Page 58 of Love Sick

Beside me, Kai leans in to whisper suggestive jokes in my earagain, distracting me as I stifle my giggles. It draws attention to both of us, but I’m not the only one with immature behavior. Several people snicker behind their hands at Persistent Genital Arousal Disorder, a phenomenon in which women experience physical arousal unrelieved by orgasms.

It isn’t funny. It’s not. But when Mila describes cases of women suffering dozens of unprovoked orgasms each day, everyone’s maturity drops to the level of twelve-year-olds.

The last slide displays a picture of Michael Scott fromThe Officeholding his World’s Best Boss mug beside a quote bubble that reads, “Sex is like a good cup of coffee. It’s all in how you make it, or how you take it.”

“That’s what she said,” Asher quips from the back of the room.

I cover my face as laughter finally takes hold, and several others follow suit.

“Any questions?” Mila asks.

My hand shoots in the air.

“Of course,” Julian mutters across the table, sipping his black-as-his-soul coffee.

I ignore him and ask her to clarify several points in the lecture, typing her answers as she gives them. People are accustomed to my questions at this point, but Julian still harasses me about it.

Four questions in, he lets out a loud sigh, widening his eyes at me behind black-rimmed wayfarers.

I glare at him. “What?”

“You realize the longer you ask questions, the longer we all have to be here.”

“Forgive me for wanting tolearnduring this educational event.”

The stares in the room bounce between us. Even the attendings settle in for our argument like it’s a normal, expected part of their day.

He rolls his eyes. “Right. Because your questions aren’t strategically designed to show off how much you already know.”

That’s not true! I stiffen in my seat. “My questions are designed to elucidate portions of the lecture I found difficult to understand,Julian.”

He tilts his head. “Was it the desire, the arousal or the orgasm part that confused you,Sapphire?”

I glare at him. “What exactly did Palpatine promise you that you justhadto join the dark side?”

The no-smile appears, dark eyes flaring as he stares at me. “Your silence.” Then he points at the Michael Scott slide. “Along with endless cups of good coffee.” He says it even-toned, eyebrow perked, and takes a single sip from his Slytherin mug.

Alesha bursts out laughing, as do several other residents and Dr. Levine.

Kai bends toward me, stage-whispering, “He won that one.”

It takes every shred of self-control in me not to laugh, to smile, to stand up and run my hands through that perfect hair until he looks like I kept him busy in my bed for the last three days.

Kai’s voice drops to a true whisper. “Look away, darling. You’re staring.Intensely.”

Mila closes her PowerPoint, and the room rustles with people rising to take breaks, but Julian and I are still linked by our staring contest, and I’m transported back to several weeks ago when he leaned in close enough that his heat prickled all along my body.

The walk of shame only applies if you fuck me.

Why on earth did he say that? Why did he put that image in my head? Why won’t itleavemy head?

Goose bumps rise along my arms, and that black hole gaze finally pulls away from me when Maxwell taps his shoulder.

After the lectures conclude, I head to St. Vincent. My senior for L&D this month is my least favorite so far. Arista Herrera is a chief resident who has the worst case of senioritis I’ve ever witnessed. Utterly checked out, she lazes in our call room on TikTok while I run the floor by myself.

The OB hospitalists who serve as our oversight at Vincent are less than friendly. They range the gamut from cold and haughty (Dr. Narayan) to cold and hippie (Dr. Scarlett) to cold and sassy (Dr. Echols). Dr. Nguyen is the only pleasant one, but his retirement in a few months means he’s reducing his shifts.

All four despise our faculty attendings for their lack of supervision, accusing them of abandoning us so the hospitalists are forced to do more work. The residents are stuck in the middle of the politics, ignored by our core faculty who care little for us and abused by the hospitalists who, by all appearances, loathe us.

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