Shyness doesn't become you

Matt awoke, his body covered in sweat, finding it hard to control his breathing. His sheets were tangled around him, and as a red siren reflected through his window from the passing police car, his hands lifted to his forehead, brushing away the brown locks from his face.

“Relax, relax, it was only a dream” he told himself, but the red and orange flames still flashed in his mind whenever he closed his eyes.

“Ahh, I need to get over this” he angrily stated, “damn it!” He replayed his dream in his head. With each dream, he made it one step closer to the burning sports car, but each time it blew up sending him back to his bed, waking up in a cold sweat.

Throwing back his bed covers, he got up and stretched knowing he would never get back to sleep. Glancing at his alarm clock on the nearby night stand he read 3:04. Looking outside he smiled; night time.

Grabbing a pair of jeans and a t-shirt off the floor, he quickly got dressed. Throwing on his leather jacket, he headed out the door.


‘Seriously, they can’t possibly be at it again’ Liz thought, as she rolled around in her bed. Man, why didn’t she put up a little more fight about entering that Victoria Secret shop today. Lucy had convinced her to buy this little black thing that barely covered anything, which Lucy responded by rolling her eyes stating, “that’s the point.” Lucy, herself bought the same thing in red which looked a million times better on her, especially with the black knee highs and garter she bought to go along with it. ‘I bet she modeled it for Rob, no wonder I won’t be getting any sleep tonight’ she grumbled out loud while glancing at her alarm clock. It was a little past three in the morning, so she quietly got up and slipped on a robe she kept at the edge of her bed. Snuggles rubbed up against her legs so she picked him up and climbed out her window onto the fire escape and headed to the roof.

Besides sunsets, Elizabeth’s next favorite thing in the world was looking at the stars. She had taken a Greek mythology class during her bachelor’s, and many of the characters in the stories ended up as constellations afterwards. She debated buying a book on astrology so she could learn about the stars but decided against it. She preferred to just wonder and stare, enjoying their natural beauty.

The sounds of cars approaching in the distance brought her back to reality. Her cat clung to her and she had to pull his claws away. “Don’t worry baby, they’re not going to hurt you, they’re just racing again…” Her cat was almost hit by a car once when she was bringing him back home from the vet. She had put him down for only two seconds so she could take out her keys to the apartment building. Snuggles ran into the street and the car stopped just short of her cat. Ever since then, whenever he hear the sound of breaks or tires, especially in movies, he would tense up. She frowned, she hadn’t been able to watch “Fast and the Furious” for awhile and Paul Walker is damn hot.

The sounds of the cars escaped in the distance, so she sighed and returned to her apartment via the fire escape. The couple had quieted down so she returned to her bed thinking about the race and if she would be hearing about any major car accidents tomorrow at work.

****

Matt loved the smell of burning rubber and gasoline; there was just something about it. It brought him back to a better time, a better place. Getting out of his car a far distance from the main action, the scent filled his nostrils. There was an unspoken rule that only the Boston Bay back boys knew about; and that was that on the last Sunday of every month, races were held at exactly 3:30 in the morning, location depending on where the coast was clear. He knew where the boys would be tonight though, he ran into Danny at work while he was installing 20"volkracing gtc rims wrapped in dunlop sp9000 tires285R/255F on a new Nissan. He worked as a mechanic in Tony’s garage when Danny walked in, giving him a head’s up on the race. Plus, he always had his cell on him, the location was text messaged to him at 3:15…and right on the nose his cell had beeped. Now, leaning against the hood of his car, he waited for the race to begin.

The sounds of engines revving and people cheering filled the air as the two racers took their place at the light. Danny and his cousin Ricky were racing each other, both having made it to the end of the Eliminator race. The race had been going back some time now, and would be coming to a conclusion tonight. The losing car and driver, after a race, were eliminated; while the winner goes on to challenge other winners, until only one is left. Now, Danny and Ricky, the last two in this season’s race, were both performing the ritual of “burnouts”; spinning their wheels while stationary to heat up the tires and get some rubber on the street for better grip.

