damianixmata:
For the first time shock wrote over Damian’s face as he looked down at his hands. It was almost as if Damian suddenly remembered he even had hands. He had used his hands the whole day, but he wasn’t sure when was the last time he even considered his hands. The callouses on his hands had always been there, but the shortness of his nails struck him. He didn’t remember the last time that he clipped them. However, they were in fact short. Was he that checked out in his life?
Am I floating through life?
He looked up at her as she mentioned seeing people in action wondering where she was going with that. Stagnate in what way? Why did her friend need to relocate? Her friend and her must have been incredibly close to be willing to move together to a whole new state, and they both must have been incredibly intelligent to have been accepted to the hospital at the same time. Leopards of similar spots or whatever that slang phrase was.
While she read her text, he too got a text from Phillip. He grinned as Phillip essentially announced that he was taking the woman from the party with him. As he began to text Phillip back about using a glove, Abigail’s words suddenly hit him.
He blinked and shoved his phone in his pocket. “Drinking sounds perfect.” He answered almost as if he were a thirsty man in a desert. He walked over to the bar and ordered himself a beer. He then turned to Abigail. “Just asking. Is your best friend brunette with a permanent thoughtful look on her face? Huge eyes? Big tattoo on her back? Because if so… I have some funny news. I think my friend might be the one she’s leaving with.”
Had he declined, Abigail would have mingled among the crowd, playing her charade, rubbing elbows, and making friends before taking an Uber home and ending the night snuggled up with Morgo, the ugliest cat in existence, sipping whisky and reading Jane Eyre. Her ego wouldn't have been bruised, and she wouldn't have thought on the matter unless she bumped into Damian Ixmata again. Yet, the fact that he accepted her invitation seemed to open the door to something else entirely.
At the bar, Abigail quickly found a quiet corner of the bar where she eased herself on a barstool. Damian ordered a beer while she ordered a whiskey sour. Just as she parted her lips to inquire into his liquor tastes, the doctor began to speak first.
"Just asking. Is your best friend brunette with a permanent thoughtful look on her face? Huge eyes? Big tattoo on her back? Because if so... I have some funny news. I think my friend might be the one she's leaving with."
It was infrequent to catch Abigail Hart off guard. In fact, she prided herself in being prepared for nearly any situation. Still, Damian seemed to imply that his best friend was Dr. Phillip Nash, the same man Esmeralda had been searching for ten years only to stumble upon at this beach party was such a coincidence that Abigail couldn't help but be shocked.
Then, the shock gave way to humor, and Abigail began to laugh. Letting out a laugh that almost seemed too big for her body yet did not draw any attention from on-lookers, the redhead reached for her drink that the bartender had just dropped off. Still chuckling with a laughter that was vibrant and full, booming in delight, but just the right frequency that fit the casual conversation, she shook her head.
"I don't tend to believe in coincides, but that is one hell of one. So it seems we're both destined to spend this party alone...or with each other." Abigail sipped her whiskey while she looked at Damian. Another facet of his character fell into place. He had a close friend who would text him before leaving a party, making Declan thoughtful and protective. He would worry about the man if he did not touch base.
She was overthinking it again, Abigail realized.
"Has Dr. Nash spent the last ten years regretting not making a move? I've known Esmeralda Whitlock for nearly seven years, and I remember the moment they met more than I remember losing my virginity. I only hope she doesn’t get in her own way this time."