Total pages in book: 108
Estimated words: 104657 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 523(@200wpm)___ 419(@250wpm)___ 349(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 104657 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 523(@200wpm)___ 419(@250wpm)___ 349(@300wpm)
Will paused his beer at his lips, then he smirked just before taking another drink.
The bartender set my wineglass in front of me, and I sipped it, unsure what to expect with my first taste of alcohol. A bitter taste and burning sensation. Yuck!
“Not a fan of white wine?” Will asked.
“I should have gone with my gut and ordered red.” I shrugged.
“So are you in your second year like Victoria?”
I nodded. “Yes. Second year, just like her.”
“Tyler said Victoria spends an ungodly amount of time studying. I can’t imagine that level of dedication,” he said.
“Yeah, I’m sure she does.” I glanced around the bar because Will was too sexy for lengthy stares.
“I’m sure you do too.”
My gaze returned to him. “Study?”
He nodded.
“Of course. But I’m uh . . .” I twisted my lips. I couldn’t tell him I was a genius. That seemed like an arrogant confession so early in a meeting. And the point was to fit in and gain experience, not to list my academic accolades. “I’m a quick study.”
“Is that a humble way of saying you’re smart?” He turned on the barstool, and his knee touched my thigh.
There was no wiggle room in the crowded bar, so I had to deal with our legs touching.
“I suppose everyone who gets into medical school at Stanford is smart.” I mentally patted myself on the back for navigating that answer in the most humble way possible.
“Well, smart women are very sexy.” His grin reached his ears before he set his empty glass aside and leaned in closer. “It’s loud in here. Want to take a walk?”
My head swiveled, searching in all directions for Victoria like she was my mom. But my mom was in New York, and my mom’s best friend, Maya, who I lived with, was in Salt Lake City for a business trip. I couldn’t wait to turn eighteen so I could live by myself.
Maya was cool. She trusted me because I had never given her any reason not to. Hence, feeling confident about leaving me alone for a week.
When I spotted Victoria and Tyler across the bar, talking to friends, I hopped off the barstool. “I’ll tell Victoria I’m taking a walk.”
“Cool. Maybe I should tell Tyler too.”
Was he making fun of me? His smile was hard to decipher.
He slid off the stool. “Don’t worry. I’ll get your drink so they don’t send the cops after you.” He deposited cash onto the bar.
I wrinkled my nose. “I was going to do that when I came back.”
Will rested his hand on my lower back, mouth close to my ear. “Our seats will be taken in two seconds. Why come back?”
I barely heard him because I couldn’t focus on anything but his big hand on my back. We wormed our way through the packed bar, and as we approached Victoria and Tyler, I took a quick step to the side so they wouldn’t see him touching me.
“We’re going for a walk,” I yelled over the deafening noise that vibrated so much I could feel it like teeth chattering.
Victoria eyed Will and then me before leaning closer, hand by her ear.
“We’re going for a walk,” I repeated.
She pulled away and grinned, eyebrows raised. Then she leaned in again. “Good choice. Will is trustworthy. Make sure he wears a condom.”
My head reared back. Was she serious? My gaze shot to Will, but he was busy laughing about something with Tyler.
“You can’t be a virgin doctor, Everleigh. I’m sorry. You just can’t,” Victoria yelled in my ear, and I turned red because she said virgin so loudly.
Surely my father would have thought I could absolutely be a virgin doctor, as any good dad did. As for my mom, well, I think she wanted a normal daughter who went to prom and discussed girl drama after school. Instead, she got the daughter who provided essays on the psychological effects of girl drama, teenagers, and social media. And, for the win, a comparison between Isaac Newton’s and John Locke’s theories on the age of reason.
Maya had a drawer in my bathroom with a box of condoms. And sometimes I caught her checking the drawer, only to frown when she discovered the unbroken seal on the box.
I imagined every day she sent my mom a text that said: Still a virgin.
“Can you take her home?” Victoria asked Will, squeezing his arm to get his attention.
I could get a cab or take a bus. There was no need for an escort. I’d just met the guy. Had I ruled out serial killer? Of course not.
Will glanced at me as if silently asking if I was okay with him taking me home and potentially dismembering me while whistling something catchy like the Nationwide insurance jingle. Maybe not. As a fireman, he was probably more of a homicidal pyromaniac. But I appreciated his checking with me. It made him even sexier, if that was possible.