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  She high tailed it out of there so fast I didn’t even get her name. There were barely two hundred of us, I could look through the list until I found her picture. Even so, maybe my game was off because I couldn’t breathe.

  I’m used to not being able to breathe, but she took my breath away.

  She was easy to read though, she was here to focus on school and she screamed it with her demeanor. I wanted to try and get closer to her even though her demeanor screamed ‘I’m focused.’ The same invisible force that led me here, told me not to let that girl go.

  I smiled to myself and finished off my pear. Already late, I strolled past Chris and Donald and their group of cheerleaders towards small group. I took a wild guess at how they would react when I used my inhaler, but I was spot on. Back in junior high, and maybe high school, it would bother me. Now, not so much.

  I found a way to work out without gasping for air; and the inhaler always helps. I was constantly switching medications to find the right one, so far Flovent was sticking.

  The classroom was small, only for about ten of us. With one minute until the start of class, I strolled in and scanned the room.

  Then I saw her.

  She was right in the front, her honey, wavy hair, lit under the fluorescent lights. She was staring down at her laptop; while fiddling with the sleeve of her sweater where the ends frayed.

  The sight of her was...refreshing. Something I haven’t felt in a long time, if ever. Back in high school, if a girl took my breath away I was most likely just having a mini asthma attack.

  Thankfully, there was an empty seat next to her.

  “Mind if I sit?” I appeared next to her.

  She turned quickly, her eyes narrowing before her cheeks colored with the most beautiful peach blush.

  “No.” She shook her head. She eyed me suspiciously but went back to staring at her notebook.

  The other students were chatting with each other. The guy next to me was playing chess on his phone, and the five on the other side were making plans for something, I wasn’t really listening.

  There were two girls, both cute, that were staring at me subtly. I willed myself to react, but I kept going back to the timidly sexy girl right next to me.

  What I noticed most was her scent. It didn’t irritate my nose, as most perfumes do. Maybe it wasn’t perfume at all; but it was a subtle, sweet scent. I don’t go around identifying scents, so I couldn’t place it. Linen and lilacs, maybe? Or a mix of berries.

  “Small world, huh?” I nudged her arm with my elbow. I swung the rolling chair to the side to look at her. She offered a small smile with a turn of her neck.

  “I guess.”

  Just as I was about to ask her name, the facilitator called our attention. I expected the first day to just be an easy introduction or something, but we started discussing the lecture of the morning for about ten minutes.

  “Good, I just wanted to make sure you were all there.” He laughed. “I’m Jason Marx and I will be leading the ground school block up to M2. I’d tell you about myself, but you probably don’t care. Anyway, let me make sure I have everyone’s names down.”

  Chobani leaned back with a heavy sigh. What’s so bad about names? This Jason guy seems like a prick, and he looks like one too. A real-life Edward Cullen in looks and demeanor. He went around the room, and as always gets my name wrong.

  “Thom?”

  “The ‘h’ is silent. It’s just Tom.” I explained.

  I felt her look at me, now that she knew my name. I patiently waited for hers.

  “And Perrier?” I felt her eyes roll.

  “It’s Perrier, like the drink.” She explained softly.

  Jason nodded, and the girls across the table snickered. Aren’t we too old for that?

  “That’s an awesome name.” I said to her, loud enough for tinker and cad to hear.

  She turned to me and smiled softly, and I felt the jealousy radiate off them. I held her gaze as long as I could before we had to pay attention again.

  Small groups were designed to ‘immerse’ us into the physician role. We would spend the first three weeks on the structure of the body, function, and regulation. Basically, it was tough shit.

  For the next two hours, we focused on musculoskeletal structure. If you didn’t know your shit, it would have been real embarrassing.

  “I will see you guys next Monday,” Jason concluded.

  Everyone started packing up to go. It was the last part of the day for all of us. I kept my eyes on her, on Perrier. It is a cool name, and it fits her. Rare, interesting.

