Too Much Information (Awkward Love 3)

Becca climbs in the car slamming the door shut. She takes one look at my face and bursts into laughter. I glare at her, which just makes her laugh even harder. If I had the energy, I’d get out of the car and walk home.

“I’m sorry, but I’ve been holding that in all day,” she splutters. “I know it’s not funny, but oh my freaking God, Loz, it could only happen to you.” She forces the words out through her laughter and tears. “You’re the only person I know to visit the ER with a toy lodged inside you. They make shows about people like you. Then, if that wasn’t bad enough, you manage to get yourself fingered by the sexiest doctor I’ve ever laid my eyes on,” she says as she shakes her head. “Maybe I need to order myself one of them.”

“What he did to me was closer to fisting than fingering.” I scowl at her. “And thank you so much for the rundown, but I’m well aware of what just happened because in case you don’t remember, I was there.”

She nods furiously. “You’re right, I’m so sorry. I’m a terrible friend, but I just had to get it out.” She glances at me, biting back either tears or laughter. I’m not sure which. “I’m sure you know what that’s like, right?”

She erupts into another wave of giggles, while I glare straight ahead.

“Are you done?” I snap.

“I think so.” She takes a deep breath and straightens herself up. She looks at me, trying to disguise her grin as sympathy. “At least you don’t have to see him again, right?” She points out.

Thank God for that.Chapter Two

LauraIt’s been a nearly week since the incident, and I’ve finally worked up the courage to leave my apartment. Okay, so maybe I’m being a little dramatic, but this event came close to scarring me for life. Even though there were no long-lasting ill effects, other than a little pain and tenderness, the emotional trauma was proving a little harder to get over.

For the last six days, every time I’ve closed my eyes, I’ve been right back there on that bed, making small talk with the hottest guy I’ve ever met while he casually fingered me. I even had a nightmare last night where I ran into him in the middle of Walmart. I had to awkwardly make small talk with him, surrounded by vibrators and talking dildos—which they don’t even sell—while my mom stood next to me, asking me what was going on. Maybe lying in bed, staring at the ceiling, bored out of my mind didn’t help my emotional state, but I wanted to make sure I got plenty of rest like the doctor told me to.

None of that matters now, because it’s all over. I’m back to being me, that little vibrating monster is buried safely at the bottom of a medical waste dumpster, and I never have to think about it again. Well, at least until I see Becca, because I know she’s not going to let me forget about this anytime soon.It’s Friday, and I’ve been out for most of the morning, running from one end of the city to the other, trying to catch up on a week’s worth of errands. I’m so behind on preparations for my new job that most of my time is spent chasing up medical forms, my uniform, and parking permits. It’s all these last minute little things that are making it sink in that this is really happening.

I did my first two years of residency at Seattle Hospital, near where I did my pre-med. Seattle was a great hospital with an excellent program, but my dream was always to come back home. I’d have loved to have done it all here, but the program Seattle was offering was superior, and with what I wanted to specialize in, I knew I’d need all the help I could get. Moving away from my family was hard, considering how close I am to Mom and Matt, but I just kept my eye on the prize. It finally paid off when I was accepted into Mercy for my final year of residency. It’s next year’s fellowship that I have my sights firmly set on, though. It’s such a tough program to get into that I thought my chances were better if I already had my foot in the door.

By the time I’m done with my errands, it’s nearly one in the afternoon. I’m exhausted, hungry, and not that far from Matt’s place, so I text Annie to see if she wants to meet me for lunch.

Annie is my sister-in-law. At twenty-three, she’s a few of years younger than me, but we get on really well. She came over from London for a three-week vacation with a friend and never went back. That was four years ago, and she and Matt have been together ever since. I was so happy that he found someone like her, because as fun and laid-back as she is, she’s also one of the toughest, bluntest people I’ve ever met, which is exactly what my brother sometimes needs, and I find her directness hilarious. Listening to her curse, I imagine that’s what the queen would sound like, yelling at the corgis for eliminating on her Persian rug.