Moonlight in the Morning (Edilean 6)

She pulled out of his grip. His tone was a little too friendly. “I think I should get Mrs. Wingate or someone.”

“No,” he said. “I just want to stay here and be still until my side stops throbbing. If I promise to keep my hands to myself, will you stay and talk with me?”

Jecca thought she should say no, but she couldn’t seem to make herself do it. Her nap had revitalized her, and the last thing she wanted to do was go into a strange house and go to bed. She was a bit concerned that she’d not even be able to find her apartment again.

“I’ll get a chair,” she said. “If I can find one.”

“How about if I direct you? This will be good practice for me with my blind patients.”

“All right. I am now just to the left of the chaise.”

“Come to this side until you reach my hand.”

“You seem to like hand holding.”

“I like holding any part of pretty girls.”

“Then you’re out of luck with me. I’ve become downright scary-looking.” She’d felt her way around the back of the chaise and came to touch the fingertips of his right hand.

“Turn your back to me and go straight ahead ten steps.”

“How long are the steps?”

“Normal. Don’t do those long, pirate strides or you’ll bang into a wooden seat.”

She took the ten steps, but could feel or

see nothing. Bending, she moved her hands around. “No chair.”

“Good. Now go three steps to the right, then slowly go forward four.”

She did what he said and when she stuck out her hand, she felt the chair. “Very good!” she said.

“Now please bring it back here to sit by me.”

It took her only minutes. She bumped into the side of the big chaise, he grunted, she apologized, but she finally got it positioned near him and sat down.

They were silent for a moment.

“I have a question,” Tris said.

“What is it?”

“You are the one in the red bikini, aren’t you? I don’t have you mixed up with the other one?”

Jecca couldn’t help laughing. She knew exactly what he was talking about. When they were juniors in college, Kim, Sophie, and Jecca had gone to a beach, and they’d taken turns photographing one another. There was a big rock sticking out of the sand, so in one photo, Jecca had leaned against it while Sophie had sprawled on top in her blue suit.

“Sorry, but I’m the skinny one. Sophie’s the one with all the stick-out parts.”

“Good,” he said, and she could feel him smiling. “I think quite enough of you sticks out.”

“What kind of doctor are you? You don’t say things like that to your patients, do you?”

“Of course not. In the office I’m purely professional. I never even make passes at my female patients outside the office.”

“That’s good to hear.”

“So, Jecca, tell me everything about yourself.”