  It was an urge, bigger than the need to inhale deeply when I felt an attack coming on.

  I want to know her.

  “Hey, we should study together. Strength in numbers.” I touched her shoulder gently, and she looked up at me warily.

  Her gray eyes have a sort of shine to them, unlike mine that are always dark from lack of oxygen.

  “Um, sure.” Her response was less than enthusiastic.

  When she slung her bag over her shoulder, it made her breasts swell against the sweater, which was incredibly oversized. It was funny, somehow; that by trying to hide her body it just made me want to see it even more.

  The room had cleared out except for the two girls from earlier. When one of them approached me, Perrier scowled, her lips forming a hard line. She couldn’t be jealous, she barely paid any attention to me.

  “You’re Thom, right?” She stood on my right side.

  She was tall and leggy, but unlike Perrier it made her look very unattainable. Like a model would be. Perrier made it very clear she wasn’t tall by choice, but she had an athletic look to her. Her jeans clung over the swells of her quads and the lithe of her calves.

  “Yeah.” I offered my best smile, glancing over at Perrier.

  She looked down at her worn converse, but she didn’t leave. I took that as a good sign.

  “I’m Lindsay. Maybe I could get your number, so we can study together. My friend and I have a group going.” She added, but I knew that couldn’t possibly be true. It was too rehearsed.

  I stared back at her as she smiled, eyeing me very obviously. This never happened; Lindsay was obviously very pretty. Outgoing, clearly. I lacked interest, even if it was just to study. I didn’t want to be around her, plain and simple.

  I would rather be around Perrier.

  But when I looked over she was gone. She had snuck away quietly.

  “Um, I don’t have a cell phone. See you next week.” I lied to Lindsay, and fled the classroom looking for Perrier.

  She couldn’t have gotten that far. The hall was small and opened left to a larger one, the walkway to the east side. I saw her hair, flowing behind her as she speed walked away.

  “Perrier!” I shouted, everyone’s head turned but hers.

  What the hell? She was really going to make me run after her. Fine. I broke into a jog and caught up to her.

  “You left.” I cornered her and stopped her from walking away.

  She looked up at me as she bit her lip softly.

  “Yeah, I didn’t want to interrupt your um, conversation.”

  I chuckled softly. “I think she was the one that interrupted our conversation. I believe I was just about to get your number.” I grinned.

  She swallowed, and the bob of her throat caught my eye. I wondered if her was as soft as it looked.

  “Haven’t you gotten enough numbers today?” Her lips hinted at a smile.

  “I didn’t get her number...I told her I didn’t have a cell phone.” I smiled, and she giggled. It wasn’t quite a laugh, but it was enough for now. A taste.

  “Why did you do that?” Her brows furrowed.

  Unlike every other girl I had seen today, they weren’t finely shaped or tweezed. They weren’t gangly or anything, but they were natural, framing her round eyes perfectly. I wanted to memorize every feature of her. Starting with the dimple beneath her right eye, only visible when she smiled.

  “Because I
would rather have yours.” Reaching into my back pocket, I got out my cell phone and navigated to the contact screen. The hallway was starting to fill up with people leaving their small groups.

  She put her number in and I took it back, my fingers brushing against hers.

  “Are you headed home?” I asked her.

  She adjusted her bag, grabbing both straps. “Yeah. I usually walk.”

  “We can grab some dinner, and then I can walk you home.”

  “You don’t have to walk me home.” She blinked.

  “So, we can have dinner then? I know a great place, you can’t say no.” I casually prompted her to walk with me.

  She tensed at first, but then her shoulders relaxed. She fit next to me like a puzzle piece. It was dramatic; but I felt like I could walk lighter, breathe easier. I had only met her today, but that’s all it takes, isn’t it?

  Perrier is going to be mine.

  Chapter Three: Perrier

  THERE WAS A SWELTERING heat in my core the entire time I was in the small group session. He had this effect...it was no good.

