Chapter 6
Chapter Six
T he next morning, my stomach is swimmy with nerves as I make the drive to work. I had one job to do—take notes on a seminar Kim wasn’t able to attend. And I failed.
In the time that I’ve worked with her, I’ve never not delivered on something she’s asked me to do. Sure, I’ve been late a few times, but even Kim has been late before, and I’ve always had a valid reason for it. Making coffee is supposed to be one of my duties, but for the longest time, I couldn’t figure out the coffee maker, so Kim would make the coffee herself. So I haven’t been the perfect employee who has done no wrong, but anything extra she’s asked me to do, I’ve always come through without fail. Except for now. This will be the first time that I don’t have anything to show for the time I put in last night, and I’m sure she’s going to be disappointed with me.
But what do I tell her? Do I tell her the truth? That I got dumped last night and had to bolt because I couldn’t be in the same room as Justin? If I tell her that, she might start poking around and figure out that Justin is working under Dr. Tarlton, and it could get him in trouble. Which I don’t want. I don’t want to be the reason Justin’s medical career gets ruined. Even though he doesn’t want to be with me, I couldn’t do that to someone.
I could lie and say that my fear of spiders prevented me from listening to the speaker last night. I could tell her that there was a giant spider on the wall where they were having the speeches, and there was no way I was going to sit through the evening while that monster was crawling around. It could’ve landed on me and bit me, so leaving was the only way to ensure my safety.
Or I could say that I wasn’t feeling well last night, and after the third trip to the bathroom, I decided to call it quits. Otherwise, I would’ve spent the whole night in the bathroom and wouldn’t have been able to take notes anyway. Although that lie is more embarrassing for me, I think that’s the one I’m going to go with.
I pull into the clinic’s parking lot and notice that Kim’s car is already here, which isn’t surprising because she usually likes to arrive before me even though I have a key to unlock the place. I think she mostly uses the downtime to catch up on news and have her breakfast without a lot of chatter. Kim lives in a multi-generational household with her two young children, her husband, and her mother-in-law and father-in-law. I think the clinic is an escape for her, a place where she can be alone, and I think the time before any patients show up is probably the only quiet time she gets during the day.
When I enter the clinic, everything is quiet around me. I yell a hello so Kim knows I’m here.
“Good morning, Dahlia,” Kim yells from the back. “Give me just a second, and I’ll be up there to talk to you.”
My guess is she’s going to come up here and talk to me about the seminar because usually I don’t see her in the mornings until she comes out to greet her first patient. “You don’t have to stop what you’re doing for me,” I say in an attempt to hold her off.
“Nonsense,” she says, her voice getting louder as she walks toward the front. “I wasn’t doing anything important anyway.” Kim is dressed in her usual dress slacks and blouse, but this blouse is one I haven’t seen before. It’s blush pink with a floral pattern and complements her dark hair and olive skin perfectly.
“Did you get a new blouse? It’s really cute and looks great on you.” I ramp up the enthusiasm to distract her and maybe make her forget all about that seminar last night. Seminar? What seminar?
She looks down at her blouse and smooths it down. “You like it? I wasn’t sure about it, but it’s definitely growing on me. It’s a busier pattern than what I normally go for.”
“It’s adorable. Where did you get it?” I don’t really need to know where she got the blouse because chances are I wouldn’t be able to afford it anyway. Kim and I are on very different levels when it comes to money—she has it and I don’t.
“My mother-in-law got it for me for my birthday last year, and it’s been sitting in my closet ever since. She mentioned the blouse at dinner last night, and had everyone convinced that I got rid of it. So I’m wearing it this morning to show her that she’s wrong and I still have it,” she says with a grin.
“Dinner didn’t go well then?”
“Actually, dinner was fine. It went about as well as family functions go. We all managed to leave the restaurant in one piece. But enough about my dinner last night,” she says with a flick of her wrist, effectively ending any further discussion about it. “How was the seminar?”
Shit. I thought I’d have more time to prepare, but we might as well get this over with. “The seminar didn’t go well. I mean, I’m sure it went fine for everyone else, but I wasn’t able to take notes for you because I wasn’t feeling well and had to leave early.”
Kim’s eyebrows knit together. “Oh, no. What happened?”
“I don’t know,” I say with a shrug. “I think something I ate didn’t agree with me. Normally, I would’ve stayed and toughed it out because I know you were really excited about that seminar, but after the third trip to the bathroom, I thought it best that I leave.” There. That was easy enough to say. Now all I have to do is wait for the disappointment.
“Are you feeling better, or do you need to take a sick day?”
“I’m feeling fine today. Thanks for asking. I think whatever it was is out of my system now.” I can’t get over how easy it is to carry on with this lie—and how much I hate having to do it.
“As long as you’re feeling better, that’s all that counts. And don’t worry about the seminar. I’m sure there will be some kind of summary online that I can read later.”
“I’m sorry again that I wasn’t able to take notes for you.”
“Don’t worry about it.” Kim looks down at her watch, her eyes bulging slightly. “This morning is really getting away from me. What time is our first patient?”
