Page 152 of Light My Fire

But what I can also attribute to those three is my disorganization this entire week.

I’ve been at my internship for only two weeks.

The first week, everything went pretty well. My nerves about the internship made me plan ahead, and be strict with Wyatt, Jackson, and Luke when I said I needed to go home early or not get together.

But they are very hard to resist.

This past weekend when we all hung out together and I tried to leave on Sunday early in the afternoon, they talked me into staying. Four different times. I’d given in every time. Happily, I’ll admit. It’s not like they forced me to stay.

But I ended up getting home far later on Sunday night than I intended. I hadn’t gotten to some of the notes I’d meant to review, and hadn’t slept as long as I wanted to.

I’ve felt behind all week now.

They’ve been texting and calling, just checking in, being sweet. They’ve each asked me when they can see me, but they have taken my repeated “not tonight” answer in stride.

I’m trying to have a sensible routine. During the week, I go home after work, work out, eat dinner, and spend time reviewing procedures and diagnoses I know are coming into the clinic the next day, so I feel prepared. Then I try to go to bed at a decent time.

I want to do well at this internship. Not only because, for my entire life, I have prided myself on being an excellent student,but because I would really love a job offer at the end of this internship. I want to stay in Chicago.

In large part because of the three men who keep texting me and distracting me when I really need to be paying attention to work.

My phone buzzes as if I summoned one of them.

And honestly, just because it’s two o’clock in the afternoon, I can’t guess which one it is. I hear from all three of them at all times of the day.

And if I wasn’t a little sleep deprived and incredibly stressed, I would find that very sweet.

Now, though, as I am taking a quick break and trying to look something up that I need for myjob, I’m very tempted to ignore the message.

In the end, I can’t. I swipe across the screen and open the message from Jackson.

Got to work with Bruce today. Totally kick ass. I’m loving this.

He attached a photo of him and the German Shepherd I assume is Bruce.

I can’t help but smile at it.

My gorgeous, sweet boyfriend who has the personality of a golden retriever, has his arm around a German Shepherd who looks as thrilled to have met Jackson as Jackson is to have met Bruce.

Thank God Jackson has started the SAR training program.

One thing that has saved me a little this week is Luke and Wyatt’s work schedule.

They, of course, have had work shifts over the past two weeks, and their shifts are long and can be very intense. The hours following a shift they often need to sleep and decompress.

But then they’re off for forty-eight hours.

And then they are blowing up my phone, wanting to see me, sending me flowers and warm cookies at night. And selfies and cute videos. Things that make me miss them andreallywant to see them.

At least they have each other.

Last night the three of them went out together without me. Which I thought was great. I figured that would entertain them all and distract them from me not being there.

Instead, it made the texts and videos three times extra tempting.

They sent me selfies, a text they wrote together, and a video begging me to come to the bar and meet them.

I actually put my shoes on before I realized it was a bad idea.

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