CHAPTER 11
Hand over her heart, Beth let the kitchen counter support her weight as she tried to remember how to breathe. No one had ever made her feel the way Bryce did, and she wasn’t sure what to do about it.
“Was that the good doctor I saw leaving the parking lot?” Kim asked, as she walked into the kitchen. One look at her friend had her face lighting up with excitement. “Wow! Judging by how swoony you look, I guess I have my answer.”
They stared at each other for a heartbeat, wide-eyed, before bursting into simultaneous chatter.
“You are never going to believe what happened while you were gone—”
“Whaaaat happened while I was gone?”
Beth and Kim exclaimed at the same time.
“I have so much to tell you, but first—thank you again for covering my shift. I feel better now. I’m still not sure why I got sick earlier. You’re just now getting off?” Beth asked, glancing at the clock. Four-thirty. Over two hours after Kim’s shift should have ended.
“No, I was out of there by two, but I ran a few errands before coming home. I desperately need a shower, but I don’t know if I can wait that long for you to spill the tea!”
As excited and nervous as she was to tell her best friend everything, Beth understood the need to shower after working in a hospital.
“Go take a shower, and then I promise I will tell you everything.”
Beth used the time to clean up the lunch dishes before heading to her room to make her bed.
She had inherited a little bit of her father’s OCD, and she simply couldn’t sleep in an unmade bed.
Even if she didn’t make it until right before climbing in, the covers had to be straightened.
First Lynn, and now Kim, teased her for it.
“I wonder if Bryce will too,” she murmured as she worked, allowing herself for the first time to wonder what living with him would be like. How would they get along?
Beth sat on her freshly made bed and looked around her room.
She loved this apartment. She’d lived in it for five years, and there would be a lot to pack.
The thought of Bryce moving here crossed her mind, but then she remembered the look on his face when he pulled into the complex. She doubted that was part of his plan.
“A penny for your thoughts.” Kim’s voice broke into her reverie as her full-figured frame filled the doorway.
“I was wondering if you were ever going to get out of the shower,” Beth teased.
“Nice try. You didn’t even hear me get out of the shower.” Kim grinned. “I’m starving. How about we order pizza and call it an early dinner?”
“Sounds good to me. What do you want, and where from?” Beth joked, following her roommate into the kitchen.
“The whole time I was in Belize, I craved a sundried tomato and artichoke pizza from The Pizza Factory. Oh—and their fries.”
“I’m calling as we speak. Want anything to drink?”
“Only if they still have cream soda.”
Beth nodded and turned her attention to the phone.
“Hi, Ritchie, how are you? It’s Elizabeth Stoner. Kim just got home and she’s craving a Pizza Factory masterpiece.”
“Does she want her usual?” Ritchie shouted over the background noise of the pizzeria’s kitchen.
“Yes, a large sundried tomato and artichoke pizza and a large order of fries. She also wanted to know if you still carry cream soda.”
“Sure, we’ll find one for her. Someone will be there in fifteen to twenty minutes. Tell her ‘welcome home’ from me.”
Beth grinned as she ended the call. “Ritchie says ‘welcome home.’ I think he missed you.”
“Oh hush, he did not. He just missed the income I provide.” Kim playfully smacked Beth’s arm.
“No, really. The couple of times I ordered, he always asked about you and when you were coming back. I don’t know any other restaurant owner who does that. He even called one day just to check on you.”
“Oh stop, he did not—wait—did he?”
Beth paused dramatically.
Kim squinted. “Beth.”
Beth burst out laughing. “Okay, I made that last part up.”
Kim rolled her eyes.
“So, tell me how your trip went. I spent half the time being happy for you and the other half being jealous. How is everyone?” Beth asked.
“Everyone was great. They all asked how you were doing.”
“Really?” Beth’s heart warmed at the thought.
“Yes, but more importantly—” Kim’s eyes gleamed. “They wanted to know… WHAT is going on with you and Dr. Jensen?!”
