The next morning, Alicia felt cold fingers on her wrist as she woke up. She opened her eyes and yawned. A nurse stood above her, taking her pulse.
"What time is it?" she asked.
"Almost 9:30."
"Is my family here? Or my boyfriend?"
"Not yet. I'm gonna take your blood pressure, OK?"
"OK."
After the nurse finished, Alicia closed her eyes and fell asleep again. Within the half hour, she awoke to a soft kiss on her cheek. She opened her eyes and saw Merrill's face.
"Hi handsome," she whispered.
"Hey there beautiful. You ready to go home?"
"Definitely. Where are Colleen and Graham?"
"They're at the house waiting to see you."
"OK. Let me throw some clothes on and we can get out of here."
Merrill helped Alicia out of her gown and into some clothes that Colleen had left the night before. As Alicia brushed her hair, she let out a heavy sigh.
"I look awful."
"You just went through a hell of a night, baby. But you still look beautiful to me."
She gave Merrill a half-smile and sat on the bed.
"What's wrong?" he asked.
"I forgot. You'll be leaving me in a couple of months."
Merrill sat next to her on the bed and held her hand.
"Honey, the season doesn't start until the end of March. It's almost September now."
"I know, but..it'll be here before we know it."
"We'll be fine. And why are you worrying about it now?"
"I…I don't know."
Merrill lifted up her chin and looked her directly in the eyes.
"Alicia, what's wrong? There's something else bothering you- I can see it in your eyes."
"I still feel so horrible for not telling you about Harrison. I still can't forgive myself for hurting you. I mean, what kind of person am I? I meet the most incredible man who actually wants to be with someone as dysfunctional as me, and I lie to him. I couldn't blame you for leaving me in Manhattan and calling me a dishonest hypocrite."
"I would never call you that."
"Yes you would. You did call me that."
"Alicia, no I didn't."
"When you were packing your bags to leave, you said you couldn't stand to be in the same room as a dishonest hypocrite. I don't forget when people say things to me like that. It kept echoing in my head last night when I took the Ambien."
They were both visibly upset, so Merrill dropped the subject.
"Can you spend the night at my place tonight?"
"Sure."
"Good. That way, we can talk about everything- and I mean everything."
"OK."
He kissed her softly and wrapped his arms around her.
"I can't believe I called you that. I mean, I've been pissed at people before and have said some crazy things, but never to someone I cared about…a lot."
"Like you said, we'll talk about everything tonight. I'm ready to go home now."
"The nurse outside said to let me know when you were ready to leave- they have to wheel you out."
"Wheel me out?"
"Yeah- in a wheelchair."
"But I feel fine."
"Hospital policy. I'll go get the nurse."
Merrill squeezed Alicia's shoulders and left the room. Not even a minute later, a nurse came into the room with Merrill. Alicia got off of the bed and into the wheelchair. As they made their way down the hall, on the elevator, and to the main door of the hospital, no words were spoken. Finally, as they got outside, Merrill took the car keys out of his pocket.
"I'll go get the car," he said.
As he left, the nurse stood beside Alicia and said, "How long have you two been together?"
"A little over a month."
"You would think that he's your husband, the way he looks after you and talks about you. He really loves you."
"I don't know about love. I know he cares a lot about me."
"No, I saw it in his eyes. Before he came in to see you, he was talking to us about how scared he was the night before. He was gushing about how he thought you were the most beautiful woman alive and that his search for the perfect woman was over."
"Did he really?"
"Yeah. Looks like you've got quite the keeper."
"I hope so."
From a distance, Alicia could see Merrill coming. He pulled the car curbside and got out.
Looking at the nurse, he said, "Thank you for everything. If you or your family ever want to come to a game, let me know."
"I will. Take care, Ms. Spencer."
"Thanks. You too."
Merrill helped Alicia into the car and closed the door behind her. She leaned her head against the window and stared at the trees.
As he got in the car, she said, "Look at the trees. I can't believe fall is almost here already."
"I know."
"I never would've imagined that my summer would end off on such a note."
"And what kind of note would that be?"
"A bittersweet one."
Merrill was tired of asking Alicia questions, so he just let her comment slide. For the rest of the ride home, he stroked her hair whenever he got the chance and held her hand. She still seemed a little unstable from the previous night's events. Her hands were jittery and shaky.
"Are you OK?" he asked.
"I still feel nauseous. I think I just need to lie down."
"When was the last time you ate?"
"I…I can't remember. I think that right after they pumped my stomach, they put in an IV to fill my stomach again."
"You need to eat when you get back to the house. We're almost there."
"I'm not hungry. I can still taste the charcoal in my mouth."
"If you don't eat, you won't feel any better."
"I feel like I'll throw up anything I eat."
"What about a milkshake or a smoothie?"
"All I want to do is sleep in my own bed."
Merrill sighed and kept driving. They were at the house within a few minutes.
Alicia said, "Tell Colleen that I'm in the garage house. I feel like I'm going to die if I don't lie down."
