Knowing I was about to be roasted, I asked anyway, “What is that?”
“I had a poster like you on my wall in elementary school.”
“Oh shit, you did!”Nora’s fingers stopped their pounding and her eyes went wide.“If you looked at it just right, you could see a horse running on a beach.”
“Relaxing.”He jerked his chin up.
Hazel shook her head.“It’s just so much tie-dye.”
“Where’s the headband?”Nora swiveled her chair.
I shoved my hand in my pocket but didn’t pull out the fake leather strap right away.“Do I really have to wear it?”
“You made the bet.”
“It doesn’t look right with how short my hair is.”
“I think being concerned about your appearance at this point is a bit silly,” Hazel remarked.
Nora squinted.“Let me see it.I’ll decide.”
“And your hair isn’t that short,” Hazel continued.“It’s around your cheekbones.”
I shoved the stretchy, weirdly patterned headband over my hair and across my forehead.
For a moment, they only stared, before Brooks commented, “That is a look.”
“I don’t think your hair being short is the problem,” Nora deadpanned.
Pursing her lips, Hazel considered me.“I never realized how big your head is.”
“I’m a big guy.”It was an unnecessary thing to say.They could all see that for themselves.
“You can take the headband off,” Nora offered.“It’s stretched within an inch of its life, anyway.”
Brooks checked his watch.“Well, this was worth me being three minutes late to the Higgins farm.I gotta go.”
“I’m glad you could be here for this,” I said to my tablet screen.
“You’re gonna want to see tomorrow too.It’s my favorite,” Nora called to his retreating back, his boots squeaking on the tile floor.
A mixture of apprehension and curiosity made my palms sweat, as my mind’s eye conjured the image of the last paper bag sitting on my dresser.I could have peeked but not knowing what flavor of outlandish scrubs waited for me each day had been kinda fun.A little surprise.Even if I looked extra ridiculous today, at least it created a difference from day to day.
When I’d opened yesterday’s bag, I’d thought she’d misunderstood the assignment.The sky-blue scrubs had seemed completely normal until I turned over the shirt and found “Swiftie” scrawled there.Which would have been fine, but the lyrics, “I did something bad,” were written across my ass.And that really distinguished the whole look.I tried wearing a sweater tied around my waist but it inevitably fell off due to how much bending over veterinarian work calls for.
Knowing Nora, whatever was in the last bag would be worse even than today’s.
Unimaginable.
“Unlock the door, will you?”Hazel called.
Brooks threw a wave over his shoulder and pushed through the vestibule door.
Turning my focus to my tablet, I scrolled through my appointments.
“Shit,” I hissed reading the last name of the day.
“I know, it sucks.”Nora’s shoulders slumped.