Beth laughed and shoved her. “Oh, stop. They did not.”
Kim waggled her eyebrows. “Okay, no—but trust me, everyone at the hospital gossip mill wants to know.”
Beth froze. “Wait—the gossip mill knows about us?”
Kim’s curiosity softened into concern. She took Beth’s hand in both of hers. “Oh, sweetie, no. They don’t know about you specifically. They just know something has changed with Dr. Jensen and suspect it’s because of a woman.”
Beth breathed a little easier.
Kim squeezed her hands. “You and Dr. Jensen are dating, aren’t you? He has a picture of you guys in his wallet. And then, seeing you two together, I knew there was something going on.”
Beth hesitated. “Well, a lot has happened while you were gone. He just asked me out for the first time tonight. He’s picking me up at nine tomorrow morning.”
Kim practically vibrated with excitement. “Oh really? Where’s he taking you?”
“I have no idea. All he said was to dress warm.”
“Well, in Colorado, that could mean just about anything.”
DING DONG.
Kim scowled at the door for interrupting them, even knowing it held sustenance on the other side. The doorbell rang again, prompting her to move toward it as she spoke.
“What I don’t get is—if tomorrow is your first date, why does he have a couple-y picture of you two from Vegas?” She opened the door and turned her soft round face toward the delivery driver.
“Hi, you ordered the large pizza, large fry, and cream soda?” the kid asked, pulling everything but the soda from the heated carrier.
“Yes, we did. What do we owe you?” Beth asked, reaching for her cash.
“Nothing. Mr. Ritchie said to tell Kim, ‘Welcome home. And you were missed.’” With a shrug and an expression that said his boss was crazy, the young man handed them the pizza and turned toward the stairs.
“Did you hear that?” Beth laughed, “HA! And you claim he has no feelings for you. You should call and thank Ritchie for our FREE dinner.”
“Oh hush, I can’t believe he did that. Don’t you find it a little odd? I mean, we’ve never even seen the man in person.”
“What can I say? You have an amazing voice, and you order from them 2 to 3 times a week.” Beth shut the door.
“Wait—you didn’t answer my question.” Kim paused, fixing on Beth with a pointed look. “How does Dr. Jensen have a couple-y picture of you two from Vegas if tomorrow is your first date?”
“A picture?” Beth asked, her voice a little too high.
Kim nodded, smugly. “Mmm-hmm.”
Beth swallowed hard.
“I don’t know about a picture… but maybe because we got drunk and married in Vegas,” she said sheepishly.
Kim dropped the pizza.
“Tell. Me. Everything.”
Beth picked the food up off the floor, moved it to the coffee table, and went to grab glasses with ice for their soda. Kim just watched. Stunned. Waiting.
“You’re the first person I’ve told who didn’t think I was joking,” Beth realized.
“What happened, Beth?”
Pizza forgotten, they sat on the floor, huddled around the coffee table, as Beth poured her heart out to her best friend.
For the first time, she could tell her story in her own way—not just state the facts, not justify her actions, not analyze where she went wrong.
The story came out far from linear, but that didn’t matter.
Kindred spirits, they understood each other effortlessly.
Kim had no judgment. Some shock. A lot of concern.
“I don’t know. Everything was going fine, if not a little boring, during the conference.
I don’t even know why I was sent—most of the talks were less medical and more about hospital policy.
Every night, the guys went out for dinner or to a show, but I never joined them.
By the middle of the trip, I was tired of reading in my room or sitting by the pool.
I wanted to see the Strip at night, but I didn’t want to go alone.
Ya know how we’ve talked about how the little choices—the seemingly meaningless ones—can shape the rest of our lives? ”
“I remember.”
Beth sat quietly for a moment.
“That’s what happened, Kim.”
“You wanted to let loose?” Kim’s question wasn’t accusatory, but Beth knew what she meant. They’d had this conversation before—the struggle to be Christ-like while wanting to try something reckless and carefree without overthinking every step.
