Page 78 of The Singles Club

“Why?”

She pulled at her necklace. “I’m claustrophobic.”

“I’ll go in with you.”

She laughed. “You can’t.”

“I’m allowed in the room, and I’m not leaving or letting you leave until you get one.”

“I’ll do it on one condition.”

“Anything.”

“Get the others to leave. They really don’t need to be here.”

I sat down on the chair beside her. “Isabella and Crystal aren’t going to leave, and you know it.”

“I don’t mean them. I mean Lucas and Logan. This is too humiliating.”

“What happened?”

She explained shopping at the drugstore and dropping her sunglasses as they were backing up to parallel park.

“Why were you wearing sunglasses at night?”

“Look at me. My hair. No makeup. I never go out in public like this… and figures, on the one day that I do, I have to bump into my ex, his fiancé, and a childhood frenemy.”

“I love your curls, like Maureen O’Hara inThe Quiet Man. And you don’t need makeup.”

Her fingertips brushed the back of my hand as she smiled. “You’re just being kind, but thank you.”

“I mean it.”

You’re beautiful.

I stood up. “I’m going to get you in for your MRI.”

“And tell the others to go?”

“Okay.”

I walked to the nurse’s desk and asked to speak with the doctor. They told me the PA on-site was with a patient. I pulled out my phone and called Dr. Kassad.

“Hi, Justin. How are you?”

“I’m fine, but a friend of mine isn’t so well.”

“What’s the problem?”

“She’s in the ER now at Mass General, had an accident and a car hit her as they were backing up, and she bumped her head.” I swallowed. “I want to get her into an MRI as soon as possible, just to make sure there’s no bleeding.”

“What’s her name?”

“Vivian Hall.”

“I’ll call it in now.”

“Thank you.”