Sugar McKenzie and August Wakefield couldn't be more different - Sugar, a meticulous, caring, but lonely paramedic and August, a charming former reality star still chasing his dream. But they've both closed themselves off emotionally from others...t...
"People who know me know I'm strong, but I'm vulnerable."
- Catherine Deneuve
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
I see you're trying to ruin my reputation. Bad news. It's already damaged. 😉
Goodbye Lollipop.
The thing sent me a smart remark.
The most repulsive part was he called me Lollipop. The audacity! He wasn't the first to give a nickname somehow related to sugar. The implications of a Lollipop though. A sucker. A "sexy" action that certain men fantasize about a woman, eating - wait no, licking a Lollipop. There was innocence associated with the type of candy too, but I knew that man implied the "not-so-innocent" ideas.
I received the TrueMatch message around brunch time. The dark pink "TM" notification bubble popped up on my lock screen. I was able to read it in the bubble. The horrible, sexist comment looked out of place compared to the generic maple tree photo set as my wallpaper. The gold and scarlet leaves reminded me of when Mama and I spent time in the yard collecting nature's beauty. We kept the leaves in a special place – a book. Mama told small stories about specific leaves: maple, walnut, oak, and more. That photo revealed happy memories, instead, the frustrating comment that made me grind my teeth.
I pushed the lock button and ignored it.
It was easy, I continued my work. The dispatch department hadn't received any phone calls, scheduled appointments, or events like sports. There wasn't an urgency that fluctuated every second. I dedicated time to my online training that happened each quarter. I quietly processed and retained information to try and engage my mind, but my co-workers tried to make the training sessions fun. We suggested working together to complete it. One person recommended making the sessions into a game.
"Whoever completes all the slides and finishes the quiz first, they're the winner!"
However, it wasn't Sherman who suggested this idea, or any of my other colleagues.
It was me.
I needed motivation, especially when I knew the information. The medical material was hidden underneath my interrupting questions: what's for lunch, when will the next season of Sherlock come out, or what new baking books have been released? All questions that came from my own mind.
Sometimes my co-workers didn't want to compete. They implemented their own strategy. Therefore, I collected my record times in a small paperback book. The fast paced suspense kept me awake and attentive, always trying to break my previous records. My eyes glided towards the clock – I had fifteen minutes. Absorbing the questions and reading the multiple-choice answers, I tried to spend less than thirty seconds on each question. In the end, I had to slow down because I had to analyze certain questions more. The ones I was uncertain on the answers.
