Page 76 of On The Beach

"You know what your problem is?"

"What?" I narrowed my eyes.

"You need to get laid."

The nerve!

That's when I threw a bottle of water at him and missed as intended. He was chuckling as he left my office.

We were at The Sinclair, one of my favorite bars in Cambridge. A live band played somewhere upstairs, sending a pulse of bass through the floor, and the hum of voices filledthe air. The dim lights reflected off brass fixtures and old hardwood floors, creating a perfectly cozy Cambridge vibe. Anna sat across from me, scrolling through her drink options with a look of total focus, while two ofherfriends (they were more hers than mine), Leela and Jess, both physicians, were in the middle of a heated debate about the best sangria in Boston.

"Please, bitch, Barcelona Wine Bar has the best sangria," Jess insisted, rolling her eyes. "I don't care what any Yelp review says."

"Oh, right, because you've definitely had all the sangrias," Anna teased.

Jess narrowed her eyes. "Yes, Anna, I have done the work. I have drunk sangrias all over the city. I speak from a place of knowledge and expertise."

"It doesn't take expertise to drink alcohol," Leela commented snarkily.

"No, but it does to appreciate it," Jess pointed out.

I was half-listening, sipping my drink, when my attention drifted across the room.

"The fuck is he doing here?"

All three women turned to look at Mick. This was the first time Jess and Leela were seeing him.

"Is that the beach bum?" Jess asked in awe.

"Yeah."

"Really?" Leela's eyes were wide. "If you're conflicted about him, no worries, I'll climb that like he's a tree right away."

I sighed. "He's following me around, isn't he?"

Leaning against the bar, drink in hand, Mick looked completely out of place and yet somehow perfectly comfortable in this tucked-away Cambridge spot. He was in jeans and a fitted black shirt that managed to make him look both rugged and put-together, and I could practically feel my friends drool.

"Nah, he's meeting Dan," Anna told me, her eyes twinkling.

"Why would you invite your husband to girl's night?" Jess smacked Anna's hand.

"Ouch, surgeon hands, woman, be careful,” Anna protested. "I suggested it so Dan can be the designated driver…for all of us."

"That was smart thinking." Leela patted Anna's hand in appreciation.

"He's hot, Belle, how are you not…you know fucking him all day, every day?" Jess wanted to know.

I sighed, feigning nonchalance as I took another sip of my drink. Iwasfucking him night and day, but I refused to tell him I loved him. A girl had to put her foot down sometimes. "Ah…well, I have fortitude," I lied.

Mick and Dan kept their distance while we drank and talked, and I had to admit this was a good idea. I was wound tight. I was stressed out. I was scared that the trial would fail, and then what? I had nothing else to offer those children. So, a drink and knowing Mick was close by was comforting.

I was on my way back from the bathroom when I saw Mick leaning against a wall with a blonde bombshell standing in front of him, arms crossed. She was in what I called slutty chic. It was a bodycon dress that looked good on her. She was made up from her head to her Jimmy Choo toes.

I watched as she said something to him, her lips curled in an unmistakable sneer. Curiosity got the best of me, and I shifted a little to hear better while still not being visible to them. Just as I thought, the woman's voice dripped with sarcasm.

"Nicholas, Nicholas, Nicholas. What happened to you?" she was saying. "You used to be on top of the world. Now, look at you. A washed-up failure on some island, playing beach bum."

Mick chuckled. "Mia, babe, I'm notplayingbeach bum; Iama beach bum. A damn good one."

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