I squinted at the agonizing sound, embarrassed for the intoxicated young man I could hear, slurring his words.
“You must be Lexie?” Nina asked.
Half of the crowd began booing the man onstage while the other half screamed with encouragement, clearly enjoying the man’s humiliating display.
“And you must be one of Avery’s hot doctor friends!” Nikko slid between us. “I dig the glasses. Name’s Nikko. What’s yours, beautiful?”
She ran her fingers through her shoulder-length blonde hair and blushed. “Nina.”
Nikko bent down nearly a foot to reach her level. “Nina what? I need a last name if I’m going to stalk you online.”
She leaned closer to his ear, and I could only hope her last name was all she was telling him.
I rolled my eyes and watched her adjust the oversize black-framed glasses resting on the bridge of her nose.
Despite all the warnings I had given her on the ride over, she was still flirting with him. That was part of her charm though. She was nice to everybody. Sometimes a littletoonice.
“What’s your tattoo of?” she asked, pulling at the sleeve around his shoulder.
Nikko stretched the fabric up and tightened his bicep. “It’s a falcon. The wings spread onto my chest and back shoulder blade. I’d have to take my shirt off to show you the rest.” His eyes darkened. “Maybe later?”
When a giggle escaped from her mouth, I grabbed her wrist and pulled her away toward the bar.
“Avery!” she scolded.
“I need a drink if I’m going to listen to any more of that.” I signaled to the bartender. “Two Coronas, please.”
“I was just introducing myself.”
I gave her a knowing glance, and a grin slowly crept onto her cheeks.
“He’s cute. Sue me.”
“Nikko’s not a bad guy, but he’s a huge player. You do you, Nina. Just don’t say I didn’t warn you.”
“I can have fun if I want to. He’s better to look at than the cadaver we stare at all day in anatomy lab.”
“Interesting yardstick you’re using to measure attraction.” I grimaced.
“I’m just saying, we spend more time with men lying on a table without a pulse than actually socializing with the ones around us. It’s sad. And pathetic.”
“I talk to Henry. He tells me all his secrets.” I did my best to suppress a smile while Nina rubbed her temples.
“You really need to stop naming your cadavers. It’s disturbing,” she teased. “I think this is good for us. I prescribe a night out like this at least once a week. Future doctor’s orders. It’s nice to have a little distraction sometimes.”
The fact that she could even entertain the idea of a distraction at this point in our schooling was mystifying. Insane even. But things came easier to her than it did me. She could study something for an hour or two and not have to look at it again. I, on the other hand, would have to stare at my notes on the same topic for days just to memorize a fraction of what she had. It had been that way for me for as long as I could remember. Everyone thought it came easy to me, but I worked my ass off to get the grades that I did.
The bartender handed us our drinks, and Nina slid a twenty-dollar bill to him in return. I gulped down half of my beer before I noticed Nina’s face.
“What?” I exhaled, licking my upper lip.
“It’s not water, Avery.”
“Is that judgment I’m hearing?”
“One hundred percent.” She smiled before taking a drink of her own.
Hearing a roar of laughter, we both glanced back at Nikko and Lexie, who had been joined by Milton, Danny, and a girl I didn’t recognize.
