Page 52 of Doctor Enemy

“He’s only forty-five. That’s not really that old. Jackson’s older,” I tell her.

“And it’s weird that Amanda’s with him, too,” says Olivia, without any hesitation.

I’m actually surprised by the vitriol in her voice when she says that, as though she genuinely can’t stand the thought of anyone hooking up with an older guy.

I don’t want to spend the last few minutes going over the semantics of my decision to go out on this date with her. I ask, “So, does that mean my hair looks okay?”

“You look fine,” says Olivia, dismissively. “Look, I’m in the middle of something. I’ve got to go.”

And before I can even respond to that, she’s ended the call, leaving me stunned. Olivia has been my closest friend since we started in peds together. I can’t understand why she’s acting like this all of a sudden. Why my choice in a romantic partner could make her so beyond angry with me.

But… I don’t have the time to dwell on it.

Another text from Kurt comes in, this time announcing that he’s arrived. I’ve got to get out of here.

A last glance in the mirror is given, to make sure that my makeup isn’t smeared and the pearl clip that I’ve got in my hair is in place, and then I’m turning and leaving the apartment.

I take the stairs because they're always faster than the elevator, hiking up the black skirt of my two-toned black and pink dress in one hand, my heels clacking against the stairs with each step.

Kurt is waiting for me in the lobby, and he’s more handsome than I’ve ever seen him.

My stomach twists up, nerves sinking in again.

Is this the right choice? Kurt seems earnest enough, and while Olivia threw a fit about our age difference… No one else seemed to care.

“Your chariot awaits,” jokes Kurt, gesturing toward the door.

I smile, deciding to go into this like it’s got a clean slate. “So what, you think you’re prince charming all of a sudden?”

He holds open the door for me and then loops his arm with mine once we step outside of the apartment building and into the chill of the night. I’ve got a three-quarter sleeve sweater over my strapless dress, black, with silver snaps.

It’s almost funny, because his shirt has silver snaps, too.

“I’ve always been prince charming,” says Kurt. “You just didn’t stay awake until midnight last time. Don’t worry, we’ll change that today.”

He leads me to his Mustang. I slide into the passenger seat, and he slips behind the wheel. “And where are we going? The ball?”

“Lagoona,” he answers. “I hope you brought your dancing shoes.”

“Dancing shoes?”

“I’ve heard that they have live music,” says Kurt, pulling onto the main road. He flashes me a smile that’s borderline devilish. “I might want to take you for a spin.”

I laugh and warn him, “I can’t dance.”

“Then we’re a perfect match,” he counters, “Because neither can I.”

The ride out is pleasant, but things get even better when we actually pull up to Lagoona, a seafood restaurant with two floors. The second floor has an outdoor deck on it, with live music that can be heard from the road. It sounds like a jazz band. I’m instantly smitten.

Kurt doesn’t open the car door for me because I've beat him to it, but he does loop our arms together again as he leads the way through the parking lot and up to the front door.

I can instantly tell that I’m outclassed by pretty much everyone in the place, just from the decor.

Even more so when Kurt tells the woman standing up front, “Reservation for Lockwood and company?”

“Right this way,” she says, after glancing at her papers.

She leads us through the first floor, and up to the second one—then out onto the balcony that I had glimpsed from the road. There’s plenty of room for the high-top tables but there’s also space between the tables and the band for people to get up and dance if they want to.

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