I’ll give you that one. I at least hope it’s a happy one, not one of their depressing ones about somebody cheating or somebody’s Daddy issues or something.” She slurps the last of her drink through the red straw.
My shoulders shake with laughter. If nothing else, I can count on Leesh to keep it real.
“What time is he getting you?”
“Around seven.”
She nods, her bright red hair grazing her shoulders. “Good. I’m off at five. I’ll be there after to help with wardrobe selection. Hold on a sec.”
She pulls her phone from her purse, thumbs flying across the virtual keyboard. Within fifteen seconds, her phone is beeping back. “Excellent. My stylist is free. He’s bringing the flat iron. He’s doing this because he wants to sleep with me. Maybe I’ll let him if he makes you look fabu!”
“Wait, Miguel wants to sleep with you? I thought . . .”
“Thea, I’m shocked. Not all male hairdressers are gay.”
“I didn’t mean that. I thought he wanted to sleep with me. ”
We both chuckle.
It’s fantastic to laugh again.
Like a weight lifted from my shoulders.
Like Shay had pulled it off.
My ability to end things at supper is slipping away by the second, but I don’t want to catch it and reel it back in.
I’m in deep trouble.
And I’ll drag that boy along with me.
Fate.
No other word could describe our encounter.
What else could put her in the hospital, near the elevator, at the exact moment I walked by?
The campus is massive, and we could have gone the next several years without finding one another. She’s not enrolled in classes and was only there today for lunch with her friend.
Waiting for her friend at the same elevator I needed to take for my appointment.
Fate.
Fred is floored by the news but doesn’t believe in fate. We’re men of science, he argues, and unless we can prove something, it doesn’t exist.
Thea exists though. All soft hair and smooth skin and delicious curves. She’s real, and I need to prove to her we should not stop after tonight. When I asked her out, she’d started shaking her head, but something happened, and she changed her mind.
I’m glad she did.
This day was shaping up to be spectacular. My informal interview with Dr. Sykes—more of a conversation—went well. We’d been acquainted through one of my instructors at Miami, and she’s familiar with my work and interests.
They’re doing a medication study investigating the impact of ADHD medicines on kids with autism, and Dr. Sykes needs assistance with data input. Nothing hands-on, at least not yet, but I must start somewhere.
Now dinner. I’m clueless about where to take her since I’m new to town and still unfamiliar with the decent eateries.
The threatening storm has passed, and the late afternoon sun warms my face as I sit on the balcony with my laptop to find a place to eat. An inexpensive place since my savings need to hold until after my loan disbursements.
I’d go broke to make Thea smile though.
Mexican is good. It’s not expensive, and she’d ordered nachos at Paddy’s. The time in Key West seems like a lifetime ago though it hasn’t been two months yet. I’ve missed her every day since the morning we said goodbye, and she turned away from me. The goodbye kiss splintered my heart, and all I wanted to do was run back to her and ask her to take me wherever she was going.
I’d slogged through high school and undergrad to get into medical school, and as fate—yes, Fred, fate—would have it, she’s within my reach again. This is meant to be, but I must convince her.
I jump up and go inside to scan my closet, happy I’d listened to Mom and bought pants to replace the shorts I wore year-round in Florida.
Since I bought several pairs of khakis and other casual pants, I’ll at least be presentable while tripping over my tongue, and hopefully falling into her.
I’d be satisfied, though, with a long, slow kiss good night on her doorstep.
I do know, though,
My shoulders shake with laughter. If nothing else, I can count on Leesh to keep it real.
“What time is he getting you?”
“Around seven.”
She nods, her bright red hair grazing her shoulders. “Good. I’m off at five. I’ll be there after to help with wardrobe selection. Hold on a sec.”
She pulls her phone from her purse, thumbs flying across the virtual keyboard. Within fifteen seconds, her phone is beeping back. “Excellent. My stylist is free. He’s bringing the flat iron. He’s doing this because he wants to sleep with me. Maybe I’ll let him if he makes you look fabu!”
“Wait, Miguel wants to sleep with you? I thought . . .”
“Thea, I’m shocked. Not all male hairdressers are gay.”
“I didn’t mean that. I thought he wanted to sleep with me. ”
We both chuckle.
It’s fantastic to laugh again.
Like a weight lifted from my shoulders.
Like Shay had pulled it off.
My ability to end things at supper is slipping away by the second, but I don’t want to catch it and reel it back in.
I’m in deep trouble.
And I’ll drag that boy along with me.
Fate.
No other word could describe our encounter.
What else could put her in the hospital, near the elevator, at the exact moment I walked by?
The campus is massive, and we could have gone the next several years without finding one another. She’s not enrolled in classes and was only there today for lunch with her friend.
Waiting for her friend at the same elevator I needed to take for my appointment.
Fate.
Fred is floored by the news but doesn’t believe in fate. We’re men of science, he argues, and unless we can prove something, it doesn’t exist.
Thea exists though. All soft hair and smooth skin and delicious curves. She’s real, and I need to prove to her we should not stop after tonight. When I asked her out, she’d started shaking her head, but something happened, and she changed her mind.
I’m glad she did.
This day was shaping up to be spectacular. My informal interview with Dr. Sykes—more of a conversation—went well. We’d been acquainted through one of my instructors at Miami, and she’s familiar with my work and interests.
They’re doing a medication study investigating the impact of ADHD medicines on kids with autism, and Dr. Sykes needs assistance with data input. Nothing hands-on, at least not yet, but I must start somewhere.
Now dinner. I’m clueless about where to take her since I’m new to town and still unfamiliar with the decent eateries.
The threatening storm has passed, and the late afternoon sun warms my face as I sit on the balcony with my laptop to find a place to eat. An inexpensive place since my savings need to hold until after my loan disbursements.
I’d go broke to make Thea smile though.
Mexican is good. It’s not expensive, and she’d ordered nachos at Paddy’s. The time in Key West seems like a lifetime ago though it hasn’t been two months yet. I’ve missed her every day since the morning we said goodbye, and she turned away from me. The goodbye kiss splintered my heart, and all I wanted to do was run back to her and ask her to take me wherever she was going.
I’d slogged through high school and undergrad to get into medical school, and as fate—yes, Fred, fate—would have it, she’s within my reach again. This is meant to be, but I must convince her.
I jump up and go inside to scan my closet, happy I’d listened to Mom and bought pants to replace the shorts I wore year-round in Florida.
Since I bought several pairs of khakis and other casual pants, I’ll at least be presentable while tripping over my tongue, and hopefully falling into her.
I’d be satisfied, though, with a long, slow kiss good night on her doorstep.
I do know, though,
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