“I’m having my dinner.”
“There’s a cafeteria for that, you know.”
“So? I wanted some fresh air.”
“Which is usually an indicator that something is wrong,” she muses. “Are you coping okay with the workload? I hear it’s a big change, moving into a fellowship program.”
I look up at her and smirk. “I think I liked it better when you ignored me.”
“Really? Well, that can be arranged,” she retorts. She walks over and sits down next to me. “So… is everything okay?” she asks.
I sigh. She’s not going to give up until I answer.
“Everything is fine. It’s just adjusting to a new routine. New faces… I think the magnitude of what I’m doing is finally hitting me.”
“Are you enjoying it?” she asks.
I glance at her. This is the most she’s said to me the entire time I’ve known her. Well, with the exception of that first night, but I was the one asking the questions then.
“Hard. Especially when the patients are kids.”
She nods. “Kids are always hard. So, why cardiac?”
I shrug. “I’ve always been fascinated with the heart, I guess. It seemed right that I focus on that as a specialty,” I explain. “Besides, imagine all the pick-up lines I can use with that profession.” She groans while I chuckle to myself. “So, what about you? Do you know what you plan to specialize in?”
“Fertility and reproductive science,” she immediately replies. She glances at me, embarrassed.
“Really? That’s impressive,” I say, genuinely meaning it. “And very competitive. I’m assuming that’s why you’re here?”
She nods. “I thought it might be easier to get my foot into the fellowship program for next year if I was already working here. Only now that I’m here, I see that nearly everyone else apparently has the same idea,” she says with a laugh.
“What is it about reproduction that interests you so much?” I ask. “Besides the obvious,” I joke, winking at her. She glowers at me.
“Pretty much everything,” she says. “Just being able to give people the chance to be parents that they might not have otherwise had…” She looks down at her hands and smiles. “It just feels pretty special to play God like that.” She looks at me. “How long do you think we’ll be out here?”
“Knowing how often Lewin goes through cigarettes, probably not that long.”
She laughs at that.
“So, do you like it here? How does it compare to Orange…?” Her voice trails off at the mention of the hospital where we met. It’s clearly sparked some bad memories because suddenly, she’s closed off and glancing down at her hands again, but I pretend not to notice.
“I honestly like the fact that it’s a smaller hospital. But, it’s a completely different program which is much more intensive than I’m used to. And to be honest? Some of the surgeons here are real assholes.”
“Only some?” she teases. “I can’t think of a single one that doesn’t intimidate me.” She smiles and shakes her head. “Everyone else is really nice, but I feel totally in over my head.” She sighs and rubs her temples, before glancing my way again.
“Hey, can we start over? Like really start over? I’m sick of feeling like I want to pass out every time I see you.”
“Sure. If we could do that, I’d love it,” I say. I can’t believe my luck. “I meant what I said about wanting us to be friends. Matt’s right. We do have a lot in common, and I think if it wasn’t for…” I pause. “If the dinner party was our first meeting, things would be different. I’d have totally asked you out.”
“Really?” She looks over at me like she doesn’t quite believe that.
“Are you kidding?” I laugh. “You’re smart, intelligent, incredibly sexy… you’re the whole package.” I smile at her. “What happened isn’t stopping me from asking you out. I don’t care about that at all.”
“Then what is it?”
“The fact that I’m pretty sure you’d say no,” I admit. “Especially after I rocked up to your apartment like that.”
“Which leads to my next question,” she says. “What are your plans? I mean, don’t take this the wrong way, but were you planning on finding somewhere to live or just move in with my brother permanently?”
I chuckle. “I have a lease on a place not far from yours. I just can’t move in for another three weeks.”
“Ah, that makes sense.”
“Where did you go to college? Around here?” I ask her.
“Seattle. You?”
“I did both a business degree and then my pre-med at UCLA.” I grin.
“Right, of course,” she says with a laugh. “With Matt. I forgot about that.” Her cheeks flush with color. “Are you from around here?” she asks.
I shake my head. “No, I’m originally from Manhattan, actually.”
“Wow, that must be a big change, then. Living here?”
“Yes and no. It’s more laid-back but just as busy.”
“I’ve never been to New York,” she says. “Aside from Seattle, I haven’t really ventured too far from home at all. I’ve always wanted to travel, though.”