Chapter 4

Me... The most beautiful man I have ever seen wants to get to know me, nobody Ella Fletcher. Even with my ugly grey eyes, dull straight brown hair, and my still adolescent body. "I Don't understand", shaking my head at this tall god before me.

"What don't you understand? You intrigued me. You have this sweet and innocent exterior but yet you are working here." He gestured to the surrounding bar. He leans in closer and whispers in my ear, "Not the type of crowd a beautiful young girl should be around."

"I... I... I need the money. I support myself on my own, no parents." His face loses that amazing smile but his eyes seem to be going deeper into my soul. I've told him too much. I need to do something fast. "I mean I've got parents but they don't have the means to help me out while I'm here." I add quickly, "at school!"

Matthew furrows his brow slightly, "Oh you're a student at Michigan? First year than, correct?" The grin returns to his face.

"Yes, first year. It's been an amazing challenge so far." I look around ready to get away from more of the lies. I'm starting to think I'm not good at it. There is something about this Matthew Christiansen that makes me think he can read my mind. The way he looks at me is like he is reading a book. The Book on Ella. "I better get back to work."

I turn and start to walk away. Mr. Nosey follows right on my heels, "What's your major?"

I don't look at him as I pick up two beers for another table. "Biology." Might as well stick with the lies that I told Sarah, one lie makes it less confusing trying to remember.

He continues to follow me to my two 40 year old beer bellied customers. "Here you go." I turn and walk away trying to ignore the persistent Matthew.

He is still following me around like a puppy. "Biology, You don't say. I took Biology at Michigan too. You want to go into medicine?"

I look up at him, "That's nice. I gotta go, sorry." I walk away quickly to the bathroom. He can't follow me in there.

I look up at myself in the mirror above the sink. Running the water so I can lightly splash on my face. Those intense eyes made my skin burn. I'm flushed and overheated. "What's wrong, Ella? He has just asking very day questions. Why are you reacting like this?" I talk to myself in the mirror. "You never felt nauseous, just answering a person's questions." Okay, he's not just any person. He is the best looking man I ever saw in my life. Plus he is the first man to ever look at me like that. It's done something to my insides.

I hear the door open and someone coming in to the bathroom. I quickly compose myself to leave. As it's a one stale bathroom it's always a little awkward to have more than one person in the tiny room, "All yours, I'm just leaving." I turn and walk straight into rock hard abs. Matthew!

"I'm sorry. I fear that i scared you." He now has his strong hands on my shoulders holding me in place. "It's just that I'm so drawn to you. There is something in my soul that tells me you have to get to know this beautiful creature." He leans down to stare into my eyes. He brings his hands to gently cup my face and brushes his thumb over my bottom lip. I hold very very still like his eyes have cast some sort of spell over me making me unable to move.

"You are just so.. " He leans down and replaces his thumb with his lips. Much sooner than I want he pulls back and brushes my lip again with his thumb, "So beautiful." With that he gives me a wink and turns and walks out.

After several minutes in the same spot, I finally move. I want to kiss him again. I want him to kiss me longer. I want... I want to know this Matthew Christiansen better. I head out of the restroom, hoping to see Matthew again. My eyes scan the room looking for him but he's not here. He must have left. Will I ever see him again?

Begrudgingly I had back to work. The table he was at is now deserted. I head over with my tray and towel to clear it off. When I get there I notice my tip. A fifty dollar bill! I pick it up with shock and unfold it to make sure I wasn't some cruel joke. Something falls out of the fold and falls to the floor. I bend down to pick it up. It's a business card. Matthew Christiansen MD, Head of Neurosciences University of Michigan Health System.

Neurosciences? The brain! He took biology at Michigan.. ha! Isn't he modest. Confusion sets in, how can he be the head of a department in the hospital when he could only be in his twenties. I notice on the back of the card is a hand written phone number with a message: Please call me I need to see you again. Matt

I slip the card into my pocket and go about my work. The whole time thinking about those lips on mine and wanting more. I decide to talk to Sarah tomorrow. She grew up around Ann Arbor so she might know something about a too young, gorgeous doctor making it to the top of his field every quickly. Plus, this might be my opening to finally tell her the truth.

The next day I wake and shower quickly. I want to get to Sarah as fast as I can, before she has to head to her afternoon classes. I need to talk to her.

At around 7:30 I head towards the coffee shop that Sarah goes to everyday after her 6:30am class. She always says, "Any monster that insists on scheduling a composit writing class at 6:30 in the morning should at least supply us coffee. But alas, I have to get my own."

At 8 on the dot, Sarah strolls in looking tired but none the less her smiley self. She sees me immediately and embraces me in a huge hug. "What are you doing here, Els? Its so early. I would think you would still be sleeping all warm and cozy in your bed. That's where I would be if that imbecile hadn't scheduled my writing class at the crack of dawn."

I pull out of her hug and go to sit back down at the table I've commandeered. Sarah joins me her coffee fix almost forgotten. "You said you were my Melanie. Well, Melly I need to talk to you." Sarah gives me the warmest of smiles.

"Well good! Let me get us something to warm our bones and a muffin and we will go back to your place to talk." She stands up, pats my shoulder and heads over in line to order. Ten minutes later we are heading back through the crisp September air back to my apartment.

Once inside Sarah grabs the blanket from the chair and throws it on the floor. Since the only furniture I have is a hide away bed and an old chair from a thrift shop, we always sit on the floor. She sits down and pats the space next to her telling me to sit. "Come on, sit down and spill it. I could tell that you've been wanting to tell me something for weeks."

I sit down and start to cry. Sarah immediately pulls me into her and pets my head, "Oh darling, it can't be that bad. Whatever it is I'm here for you no matter what."

