“Okay, great, well, I will have Dr. Clovis come in here, and he will do an exam on Olivia for you, okay?”
“You can’t tell me what’s wrong with her?”
I hesitated for just half a second. Would it really be so wrong to tell Kelly what was wrong with Olivia? Would it really be so bad to provide advice that I knew would be accurate?
Yes, yes, it would be. Because unfortunately, it wasn’t just a matter of upsetting Dr. Clovis and imperiling my position in the vet clinic. It was also a legal matter of providing unsanctioned advice, and the last thing I needed was even more trouble.
“I can’t, but Dr. Clovis is an expert and would be happy to help you.”
At least that much was true.
For now, I told myself, I just had to humble myself and save money.
But boy, was it going to suck.
* * *
My shift lasted ten hours.
In a way, I hated it. I hated that I was leaving Shiloh at the house for so long. I hated that I had to pretend to just be a pretty face for the vet clinic when I knew so much already. I hated that I had put myself here.
But in another way...
Well, unfortunately, the way I enjoyed it was far, far less than the way I hated it. I didn’t know how long I would be able to tolerate this, but I had a feeling it would get much easier as time went by. I’d eventually adapt, I’d get into a groove, and maybe I’d even start to enjoy the job. After all, I still got to work with animals. I still got to interact with patients and play my part in making animals healthier.
I just wasn’t quite where I had been, but I could get back there.
As the day came to a close, Dr. Clovis met me in the back in between patient visits.
“How was the first day?” he said with an enthusiasm I could not match.
“It was good!” I said, exaggerating how I felt. “It was good to be back in Springsville working for you.”
“Good, good,” he said, letting the words trail off for a bit. “Rose.”
I paused. He said my name like he was going to say something ominous.
“I don’t know why you’re back here, and frankly, it’s none of my concern,” he said. “What I’m happy about is to have a competent vet tech here. Like, goodness, in a town this small, you can imagine how hard it is to find someone who is good at what they do. For the most part, I’ve had stretches where I’ve just had interns. Which, you can guess... ”
He was back to rambling again. But the gesture was still very much appreciated. Feeling appreciated went a long way to making me feel like I could get through the next six months. It would still be tough, but having the vet’s support would go a long way to making things easier.
Eventually, I managed to excuse myself and headed out to my car, which still carried the stench of Shiloh and old possessions, even though I had managed to clear out most of it last night. I still had a couple of heavier boxes in the trunk I had hoped to find help for, but the sight of the rundown apartment complex, combined with the nighttime hours, made me rethink that decision. As it was, I wouldn’t get home until after the sun had set, so I was probably looking at not unloading anything until my next day off, Friday.
My stomach gurgled, all but demanding I eat. There were a couple of nearby fast food joints, but I was determined to make sure that even if my bank account was in bad shape, my body would not be. I decided to take a drive over to the nearest grocery store.
When I got there, I saw a motorcycle parked near the front. I grimaced but told myself it was probably nothing. It wasn’t like whoever had been driving bikes by my place was also going to host their meetings in the grocery store. And there was no real way to say whose bike it was for certain; the old joke about Springsville was there were more bikes than pets.
I headed inside to find a grocery store pretty empty. Then again, we were in a small town—Salt Lake City, this was not. I headed for the produce aisle, deciding maybe I could whip up something vegetarian or vegan tonight. I swore by neither diet, but it was probably a lot cheaper than buying some steak or even some pre-made meals.
I looked up and down the different aisles. I plucked off some kale, some broccoli, and some mushrooms. But this wouldn’t be enough calorie-wise. I needed something like beans.
I headed over to the canned goods section. I turned the corner.
And there he stood.
My ex-boyfriend, the one I’d wanted to see more than anyone else.
LeCharles Williamson.
