eyes, a lean physique, and an academic résumé that made him hotter than he already was. He literally had looks that appealed strongly to both sides of the spectrum, me included.

Jack usually hosts these parties in his house because he lived alone with just a maid for company. His parents are already based abroad and expect him to follow once he graduates. So basically, he could do whatever he wants. His parents were in the country this weekend, though, so the party couldn’t swing at his place this time.

“Why didn’t you bring Luke with you?” Anne asked while we danced. “Tommy brought Natalie. And Carmen came with Shane.”

“He doesn’t know a lot of people here!” I said defensively. Natalie and Shane were not medical students. But they have been dating my friends even before we started medical school. Naturally, we know them already.

“He could meet everyone here!” Jack interjected with an eye roll.

I considered his response for a moment, and figured he was right. “He was planning on going to his brother’s, though.”

“Oh. Too bad,” Anne said as she downed her drink in one gulp.

A couple hours into the party, I was already feeling disinhibition: I was laughing at stupid stuff, saying stupid things… well, basically enjoying the night. Beer pongs were happening, ridiculous dancing. The stamina of “my people” is simply commendable.

Anne was already getting drunk, too, by the looks of it. She brought me aside, asked me to go to the bathroom with her, and we both literally almost fell to the floor because of her drunken, mildly ataxic gait. We laughed victoriously when we arrived at the bathroom without having to kiss any of Monica’s carpets.

I asked her to hold onto my purse when it was my turn to use the bathroom. And when I got out, she was smiling maliciously at me.

“I did something,” she said, aiming at mysteriousness, but failing at it miserably. I saw she was clutching my phone in one hand, and both of our purses in the other.

“What did you do?” I started to panic. Anne was notorious at doing petty little nuances whenever she got drunk and careless. I love the girl and all; and we all understood alcohol made people (i.e. Anne) do things. But right now, I was worried at what she might have just done.

“I answered Luke’s call,” she giggled, showing off the phone and waving it in front of my face.

“And?”

“He’s coming over!”

“Why?!”

“Oh, don’t worry! I just invited him to come over if he wanted to.”

“Oh my God, Anne! Why would you do that? He’s probably at his brother’s!”

“He said he wanted to!” she assured me.

I had to run back inside the bathroom and look at myself in the mirror. Ok, I still had my makeup on fine. And I still looked a bit on the fresh side.

“You look fine!” Anne called on me from the hall. “Hot, actually,” she said as she held the door open, looking me a once over from head to toe.

“He’s probably at his brother’s, Anne,” I scolded her.

“He said he could come.” She smiled and then took my hand and pulled me back to where the bar was. We both needed fresh drinks. I needed one for my sudden bout of nerves.

We found Jack at the bar. He had successfully taken the bartender’s attention. Turns out Stan was a friend of Monica’s and he was gay, and they were flirting to and fro, it was crazy.

Anne left to dance with the others after getting herself a drink. Me, on the other hand… my feet were already hurting and my head was kinda buzzing that I decided to just “thirdwheel” with Jack and Stan. They didn’t seem to mind. I was busy laughing with Jack at the hilarious joke Stan dropped before leaving us for a while to make some drinks when someone tapped my shoulder from behind. “Hi!” I greeted when I turned to see Luke.

“Anne invited me,” Luke answered, as though he needed to explain. He was looking at Jack and me alternately.

It took me a while before figuring out introductions were apt. I didn’t really know how to introduce Luke now that we weren’t so much strangers to each other as before, so I decided to keep it simple. “Jack, this is Luke. You remember him?”

“I remember. Hi!” Jack greeted with a wide smile and raised eyebrows, saving me from my awkward introduction.

Luke, on the other hand, just gave him a small smile. Apparently, simple introductions were NOT what was expected by both parties.

“Let me just slip away and let you two, uhm, interact,” Jack said.

I laughed nervously as I watched Jack “slip away” towards where my other friends were gathered.

“I didn’t want to impose, I’m sorry,” Luke said.

“You weren’t. You don’t have to be sorry.” I told him before giving him a peck on the cheek.

“It seemed you and Jack were having a good time,” he answered bluntly.

I was about to tell him about Stan’s joke when Anne and the others came over and I had to introduce everyone. “Hey guys, this is my friend, Luke. Luke, this is everyone,” I said before naming the guys in my limited social circle.

My friends were immediately loud, and I forgot about what Luke had just said for a while. Luke was a good sport with the non-stop teasing that erupted, taking on Lee and Tommy’s jests and keeping up with the relatively strange company. He was impressively at ease and was earning so many points for being in sync with my friends. He was being less accommodating with Jack, though, which I thought was weird.

When the clock struck two, the crowd started to thin out. The couples Carmen and Shane, and Tommy and Natalie were the first to leave, followed by Lee and Anne who were sharing a cab since they lived close to each other. I decided I was tired when Luke asked if I wanted to go home, too, and we said goodbye to Jack, Olive, and Chris at the bar.