I open the scheduler on the computer and look at when the first patient is due to arrive. “Nine o’clock,” I say, noticing that only gives us a few minutes to get the office ready.
“Then I guess I’d better get ready,” she says with a smile. “I’m glad you’re feeling better.” She gets halfway down the hall before yelling back to me. “Write down the hours you were there last night. I want to make sure you get the overtime that you’re due.”
So not only did I not complete the task at hand, I’m still going to get paid for the time I put in. I feel terrible.
I sit down at my desk and before my seat even has a chance to get warm, Alexis breezes through the door. “Dahlia, do you have the coffee ready yet?” she asks, then looks over at the coffee maker. It’s turned off but still has coffee in the carafe, probably from Kim this morning. “Ugh,” she says, wrinkling her nose. “How old is that coffee?” She gives me just a split second to respond, and when I don’t, she says, “Never mind. Just bring me a cup whenever you have more ready.” She vacates the area and heads down the hall, back to her office where she shuts the door harder than necessary.
What was that all about? Does she think I’m her assistant now too? If that’s the case, I might have to have a talk with Kim because that’s not what I was hired for. I’m here to run the office and take care of patients and make sure their needs are met, not fetch Alexis her coffee. But just to make sure I don’t have to deal with her again, I take the carafe to the sink at the back of the office, dump out the old coffee, and start a new pot. That is at least in my job description.
Ten minutes after I sit down, a text message pops up on my screen. I don’t know why, but I immediately thought it was going to be from Justin. A small part of me was hoping that he’d realize his mistake last night and want to attempt a relationship with me after all. But I should’ve known better. He and I are done, and there’s no point in thinking about something that isn’t going to happen. It’s actually a text from the group chat between Chelsea, Lorelei, and me.
CHELSEA: Girls’ night tonight?
It seems like forever ago that I was last out with my friends, but in reality, it’s only been a few days. A lot has happened since then, and it would be nice to unload some of my feelings onto them, and maybe drown them away with a few drinks. A night out tonight sounds perfect.
ME: I’m in
LORELEI: Me too
CHELSEA: Sushi tonight? There’s a place in Wallingford I want to check out
I’ve never been a big fan of sushi, but that’s largely because I haven’t had much exposure to it. Growing up, we never really went out to eat because my mother was such a good cook and always felt like she could make something better herself. But sushi was out of her wheelhouse, so we never ate it. I didn’t have sushi until I was in high school and my friends took me out to try it. It’s good, but not my favorite. However, if my friends want sushi tonight, I’m down for it.
ME: Sushi sounds great
After meeting at my place, we all carpooled together in Lorelei’s car to the sushi restaurant. I guess when Chelsea suggested a sushi restaurant, I was expecting something a little flashier since that’s more Chelsea’s style. But this place is located in a strip of stores, and if it weren’t for the faded green awning telling us that this is a sushi restaurant, I would’ve thought it was just another retail store like the others in this strip. When we step in, the interior looks dated and drab, but the food must be good because the place is packed. We manage to find a small table in the corner and a server greets us almost immediately.
We place our drink orders, a beer for each of us, and the server waits while we decide what to eat. Because my exposure to sushi is severely limited, Chelsea orders a chicken teriyaki plate for me. She says it’s something I’ll be more familiar with and might actually eat. Once our beers are placed in front of us, Lorelei starts in with the inquisition.
“Okay, Dahlia. You’ve been really tight-lipped about the guy from the bar you went home with the other day. What’s going on with him?” Lorelei’s dressed down tonight in a sweatshirt and skinny jeans. Even her hair is taking the night off because she’s pulled it up into a messy bun. She must’ve known this place wasn’t fancy, and it’s a shame no one told me because I dressed up in a nice sweater and jeans.
“Geez. At least let me take a sip of my beer first,” I say with a slight eye roll. Slowly, I pick my glass up off the table and bring it to my lips. I take the longest, most exaggerated sip just to make them wait.
Chelsea, who is also wearing a sweatshirt and jeans, lets out a sigh. “Come on. Lorelei and I have been wondering because you’ve been strangely silent about the whole thing. Normally, you’re more forthcoming with information.”
“There’s really nothing to tell. It was a one-night stand that didn’t go any longer than one night. I had hoped it would turn into something more because I really liked the guy, but it wasn’t meant to be. Whatever happened with the bodybuilder?” Now that I’ve told them about the outcome with Justin, it’s time for them to spill.
“I left the bodybuilder at the bar,” Chelsea says. “All he wanted to talk about was his workouts and how much he could bench press. Never once did he ask me about my life.”
“That sucks,” I say with a frown. “It seemed like you two were having a good time.” I take another sip of my beer, then turn my attention toward Lorelei. “And how are things going with Justin’s friend?”
“Still going,” Lorelei says with a grin. “We’re going out again tomorrow.”
“Good. At least one of us had some success with men,” I say.
