“How about a quick game?” James motioned toward the large-screen TV in his living room. It was connected to a top-of-the-line gaming system—another reason why the guys liked studying at his place. He theorized that game breaks helped keep the blood flowing to the brain, which increased the efficiency of their study time. Haley and Anne thought that was blatant male rationalization, but they didn’t begrudge the breaks and often joined the games.

“I’m not in the mood to play today, but you guys go ahead.” Haley stood and bent sideways to loosen her stiff muscles. “I just need to move around a little, then I want to check my e-mail.”

She stretched, lifting her arms high above her head and going up on tiptoes. The movement made her blue knit top rise to show an inch-and-a-half gap of creamy skin above the waistband of her jeans. Anne noticed Ron focusing on that exposed area for a moment.

She had always wondered if there was something more to the sparring between Haley and Ron than either would admit—maybe didn’t even realize themselves. Or maybe they really did just get on each other’s nerves, she thought, telling herself not to look for hidden romances everywhere just because of her own situation.

She couldn’t help laughing when the guys moved eagerly into the living room. “Just like three first grade boys when the recess bell rings,” she muttered.

Haley laughed as she punched a couple of keys on her computer. “Exactly. You and I need to do something fun soon. Why don’t we take a couple of hours to go shopping next weekend? I’m getting pretty desperate for some decent pants to wear on ICM days, when we’re supposed to look professional. I can’t imagine why they don’t consider our usual class wear of ratty jeans and sweatshirts to be professional enough.”

Anne laughed at the joke, then groaned, “You’re forgetting Margo.”

Margo was another student in their class. Known derogatorily as a “gunner,” she was always at the front of the room, making herself very visible to the professors, highly competitive with her classmates, arguing for every extra point on the tests and making sure everyone knew her scores were among the highest every time.

Margo would never be seen in the jeans and sneakers most of her peers wore to lectures. Her hair and makeup were always perfect, her clothing tailored and perfectly pressed. She even wore heels. Every day.

How Margo kept up her appearance and still managed the same grueling study hours as everyone else was anyone’s guess; Anne certainly couldn’t do it. Most days, she barely managed to throw on casual clothes and slap a little makeup onto her too-pale face. Her hair was usually in a loose braid or ponytail or clipped back with a barrette. She dressed the part of a doctor-in-training for her Introduction to Clinical Medicine days, when she actually saw patients under highly supervised and very limited conditions, but more often she looked like what she was. A harried student.

“Margo.” Haley scowled. “The woman isn’t human.”

Anne chuckled. “You could be right.”

“So, what do you say? Shopping? Next Saturday? To celebrate the completion of one more test cycle before we have to start the next?”

Anne considered the suggestion. Liam would still be at her apartment next weekend. But keeping in mind their agreement that she would go about her schedule as if nothing in her life had changed, she nodded. “That sounds like fun.”

“Great.” Haley laughed wryly. “It’s not as if we have anything better to do, since neither of us have a social life. I can’t even remember my last date. Can you?”

“Mmm.” Leaving that to be interpreted however, Anne shuffled papers to avoid saying more.

“Maybe we should go to a bar and try to pick up a couple of guys

. Just for fun.”

Anne winced at the suggestion. “I don’t think I’d be interested in that right now. I don’t have time for myself, much less anyone else.”

“I didn’t say we should go looking for soul mates.” Haley rolled her eyes teasingly. “Just a couple of Mr. Right Nows to entertain us for a few hours.”

“That would require way too much energy. I’d rather just shop and then crash for a lazy evening before starting the next cycle.”

“Like you’re going to spend a whole evening not studying,” Haley accused.

Anne laughed shortly. “You’re probably right. But maybe I’ll take a couple hours to soak in the tub and then relax in front of the TV or something before I start.”

Both preferably with Liam, she thought, looking down at her books to hide any hint of that thought from her friend.

“Did you hear about Kevin Brownlee and his wife? They’re getting a divorce. Laura told me yesterday.”

“Ouch. That makes like the third divorce in our class this year, doesn’t it?”

“We all knew how tough this would be going in,” Haley said with a shrug. “How little time would be left to devote to anyone else. The spouses should have known, as well. Maybe it really is best to wait until after med school to even consider marriage. Personally, I can’t imagine trying to juggle everything I’m dealing with now in addition to trying to keep a marriage together.”

Anne swallowed hard. “I guess it would be easier if the spouse in question had an equally demanding schedule. A busy life of his or her own.”

“So they would basically never see each other?” Haley frowned in consideration before shaking her head again. “Don’t see how that’s much better. Sounds like a setup for disaster to me. Growing apart, infidelity, that sort of thing. That’s what happened to Vivien, you know. Her husband found someone to entertain him while she was studying.”

Anne couldn’t take much more of this conversation. “We’re gossiping like a couple of my mom’s friends at a day spa,” she said with a light laugh. “We shouldn’t.”

Tags: Gina Wilkins Doctors in Training Romance
Source: readsnovelonline.net