9
Fig
“It’sfine.Stopfussing.You don’t have to be here for this,” Zoe said into the phone. In the exam room, waiting for the nurse to come back, she shifted in the stiff chair, glad as hell she wasn’t on the exam table with her pants off again. According to the nurse’s teasing, by the time the baby came out, she wouldn’t care that she was flashing a dozen people, all focused on the slimy thing coming out of her vag.
“It’s not fine. I promised I’d be there for appointments, and I’m already failing.” Out of breath and hissing a whisper as he was clearly walking somewhere fast, Ryder sounded stressed as hell. “Did you figure out how to accept the calendar share invitation?”
“I did, and I added this one, but you really didn’t see it?” Calendars. Wow, she’d never needed a calendar. Work was easy, as she just printed an extra copy of the pub’s schedule for everyone. Not that Finn didn’t tease her for not knowing how to send it electronically, but Mom always printed them. It worked just fine. “I should have warned you that it’s not that I’m technologically impaired, but I am… technologically disinterested and thus lack the proper knowledge on the use of shared calendars.”
A delicious laugh filled the air as he teased her. “I had no idea. But I cannot fault you for that. I started wearing contacts a few years ago, after a lifetime of better than twenty-twenty vision. The eye doctor told me it was because I spend too much time at a computer.”
“I have excellent vision,” she snorted back.
“Okay, all set. I’m back in my office, door closed,” he said in a regular speaking voice. “Let me just set my availability to busy… All set.”
“Now you get to entertain me while I wait for the nurse.”
“So, this is the intake visit? What does that mean?”
“Haley warned me this was akin to bloodletting, physically and emotionally.”
“Oh, ouch. I’m really sorry I couldn’t be there with you.”
The office was packed to the gills today. People coming and going in all directions, women with bellies of varying sizes, plus the awkward ones like Zoe usually was, just there for a pap or something. At least it was quieter in the room, the chatter of the office dulled to white noise.
Why did they keep these rooms so freezing? Even fully clothed, she shivered. “Remind me to bring a sweatshirt next time. It is freezing in here.”
“I hate that, a cold doctor’s office. It adds to the ambience though, I suppose.”
“This one’s not so bad with the ambience, at least. I have a window and can see out into the forest, although I hope they close the blinds before an exam. Everything is a soothing blue or faux leather or faux wood, and the fluorescent light panels have cute clouds on them.”
“The light panels are covered?”
“So,” she explained with babying didacticness, “When someone needs to access a vagina, that is often easiest done whilst a woman is lying on her back…”
“I get it,” he said, and laughed, but she heard the unmistakable clattering of a keyboard. “Although I accessed your vagina via many positions.” He quickly laughed and snorted. “Shit, I almost typed that.”
“Why, Ryder Mallory, are you working through our appointment?”
“Fuck, sorry,” he said, and the clicking stopped. “Habit. I hate letting emails sit for very long, or they pile up and make my life miserable.”
“How’s everything going with Bellamy Athletics? Have they met with Jagger yet—wait, the nurse is here.” Zoe covered the phone and answered the door, “Um, come in.” So weird, responding like this was her house, but better than being caught with her pants down. At least that wasn’t on today’s agenda. It seemed like every time she came in this building, she was flashing someone.
“Hello, Zoe,” the nurse said warmly. “I’m Vanessa. I’m a registered nurse and I get to ask you many questions, then take your blood.” Not what she expected. No scrubs, but breezy tan trousers and a simple black t-shirt. Although, she did wear the classic white leather sneakers and her hair was tied back in a neat bun.
“Hi Vanessa.” Zoe held up the phone and shrugged. “Ryder had to work so I have him on the phone. That’s okay, right?”
“Of course. I’ve got questions for him too,” she said, and nodded companionably while she signed onto her laptop, and set it on the vacant exam table, making it into a makeshift desk.
“Alright, Ryder, you’re on speaker.”
“Hi,” he said. He would have to send pictures of his fancy corner office, as he’d joked about putting in a sofa—not for socializing, as much as squeezing in naps, or even moving in when he had a late meeting followed by an early day.
Vanessa ran them through a few standard questions, nothing too awkward, and Ryder stayed mostly quiet. No more clicking keys at least, but he had to be bored.
“Next, Zoe, how are you feeling? Breast tenderness?”
“Yes,” Zoe said, cringing as she realized this was about to get personal, and Ryder was hearing every bit of it. She could mute, she supposed, but it was only two months ago his hands and his mouth had explored most of her, so…
