“I guess so,” she said.
* * *
Adriana hadn’t been sure she wanted Wyatt to pick her up, but the truth was there was no reason they had to keep meeting places.
She’d been very clear they were just friends. Even if deep down her body was telling her that her nose was growing each time she’d said those words.
And when his imposing frame came into her apartment she felt even smaller than normal.
She knew he was going to ask to be shown around and really had no reason not to. It’s not like she invited him into her room. Though he did pop his head in and comment on all the colors again.
They didn’t have far to drive to their destination and when they pulled up she couldn’t help but say, “This isn’t what I had in my mind. It’s huge.”
“It will be fun. There is so much to do.
“I don’t see a rock wall anywhere,” she said.
“I think it’s in the back, something new. They were putting in an obstacle course. I hope it’s finished.”
“Me too. I can’t wait to do something like that. Almost like basic training. It can fill the thrill of wanting to join the service and then changing my mind.”
“Okay, now you are going to have to tell me about that,” he said. “What branch and then why did you change your mind? I could see you doing it. I could see you doing anything you wanted. You might have a temper, but you’re pretty serious on top of it.”
She never thought she was that serious of a person. Until recently. Until she’d been burned so badly she felt like she’d have to stay wrapped in gauze for months for fear of infection.
Competitive, definitely. But serious, not as much as she was now.
“I was thinking the Army. I wanted to go into medicine. Not a doctor. Too much responsibility but nursing in the service. Yeah. That crossed my mind. But then I realized that I wasn’t sure I could handle being in places in the world where there were so much poverty and lack of good medical resources. War torn counties and all. I think I’d get frustrated wanting to help so many people and not being able to.”
Not to mention her father really talked her out of it. He would have supported any decision she made, but when it came down to it, she was a Daddy’s girl and the thought of not being able to at least talk to him weekly, let alone see him if she wanted to, was what made it easier to decide against it.
“I can understand that. I think those of us in medicine mainly go into these fields to help and when we can’t do as much as we hope it can get frustrating.”
“Can I ask why you went for anesthesiology?”
He shrugged. “Because it’s not what anyone expected of me and I wanted to prove them all wrong.”
Not what she expected. “So you didn’t go into it thinking you could help people?”
“I wanted to help people. I did when I was a resident. But like you, sometimes I just wanted to help more than I could. Sometimes I had a hard time walking away from a patient when there was no hope or nothing I could do.”
“And in your position now you are only dealing with them for the short term. You don’t get close to anyone. You don’t always know their whole story. You don’t get attached.”
“Yeah,” he said. “Funny coming from someone that likes to be around people, isn’t it?”
“No. It makes sense,” she said. “That’s why I like the OR too. I don’t talk to the patients much at all or they don’t remember me. I get to help, but I don’t have to always see or feel their pain. I don’t have to take it home with me on a personal level. I guess in some instances we share that.”
“Share what?” he asked.
“That we like to stay busy and active, don’t like to be alone, but yet don’t let a lot of people in either.”
“I let people in,” he argued.
“Do you? Yet you aren’t in any relationships. Or you haven’t really been in any, you admitted.”
He looked at her as they walked around. “This is a pretty personal conversation for just friends, don’t you think?”
“You keep asking about me, why can’t I ask about you?”
“You can. You are. The truth is, when you’re out for fun not all women like that. Most want to settle down at this point. I wasn’t ready for it.”
“And now?” she asked.
“When I find the right woman I’ll know,” he said. “But I’m not changing who I am for anyone.”
“Meaning you still want to have fun with this person and not take anything seriously?”
She couldn’t imagine being with someone that goofed off all the time and suspected he’d be single for a long time.
Yet two hours later they’d completed the rope course and she couldn’t remember laughing nearly as much as she had in her life while she was with a man. There was something to be said about letting go and being carefree, she’d give him that.
And now he was all but begging her to do the escape room. She wasn’t so sure she’d want to though. It’d never appealed to her before to be locked in a room and have to figure a way out.
“I don’t think so,” she said. “I thought you wanted to do the obstacle course.”
“I do. But I’m getting hungry too. I figured we could kill thirty minutes in the escape room, fuel up, and then hit the course in the back.”
“I am getting hungry also. If you really want to try the room we can.”
When they got their tickets they just had to wait for one to open up and he asked, “So what’s your reluctance with this?”
“I don’t know,” she said. “I just don’t picture you the type to like something like this.”
“Are
