Page 101 of Doc Showmance
I should run after him and try to figure out how to make this work.
Tell him you love him.
Tell him you’d do anything to make this not end.
But I didn’t.
I was on camera. The world didn’t get to see me break down over this. I was Amber Hardin, tough-ass emergency veterinarian bitch. I wouldn’t cry over losing something I never really had.
39
Amber
Istared into the mirror for the sixth time this morning and sifted my fingers through the refreshed hair color. My hot pink tipped hair ended a few inches shorter than it’d been before, but the red had been stripped. The two new cartilage ear hoops in my right ear glittered in the bedroom light. But none of it buoyed my mood.
Work had returned to being less dramatic and more about the animals since Ian left and Kovac “retired.”
“The color is perfect.” Joley wrapped me in a hug from behind and rested her head against mine. “It’s been ten days since you two broke up and he left. I love you, Amber, but I’m not used to seeing you this down. You didn’t even care when Bruno forgot to do the dishes after one of his experimental breakfast mornings yesterday.”
“He cleaned it up eventually. I decided I don’t need to pick at you three anymore.”
“We’re not good as accountable adults. You know this. Marino might gamble again. I might not make it through school. I need you to figure out how to find yourself again.”
“The whole thing took a lot out of me. I’ll make it to the other side, but it might take a while.”
“Will you be the same, though? You’ve loved that man since vet school.”
“No, we hated each other back then.”
“Exactly.” Joley chuckled and pulled away. “You’d come home from school complaining nonstop about him. At first, Bruno thought you were suggesting he go pound on Ian, but I stopped him. I hoped you two would figure it out, but you never did.”
“Maybe I did like him, but life doesn’t want us to have a happily ever after.”
“Who are you? Where’s the Amber who dragged me out of my job interview at a strip club and told me unless that was my lifetime dream I had to get it together? When have you ever let the bullshit life throws at us stop you from going after what you want? Your new agent offered you a chance to travel with a big potential paycheck to go to Africa. I say go.”
“He did, but I don’t know.”
“What’re you waiting for? Go get him.”
“It’s TV baloney for me to show up and surprise Ian. They want to spice up his show’s drama. You bet your ass me and him in the same environment will bring on some sort of extreme scenario.”
“Maybe it is all TV drama, but perhaps the two of you are fireworks together? You won’t know until you go.”
“He might not want me there.”
“You are talking about the man who punched out two men who were jerks to you within the past few weeks? He’s the only person you dated who both Bruno and Marino couldn’t intimidate. I think even Marino respects him. That says a lot.”
“The punching was in-the-moment insanity. I’m pretty sure he regretted doing it seconds after it happened.”
“He crunched his brother’s nose. That’s some serious anger, and all over being protective of you. He didn’t even give my boobs a scan when he was here. Ian is completely into you, and he’s serious about it. I get the feeling that’s a man who knows a lot about women and has been serious with one rarely. I highly doubt it’s something that’ll fade.”
“His life and my life are moving away from each other.”
“You have a chance to make them move back into alignment, at least for a while. I say you show up and surprise Ian. They get the fireworks they want on his show. A sort of crossover reality TV that hasn’t been done before. I’d watch it. But maybe, just maybe, this isn’t TV bullshit. This is your life. Have you ever thought maybe being here and doing ER medicine is too small potatoes for you?”
“I had thought it was enough until the past few weeks. I did surgery on a senator’s dog and he—the senator, not the dog—wants to partner with me to help push some legislation in Congress on animal welfare in this country. I’m thinking I could also advocate for foster children protections, even within the state.”
Joley straightened. “That’s pretty big potatoes. Congress as in United States Congress or California legislation?”
