Page 69 of Must Be Love - Irresistible Bachelors

“That’s awesome, Tams!”

Tammy has been a nurse since she finished college four years ago. She was actually a year ahead of Nicole and me, but we all took a gen-ed English class together and bonded over our professor’s monotone voice.

Daisy and Tammy met when we had our first girls’ night as a crew. They hit it off instantly and have been close friends ever since. That’s my favorite part of these events. It started with just Nicole and me and has grown into a gathering of five people.

Nicole and Jasmine arrive before Tammy can interrogate me about my lackluster response to her boyfriend question. Of course, after the immediate catching up is done between the five of us, the attention is back on me.

“Tell us about the new boy!” Jasmine orders. “Nicole told me he’s a doctor. That’s sexy!”

“There’s not much to tell. He’s hot, and yes, he’s a doctor. A dermatologist. He also owns his own cosmeceutical company.”

Tammy and Jasmine swoon. “You’re so lucky!”

I nod, but I don’t feel lucky right now.

“Can we talk about you guys now?”

All four of my friends eye me suspiciously, but they agree to the change of subject. Thank goodness. I might break down and cry if they interrogate me about AJ. I feel weird talking about a relationship I’m not sure I understand right now.

“My boyfriend is fantastic,” Jasmine says. They’ve been dating for a little over a year now. “He and I are talking about maybe moving in together next year.”

“That’s great! You’re ready for that step? Trust me, living with a guy is not easy.”

Daisy agrees with Nicole. Tammy and I leave it to their expertise. We’ve never been in relationships long enough to live with someone. At least I’m not the only boyfriend-challenged girl in our crew.

Jasmine nods. “I think I’m ready. We spend the weekends with each other already. To make sure, we want to have like a test run where we spend a full week at one of our apartments. If it goes terribly, we’ll nix the plan.”

“That’s a good idea.”

“Yeah, I think so. I’m hoping it works out. My lease is up in June, and I’d rather not renew. Living alone in New York is too damn expensive.”

That, I understand. I do okay for myself, but some months are harder than others. I’ve had to choose which bills are most important and which I can put off with a smaller penalty. It would be nice to share my space with someone else so I don’t have to take care of the bills by myself.

AJ could be that person if I can get over this wall I’ve built between us. He tried to break it down last night, but I couldn’t let him in. It would’ve been so easy. Instead, I blamed my outburst on work and the triple date. Sure, that was part of it, but it wasn’t the whole truth.

“You’re so lucky,” Tammy says. “I’m still hopelessly single. I can’t believe I’m the last single one in this group!”

I laugh. “I’m sorry!”

“Don’t be. You found yourself a hunk. I just need one for me. Now that I’m off nights, I might stand a chance. It’s hard to date when you’re only free during other people’s workdays.”

AJ pops back into my head, but this time for a different reason. He mentioned offhand the other day that he has a buddy who is as ‘hopelessly single’ as Tammy.

Maybe we should set them up! AJ’s guy is a doctor, and Tammy is a nurse. They would understand each other on a science level.

I’ll have to talk to AJ about it. Sadness fills my stomach. What if he and I don’t last much longer? I can’t be with someone who is afraid to be seen with me in public. If things don’t change, I’ll have to end it.

I’ll wait until after I see if Tammy and AJ’s friend hit it off. There’s no harm in them dating. I don’t see Tammy that often. It wouldn’t lead to awkward run-ins with my potential ex.

“How are things going at the hospital?” Daisy asks. “Anything fun going on? Any crazy patient stories?”

Tammy laughs. “I could tell you a few. The night shift is either crazy boring or insane; there’s no in-between.”

“I believe it. What’s your best story from the last month?”

While Tammy thinks, the rest of us look at the menu. The restaurant changes what they serve every month, so we’re forced to try something new each time. That’s one of my favorite things about this place. Plus, the bread is delicious. The entire dining room smells like the rolls they bake fresh every hour.

“I’ve got one!” Tammy announces. “I had this guy come in last week at two in the morning. Nothing good comes from ER visits at two in the morning, let me tell you. So anyway, he managed to get a nail through his hand. I was like, ‘What the hell were you doing hammering at two in the morning?’ I couldn’t ask him like that, but I asked, ‘How did this happen?’ and he got all cagey. Then I noticed he was sitting kind of funny. I asked if he had any other issues, and he hemmed and hawed at first. I told him I couldn’t treat him unless he told me. Finally, he admitted that he had something stuck in his butt.”

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