Jack winked at me before we left, looked behind his shoulders towards Stan the bartender, and raised his eyebrows repeatedly. I laughed. That was his way of telling me he’s gonna get lucky tonight.

When we got outside, Luke gave me a helmet and helped me on his motorcycle. He was quiet during the short ride. My apartment was only a block away from Monica’s. He helped me off again when we arrived in front of my building.

I was waiting for him to go and park the bike properly so we could both go up to my apartment, but it seemed he was only waiting for me to go inside. “It’s too late already and you’ve had a drink. Don’t you want to sleep over?” I asked, prepared not to take no for an answer.

“Do you want me to?” he asked. He was still wearing his helmet and was still astride the black bike. He looked like one wrong move and he’d be off into the road.

“Yes,” I answered, wrinkling my forehead in confusion. I wondered why he was even asking. I had told him of my discomfort when he rode all alone late at night.

“Okay,” he replied. He remained silent until we got inside my unit. He was acting weird and I didn’t exactly know what was going on.

Patient-Doctor Relationship

I was rummaging through my closet for my medical bag. I needed to find my stethoscope and listen to Luke’s bowel sounds and vital signs fast just to ease my hypochondriac self-projection. Which at that time was already imagining gastric perforation or internal hemorrhage. Luke, on the other hand, was sitting calmly on the couch shirtless with an ice pack in his abdomen’s left upper quadrant.

“You don’t really have to. I’m fine, Samantha,” I heard him say again for the umpteenth time. I looked over my shoulder to see how he’s doing. Again. His face looked like an awkward morph of amusement and pain.

“You’re just saying that,” I responded. For the umpteenth time, too. I found the blasted steth at last and walked over to Luke in a heartbeat. “Here, let me see.”

I checked his heart rate first, then his pulse rate, his breathing, and then his bowel sounds. I even threw in a temperature check just to be sure. He was right. He was fine.

“You’re clear, I think,” I told him, hanging the steth around my neck before checking on the state of his LUQ. It was already starting to bruise.

“I told you so,” he muttered smiling at me. “You look good, doctor,” he said after a while. He touched the steth, craftily caressing my nape, my throat, and my collarbone along with it.

“Shut up.” I could tell I was blushing, and he was enjoying every minute of it, it seemed.

“You do,” he murmured, looking straight into my eyes. His fingers lingered on my collarbone, tracing one side to the other and then back.

“Does it hurt when you breathe?” I asked, trying to clear my mind. His bruise did look like I hit part of his lower ribcage too. Again, my hypochondriac self was imagining rib fractures or something.

“A bit.” His voice was low, barely louder than a whisper.

“Does it hurt even when you don’t move?” I don’t even know now why I was still asking questions. My rational self already knew he was fine.

“No.” He was inching towards me now, and I followed suit. His eyes looked playful, but I watched his mischievous expression instantly turn into a wince halfway into moving towards me.

“But it hurts when you do, doesn’t it?” I asked worriedly, snapping back to reality with that pained expression on his face. I felt really bad about my being clumsy.

“Y-Yeah.” He sighed, repositioning his back on the couch. “Remind me never to attack you to the point of injuring myself again.” He attempted at a laugh but only managed a pained scoff.

I smiled at him and decided I’d bridge the distance myself. It was a bit tricky, trying to situate myself where I’d be comfortable and he’d be pain-free. I was certain the position was awkward if somebody else looked in, but who cared? I certainly didn’t care about anything. Luke didn’t care either. He was kissing me hungrily and I only wanted more.

I sat on his lap carefully, never breaking contact while also making sure I never jostled the ice pack too much. His hands immediately went to my nape, bringing me closer to him as if I still needed to.

I was breathing hard in between kissing him, and I could hear him panting, too. I could feel him grow hard beneath me which only made me want him more. Something about me being careful not to bump into his injury and him wanting to be more aggressive was just so arousing.

I started grinding slowly astride him, channeling a teasing vibe and hoping it worked. It did. He grabbed me by my waist, urging me to go harder as he kissed and licked my throat.

He winced again after a while, and I had to stop. “Are you okay?” I had to ask. I was not a selfish bitch. Even though I very much wanted to be at that very moment.

“I’m fine. Just… don’t stop,” he said, looking at me intently before kissing my throat again.

I was so sure I wasn’t just about to stop worrying about him, but his lips began to move south as he unhooked the bra beneath my shirt, and his hands started working their magic. My mind was a blur.

“Take this off,” he whispered hurriedly as he brought his lips to my ear, tugging at the fly of my pants. I never noticed he had had it unzipped already. I stood in front of him and obliged, taking my shirt off too and leaving my panties on.

He sat up straight and took off his own pants, hiding a wince that was so noticeable. “Are you sure you’re okay?” I had to ask again.

