CHAPTER 8
KATE
“Emergency!” I shriek to Sarah Thursday afternoon as we finish with our last patient of the day. The rest of the staff has already left, but Sarah and I always stay later and prep the practice for the next day.
“What’s up? Did someone call for a walk-in?” she drawls as she walks around the corner.
“Fashion emergency. I have a date tomorrow night, and I don’t know what to wear. I haven’t even gone on a date in the last ten years, and I’m seriously nervous. Do you have some time tonight or tomorrow at lunch to look through my closet and help me?”
She looks shocked. “Ten years? Seriously? One day soon, we will have to go out and have a girls’ night so you can explain to me how someone as beautiful as you has not had a date in TEN YEARS?!”
“Long story, filled with love and hate, and honestly, I’m tired of living that same old story. One day, I will tell you. Not today. Anyway, can you please help me?” Begging, I try to bribe her. “I will feed you, give you wine, or whatever you need.”
“Deal. Food and wine. Lucky for you, I come cheap.”
Picking up my phone, I search and find a Thai place nearby. “How about that Thai place down the street? Is that good?”
“Jasmine’s great. I’ll have Pad Kee Mao with shrimp, please.”
“That’s my favorite, too. I’ll get two orders and some dumplings.” I call in the order. “I’ve got plenty of superb wine at my place. I think Lev stocked it, and he’s got damn good taste.”
Sarah finalizes her reports. When I finish, we wrap up the prep for tomorrow and head to my apartment.
Walking in, she looks around in amazement. “This is gorgeous!” she exclaims. “I knew there was an apartment up here, but I thought it was like a plain old bachelor pad, not this gorgeous place. I’m soooo jealous. Do you mind if I look around?”
Waving my hand, I motion for her to go ahead. “Do you want red or white?”
“I’ll have white please. Is there a Sauvignon Blanc or something ‘tarty?’” Sarah asks.
“Tarty.”
I laugh as I pour each of us a glass of Sauvignon Blanc. It’s from Chile, and while my favorites are usually from New Zealand, I pick this one to try. Lev’s picks have been spot-on. He must get a lot of samples from his vendors. Taking a sip, I moan in appreciation.
Hmm...crisp and only slightly ‘tarty.’It’s perfect.
I get a text on my phone, saying the delivery guy is downstairs, so I grab cash for a tip and head down. As I head back up with the food, I take a big whiff. It’s been a long time since I had good Thai, and it smells fantastic. Setting the food on the table, I grab our wine, a dish for the soy sauce, and some napkins.
Sarah returns from her tour. “This place is incredible. It gives me so many ideas for redecorating my place. Hmm, that smells so good.”
“Do you need silverware? Or do you use chopsticks?” I inquire as I set down the napkins.
She picks up a pair of chopsticks and opens the pack. “Chopsticks work for me.”
“Me, too.” I set her carton in front of her and the dumplings in the middle of the table. Dumping out the soy sauce into a little dish, I set that by the dumplings.
