“Way too young for you.”
“An age gap doesn’t bother me. And bonus, we can be sisters!”
Jannie frowned. “Seriously, Kate, are you that unhappy?”
“Aren’t you?” Katie caught Jannie’s gaze and held it.
Jannie looked away, knowing how easy it was for her friend to read her. The truth was, Jannie felt the same way and had for some time now, but she hadn’t even admitted it to herself.
Katie leaned forward. “Be honest. When you went into this thinking you could heal the world, did you imagine that the daily grind would be so … soul-sucking?”
Jannie didn’t reply. Katie was pressing on a sore that Jannie tried daily to ignore—one she tried to push down deep, where she wouldn’t feel it.
“If I had your money, babe, I’d get out of medicine so fast, there’d be smoke left in my wake.”
Jannie placed a soothing hand on her friend’s arm. “It’s not that simple.”
“Don’t I know it.” Katie smiled bitterly. “But I can dream, can’t I?”
“It doesn’t have to be a dream. If anyone can find a path to happiness, it’s you.” Jannie gave her friend what she hoped was an encouraging smile. “Come on, let’s mingle. Dr. Shanahan just walked in, and I haven’t seen her in over a year.”
•
She knew he was behind her solely by the scent of his cologne.
Jannie took in the aromatic, spicy green scent mixed with a touch of wood and made a note to find out the name of the fragrance Nick used. She was highly sensitive to scent, and this was one she had never encountered before. Whatever it was, it smelled unusual and expensive.
“Enjoying yourself?”
She accepted a glass of ginger ale, thanked the bartender, and turned.
Nick held a lowball, half filled with one large ice cube and a reddish liquid.
“I am.” Jannie held up her ginger ale and sighed. “Although I sorely miss a good cocktail. What is that? I want to drink vicariously through you.”
“A Boulevardier.”
He said it with a French accent, making her remember how good he’d been in that class.
“Never heard of that one. What’s in it?”
“Bourbon, Campari, and sweet vermouth. It’s a close cousin to the Negroni.”
“Which everyone orders these days.”
He smiled. “You know that when the thundering herd headed one way, I ran in the opposite direction.” He took a sip and gestured with the glass. “I would offer you a taste, but …”
“Yeah. I know.” She sighed. “My grandmother smoked and hadcocktails throughout her pregnancy, and my dad came out just fine.”
He chuckled. “Those were the days, they tell me.” He swirled the ice in his glass. “Sometimes, I think the older folks had more fun.” He looked over the crowd. “I saw you making the rounds. You seem to know everyone.”
“More like everyone knows me.” She sipped her ginger ale. “You did great. Thank you.”
He had stood gallantly by her side, his striking presence eliminating any questions people might have posed about Blake’s absence.
She set down her glass and gave him a warm smile. “No one could ever tell you’re not a social butterfly.”
“Promise you won’t tell anyone?”
