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“Well, what you don’t know is that I bribe Alfred to make the inspection reports sound better than they are. Truth is, the house will probably fall down around your head a month after moving in.”

Ainsley laughed.

“After you’ve cashed the commission check, no doubt,” she said.

“A girl’s gotta eat,” Rachel told her. “By the way, I never asked how Mr. Smith is. Did that something-something-ectomy go well?”

Ainsley laughed again. Rachel loved Ainsley’s laugh.

“It did! And if you’re going to be hanging out with me, Ms. Rachel Hamill, you’re going to have to learn all these medical terms.”

Rachel briefly shut her eyes.

God, why did Ainsley using her full name just now make her clit pulse?

“Um…so how has your day at the hospital been so far?” Rachel asked.

“So-so,” Ainsley said and Rachel noticed the doctor’s tone of voice change. “I performed a much-needed operation on a woman today who would be dead by next week if she didn’t get the procedure done.”

“But…” Rachel prodded.

“But she has bargain basement health insurance and they won’t cover it. Her family is about to get hit with this enormous medical bill. Even a Kardashian’s jaw would drop at the amount. But there was literally no way to avoid it. She was referred to surgery by the ER because she had gone there last night in agony. Seriously, Rachel, this woman was about to die!”

“Fuck!” Rachel muttered. As a real estate agent, she did not get health coverage from the brokerage she was currently an associate with. She had to pay for her own insurance and though she was young and healthy, she made sure she had a good plan, certainly much better than bargain basement. And as a single woman with no dependents, who made an affluent-level living, especially being the Doctor Whisperer, she could afford such insurance. However, it was still frightening to be reminded of the many people who were just one illness away from financial disaster.

This fucking country…

“Anyway,” Ainsley continued, “it just bothers me when shit like that happens, you know? Like, what a choice for that poor woman! Don’t get the operation and die; or get the operation but live with crushing debt.”

“Well, if it makes you feel any better,” Rachel said, “I find compassion to be a very attractive quality in lesbian doctors I flirt with.”

There was that laugh again.

“Good to know,” Ainsley said. “Oh! Kinda-sorta on that topic…I also wanted you to know that I am not a Josh. I have made our reservations for Valentine’s Day.”

Rachel felt a thrill shoot up her spine and it really annoyed her that Valentine’s Day was still nine days away. Can’t time move faster?

“Ooh! Where? Where?”

“Q, in La Jolla,” Ainsley replied.

Rachel’s eyes went wide.

Nice!

She’d never been to Q but she’d heard about it. Michelin-starred, overlooking the ocean, very exclusive and hard to get into. In short, a restaurant so fancy it only needed one letter in its name.

“How did you get reservations there?” Rachel asked.

“Um…hello! Surgeon!”

Rachel laughed.

“Oh, I see! Is this one of the advantages of friend-dating a doctor?”

“Well,” Ainsley began, “the advantages of friend-dating a doctor are too numerous to mention. And once you upgrade to actually dating a doctor, your mind will be blown at the kind of advantages you’ll receive.”

“Oh fuck,” Rachel couldn’t help muttering. This woman with her voice and her innuendo. Quite a bit of arousal was now slicking her panties.