"Hey. Hand me that glass of wine." Kaoru flung herself down onto the couch in the apartment that she and Misao shared, not bothering to remove her stylish knee-high leather boots.
Misao smiled knowingly at her best friend and slid the glass of chardonnay she had poured in preparation for Kaoru's arrival home from work across the coffee table. "Rough day?"
Kaoru snorted in reply. "You have no idea. Everyone was sick today at work, including my assistant, so I was totally on my own and had to room my own patients, and on top of that, a ton of patients who weren't even on the schedule to be seen called, asking me to call in meds for whatever this bug is that has everyone so ill. Oooh, this chardonnay is really good. You always pick the best ones!" She paused to hold a mouthful of the golden-colored wine in her mouth before savoring the warm feel of it sliding down her throat.
"It was only $13.99!" Misao gloated, lifing Kaoru's legs up and sliding onto the couch next to her, letting them plop back across her lap. "Ah, the trials of Austin's most stylish nurse practitioner. Honestly, Kaoru. How many of your colleagues wear stilettos to work?"
Kaoru looked lovingly down at the chestnut-brown Dior boots she was still wearing. "Don't make fun! I sold my soul in order to pay for them, so I have to get as much wear out of them as I can! Besides," she added with a little grin, "they make me look statuesque."
The two girls sat on the oversized velvet couch chatting about their respective days, both feeling thankful that another Monday was behind them, and that they didn't have any pressing need to go out into the chilly October wind that howled against the windows as a cold front blew in.
"Are we doing anything for Halloween this year?" Misao asked lazily, taking a large gulp of her chardonnay.
"Hm. Well, we haven't dressed up in a couple of years, and since I'm turning 30 next spring, I think this is probably going to be my last chance to go as Sailor Moon without looking totally ridiculous," Kaoru mused. "Maybe we should throw a party so I can debut my costume in style."
"You're actually gonna do it this year?" Misao sounded dubious. "You've been talking about going as Sailor Moon since college. It's a huge undertaking. Where are you going to get her outfit, an online cosplay shop? And then you have to find a blonde wig with her crazy meatball pigtails, and boots, and then figure out a way to do your makeup to make yourself look like a Caucasian middle-school girl with huge eyes!"
"I know, it'll be a huge pain," Kaoru agreed. "But it'll be so worth it! It's the coolest costume idea ever! I'm gonna start looking online this weekend for the best cosplay site. I bet it'll be super expensive," she laughed.
"Do you think Enishi will mind going as Tuxedo Mask?" Misao's eyes lit up at the thought, and she stifled a chuckle.
Kaoru smiled wryly. "Doubtful…unless I bribe him somehow." She couldn't picture her boyfriend of two years agreeing to dress up for Halloween at all, let alone as a superhero from her favorite childhood manga. "He'll probably come in normal clothes and tell people that he's going as himself when they ask what his costume is."
"Hm. Speaking of which, what's going on with you two? I haven't heard you talking about him much lately. Is everything okay?" Misao didn't seem particularly concerned, but rather more interested in making conversation.
"Oh yeah, everything's fine!" Kaoru chirped cheerfully. "He's been super busy this week trying to get used to the new electronic medical record system over at his practice. He said that right now, everything is taking much longer than usual since the providers don't quite know what they're doing, but that should get better soon. Everything's fine!" she grinned rather dramatically at her friend.
"Hmph. Okay, if you say so," Misao replied, reaching for the bottle of chardonnay sitting on the coffee table to refresh her glass. "I just feel like I haven't seen him over here much lately, so I wondered if you two had hit a rough patch."
"Nope! No rough patches! In fact, I would imagine that he'll probably propose sometime within the next few months. The timing is perfect! We're both finally done with school and making money, we both have our own places to live, and he's turning 34 soon! He's going to be an old man! I'm sure he's ready to settle down and start a family."
"Ugh, all this talk about age, and being too old for things like Halloween costumes and having babies. It's making me feel like a grandma," Misao whined. "We're so young, Kaoru! Are you even sure that you're ready to have a family and give up your life? It means no more parties, no more splurging on million-dollar shoes, and…" she paused dramatically. "It means you're committed to Enishi for the rest of your life. Is that what you really want? Do you want to marry him?"
Kaoru paused for a moment, then chuckled nervously. "Geez, you make it sound like a death sentence when you put it all like that. Of course I want to get married! And I've dated so many guys. Enishi has more of the qualities I'm looking for than anyone I've been with before. He's stable, smart, considerate, generous, and he works really hard to be a good doctor. Why wouldn't I want to marry him?"
Misao considered this almost-rhetorical question. "I don't know," she replied. "You tell me. Do you love him? Are you excited to think about spending your life with him and growing old with him? Does he make you happy?"
Kaoru laughed. "Ugh, this is too serious a conversation to be having after a brutal Monday! Look, everything is fine. Can we puh-lease order pizza tonight? I can't stand the thought of cooking."
Misao nodded. "Don't forget to add eggplant!" She watched her best friend reach for the phone, a slight frown furrowing the corners of her small mouth.