Dominic rubs the back of his neck.
“Marcus…”
“And everything was going great,” Marcus continues. “Charts, statistics, the whole impressive doctor routine.”
Daniel nods.
“Very serious meeting.” Marcus raises a finger. “Until Dominic tried to change the slide.”
Dominic closes his eyes. “Oh my God.”
Marcus bursts out laughing.
“And instead of the presentation…” Emily finishes the sentence. “His personal Spotify playlist pops up on the giant screen.”
The whole table erupts with laughter.
Marcus leans back in his chair. “And not just any playlist.”
Daniel shakes his head.
“It was titled, Gym Motivation: Absolutely No Sad Songs.” Emily wipes a tear from laughing.
“And the first song on the list was—” Marcus points dramatically at Dominic. “Eye of the Tiger.”
Everyone laughs again.
Dominic sighs. “It was one time.”
Wine glasses clink as the waiter returns with drinks, conversation continues easily around the table. But every now and then…I catch Sophie glancing toward Dominic. And the knot in my stomach tightens just a little more.
By the time the third glass of wine is poured, the warmth of it settles into my chest. Conversation flows easily around the table. Marcus and Daniel are arguing about hospital parking, Emily is laughing about a patient who insisted WebMD was more accurate than medical school. But my attention keeps drifting back to one person.
Sophie.
She sits across from me, relaxed, one arm resting casually on the table, swirling the wine in her glass. I take another sip. Then I hear my own voice before I fully think it through.
“So Sophie,” I say lightly, leaning forward. The table quiets slightly. “Where’s your other half tonight?”
She looks up. “What do you mean?”
I smile politely. “You know… partner, boyfriend, husband.” I tilt my head. “Does he work at the hospital too?” There’s a small pause. The wine loosens my tongue a little more. “Or do you just prefer… flings?”
Dominic’s head turns toward me immediately. “Era,” he says quietly, feeling the edge in my voice.
Sophie freezes for half a second and something flickers across her face. Then she clears her throat. “No,” she says. “I’m divorced.”
I nod slowly. “Oh,” I say, lifting my glass slightly. “Got it.” A small pause. “So… flings.”
Marcus coughs awkwardly. Emily suddenly becomes very interested in her wine glass. Dominic lifts his glass quickly. “To passing the yearly hospital state inspections,” he says. A few relieved laughs circle the table. “And to good coworkers… and friendship.”
Glasses lift.
“Cheers.”
“Cheers,” everyone echoes.
Wine glasses clink softly. A moment later Sophie stands. “Excuse me,” she says, grabbing her wine. “I’m just going to step outside for a minute.” She walks toward the patio doors. A few minutes pass. Then I push my chair back slightly.