Merrill came around to her side of the car and helped her out. Then before she knew it, he swept her into his arms.
"Merrill, what are you doing?"
"Performing my noble act of the day."
He carried her from the driveway, up the stairs, and into the bedroom of the garage house. Then he laid her on the bed.
"I'm gonna go get your stuff and let Colleen and Graham know we're here."
"OK. Thank you for carrying me. No one's ever done anything so…gallant for me before."
"It comes with the boyfriend territory, I suppose. I'll be right back, beautiful."
He kissed her forehead, then her nose, then her lips. She looked at him and smiled through her drowsiness.
"Hurry back so you can keep me company."
"I will."
Merrill left and headed to the main house. He went in and saw Colleen mopping the floor.
"Hey!" she said, "Don't walk over here! I wouldn't want you to slip and miss a season of baseball."
He carefully tiptoed to the doorframe that separated the kitchen and the living room.
"Where's Alicia?" she asked, wiping her forehead with the back of her wrist.
"She's sleeping. She's still a little…overwhelmed, I think. She needs to eat, but she says that she's nauseous and just wants to lie down."
"I'm sure she'll change her mind later."
"Where are Graham and the kids?"
"He took them to a birthday party for one of the kids from church."
"Fun. Well, I'm gonna go take a nap with Ali. If you need us, you know where we'll be."
"OK. Oh, and Merrill?"
"Yeah?"
"Thank you for understanding Ali and forgiving her for her faults. She really needs someone like you in her life."
"I really need someone like her. She's…she's…I can't even think of a word to describe it."
"I know the feeling."
He smiled and said, "See ya later, Coll."
"Adios."
Merrill rushed back to the garage house. When he got inside, Alicia wasn't in the bed. Instead, he heard a toilet flush. Alicia came out of the bathroom, somewhat pale and in a cold sweat.
"Ali, honey, what's wrong?"
"I threw up. I had nothing to throw up, but…I feel horrible."
Merrill glanced in the bathroom and his stomach turned a little- he saw the bathmat that still had the blood from where Alicia had hit her head the night before.
"Do you think you have a virus?"
"No. This happens every time something traumatic happens to me. I did this when my grandparents died and when a college friend of mine was killed. It's a mental thing. I upset myself so much that I literally make myself sick."
"That's not good."
"I know. But it's part of the package deal that comes with being Alicia Spencer."
Merrill slipped off his shoes and pulled back the sheets on the bed. Together, they slipped underneath the covers and Merrill held Alicia in his arms. His body heat was a comfort to her as he held her close to him.
"Mmm," she purred, "this is the best I've felt in a long, long time."
"Me too."
They gazed into each other's eyes, both getting butterflies in their stomachs.
"God," Merrill whispered, "your eyes are so beautiful. You..you're so beautiful."
As Merrill continued looking in Alicia's eyes, he thought to himself, I'm crazy about her. I could look into her eyes like this for the rest of my life and still feel the same….and I've only gotten to know her in the past month.
He watched as Alicia's eyelids slowly closed and she fell asleep. He kissed them and then closed his eyes, eventually falling asleep himself.
* * * * * * * * * * * *
"See? I knew you were hungry."
"I couldn't turn down pizza from Mancuso's!"
"I think you ate more than I did."
Alicia threw her balled-up napkin at Merrill and giggled.
"Are you calling me a pig?"
"I didn't say that!"
"Whatever!"
It was later that evening. The sun was setting over the Philadelphia skyline, which was clearly visible from the windows in Merrill's apartment. They threw away the empty pizza box and then sat next to each other on the floor in front of the couch. Merrill held out his hand and Alicia wrapped her fingers in his.
"You know," he said, "I originally wanted to hear about your relationship with Harrison when you came here tonight. But I realized that it really isn't even relevant anymore. It's behind you, so therefore it's behind me as well. All I want concentrate on is forming an amazing relationship with you."
"With no more lies. From now on, we're honest with each other- no matter what."
"Amen."
They looked at each other, and Merrill leaned in to kiss Alicia. But before he kissed her, he brushed his bottom lip along hers as he spoke.
"But can I ask you something?"
"Sure."
"Was Harrison a better kisser than me?"
"Honey, no one is a better kisser than you."
They slightly opened their mouths and the tips of their tongues met, darting in and out of one another's mouth. Alicia ran her fingers through Merrill's hair as the kiss deepened. He smiled as she did so and stroked the satiny skin of her abdominal area.
He broke the kiss, but still pressed his face against hers as he said, "I've kissed a lot of women in my lifetime, but never have I kissed someone and felt what I'm feeling right now."
"What's that feeling?"
He pecked her and whispered, "A feeling of being complete. When I kiss you, I know it's not for reasons that are strictly pleasure. I get these overwhelming feelings of pure affection just for you."
Alicia said, "You know what I want right now more than anything in the world?"
At the point, Merrill couldn't keep his lips off of Alicia's.
As he kissed her, he quickly replied, "What?"
