Mesmerized

nueve.

My exhausted body dragged itself back into the hospital, exactly two hours after my shift had ended because I'd forgotten my phone in my locker. After my last rendezvous with Shiloh, he'd sent me a message which plainly stated that I needed to "figure my shit out" and that was the last that I'd heard from him. His ego was bruised but I knew that he would get over it; he couldn't stay away for too long.

I avoided eye contact with all of my co-workers as I headed to the locker rooms, I didn't have the time or energy to spare on worthless conversations with people who I merely tolerated from day to day. I opened my locker, grabbed my phone and went right back out; more than ready to get some rest. Tzhura had been squatting in mine and Lani's apartment for a week and I was growing tired of her, if for no other reason than her unnaturally cheerful personality; I preferred it when she was crying on the stoop. Thankfully, Lani's irritating significant other had a full-time job and wouldn't be around to keep me awake with her soul draining personality.

"They said that you were off today." The voice that I'd come to dread boomed above me as I replied to the messages that I'd missed while on my shift and after.

I groaned, "I thought I saw the last of you Hero." I looked up at his face, he appeared to look almost as exhausted as I was.

"Long night?" He ignored my jab and fell into step with me.

I nodded, "You know how it is; I'm running on fumes right now." Sighing, I walked out of the building and surprised myself by walking to one of the benches outside.

"Is the ice princess actually stopping to speak to me?" Mahdi placed a hand to his heart, "I appreciate it."

Rolling my eyes, I took a seat on the bench and motioned for him to join me, "I've been waiting to see you again." I said honestly, "Just to see if you can have the same effect on me twice." I seemed to catch him off guard.

"I'm sorry about that by the way, I usually have more control of which thoughts become actual words." The tips of his ears turned red as he rested his elbows on his knees and leaned forward.

I cocked one eyebrow in confusion, "Well maybe you shouldn't. Always say what the fuck is on your mind Mahdi, fuck how the other person responds to it." He shook his head at me.

"At some point, I believe that we need to employ a filter to our words; we can't get them back once they're out of our mouths and sometimes they can cause unnecessary pain." Mahdi looked at me, amusement and intrigue overtaking his features.

I considered his words for a second before dismissing them, "Nah, the truth hurts but it's always the best bet." I got more comfortable on the bench, crossing one leg and turning my torso to face him.

Mahdi looked at me for a while, contemplating a response before shrugging, "The beauty of the world that we live in is that we all have different ways of thinking and none of them are necessarily right or wrong."

"Try my way for a second; tell me why you said what you said to me." I pressed him, needing to have more understanding of the words that stayed at the back of my mind for an entire week.

The firefighter shrugged, sitting up straight. "It seemed to me like as soon as I pointed out how similar we were, you immediately shut down. And you've had this pissed off at the world demeanour since you treated me in the emergency room."

"You don't even know me." I chuckled, while crossing my arms defensively.

Mahdi nodded in agreement, "Does that make what I said even more difficult to digest?" It was almost like he could read my mind. "Did I scare you?"

"Sure, if that's how you want to put it." I said, trying not to give much away. "You're very observant; and I'm not saying it as a compliment."

He smiled at me, a bright, genuine smile. "When is your next day off?"

"I'm off until Sunday." I replied slowly, unsure of why I was telling him that.

Mahdi nodded, fishing his phone out of his pocket and looking at something on the screen before speaking again, "I want to spend some real time with you; it doesn't have to be a date or anything. I'm free today and tomorrow, then I'm back to work on Saturday until Sunday. I can't do that day because I promised my daughter that we'd go to the zoo."

"You're assuming that I'll say yes." I teased him, waiting a few beats.

Mahdi seemed taken aback, "You didn't even flinch at the daughter thing." He chuckled.

"Why would I?" I asked him, genuinely confused; I made a mental note to ask Lani why that should have caused me to react.

He chuckled softly, "Women usually run when I mention her."

"I genuinely don't understand why." I shrugged, "Maybe that's why you're so- I don't know, in touch with your...feelings." I stifled a yawn. The newfound knowledge was nothing more than a piece of the puzzle that was Mahdi.

Mahdi's eyebrows knitted together, "I think I just figured you out a little more Arinze Santos." He checked the time, "I gotta get back to Cairo, do you need a ride home?"

"Normally I would say no, but a bitch is exhausted. So sure." I didn't have enough energy to put up with public transportation.

He nodded and stood up, "Come on."

We walked in silence to where his car was parked, he unlocked the doors and we both got inside. I only spoke to give him the address.

"What did you mean about figuring me out a little more?" I asked him, refusing to let another of his one liners gnaw at me.

Mahdi turned his head to look at me when we stopped at a red light. "The way you said the word feelings; you almost physically cringed at the word."

"You're too fucking observant man." I grumbled.

He laughed loudly, "Think you could grow to like it?"

I shrugged, refusing to give him the satisfaction of replying. He parked outside of my building a few minutes later, "Give me your phone." I said to him, feeling three different ways about what I planned on doing.

He unlocked it and obliged me, I took it from him and typed my contact information in then called myself.

"Tell me your last name." I instructed.

Mahdi laughed, "You're so abrasive." He continued to laugh for a few more seconds before saying, "It's Taylor."

I nodded, saved his number in my phone then unbuckled my seatbelt. "Let's hang out tomorrow; I see it going two ways."

"Care to share?" Mahdi asked.

I smirked at him, "You're either going to fuck with my mind more, or I'm going to fuck with yours."

"Well in that case, my bet is both Nurse Santos." Mahdi said, maintaining eye contact before looking away.

It was my turn to chuckle, "Call me tomorrow." I said, then got out of the car without waiting for his response.

Mahdi fucking Taylor was going to ruin my life, and it would be no one's fault but my own.