Page 7 of Moonshot

CHAPTERFIVE

Ava

“Hey, girl.”

I look up to see my dear friend, Eve, waving to me from the back corner of the small bistro. She stands from her seat at a corner booth, opening her arms wide.

“Oh gosh, how I’ve missed you,” I reply as I crush her against me. “How long have you been waiting?” Glancing at my watch, I confirm I’m on time for our much overdue dinner plans.

“You’re fine. I was just anxious to get this night underway. It’s been way too long, Ava. I feel like it’s been forever since we’ve had any quality time together. Damn PA school.” She laughs.

“Ha. Yeah, it’s hard to have time to do anything beyond sleep and study in that program.” Eve has been attending my alma mater, Eastern Medical School, in the tidewater region of Virginia. While all PA schools are competitive, Eastern is particularly so. It’s a private college with smaller class sizes, allowing for more individualized instruction when needed. Midlevel providers like physician assistants and nurse practitioners are often seeing the very same patients as the physicians with whom we work. The training is grueling to ensure we’re adequately prepared for our jobs. Medical school is a four-year program plus a residency requiring three additional years of study for primary care physicians. More for orthopedic surgeons and the like. The PA program, including clinical rotations, is completed in less than three years. Thus, there’s a lot of information to learn in a very short amount of time.

“How’s it going?” I ask, reaching for my water.

“It’s intense. The amount of material you’re trying to absorb is insane. I don’t think I had any idea what I was in for when I applied.”

I chuckle. “It’s probably a good thing we didn’t know. I’m not sure that anyone would go through with it if they did.”

“Good evening, ladies. Can I get you something from the bar before dinner?” the server asks, voice dry and uninterested, not making eye contact with us but instead looking at his Apple watch.

“Oh, I’d love a glass of Merlot,” Eve replies to the tall, thin server whose face remains expressionless.

“I’ll just have water, thank you.”

“Oh, Ava. You’re going to make me drink alone? Is it the migraines?”

“Yeah, it’s usually better if I abstain. But if we go out later, maybe I’ll get a drink then.” I hear the distinct sound of a voice clearing above me and glance up to see the obvious annoyance of the gentleman holding his pen and pad of paper.Really?

“Would you like to hear the specials, or are you ready to order?”

Jeez, what’s your hurry, man? The place doesn’t close for hours.My eyes connect with Eve’s, and a knowing smirk crosses her face. Oh, no. This gal has no filter.

“Oh, I’m sorry. Were we not going fast enough for you, Edward?” she asks, looking at his nametag. “Could we have a few more minutes to look at the menu, please? Then, when you return with our drinks, you can share the specials, and I’m sure we’ll be ready to order,” she adds with obvious sarcasm. Granted, Eve had put herself through undergrad waiting tables and made huge tips doing so.

I quickly return my attention to Edward, whose face is anything but expressionless now. He looks like he’s sucking on a lemon. Or constipated. He spins with a flourish and briskly walks into the kitchen, the door slamming closed behind him.

“Really, Eve? He’s probably going to go spit in our food!”

“He had it coming. He was being rude. I didn’t say anything inappropriate. I just encouraged him to try a little harder to do his job.” She shrugs her shoulders and begins to read her menu like she’s glancing over the Sunday paper at the breakfast table, completely unaffected.

“Oh my god,” I utter as I drop my head in my hands.This girl.Eve is a gorgeous girl with blonde hair that falls to her shoulders in beachy waves. Her hair is a rich, golden hue, unlike mine that almost appears white. She has big brown eyes and the most incredible complexion. Hell, I’m not into girls, but I get a little captivated by her sometimes. Her give-no-shits attitude about the world around her only adds to her allure, in my opinion.

I quickly decide on a small chef salad and the crispy roasted Brussel sprouts, if nothing more than to enjoy the look on Eve’s face when I order it. She’s a stunningly beautiful petite blonde who never seems to gain a pound but abhors vegetables. Brussel sprouts, I’m quite sure, top the list.

“So, clinicals must be getting close. Are you staying in the tidewater area to do them or coming back home?”

“I’m doing a little of both. I’m not in a hurry to get home to my meddling brothers, so I’m going to do a few in tidewater and a select few here. I’m hoping to get my ER rotation at St. Luke’s.”

I can’t control my giggle at this. Eve would constantly remind me of the contrary, every time I’d wax poetic about how much better my life would’ve been had I had brothers like her. Eve was the fifth of six siblings and the only girl. She wasn’t able to sneeze without one of her overprotective Manning brothers checking her temperature. She was rarely out of their sight. Parties and dating had been nearly impossible. No boy would garner the approval of any of them individually, much less the group as a whole.

Despite her protests to the contrary, I still thought her situation sounded like the more appealing option. Growing up an only child had been isolating. I couldn’t bring friends over because they might be too loud and aggravate my mother’s condition. It didn’t matter anyway. I wasn’t sure I wanted to risk sharing my circumstances with my friends. They didn’t need to see what life was like at my house. Doting on my mother as she lay in bed or lifeless on the couch, wearing her depression like a cloak.

“Have you ladies had a chance to review the menu?” Edward’s terse greeting interrupting my depressing thoughts of yesteryear.

“Ah, yes. I’ll have the chef’s salad with a side of ranch and the roasted brussel sprout appetizer,” I quickly reply. My eyes snap over to Eve, who’s making a gagging gesture with her mouth and index finger.Classic!

“Yes, Edward. Thank you for asking. I’d like the breakfast burger with the works.” The years of being surrounded by testosterone have shaped her eating habits. Thank God she’s got a great metabolism. Eve quickly closes her menu, grabs mine, and hands them both to our stoic server with a sickeningly sweet grin on her face. A tooth could pop out from the strain of that cheesy smile.Lord, this girl.

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