Our food is placed in front of us, and Chelsea offers me a piece of her tuna roll, but I decline. “You’re still not telling us much about your one-night stand. Why isn’t it going to go any farther than the one night?” Chelsea asks while shoving sushi into her mouth.
“Justin is studying to be a doctor, and he’s in his residency. It turns out, he’s a resident at my doctor’s office, so we can’t be together because it would go against the code of ethics that doctors take.” I leave out the fact that Justin is studying to be a gynecologist and that he almost had to partake in my Pap test. My friends already think it’s weird that I see a male gynecologist, and something tells me that if they knew Justin was studying to be one, they’d probably tell me I’m better off without him.
“Can’t you just switch doctors?” Lorelei asks around a mouthful of California roll.
Oh, my God. Why didn’t I think of that? Seriously…why didn’t I? It’s the perfect solution to our problem.
I should text Justin. I should text him and tell him that I found a loophole, a way for us to be together. If I switch doctors, then we don’t have to date in secret. He won’t have to worry about his career.
The thought of switching doctors makes me feel a bit panicky though. My mind flashes back to Dr. Johnson and the hell she put me through, and I really don’t want to go through that again. I searched a long time for Dr. Tarlton, and I’d hate to have to start the search over. But I would—for love.
No.
I need to stop thinking like this. That’s how Old Dahlia would think. Old Dahlia would rearrange her life for a guy, just like she spent the last four years doing. Old Dahlia would spend her time chasing after a guy because she felt a “connection” with him, even though he so very clearly stated he doesn’t want to be with her.
But New Dahlia is different. New Dahlia is smarter, more confident, and more selective when it comes to men. New Dahlia isn’t going to continue to pursue the only other guy who’s paid her attention since Alain. New Dahlia has more self-respect. New Dahlia is going to play the field and forget what Lorelei said. She’s not going to switch doctors. And she’s most certainly not going to text Justin. She’s going to move on.
“Hello? Earth to Dahlia?” Chelsea says, waving her hand in front of my face.
I glance around at my two friends and they’re both looking at me with concern etched on their faces. “Sorry, I was just thinking about something. But to answer your question, no, I’m not going to switch doctors. It was just a one-night stand, and doesn’t need to be anything more than that. So I’m going to let this one go. There are plenty of others out there.”
“Wow,” Lorelei says, her mouth agape. “This is definitely a new side of you…and I like it.”
“Well, since you’re ready to move on, are you up for going out on a date tomorrow?” Chelsea asks.
I hadn’t thought of going on another date so soon after being dumped (if we can even call it that), but maybe this is exactly what I need. Another date will help take my mind off things, and this way I won’t be able to ruminate too long on what could’ve been with Justin. “Yeah, I think another date would be perfect.”
Chelsea squeals and claps her hands together. “Yay! There’s a guy I met on a dating app, and he wants to go out for drinks tomorrow. He said his roommate just broke up with his girlfriend and could use some cheering up, so he wondered if it would be okay if he tagged along too. I said it wouldn’t be a problem, that I’d find someone to double date with.”
“You’re saying you signed me up for a date before you even asked? What if I had said no?” I shouldn’t be surprised by this. It wouldn’t be the first time Chelsea has signed me up for something without my knowledge, like the time she signed me up for a free-style poetry reading when we were back in college. She’d found out that a classmate of hers was going to be participating in the reading, and thought it would be the perfect way to tell this guy that she was interested in him. She created a poem that hinted at the two of them getting together, and he was astute enough to pick up on it and asked her out. I thought I was just there for moral support in case it went horribly wrong for her. But what she didn’t tell me was that every audience member was required to speak, so I came up with the worst poem ever on the fly. I’m sure people are still giggling about “the day I bought a ball from the mall.”
Chelsea shrugs it off like saying no was never an option. “Then I would’ve told Ryder that a double date wasn’t possible, and we would’ve just gone out alone.”
“So what are you guys going to do on your date tomorrow?” Lorelei asks, polishing off the last bite from her plate.
“Yeah, Chelsea. What are we going to do?” I probably should’ve asked that question before agreeing to go on this double date. There better not be any poetry reading involved.
“We’re going bowling tomorrow,” Chelsea says, her face lighting up. “I haven’t been bowling in forever.”
Lorelei pouts. “Aww…bowling? I wish I didn’t have plans tomorrow. I love bowling.”
I can’t remember the last time I went bowling, and I’m sure I’ll be terrible, but even bad bowling should be fun. “Sounds like it’ll be a good time. I can’t wait.”
Chelsea looks at me skeptically. “You mean it? I’m not going to get a call from you telling me you’ve got some virus that’s going around?”
She’s referring to the time in high school when all three of us were supposed to go out with these guys from a neighboring high school that we met online. But the day we were supposed to meet up, I came down with the flu and had to cancel. Turns out, the three guys never showed and Chelsea has always blamed me for it. “Hey, now. I did have the stomach flu, and maybe those guys were never planning on showing up, regardless of whether or not I was there.”
“Promise me you’re not going to bail on me at the last minute?” Chelsea asks.
I give Chelsea a definitive nod. “I promise.”