“Question for James,” she said, opening her binder. “What are the differences between granulomatous colitis, Crohn enteritis and Crohn enterocolitis?”
Anne stumbled into the apartment Friday afternoon so drained and exhausted after her test that Liam sent her straight to bed for a nap. He didn’t have to twist her arm. She fell facedown on top of the bedspread and was sound asleep when he looked in less than ten minutes later.
He shook his head in disapproval. She’d had less than four hours sleep the night before. He’d talked her into going to bed at around eleven, telling her that she would do better on the test if she rested before taking it, but when he’d awakened at two, he found her side of the bed empty. She’d admitted that she’d woken up and hadn’t been able to go back to sleep without studying for another hour or so.
She looked somewhat better when she walked into the office three hours later. Her hair was brushed and her face gleamed rosily as if she’d washed it to help her wake up. She’d changed her top, from the gray medical school sweatshirt she’d worn for the test to a more form-flattering dark red sweater. His heart gave a funny little kick at the sight of her, as it always did. Damn, but she was pretty.
“Are you working?” she asked.
He turned away from the computer. “Just answering some e-mail.” He changed the subject before she could offer her assistance again. “Did you have a good nap?”
“I slept like a log,” she admitted with a self-conscious smile. “I guess I was more tired than I even realized.”
“No wonder. You haven’t gotten nearly enough sleep this week. How did the test go?”
“Pretty well, I think. There were a couple of questions I wasn’t sure about, but I think I knew enough about the rest to at least make an educated guess at the answers.”
“You must be glad it’s behind you.”
“I am. Of course, two weeks from today we’ll have another test. We’ll be studying the genitourinary system next. I’ll start reading the material this weekend.”
“Fun.”
She wrinkled her nose. “Oh, yeah.”
“No study group tonight?”
“No, we’re taking the weekend off. We’ll all study through the weekend, but on our own.”
“Okay, then. Since you finished your last unit and made it through the test, what do you say we celebrate tonight?”
“Celebrate?” She looked intrigued. “How do you mean?”
“Why don’t we go out? Have dinner, see a movie, maybe have drinks afterward. No one’s going to recognize me,” he assured her, anticipating her reservations. “I’ll make sure of that.”
She looked tempted. When was the last time she’d been out for an evening of fun?
“Come on, Annie. It’ll be great,” he urged.
“Okay,” she said in a rush. “Why not? As long as we’re careful.”
Delighted by her acceptance, he grinned. “Are you kidding? Careful is my middle name.”
For some reason, she didn’t look overly reassured by that quip.
She should have had more faith in Liam, Anne thought several hours later. As he had promised, he hadn’t been recognized once during their evening out. They’d dined at a busy, somewhat dimly lighted restaurant, where their harried server didn’t have time to study either of their faces. The food was good and they were seated at a comfortably private booth, where they were able to talk easily enough over the noisy background. Liam paid in cash rather than with a credit card imprinted with his name.
After dinner, they’d seen a movie they’d both enjoyed. It had been fun to snuggle in the dark theater, holding hands and laughing like an ordinary couple out on the town with nothing on their minds but each other. Now they sat in a cozy little bar in the popular River Market District, drinks in front of them as they watched the flow of people on the sidewalk outside the window beside their table. The glass wall could be pushed back in the summer, giving the illusion of an outside patio, but it was too cold for that on this winter evening. As much as she enjoyed the view, Anne appreciated being inside in the warmth.
A lot of young people seemed to be out on this chilly Friday evening, she mused. The bar was bustling, as were the other establishments down the street. Rock music played loudly from unseen speakers, combining with the noise of conversation and laughter to make a festive background as she and Liam sipped their drinks in companionable silence. They were both content for the moment to people watch and relax. Anne couldn’t remember having this nice of an evening in quite a long while.
“I’m glad we did this,” she said, setting her drink on the table and leaning forward so Liam could hear her over the din. “I’ve had fun.”
He covered her hand with his and lifted it to his mouth, brushing his lips across her knuckles. “So have I.”
“I’m surprised not one person has recognized you tonight,” she admitted.
He chuckled wryly. “I suppose my ego should be bruised—but I can live with it as long as it allows me to spend an evening like this with you.”