Page 16

“What happened to staying out until dawn? The night’s still young.” I nudged his shoulder.

“Yeah, but every where’s shut now, and she’ll likely kill me if I’m not there when she goes to work in the morning.”

I knew he was joking, that it was a turn of phrase, but it didn’t make me feel comfortable. What he did for them and got nothing in return was unfair.

He was right, though. We weren’t a big city that partied all night; we were usually a sleepy town, but the heatwave had brought people into the streets, and the bars were full to bursting.

“Do you have my number?” I took my phone out of my pocket and waited while he did the same. “Take it. If ever you need a friend, call me or text me. If I don’t respond right away, it could be that I’m with a patient, but I will always get back to you.”

“Would that be okay?” he asked, his green eyes pleading.

“More than okay. In fact, I’d be annoyed if you didn’t take it.” I rattled off my number, then put his contact in my phone when he texted me back.

“Same goes for you,” he said, “if you wanna talk or anything. I know you think I’m just a kid, but I’m not.”

“I don’t think that, Frankie. You’re an adult.” And a fine-looking one at that, but I kept that part to myself. It didn’t seem right to plough right in, telling him how my thoughts of him had changed.

When that happened, I couldn’t tell you, but he wasn’t the child they thought he was. At almost twenty-one, he had his own life to live.

“I’d best get going. You’re not driving, are you?” he asked. Concern laced his voice.

“No, I left the car at the hospital. I’ll get a taxi home and come back to collect it tomorrow. I’m off for the next four days, thank God.”

“Well, enjoy your time off. Thanks for tonight, Mac. See you around.”

He turned to walk away, but what the fuck was I doing? I had four days off, days when I had no plans.

Perhaps...

“Hey, Frankie. How about we go out, you know, for coffee or something?”

The smile that lit his face took my breath away. “I’d like that. Call me.”

I watched him walk away and smiled to myself. The buzz from the earlier alcohol had dissipated, to be replaced by excitement at what the future might bring.

I headed back to my car to collect my bag, and tempted as I was to drive home, I decided against it. I might have felt okay, but the alcohol would still be in my system. I sat in the driver’s seat and closed my eyes. Five minutes, then I’d find a taxi to take me home.

I shot out of my seat when a bang on my window woke me. Why was it light?

“You been there all night?” Sal asked, a shit-eating grin on his face.

I rubbed my eyes, sore now that I’d woken. I opened the window. “I guess I must have been. Came back to get my bag. Next thing I know, you’re thumping the window.”

“You didn’t get lucky, then?” Not in the way he thought, but I’d had a great night with Frankie.

“Nah. Can’t win them all. I take it you did?” I stepped out of the car and stretched, my bones creaking from sleeping in an uncomfortable position.

“I thought about taking her home, but honestly, I was too fucking tired. I came looking for you, but you’d gone. Where did you go?”

“I met a friend, and we went for food. The rest you know.”

I shivered in the morning's cool, needing coffee and something to eat. Was it too soon to call Frankie?

“Do I know this friend? Is she cute?”

“She’s a he, and yes, he’s kind of cute.”

“Oh… I didn’t mean…”