1
Claire
“You’ve got this.C’mon. Don’t stop. Don’t you dare fucking stop now,” Dylan commands, sweat trickling along his temples.
“I can’t,” I cry, the words strained. “It’s too much.”
He doubles down. “Just a little longer. You can do it. Almost there. Yes, that’s it. Yes!” he grunts, sitting back on his saddle.
With a heavy exhale and a slew of silent curses directed at the instructor, I ease up on my spin bike’s resistance and guzzle from my water bottle.
Joey pants beside me. “Holy hell. That was intense.”
“You’re telling me,” I laugh, using a towel to brush my bangs out of my face. “Thanks for coming with me. It’s always more fun with a friend.”
“Glad we could finally make it on the same day.” She pulls the elastic from her long brown hair and quickly redoes her messy bun. “You’ve been working too much.”
I huff. “You’re not wrong.”
Dylan leads us through a quick stretch, and as we’re wiping down our bikes, he passes by and winks. “Good girl, Claire.”
My face heats as we file out of the class, though it’s easy toblame on the workout. From here, Joey and I slip over to the gym’s café, where we order two acai bowls and snag a table by the window.
“How’s work?” she asks.
“S’fine,” I say around my spoon.
“Claire.” My brother’s fiancée knows me well enough by now to smell my bullshit.
Pulling my glasses from my bag, I stare back at her. I see well enough without them and wear contacts most of the time, but I feel a headache coming on, and I’d prefer to nip it in the bud since I have to go into the clinic soon.
“Overall, I love it. It’s just… a lot of hours. Dr. Elliott has been running the clinic well for years, and the patients are loyal, but we’re understaffed. And even after a year, I still feel like I have to prove my worth. Does that make sense?” I glance at her, but I don’t wait for her response. “The good news is that Dr. Elliott’s son will be coming on board soon. I’m sure that’ll help even the load.”
Joey purses her lips, a skeptical expression on her face. “I worry about you. Your brother does too. I barely see you these days. Are you still taking art classes at the cultural center?”
I shake my head, picturing my crusty, dried-up watercolors at home. “I haven’t had time.”
“See? You work too much.”
Shrugging, I change the subject. “How was Lake Lugano?”
“Heaven.” Her dark brown eyes shimmer. “Of all the places Cam and I have traveled, it’s one of my favorites. We stayed at the resort he was working for, and while he photographed the property, I wrote on the terrace overlooking the border of Italy and Switzerland. You would’ve loved the wine there.”
“That sounds amazing.” I mean it too. My older brother finally had the courage to leave the family business, where he was miserable, and pursue his dream career as a travel photographer.And Joey is his perfect match—an author who shares his passion for traveling. I doubt they’ll ever give up their nomadic lifestyle. “I’d love to go there one day. Heck, I’d love to get out of Manhattan for a weekend. Going to Mom and Dad’s on Long Island doesn’t count.”
“Maybe you’ll have more time off once the new doctor starts.” She gives me an encouraging smile.
At the thought, a sense of relief and optimism washes over me. “I hope you’re right.”
After quick showers at the gym, we part ways, and I take the subway to the clinic.
“Good morning, Pauline.” I smile at the world’s best receptionist.
“Hello, Dr. Connelly.” She clocks the wet knot sitting on top of my head. “Looks like you made it to spin this morning.”
Grinning back, I nod. “How’s my schedule look today?”
She hands me a heaping pile of manilla envelopes and follows me to my office, where she sets a fresh cup of coffee on my desk.