As the light turned green he remembered the feeling of that rush, the adrenaline, but most importantly, the speed. It was all about the speed…and kicking your competitor’s ass…but the speed…wow, it could knock the wind right out of you. He missed that feeling as he watched the two drivers race the quarter mile down the track. Not bothering to check who won, knowing no one could beat Johnny’s time, he turned to walk the short distance to his boss Tony, who was also his best friend.

“Hey Matt, didn’t think you’d make it” Tony replied, stunned to see Matt watching the race.

“I…I usually just watch from the back…you know I don’t like when people…” Matt began to explain.

“Hey, no worries buddy, but you sure picked a good night to come out of hiding. Ricky just kicked Danny’s ass! He’s going to be paying for it for a while” Tony laughed to himself as people crowded around the now returning cars.

“ Listen, I better get outta here..” Matt began but was interrupted my a hand on his shoulder.
“Hey buddy, aren’t you Matt Anderson, Johnny Anderson’s brother?” a young guy probably barely twenty asked him. “I went to school with him… I’m really…” the blond, blue-eyed guy began.

“Listen buddy, you better get outta here…” Tony started talking to the kid that had stopped him but Matt didn’t wait to here the rest of Tony’s speech. He headed as fast as he could to his car and drove home.

His brother. His dreams came back to haunt him.

****

Liz smiled. Those few short days of vacation had done her some good. She felt relaxed and rested and ready to take on the craziness of emerg. She loved that antiseptic smell in the air that caught her as she entered the automatic doors leading to triage. Already she could see Mark; the resident see would be working with this shift, attending to an elderly woman who had cut her hand. Waving high to the nurses’ station, she made her way to Mark.

“So, how was Christmas” Liz asked innocently, smiling brightly at Mark.

“Oh, let me give you a quick recap…Old man Jim came in, he was found passed out drunk again along Bloor. A few scraps and broken arms from fights in more than a couple of bars, 2 car accidents brought in no criticals and yeah- a DUI that brought in both drivers and the DUI’s kids..idiot.... Other than that- you didn’t miss much…no GSWs for you to pine over.” Mark sighed, looking longingly at Liz.

It was obvious she was the most beautiful, caring, sensitive women he had ever met and she had no clue. No matter home many subtle hints he threw at her, she didn’t get it. Maybe she just didn’t want to get it, but everyone around here kept telling him to keep trying, she was just shy and unsure of herself. So, he kept dropping subtle hints for the possibility that maybe, just maybe, one day she would notice him as more than a good friend and colleague.

“So I take it you had a good Christmas” Mark asked, wishing she had been working that night so he would have spent the evening with her.

“It actually turned out great. My best friend flew in and she will be moving here. I’m really excited. She just got a job and so she and her boyfriend are looking at apartments today” Liz flashed Mark a heart melting smile that almost made his heart stop. His patient cleared her throat and smiled slyly at him making him blush as he continued to stitch her hand.

“That’s great. Now you won’t need to hang out with boring old me anymore” Mark stated, realizing himself that was a big possibility.

“Dr. Clarke, don’t let me ever hear you talk like that ever again- do you hear me” Liz whipped around from the supply cabinet in the room staring straight at Mark, “Now let’s finish stitching up Mrs. Acheson so she can get on her way home.” Liz smiled brightly at the elderly lady whom Mark had introduced when she walked into the room and been shown the case.

“Dr. Clarke, please report to exam room One, Dr. Clarke” was paged over the loudspeaker.

“Please excuse me Mrs. Acheson. Elizabeth Renolds, our very beautiful and brilliant med student will be able to finish up here” Mark stated, smiling first at his patient and then at Liz before leaving the room.

“Why, what a charming young man that Dr. Clarke is. And he appears to be very taken with you” the elderly lady hinted, unable to keep from making a comment.

Liz, surprised by the statement replied, “With me? Oh no, Dr. Clarke and I are only friends. Plus I’m sure he had plenty of beautiful women who chase him daily.” Chuckling to herself she added, “ I don’t know what he would see in me.”

Mrs. Acheson, picking up her purse from the nearby chair and standing to leave the exam room turned to Elizabeth, “And what is wrong with that my dear, as long as he only has eyes for you.” With that the elderly lady left, leaving Liz a little shocked, and wondering the same thing herself.