“Are you sure we’re not teens and you’re the boy in this situation?” he smiled jokingly as he copied my intonation. “I’m fine. Stop worrying about me. Come here.” He pulled on my hand and sat me astride him once again. This time his arousal was ever so palpable.

He pulled me up, sucking on my breasts when they reached his eye level as he took off his boxers. His other hand slipped between my legs, pushing my panties to one side. I shuddered. Then he pulled me back to him as he began easing into me, oh so deliciously slowly, his hands pressed tightly on my waist.

He guided the pace the entire time, and I let him. Until we were both gasping for breath. I curled up beside him after, and he put his arm around me.

“Let’s get to bed, hm?” he whispered as I dwindled in between consciousness. I merely nodded my agreement.

Date Number Two Part Deux

I found myself looking at the coastline ten minutes into the ride from the diner. The road was practically empty and the ride was a breeze. “Where are we going?” I asked Luke again, but this time he just laughed.

We slowed to a stop at a restaurant that looked like a big expanded hut. The sign said they served Italian and I was nothing but delighted. I remember saying to Luke in passing about how much I loved Italian. I couldn’t believe he remembered it!

Luke propped the bike into place again and helped me off it before he set the stand into place. “Wait here,” he said as he took off his helmet and hung it onto the handlebar. He flashed me a big smile before he dashed inside the hut.

I’d bet you a dollar I probably looked like an idiot standing in the tiny parking lot, wearing a helmet with crossed arms as I looked from the bike to the hut and then back again. I did that for about five minutes until Luke came back out with a picnic basket in his hand.

“This is lunch!” he excitedly said as he walk-jogged towards me, raising the big basket as if I could not have seen it if he didn’t. My mouth watered when he was near enough – I didn’t know whether it was the yummy waft coming from inside the picnic basket or Luke’s clean scent coming in with the sea breeze.

“Where are we eating?” I asked in confusion. The basket was too big for the motorcycle.

“Come, I’ll show you,” he was smiling from ear to ear. I started to walk towards him when he chuckled “Take off your helmet first, missy.” My face could not have gone any redder with embarrassment.

We walked around the hut until we found a set of stone steps that led from the concrete road to the sandy beach. Luke held the basket in one hand, and led my hand in the other. Thank goodness he said no heels. Those steps would’ve toppled me over. And the sand underneath would’ve been a nightmare.

We walked a bit until Luke found the spot he was looking for – a sandy alcove guarded by big rocks, facing the sea.

He set everything up in five minutes, I think. And our lunch was a gift from the gods. Assorted pizza slices piled on top of each other, over-stuffed lasagna, garlic bread, and white wine. It was simple and rustic, and I loved every bit of it. That, plus the view beside me and in front of me was marvelous.

“Do you… uh… like it?” he asked hesitantly as I was delightedly chewing onto a garlic bread I just got my hands into.

“I love everything about it!” I answered immediately (after I swallowed the bread, of course!). He smiled sweetly at me then, and I swooned at just how adorable he really was.

We spent the time eating and talking about everything under the sun. Until he noticed the writing on the shirt I was wearing. “I knew I’ve seen that wolf somewhere!” he exclaimed. That was when we both realized we were big fans of Game of Thrones (the TV series, sadly, but I take what I can get!).

Well, I don’t really know how it happened, but one minute we were bashing King Joffrey, the next we were glued together on the lips. I had my back on the blanket while he was lying sideways, leaning over as he was kissing me with his one arm supporting his head lazily and his other arm draped across my belly, his hand feeling the curve where my waist became my hip. His hand would slide up, merely grazing the swell of my breast before he would slide it back down to my thighs.

Things were heating up and I felt quite adventurous knowing the rocks kept us hidden from sight. I felt his arousal poking my thigh which only stirred my excitement more. I rolled myself sideways to get a better angle as he started kissing me more intensely. I was only too glad to reciprocate.

“I still have something else planned, you know,” he murmured a little while later in between kissing me. I barely understood a word. “I planned the entire day out.” I could feel his lips curling into a smile.

“What? Why?” I asked confusedly. I was so okay with just this, honestly. He chuckled. The sound was beginning to become music to my ears.

“Let’s go, hmm?” he breathed into my ear which sent shivers down my spine. I said okay without even knowing what I just agreed to.

We were back in his bike in no time. I clung onto him tightly as we sped down the road, past the rundown diner, and silently wishing it was to my apartment we were going. I knew it was nearer than his place. (I didn’t stalk him, he told me! said my defensive ego.)

I didn’t really notice how long Luke and I had been out until I looked down on my watch that said 6:30 when he was parking the bike straight in front of my building. I didn’t really care. I just wanted Luke to continue what he was doing at the beach.

My door had only been shut when he reached and grabbed me towards him, and we literally fell to the heavenly couch that was waiting for us. It might have been a dreamy affair, except it was not. I fell on Luke and accidentally elbowed his tummy. Hard.

Suffice it to say that all of my lust got drained out by his yelp of pain. Curses! I was never meant to get my fix today, was I?