Page 32 of Just One Kiss

“He wants to take me out for dinner,” Carly said.

“Are you going to go?” Sasha asked.

Carly looked at her, then at Justine, then snapped out of whatever it was that had just come over her and walked back to their table.

“You’re going, right?” Justine sat down beside her.

“I don’t know. He told me not to answer, just to think it over.”

“What is there to think over? He’s smart. He’s handsome-ish.” Sasha shrugged.

“Handsome-ish?” Justine shot her a look from across the table. “Wrong. He’s just plain handsome. He’s successful and stable and smart and he’s obviously got great taste.”

Carly took a drink of Diet Coke and shook her cup, which was mostly ice by this point.

“Why are you dragging your feet?” Sasha wanted to know.

“We work together,” Carly said. “It seems a little unethical.”

“How many times have you actually seen him at work?”

“If we dated and it ended badly, you know I would start seeing him everywhere.”

“That’s probably true, but what if you dated and it didn’t end badly?”

Carly groaned. “He’s Jaden’s doctor. We’re in crisis mode over here. You should never make big decisions in crisis mode.”

“You’re not in crisis mode,” Justine said.

It felt like she was. It felt like they’d been white-knuckling it since Jaden’s episode at the parade.

“And this really isn’t abigdecision.” Sasha piled her garbage onto her tray. “Is this about something else?”

“What else would it be about?” Carly cleaned up her mess, and they all stood, moving toward the nearest garbage can.

“A certain ex who has recently reentered the picture, maybe?” Sasha tossed her trash and put the tray on top of the can. “I saw him at the hospital the other day. He’s hot.”

Justine gave her a shove.

Carly rolled her eyes. “That’s crazy. Josh stopped influencing my decisions a long time ago.”

Sasha raised her eyebrows in that annoying mocking way that saidUh-huh, sure he did.

“Josh being here is a giant pain in my neck.” Carly walked toward the exit. “But I have zero feelings for him other than frustration.”

“Frustration is just a step away from passion,” Justine said.

“That’s not even true,” Carly said.

“I’m just saying—this perfectly nice doctor asks you out after, let’s be real, quite a long dry spell, and you have to think about it?” Sasha pushed the glass door open and they walked out of the cafeteria. “There must be a reason.”

“She has a point.” Justine poked the Up button on the elevator.

“There are reasons, but none of them are Josh,” Carly said.

“So, what are they?” Justine asked.

“He’s Jaden’s doctor. I work with him.” Carly shook her head. “Aren’t those deal breakers?”

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