Page 54 of Harper's Holiday Romance
“I don’t even know how you spell whatever you just said, never mind what it is,” I jested.
There was no denying her smarts, but she didn’t once make me feel inadequate.
“Okay, well inside here—” Julia touched at either side of my neck just below my ears. “You have what’s called carotid arteries. They’re a thick pair of blood vessels; they run up either side of your neck, and their main job is to deliver the blood flow to your brain.”
“Is that why doctors feel there for a pulse?”
“Exactly, they’re large, so they create a strong pulse.”
I found it all fascinating. I wanted her to continue demonstrating. She nudged the peak of her cap upwards to reveal her eyes. The crease in her brow deepened as the sun hit her face. There was a faint scar on the left side of her face just above her groomed eyebrow. I hadn’t noticed it the night before, but the way the sun’s glare hit her face caused it to glisten. I wanted to kiss her again, desperately, but I refrained. The pool was quiet. The majority of guests were soaking up the midday rays on their loungers, and no doubt watching our interaction. Julia removed her hand from its position on my neck, but her touch lingered.
“The carotid arteries then join a bunch of other arteries at the bottom of the brain. This is called The Circle of Willis. From here smaller arteries supply oxygenated blood to about 80 per cent of the cerebrum,” Julia educated.
“What’s a cerebrum?” I asked.
“The cerebrum is the largest part of the brain. It’s what controls your muscle function, your ability to learn, as well as speech, thoughts, emotions, etc.”
“Wow. How do you remember all this stuff?”
“The eight years of education would be a waste if I didn’t.” Julia laughed.
The hard work allowed her access to a residency programme at the number one hospital in the US. This woman was touching me with hands that would go on to save countless lives. She was dedicating the better part of her younger years to a bigger and much greater cause. I was in awe of her commitment. My eyes roamed; I was aware Billie and Sarah hadn’t returned. They were probably hiding behind a bush incognito.
“I assume you don’t get a lot of time off during the residency programme?”
She shook her head. “Our programme has more than some, but it works out about four weeks over the year.”
“So, this is your summer vacation?”
“Exactly. I’m here for two weeks. I will take another two weeks separately later in the year, probably around thanksgiving and Christmas.”
Julia arrived at the resort the night before us. She had eight nights left. The inevitable end was looming in the distance. It felt weird thinking about theend. The end of what? This wasn’t anything, nor would it be anything. I was a realist. I was old enough to know the no-strings attached holiday romance was just that. It was carefree.It was an adventure. It was a story to tell after a few drinks on our next girls trip.
“Enough about me. What about you? Did you always want to be in real estate?” Julia asked. She so delicately trickled drops of water down her sun exposed arms. I noticed a tattoo under her left arm, beside her breast, where the swimsuit cut down. It looked like a family crest.
“No, my mum is a real estate agent, so it was something I fell into quite naturally. My dream would be to work with animals,” I said shyly.
“That makes sense.”
“How so?”
“I watched the look on your face when you saw the turtles for the first time. Your dopamine and serotonin levels must’ve been off the scale.” Julia grinned. I didn’t understand the brain talk, but I found it to be incredibly attractive.
“I love animals. All kinds, even flies.” I bowed my head. How embarrassing.
“Flies?” Julia smirked.
“I once tried for fifteen minutes to carefully remove a fly from my conservatory so it wouldn’t suffocate and die during the day. I was late for work.”
“I don’t think flies can suffocate—” Julia laughed.
“Well, I didn’t want to take that chance.”
I was instantly attacked by a large flying insect that resembled a lizard with wings as I spoke about saving one of its distant cousins. There was no loyalty. I snapped my head back and flailed my arms like I was being attacked by a swarm of wasps.
“Erm...” Julia’s mouth was wide open. My high-pitched scream attracted some attention from the couples closest to us.
“Sorry, I don’t like it when they try and—” It came back for me again. I half-swam half-fell into the pool from my seated position on the step. “Why... is... it... trying to get me,” I squealed.