Crying on her shoulder in a muffled voice I say, "My step father beat me and I ran away." As my tears begin to flow even more, I manage to get out, "I'm not a student, I'm not even 17 yet."

Still rubbing my back and consoling me Sarah sighs, "I know darling." I pull away from her, she KNOWS!? How does she know. "I thought it strange that you didn't go with me to buy text books and when we moved you here I noticed you didn't have any. I put two and two together and figured you were younger than you said."

"You knew and didn't say anything. Why?"

"I knew you had to have a reason for not telling me the truth. I knew that if I was patient you would tell me when you were ready." I reach over and hug her again. It was a smart move to befriend Sarah Jane on that first day off the bus. "What I want to know, is what finally made you feel the need to open up."

Standing up, I head over to my jacket that is lying on the chair. Searching through the pockets, I find what I was looking for. Turning back to Sarah on the floor, I hand her the business card. She looks at me a little confuses but reaches for the card.

She reads it carefully with the same puzzled look and then turns it over and sees the handwritten message. "WHAT?! You have to be kidding me, Els. Was is really Dr. Christiansen or someone pretending to be him? What did he look like?"

She must know him or of him to have that type of reaction. "He was tall, blue eyes, copper hair and an amazing smile. Do you know him?" Her mouth drops open. What did I say?

"Oh my god, that was him! Els, he's not just any good looking man. He is brilliant. He's like really really smart. He finished high school at something like 12 years old. It was big news around here that University of Michigan was getting a child genius. He finished college and med school by 19. He did his internship at John Hopkins ,than came back to Michigan to rebuild the neuroscience division. I believe he's only 27 now.." She touches my arm, "Ella, women practically throw themselves out him but he doesn't date any of them. Everyone just thinks that he's too focus on his career to have any other relationship. You have to tell me what happened." Her eyes are pleading.

"He said I was beautiful, that he's drawn to me and something in his soul says he has to know me." I take a deep breath to finish, "Than he kissed me."

Sarah gasps and puts her hand to her mouth. "Ella, that amazing man kissed" She stops possibly rethinking her words, "I don't mean it like it sounds. He is right you are beautiful, its just... Els, have you ever kissed a man before?"

I put my head down and shake it no. "Oh Els, you have to tell him how old you are. He could get into a lot of trouble if it was found out he was kissing a 16 year old." She puts her hand on my chin to bring my eyes back to hers, "But... your first kiss and it's with the most beautiful man in the state. Score one for Ella Flanigan!"

The rest of the afternoon we talked. Sarah skipped her afternoon classes stating this was more important. We talked about everything. How my mother treated me like I was a mistake the ruined her life. Than George coming into our life changing me forever. All the comments that he would make that brought on more tears from the past. George's drinking and the beatings that followed. Finding George in my room, touching me that ultimately made my decision to leave that much easier.

By the end of the night, both our faces were tear soaked. We talked about what I needed to do about Dr. Christiansen. We decide that sooner is better than later. So we head down to the pay phone on the corner to call the beautiful doctor.

"Dr. Christiansen!" He answered the phone so quickly that it takes me a few seconds to think of what to say, "Hello?"

"Hi! It's me Ella, the waitress from Brad's Bar." I meekly get out.

"Ella!" Oh goodness, you can even hear that smile through the phone too. "I'm so glad you called. I've been thinking about you. When can I see you again?"

I don't want to do this. I want to hold on to this feeling inside for just a little bit longer. This man does something to me that makes me actually feel special, and its not just from what Sarah told me about him not dating. He made me feel it the second he first looked at me as I walked into the bar last night. The feeling grew when his soft lips touched mine. "Umm.. Can we meet now?" Sarah is squeezing my hand as I say this.

"Yeah, Yeah tonight is great. Should I pick you up?"

"Pick me up?" Sarah mouths 'Yes, outside the bar.' I nod at her. She knows that I have to do this some place the students don't go very often, since they would be quick to notice and gossip about the brilliant doctor and the young girl. "Yes, At the bar. Is that ok?"

"Yes that's fine. I'll pick you up in say an hour?"

I shallow my nerves as I reply, "Okay."

An hour later I am standing outside Brad's Bar pacing back and forth. I'm so nervous I don't know what to say to him. Should I just blurt out, "Hey! I'm only 16!" What if I get lost in his eyes again like last night? What if he kisses me again before I tell him? That wouldn't be so bad right? Oh i want him to kiss me again so bad, so I can kiss him back this time.

Just as I'm wringing my hands for the umpteenth time, a car pulls up. "Hi Beautiful." He gets out and walks around to open but the passenger door. As I walk towards him, he smiles that amazing smile grabs my hands and kisses it. "You look so beautiful in the moonlight."

I blush and give him a little shy smile. I get into the car, and he closes the door. As he gets into the driver's seat he smiles at me, "I hope you didn't eat yet. I have an amazing dinner planned." I shake my head no. He replies, "Good" as the car pulls forward.

We are heading out of the city, towards the suburbs. About fifteen minutes later we arrive at a beautiful white rancher with blue shutters. This must be his house. His house, we'll be alone in his house. He parks the car in the driveway and walks around to open my door. He extends his hand to help me out of the car and closes the door behind me. Suddenly he wraps his arm around me, pressing his body to mine. The surprise of it makes me take a step back. He steps forward to keep our bodies connected. We are now leaning on the car with no where to go. He looks into my eyes and without a word, engulfs my mouth with his. His tongue slips into my mouth looking for mine. It's warm and wet and the feeling is amazing. I can feel it all the way to my toes.

As we break apart his eyes lock on mine again. "I've wanted to do that the entire drive here." He puts my hand in his and walks us to the house. "Let's go inside before we give my neighbors a show."