Hot Stuff

She rubs her hands together like an actual evil genius, and my eyes widen so much they almost pop out of the sockets. This is a completely new side to my friend and colleague.

“Oh my God, it’s good. That smile says it’s really good, so you have to tell me now.”

I freeze, and she glances at her watch before barking, “Now, Lauren. My first patient is probably already waiting for me.”

I nod fervently, trying like hell to organize my thoughts enough to make a modicum of sense. My brain is muddy, though, so it feels a little like I’m the newest entry in the local tractor pull.

“Okay. Um, well, I…texted him. And we scheduled a date for Friday night. And I went on the date.”

“And?” she questions eagerly.

“And…we went to Marlow’s.”

“That’s fancy.” She wolf-whistles. “Was it good?”

I shake my head. “I, um, I don’t know. We left.”

“You left? Before you ate?” she questions with big eyes. “God, was the date that bad?”

I shake my head again. “We left together,” I clarify, and her disappointed frown turns into the face of the Joker.

“Holy shit!”

My eyes widen again. I’ve never heard Rebecca curse, I don’t think. Now she’s doing it in the office.

“We went to Petco.”

Again, her face does a lightning-quick transformation, and I have to admit, I’m starting to worry she might actually be sore tomorrow from the workout.

“Petco,” she says, dejection making her voice deeper than usual.

I nod. “He bought me a fish.”

“He…bought you a fish.”

My head bobs again. “Fat Frank. He’s at my house.”

Rebecca sets her mug down on the counter beside us and takes me by the shoulders. It’s completely unexpected and intimidating, and I hiccup into a burp, permanently sealing my embarrassment from this morning into the vault for eternity.

Rebecca tactfully ignores my belch, and I could hug her for it. Instead, she gives my whole body a gentle shake and looks me dead in the eye. “Listen. I know this is none of my business, but I feel like I’m committed now—and in a way, we’ve bonded—and I have to know… Did you sleep with the unbelievably hot man or not? Like, I’m happy for you and the fish or whatever, but c’mon, Lauren. You have to tell me. Did you get to have sex with that insanely hot man?”

“Oh,” I say before snorting a little giggle. “Um, yes. I did.”

“Woo-hoo!” Rebecca shouts. “Thank God.”

“Thank God?” I question with crazy eyes.

“Yes,” she nods. “Because he’s really hot, and if you didn’t take advantage of that, I was going to have to cry. And also, because the way you’re acting this morning makes a whole lot more sense, and I don’t have to write a letter to the other doctors in the practice, questioning your mental stability and fitness to practice medicine.”

“Oh.”

She laughs. “Sooo… Come on! You did it, and it was…”

“Great,” I supply.

“Of course it was,” she squeals. “It had to be.”

I don’t know if it had to be, but it definitely would have been a disappointment if it hadn’t been. And now he’s gone, off fighting a fire with zero communication.

I can feel the smile slipping off my face like thawing ice on the side of a roof, and Rebecca evidently notices it too.

“Okay, so what’s with this?” She swirls a finger at my face. “Why don’t you look ecstatic?”

I shrug, and she rolls her eyes. “Really? You’re going to tell me the start of the story and then leave me hanging on a cliffhanger? Don’t you know how rude that is?”

I shake my head. I’m not sure if it’s at her or myself, but the truth is, I’ve been going crazy without someone to talk to about all of this. My sisters are in on the tale, but their interest level dropped off into the Pacific the moment we left the diner. I’m dying inside, trying to keep it all in.

I might as well bounce my feelings off Rebecca. It’s not like I haven’t already made a fool of myself.

“He left. I mean, he didn’t sneak out or anything. I had warning and he was really sweet, but he’s a fireman, and he left on a wildfire call the next morning, and I haven’t heard from him since. I don’t even know if he’s okay right now.”

Rebecca’s glowing smile is once again diminished. Its replacement? A pity-powered frown.

“I’m sorry. I… Well, honestly, I don’t know what I’d do if my husband were gone for long periods of time without any communication. We’ve been together a while, though, and I’m used to having him play a role in stability.”

She shrugs, squeezes my shoulder, and leaves the room and me behind, off to see her waiting patient.

And I sink right back into the mental chaos that brought so much turmoil over the weekend.

Uncertainty about Garrett’s well-being.

Uncertainty about whether I’m the type of person who can handle this.