“Not exactly, or at least, not consciously. It started more subtly than that. I just wanted to do something fun. To see the city. It looked so beautiful from my window. So, I went with the only people I knew.”
“Dr. Jensen and Dr. Sheppard.” Kim supplied.
“Exactly. We walked around the Strip, and I kind of felt like a kid sister tagging along. Eric talked non-stop, pointing out everything and telling me about the shows he’d been to.
Bryce was quieter, just walking with us.
It wasn’t awkward, and it wasn’t crude—it was fun.
It felt safe. Like I had my own safety net, letting me enjoy the night without worrying.
There was no pressure. They didn’t try to get me drunk.
They weren’t being obnoxious. We were just eating dinner, and it felt.
.. normal. They each had a beer; I had a soda.
Then the waitress asked if we wanted to try their tequila samples, and Eric said sure.
They brought three sampler flights to the table, but before I could turn mine down, Eric slid it over in front of himself.
I honestly didn’t know people sipped from shot glasses.
I’d only ever seen them knocked back in one go, like in the movies.
I kept eyeing one of the glasses, wondering what it tasted like, and Eric noticed.
He just nodded toward them and said, ‘Help yourself.’ Then he went back to eating. That was it.”
Beth paused, lost in thought, thinking about how subtly that night had unfolded.
“I didn’t know people sipped shots either,” Kim admitted. “Do you think it was some kind of reverse psychology to get you to drink?”
“No, I don’t. It was just them being them—enjoying their night. I know when people hear I got drunk and married in Vegas, they picture something like the movie What Happens in Vegas, but that wasn’t it at all.”
Kim’s hand shot into the air. “You know I love a good RomCom, so I’m guilty of being one of those people.” Her blue eyes gleamed with amusement.
Beth gave her a small smile.
“That’s not what it was like?”
Beth shook her head. “No. I even waited until I was done eating so the alcohol would hit me less. Then I took a sip from one of the samples. It was really good. I don’t think Eric even noticed at first. Bryce did, though.
He leaned over and told me to be careful because it was strong.
And that was it. They kept talking about the conference, and I slowly finished the shot. And you know what?”
“What?”
“I didn’t feel any different. But I did realize something—until that night, I had never just..
. hung out with two non-believers. Not in a ministry setting, not at a work event, not at some high school or college party where everything felt inappropriate.
it was just a normal dinner, with normal conversation. Have you?”
Kim mulled over the thought. “No, I don’t think I ever have either. But why does that stand out to you?”
“Because it made me realize how na?ve I am. We grew up in such a sheltered Christian bubble that I honestly thought nights out for non-believers were just drunken parties, like in the movies. I was taught to be on guard in those situations, to avoid them. I wasn’t prepared for how normal it felt.”
Pausing, she gathered her thoughts. She wasn’t nervous like she was talking to Bryce, so she knew she could express them clearly.
“I know it’s na?ve, or maybe this is unique to just me, but I think I simply forgot how different our priorities and standards are.
In some ways, I think the church has done a disservice by only teaching us to avoid secular settings instead of preparing us to stand firm in our faith in those settings.
” Beth shrugged, glancing at Kim, hoping she understood.
Kim nodded slowly. “No, you’re not alone in that. What you’re saying makes a lot of sense.”
They sat in silence for a moment before realizing their pizza was growing cold. Beth took a bite, chewing thoughtfully.
“So... how did you go from one shot to drunk and married?”
Beth swallowed and took a deep breath. “Curiosity.”
She leaned back, exhaling slowly. “I had always heard that hard liquor burned, but sipping it was surprisingly smooth. And since I didn’t feel any different after the first glass, I wanted to try it with salt and lime—like in the movies.”
She hadn’t let herself think back to that night, but now, in the comfort of her home, sharing it with her best friend, the memories surfaced. More than she expected.
Her eyes widened as she was pulled back into the recesses of her mind.