  When he sat next to me I knew I was in for it. Medical school was way too hard to be fawning over pretty men. And he was pretty. So, so pretty. My real-life Chad Michael Murray. I wasn’t one to give people credit where it wasn’t due, but it was all due for him.

  Thom.

  He was smart too, answering every question first like it was nothing. He wasn’t big about it either.

  He smelled good, so good. Like cinnamon spice, the fresh detergent of his clothes and an undertone I couldn’t quite place. It surrounded me as he wrapped his arm around my shoulders. I knew it didn’t mean anything, it was a very casual gesture, but it still made me giddy. Like a young school girl.

  The three boyfriends I’ve had never made me feel like this. Like I could...walk easier. I felt less inclined to trip or something. I always wore flat shoes because I didn’t want other people to literally be underneath me.

  Maybe five-nine isn’t that tall, but I knew I wasn’t the average height. I started rowing in college, and my height helped me compete better. But then seeing that modelesque Lindsay, got me thinking I wasn’t using my height to its full advantage. She was worthy of the runway and would probably look much better tucked into Thom’s side than I did.

  But she wasn’t. I was. And it felt damn good, but I kept gnawing at myself, telling myself not to get wrapped up in emotions and focus on school. It’s just dinner.

  When we left the building, we walked only two blocks before we got to Pomelo. I had seen this place, but never went inside even though I had only been in the city for two weeks anyway.

  The inside was quaint, and cozy. With open seating, he picked a table by the window and dragged my seat out for me. I set my bag on the inside, sitting across from him. He stared at me with a smile that made me shift in my seat and squirm on the inside. He was just staring at me, not even looking at his menu.

  “What?” I smiled nervously, tucking my hair behind my ear. I chewed the inside of my lip nervously as I shifted in my seat.

  “You’re pretty. Nice to look at, that’s all.” He grabbed his menu and acted like he didn’t just say that to me, so I tried to act like I didn’t hear it.

  No one had ever told me that before. Dad tells me I’m beautiful all the time but he’s my dad. The guys I dated never said it. I never thought it had to be said. My first instinct was to not believe him, but I decided not to dwell too much on the uncertainty.

  It’s just dinner. I keep telling myself.

  “What’s good here?” I was too keyed up to read the descriptions on each food.

  “I always get the koh samui.” He answered.

  I set my menu down, deciding to just get that. A server came with water and took our order, we both got the same thing. Even though I was a bit nervous, it was incredibly easy to be in his presence. Relaxed.

  “Are you from around here?” Thom asked.

  He leaned forward, crossing his forearms.

  Who has pretty forearms? He does. Specked with hair and veins, his hands strong. I forced myself to look at his eyes, though the deep gray globes weren’t much easier to look at.

  “No, I’m from Texas.”

  His eyes widened under his thick brows. “That’s far.”

  “Not really...are you from here?” I asked.

  “Encino. I went to UCLA though.”

  I couldn’t help but grin. He didn’t seem like the California type, but this is where he grew up.

  “Why did you come all the way out here?” He asked me.

  “School. It’s second to Johns Hopkins for forensic pathology.” He looked at me intently, like he wasn’t just asking me this to fill space, and not interested in my answers.

  “So, you follow the rankings then?”

  I shrugged. “Sort of. The ones that will accept me.”

  “What other choices did you have?”

  “Carver, Colombia, and Pritzker.”

  His brows drew, “why didn’t you go to any of those?”

  “I wanted a tan.” I joked, and he laughed.

  Throaty, and deep. A wonderful sound...

  “How is it working out?” He smiled.

  “Not too good. I haven’t had time to really try yet.”

  Just before he responded, our food came. It smelled amazing, and I realized just how hungry I was. The coconut curry smell flooded my senses, and I dove into the hot food.

  “You know, you’re only going to get busier. We should go to the beach this weekend. Start working on that tan.” He suggested.

