Landed on my heart

I Married My Abstinent Childhood Friend, the Doctor

He says he's exhausted every night, tells me to get some sleep.

So I sigh on my livestream, "If only I had two husbands, maybe he wouldn't be so worn out!"

My fans gush: "Love means always feeling you're not doing enough. We women are such softies!"

That night, Dr. Lucas, usually so aloof, knocks on my bedroom door.

Later, I was sobbing.

He whispers in my ear, voice thick with exhaustion, "Two husbands? Why not go for seven? First one to quit gets booted off the bed. A little 'last one standing' competition, keeps things from getting stale."

1

Me, Jamie, the It Girl of Hollywood.

Before fame, I was a true blue California princess, born with a silver spoon.

Now, I'm basically a career curse – whoever I work with gets cancelled.

If I’m being honest, I've never really lost at anything in my life.

Until I turned 26 and ran into this fortune teller.

He gives me one look and says, "You're too delicate. You marry someone not in your chart, you won't make it six months.”

I didn't believe it.

But my mom, oh my god, she totally bought it.

She spent the whole night finding anyone whose star signs matched mine.

And wouldn't you know it, she found my old childhood buddy, the dreamiest guy in high school.

Now? He's a doctor at the VA hospital – Lucas Hayes.

So she drags me to meet him.

I whine the whole way, “It’s been years, what if he’s, like, totally a dud now? You still gonna marry me off to him…”

The words barely left my mouth when the server leads Lucas through a screen, into our private room.

“Sorry, I’m late,” he says.

A breeze seems to ripple past my ears.

I’m hit by this deep, rumbling baritone, and it takes me three whole seconds to look up.

And then, bam, I’m staring into these gorgeous, light-brown eyes.

He looks at my mom and me and says softly, “Mrs. Davis, Jamie.”

I can't breathe.

Years have definitely been kind to Lucas. He’s even taller than before.

He’s in a hurry, hasn’t changed out of his work clothes.

Underneath his black bomber jacket, he’s got on this deep green army shirt.

Dude is all lean muscle and righteous vibes, those long legs going on for days.

My mom, all smiles, says, “It’s so good to see you, Lucas. You’ve probably heard, Jamie here has…”

“She’s got a major crush on me.”

I say it straight out, eyes locked on his, “Let’s get married, Dr. Hayes.”

Dead silence.

My mom and Lucas are both in shock at my forwardness.

In the quiet, I can't help myself.

I lean forward, "So, Dr. Hayes, once we're hitched, can I get a free pass to touch your abs?"

Lucas: “…”

Lucas: What.

2

So yeah, long story short, that's how we...speed-married each other.

Lucas is six months older.

Our parents are tight. We were neighbors in preschool, even walked to school together for a while.

But then my family moved.

When I saw him again in high school, he basically ghosted me.

Dude was always good-looking, crazy smart, family was loaded, his grandpa was a big-shot ...