Page 1 of Dr. Do-Right
Chapter 1
Happy birthday, Kitten.
Surprise!
I stared down at the note in my hands. The masculine, angular script was as familiar as my own. I could probably forge it, if I really wanted to. The words were cryptic, though. What surprise? This package was the least surprising thing to happen to me today. It had been delivered right on time, like clockwork.
“So, did we decide on how many twinkle lights is too many? Like, what’s the line between disco and desperate?” Sonia’s voice traveled down the hallway, coming closer. My heart leaped into my throat.
I spared one glance at the note and the box it had been delivered with: a sleek, black package containing what looked to be a truly spectacular silver vibrator. I shoved both hastily behind the purple velvet chair in my room, spinning to check myself in the mirror as the door opened.Whew.
“Because I won’t lie. I want to do more,” Sonia continued as she breezed in, platinum hair perched in curlers on her head.
She had her gold under-eye masks on and was wearing an old, paper-thin sleep shirt that showed off her generous curves. Somehow, even with Medusa hair and blobs on her face, she was too beautiful to seem real. Her face was all angular features and sharp green eyes that still intimidated the hell out of me when she got pissed off.
A sharp stab of guilt prickled my gut.Don’t look at the box. I swallowed the uncomfortable feeling down.
“It’s my birthday, Sonnie. More is more.” I checked myself one last time in the mirror, trying to calm my heart rate. It had been pounding ever since I’d seen the plain brown package sitting innocuously on our counter, which meant Sonia had gotten it from the mail room before I’d had a chance to grab it.
My reflection, at least, looked more collected than I felt. I’d worked some magic on my usually unruly hair, the dark, nearly black strands falling in big bouncy waves around my shoulders. Black liner and purple shadow emphasized my brown eyes.
“That’s what I was thinking, but I am getting seriously concerned about blowing a fuse.” Sonia glanced suspiciously at the walls.
“We were fine when we rented that bounce house for Thanksgiving last year,” I reminded her, moving to my small walk-in closet.
Clothes hung haphazardly off hangers. My mother would have a coronary if she saw it, but she’d never even graced my apartment building with her presence, so I tried not to worry about that too much.
My outfit, thankfully, had been picked out for days: cream silk bustier with a stretchy black mini skirt. The issue, though, was the shoes. Wasn’t that always the issue?
On one hand, my purple Louboutins made my legs look miles long and would make my outfit pop. On the other hand, we wereplanning a rager. Did I really want to be teetering around on 6 inches after a few margaritas?
Did I really want to vamp it up when the one person I wanted to look good for wouldn’t even be here?
“That’s true. And at least with the lights, we don’t have to move all the furniture.” Sonia paused for a moment. I could hear the gears turning all the way from the closet. “I’m gonna go for more lights.”
“Wait! Before you leave. What do you think?” I presented the Louboutins and a pair of sparkly flip-flops for her consideration. She didn’t hesitate to tap the purple patent leather.
“The red bottoms, obviously. It’s your birthday, and I specifically told everyone to bring cool, single dudes,” she clasped my shoulder, leaning in closer to stare into my soul. “This dry spell of yours has gone on for too long, friend. Time to get laid.”
“Ha!” My fake laugh was a little too loud. I sounded like an enraged donkey. “We’ll see. You know work has been just… bonkers.”
It was a weak excuse, even if it was true. I was a nurse practitioner in the cardiothoracic surgery unit at Cedar Hospital, so intense pressure was pretty much always the name of the game. Between sprinkling in a new class of residents and the mentoring initiative I’d taken on, the free space in my brain quickly filled.
But even when it was hectic, nursing was a good gig. I worked long shifts, but it meant I had a few days off a week, and most nights. There wasn’treallya reason for my dating life to have dried up like it had. At least, not a reason Sonia could know about.
I kept my gaze on hers, forcing myself not to look at the purple chair.
“Too bad Mal couldn’t make it tonight. He always loosens you up.” She brushed a curl of hair off my shoulder.
Do not look at the chair. Seriously.
I tugged my heels on, casting an eye around my room to avoid her. There was a small wrinkle in my emerald green duvet cover. I pulled it smooth. “He’ll be here later this week,” I responded, looking at everything but Sonia.
“He told me he had a surprise for us.” She tilted her head this way and that in the mirror, giving her best duck face. “I’m thinking a red lip tonight. What do you think?”
“A surprise?” That word, the note…
Happy birthday, Kitten. Surprise!
