Her phone rang just as she stepped inside her apartment. Her first thought was that it could be Ron, and it annoyed her that her pulse tripped a little at the possibility.
It was Anne’s voice that greeted her when she answered the call. “Please tell me you haven’t already eaten.”
Haley smiled. “No, I was just trying to decide if I’m in the mood to cook tonight.”
“You aren’t. You really want to meet me for Mexican food.”
“Craving Mexican, are you?”
“Craving a quiet hour or two with my friend.”
“Surgery rotation is tough, huh?”
“That is an understatement. With my family background, I thought I was prepared. But, wow!”
Haley laughed. “Great. Now I’ll be dreading that rotation after peds. At least you’ve got internal medicine next. That’s not such a tough one.”
“It’s not that I don’t enjoy surgery,” Anne said carefully. “It’s just that the hours are so long, I feel like I never get to see anyone outside of the hospital. Especially since Liam’s off on another adventure in Australia. I need a couple of hours to totally forget about medicine.”
“So you call another med student?”
“Who also needs a couple of hours away from the job.”
“You’ve got that right. Give me half an hour to change and I’ll meet you there.”
Neither of them had to specify the place. They shared a favorite Mexican place where they met whenever they had a chance. That was one of the advantages of being such good friends, Haley thought as she went into the bedroom to freshen up and change into jeans and a cool pullover for this hot August evening. They could leave so much unsaid and still be perfectly in sync.
Which, she discovered a while later, could also be a disadvantage.
“What’s going on with you, Haley?” Anne asked, studying her intently over enchiladas and chili rellenos.
Haley lifted both her eyebrows in an expression of confusion. “What do you mean?”
“I don’t know. You just seem a little distracted this evening. Is everything going okay on your rotation?”
“Everything’s fine. And I thought we agreed not to talk about work tonight, anyway.”
“You know I’m always available to talk if you need to. About anything.”
Haley had grown so close to Anne during the past two years. She considered Anne her closest friend, a friendship she hoped would endure long past graduation from medical school. She still had friends from high school and college, but it was hard to stay in contact with them when they were all so busy pursuing separate lives and careers. Anne shared the experience of those first two years of med school, which gave them a common base most people wouldn’t quite understand.
Haley had been there for Anne when Anne had been trying to figure out how to break it to her family that she had eloped with a man her parents had strongly disapproved of. Fortunately, Anne’s parents had come around to accept her husband into the family, but Anne still expressed gratitude that she’d had Haley to confide in during that stressful time. And Haley knew Anne was willing to return the favor at any time.
“Thanks, Anne. But everything’s fine. Diagnostic clinic is interesting, something different every day. And I’m finally getting faster at the H & Ps, which is making my resident happy.”
“That’s good. How’s Ron doing?”
Swallowing a sip of fruit punch a little too hard, Haley dabbed at her lips with her napkin before replying. “He’s doing well. Still trying to pick up speed on his exams. You know how bad he is to get to talking with his patients and lose track of time. The patients love him, though.”
“Of course. Everyone loves Ron.”
“Well, not everyone.” They were both aware of a few classmates who didn’t care for Ron’s quirky sense of humor, and one particularly stuffy professor who’d accused Ron of not taking his training seriously enough. It was an accusation Haley had made herself a few times, before she’d figured out that Ron took his education more seriously than he allowed most others to see. So many insecurities were hidden behind that charming joker’s grin of his. She still wondered what in his past had caused him to be so self-doubting, despite his usual air of easy confidence.
“Okay, most people love Ron,” Anne corrected with a chuckle. “He really is a great guy.”
“Yes, he is.” Haley reached again for her punch glass.
“Pretty bracelet. Is it new?”