on?”
“I’m wearing the same clothes I did yesterday. I’m going to change into
them the second they’re charged to my account. If there’s a problem, I’ll bring
‘em back.”
Caitlyn placed her hands on her hips and narrowed her eyes at him. “Whatever.”
He had to get her out of this mood. While it was fun to mess with her right
now, he wanted the Caitlyn from last night back for later. Maybe she’d relax
after watching the game and drinking a few beers.
Michael emerged from the bathroom not too long after paying for his
clothes. The jeans were a little baggy, but otherwise the clothes were fine,
which is why he was surprised when Caitlyn saw him.
“That’s not going to work,” she said.
“Why not?”
“We’re practically matching.” She pointed to her outfit then his. “We’ll
look ridiculous.”
“You said that I had to wear a Patriots shirt.”
“To the pub, not around the mall and to my mother’s house. Put on the
green shirt.”
“Doesn’t fit. Looks like we’re twins.”
Caitlyn let out a deep sigh, and then put a fake smile on her face. “Let’s
go return the green one.” She turned and started limping back toward the store.
Michael jogged after her and stopped right in her path. She stopped and
glared up at him. He grabbed the green shirt out of the bag and held it in
front of a passing teenage boy. “Free shirt,” he said, handing the shirt to the
kid.
“It’s ugly,” he said.
Michael dug out his wallet and found the receipt. “It’s worth thirty
bucks if you return it.”
“Sweet.” The teen took the receipt from Michael’s hand and walked away.
Michael turned back to Caitlyn, who was not looking any happier. “Why’d
you do that?”
“You shouldn’t have to walk any further,” he said. Then he picked her up
and draped her over his shoulder. “Whose idea was it for you to walk around the
mall anyway?”
Caitlyn squealed. “Put me down!”
“You’re injured. I’m going to carry you back to the car so you can rest
up that ankle.”
“I can do it.”
“I’m your attending doctor and…”
“Are you okay ma’am?” A short, bald man stopped in front of Michael. “Do
you need me to call the police?”
“I’m okay. Thank you,” Caitlyn called from behind Michael.
Michael looked seriously at the man and said, “It’s okay. I’m a doctor.” Then
he walked past him and toward the exit.
Caitlyn giggled. “Does that work often?”
“Almost always.”
Michael carried her to the car and set her down in the passenger seat and
then got into the car. “And you thought we’d look ridiculous because we were
wearing matching shirts.”
Caitlyn laughed. Michael leaned in and kissed her cheek. “I’ve really missed
you, Murph. I don’t know where you went earlier, but I want you to stay with
me.”
“We’ve been together all day.”
“Yeah, but you weren’t with me. I’m not going to be around for a long
time, but I want you to be with me while I am.”
“What happens when you leave? To hell with me then?”
“No, but let’s cross that bridge when it gets here. For now, let’s just
enjoy this for what it is.”
“And what is that?”
“Friends who occasionally make out and have sex.” When he said it, he
knew there was something wrong with it. It sounded too brash, too impersonal.
But it was the only label he could put on it.
“So, I am your rebound.” She looked down at her hands.
He couldn’t help but wonder it himself. She was a distraction from
Margaret; he couldn’t deny that. He pulled out of the parking spot and drove
toward the parking garage’s exit. “Maybe. But the truth is, now that I think
about it, Margaret and I weren’t working. She was always complaining about my
work schedule, and we were comfortable in a way that bored the hell out of me. She
was a great person—pure sugar—but we didn’t have much in common outside of
working in a hospital, liking kids, and knowing sign language.
“I
“I’m wearing the same clothes I did yesterday. I’m going to change into
them the second they’re charged to my account. If there’s a problem, I’ll bring
‘em back.”
Caitlyn placed her hands on her hips and narrowed her eyes at him. “Whatever.”
He had to get her out of this mood. While it was fun to mess with her right
now, he wanted the Caitlyn from last night back for later. Maybe she’d relax
after watching the game and drinking a few beers.
Michael emerged from the bathroom not too long after paying for his
clothes. The jeans were a little baggy, but otherwise the clothes were fine,
which is why he was surprised when Caitlyn saw him.
“That’s not going to work,” she said.
“Why not?”
“We’re practically matching.” She pointed to her outfit then his. “We’ll
look ridiculous.”
“You said that I had to wear a Patriots shirt.”
“To the pub, not around the mall and to my mother’s house. Put on the
green shirt.”
“Doesn’t fit. Looks like we’re twins.”
Caitlyn let out a deep sigh, and then put a fake smile on her face. “Let’s
go return the green one.” She turned and started limping back toward the store.
Michael jogged after her and stopped right in her path. She stopped and
glared up at him. He grabbed the green shirt out of the bag and held it in
front of a passing teenage boy. “Free shirt,” he said, handing the shirt to the
kid.
“It’s ugly,” he said.
Michael dug out his wallet and found the receipt. “It’s worth thirty
bucks if you return it.”
“Sweet.” The teen took the receipt from Michael’s hand and walked away.
Michael turned back to Caitlyn, who was not looking any happier. “Why’d
you do that?”
“You shouldn’t have to walk any further,” he said. Then he picked her up
and draped her over his shoulder. “Whose idea was it for you to walk around the
mall anyway?”
Caitlyn squealed. “Put me down!”
“You’re injured. I’m going to carry you back to the car so you can rest
up that ankle.”
“I can do it.”
“I’m your attending doctor and…”
“Are you okay ma’am?” A short, bald man stopped in front of Michael. “Do
you need me to call the police?”
“I’m okay. Thank you,” Caitlyn called from behind Michael.
Michael looked seriously at the man and said, “It’s okay. I’m a doctor.” Then
he walked past him and toward the exit.
Caitlyn giggled. “Does that work often?”
“Almost always.”
Michael carried her to the car and set her down in the passenger seat and
then got into the car. “And you thought we’d look ridiculous because we were
wearing matching shirts.”
Caitlyn laughed. Michael leaned in and kissed her cheek. “I’ve really missed
you, Murph. I don’t know where you went earlier, but I want you to stay with
me.”
“We’ve been together all day.”
“Yeah, but you weren’t with me. I’m not going to be around for a long
time, but I want you to be with me while I am.”
“What happens when you leave? To hell with me then?”
“No, but let’s cross that bridge when it gets here. For now, let’s just
enjoy this for what it is.”
“And what is that?”
“Friends who occasionally make out and have sex.” When he said it, he
knew there was something wrong with it. It sounded too brash, too impersonal.
But it was the only label he could put on it.
“So, I am your rebound.” She looked down at her hands.
He couldn’t help but wonder it himself. She was a distraction from
Margaret; he couldn’t deny that. He pulled out of the parking spot and drove
toward the parking garage’s exit. “Maybe. But the truth is, now that I think
about it, Margaret and I weren’t working. She was always complaining about my
work schedule, and we were comfortable in a way that bored the hell out of me. She
was a great person—pure sugar—but we didn’t have much in common outside of
working in a hospital, liking kids, and knowing sign language.
“I
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