She gently pushed him off of her and said, "For you to make love to me."
"Now?"
"No. Right now."
"Mmm..I love when you're aggressive."
"And I love y-"
Alicia caught herself before she spoke too prematurely.
"And I love it when you kiss me the way you do. Don't stop."
Merrill pushed the coffee table out of the way and Alicia stretched out on her back.
"Are you sure you're up to this?" he asked.
"I think I need it more than anything right now."
Merrill gave Alicia one of his infamous grins and said, "Baby, your wish is my command."
As he went to take off her shirt, her cell phone rang.
"Don't answer it," he whispered in her ear.
"It could be Colleen or my parents."
She reached for her bag and looked at the caller ID.
"I've gotta take it. It's Ellen."
Merrill sighed and said, "Hurry up or we'll be back in the hospital again. Only it'll be me, with the most severe case of blue balls in recorded history."
Alicia hysterically laughed as she answered.
"Hello?"
"Ali, oh my God, are you OK?"
"I'm fine. Why?"
"I called the house to see if you were there and Colleen told me about last night! What happened? I saw that you tried calling me late last night. Was that when it happened? Oh my God, it was my fault. I was at the movies and if I had answered, then-"
"Elle, chill out. I just..I overdosed on Ambien. It's sleeping medicine. I just wasn't in the right frame of mind last night and one thing led to another. It's something that I really regret doing."
"If I had known, I would've drove there. I feel so horrible."
"Don't. Everything's OK now. Merrill's been there for me and-"
"Are you guys back together now?"
"Yeah."
"Oh, I'm so glad! He's so perfect for you, Ali."
Merrill pulled Alicia into his lap and lifted her hair, kissing her neck in a slow, passionate manner.
"I know. I'm at his place now."
"Oh. Well, I'll let you go then."
"I'll call you back either later on tonight or in the morning."
"Like I said, I'm so sorry I didn't answer my phone."
"Don't worry. I'm OK now."
"Good. Love you, Ali."
"Love you too, Elle. Talk to you later."
"Bye."
Alicia hung up the phone and tossed it onto her bag.
"Now let's get back to where we left off."
Merrill turned Alicia's body around so that she was straddling him.
"I think you were taking off my shirt."
Alicia flinched as Merrill's cold fingers crept along her upper body and slipped off her shirt. They lowered themselves onto the floor and scrambled to get the rest of their clothes off. Later on, in the midst of their second time around, the doorbell rang.
Breathless, Merrill said, "I'm not…I'm not answering it."
Suddenly, there was heavy pounding at the door.
"Mr. Hess? Are you in there? Merrill? Hello?"
Merrill sighed and lifted himself off of Alicia.
"That's my neighbor. I'm sorry..I should go answer it."
"It's OK."
Merrill put his boxers on and ran to the door. As he opened the door, sweat was still dripping from his forehead. He greeted his neighbor, an older woman who liked to pry into his business whenever she could.
"Hi, Mrs. Reynolds," he said.
"Are you alright? It sounded like someone was being hurt. I think I heard screaming. I just wanted to check and see if everything was OK."
"Everything's…fine."
Merrill could feel his face flush with embarrassment as he caught her staring at his boxers.
"O..OK," she said, "Have a good night."
"You too."
He quickly closed the door and leaned his head against it, wanting to die of humiliation. Then he walked back over to Alicia and stood in front of her.
"Ali, what's the first thing you notice when I stand in front of you?"
"Well, um, it's a little more than obvious that..um..you're not sleeping."
"Did you hear what she was saying?"
"Not really."
"She said she heard screaming and yelling..she thought someone was being hurt."
"You're kidding me."
"Well, you were pretty loud there."
"I couldn't help it. I tried to keep as quiet as I could, but you bring out the sex kitten in me."
"Kitten? It was more like a hyena."
"I think we should be louder this time."
"And have Mrs. Reynolds call the police on us? I don't think so."
"Oh, what would they arrest us for? Sex at a volume at disturbs the peace? I'm sure that if Mrs. Reynolds had a sex partner as good as you, she'd be doing a little screaming of her own."
"She's the nosiest person I know. Watch this."
Merrill took Alicia by the hand and took her to the side of the wall where Mrs. Reynold's apartment was on the other side.
"Alicia!" he screamed, "God, you're amazing! Give it to me!"
Then he whispered, "Play along! Play along!"
"Merrill! Oh, baby! Oh, oh, oh! Go faster! No, no, lower! Oh, that's it! That's it!"
He hit the wall and said, "Oh God, yes! Yes!"
"You're the best, Merrill!"
As Alicia kept screaming, Merrill tiptoed to the door and looked through the peephole. Then he burst into hysterical laughter.
"She's outside the door! You can stop now!"
Alicia fell on the floor in a fit of laughter.
"That was so great!"
Merrill went over to where she was crouched and started tickling her, which made her breathless with laughter.
Then he said, "Ready for round 3, princess?"
"Bring it on."