  My chewing slowed.

  “There are good study spots out there we could use.” He added, and I relaxed.

  It was just about school.

  Though I felt a little discouraged. Had I hoped it was a date? Never mind that. It’s better if I focus on school anyway.

  “Okay.”

  We kept eating. The place filled up, more young people here for the fresh food. Most people looked like the girls from the café, and like Thom. However, I decided to come out here, to a sunny city with happy people in lycra, known for their looks. I wasn’t sure how much fitting in I planned to do, but I decided I wouldn’t wear wool sweaters anymore.

  “You didn’t have to do that.” I hadn’t been fast enough when he paid the tab for both of us.

  “Don’t worry about it. You ready?”

  The air cooled outside as it got closer to night time, so for once I was glad for my sweater. Thom walked close to me, but he hadn’t put his arm around me again. I glanced up at him a few times...well, the whole time; and he didn’t look any different.

  “Where do you live?” He asked. We stopped at the end of the block.

  “It’s just down here. You don’t have to walk me.” I stepped away from him and he smiled softly at me.

  “I don’t mind. Unless you want to get rid of me.” He rocked back on his heels, one hand in his pocket and the other on his bag. If I took a photo it would be worthy of any magazine.

  “What? No, why would you say that?” I stepped closer to him, the intensity of his gaze drawing me closer.

  “Because when I asked you on a date, you looked so mortified I had to play it off as just studying.” He hacked a nervous laugh, and I blushed deep.

  “I wasn’t...I just”, I shook my head.

  “You don’t have to explain. It’s only been a day anyway.” He smiled confidently.

  “What does that mean? You’ll ask me out every day until I look less mortified? Which I wasn’t, of course.” I flustered.

  He only smiled that dashing smile of his, that goes right to my knees and makes me swoon. I wanted to convince him I wanted to go on a date with him. Even though I thought he was way above my league, the thought was exciting.

  “Pretty much. Now let me walk you home.”

  I LIVED RIGHT DOWN Judah Street in a small studio. It was nothing nice, but it was a place to live. I didn’t work, so I just used my savings and financial aid
returns. I planned to pay everything off, once I got into residency. The profession I chose wasn’t going to leave me struggling.

  I always had to take the back ladder because the owner shut the front door early and deadbolted it. He wasn’t very nice, but somehow always accepted late rent and even gave me a discount, so I tolerated it.

  “This is quite the climb.” He laughed, following me up.

  I unlocked my back door that led to a small hall, and the entrance to my place.

  “This is it. You’ve done your...duty or whatever.”

  He laughed. “You’re so adorable...I’ll see you tomorrow.”

  There was no awkward ‘do we hug or something,’ he just winked and disappeared down the corridor. As soon as he was gone, the air was thick and lonely.

  It was only one day. But that’s all it took to get me to look forward to tomorrow.

  Chapter Four: Thom

  THOM: YOU AREN’T GOING to cancel on me, are you?

  Perrier: No. But why do we have to go so early?

  Thom: It’s part of the process. See you at 9.

  Perrier: Yeah. See you.

  I spent the week studying with Perrier and slipping in different ways to ask her out. She kept turning me down, but I wasn’t easily discouraged. We could be friends. I just wanted to spend time with her.

  If she would let me get to know her, that would be good. We’d been getting dinner together after we studied for a bit, since Monday. I’d walk her home and come back to my place.

  I was exhausted, but I wanted to show her what was so great about going to the beach so early. Maybe it would help my cause a little bit, or something.

  I set an alarm and settled in to bed. The next morning, I nearly threw it across the room when it started blaring. Even in college I rarely took morning classes.

  Still, I was itching to see Perrier outside of the school setting.

  I showered and got dressed in respectable park wear. Jeans, white short sleeved Henley, and my converse. I stopped at the convenience shop just outside my building and got a few waters, some snacks and such, and packed my back pack. Then I drove off to get Perrier.