Thanks for your patience and apologies for the delay! Life very much got in the way this week... normality has resumed (I think)!
X
She landed in Dulles International on the Thursday evening and as she walked out into the foyer, she saw Laura. She was holding a handwritten sign just saying 'NERD' with a big smile on her face.
"Hi" she said, smiling widely and embracing her friend. "You look great, how have you been?"
"Hi Aud" Laura smiled. "I'm good. It's so great to see you. You ok? Nervous?"
"No" she replied. "Should be quite simple. I mean, who wouldn't want me?!"
"Always the modest one" Laura laughed rolling her eyes. "Come on, let's get dinner."
A short while later they were sat in a booth at a local restaurant. For a Thursday night, it was quite busy but they had squirreled themselves away in private corner so they could catch up properly. With both of them working all sorts of hours it had been a while since they'd had the chance.
"So why didn't Kashal pick you up tonight?" was Laura's opener.
"Wow, going straight for the jugular I see!"
"Don't get defensive. I've known you two a long time, I was at the wedding remember. I'm just worried about you" she said taking Audrey's hand.
Audrey slumped back in her seat a little while she tried to think of the right words.
"I don't know if I'm doing the right thing" she quietly admitted to Laura. "I've made friends in San Jose which you know isn't easy for me. They're new but they are good friends, we've been through a lot already."
Laura just sat and listened. She knew that getting Audrey Lim to talk about feelings was a quite the milestone moment so she wasn't going to interrupt.
"We work together" she continued. "We're a good group, we push each other, support each other and I don't know if i could do that all again at a new place."
Laura waited, it seemed as though Audrey was on pause.
"There is more?" Laura said knowingly. "What's going on?"
"I may have had it pointed out to me, that my marriage isn't exactly conventional" she said. "I'm starting to think I shouldn't just follow him on autopilot."
"The marriage thing isn't news to anyone but you. Who finally got you to hear it?" Laura asked with interest.
"One of the guys on my program, Neil" Audrey said, suddenly finding the bottom of her glass very interesting.
"Aud?" Laura said simply, knowing there was still more to it.
"I like him, and he seems to like me." She saw the look cross Laura's face. "Nothing has ever happened."
"But you want it to, right"
"I'm married" Audrey said as if it had become her mantra.
"If you want to stay married, work at it. You can't just switch off and go through the motions. You'll be miserable."
"What about Mom? She'll still be in California. I'd feel awful leaving her alone" Audrey said trying to redirect Laura's attention.
"She won't be alone Aud, she has your aunt's. You need to decide based on what's best for you."
"I'm going to these interviews" she said as a matter of fact.
"I'd expect nothing less" Laura smiled. "But think about whether it's what 'you' want? Best for 'your' career?"
"I know, I know" she said. "Now let's change the subject to something more interesting than me. Any cute guys at your new job" Audrey teased as the conversation turned and they started catching up on the last year.
X
Because he had booked onto the trip last minute, he flew into McCarran alone that Friday morning, a day after the rest of the group. He'd seen pictures on social media of their first night out so expected he'd find them all still fast asleep or maybe suffering from hangovers around the pool.
He walked out into the sunshine and looked over at the line of people waiting for cabs and sighed, he should have booked a transfer but it was all so last minute. He put on his sunglasses, jammed a baseball cap onto his head and started towards the queue.
"Where are you going handsome" he heard someone call from a nearby private rental. He didn't respond, he assumed they were cat-calling someone else.
"You in the hat" he heard, so this time he turned and saw a couple of ladies leaning out of the side of the minivan.
"Hi" he replied cautiously.
"Where are you staying?" one of them asked again. "We're could give you a ride!"
"It's fine" he replied smiling. "The line is moving quite quickly."
"Come on!" another called. "Where's your sense of adventure?" And those words, that question in particular piqued his attention.
"I'm at the Wynn" he replied. "Are you passing?"
"Even better" she replied. "We're staying there too. Hop in."
"Thanks" he said with a smile as he perched himself on a seat next to a quiet lady, tucking his bag by his feet.
"Why are you in Sin City?" one of the ladies asked from further back.
"Bachelor Party" he replied. "They all arrived yesterday, so I'm playing catch up."
"We're on a divorce party!" another called. "We're here to get Nicola laid" she said laughing.
The lady he was sat next to sank into her seat. "I'm so sorry" she mumbled. "They don't get out much."
"Nicola I presume" he said smiling.
"For my sins" she replied with half a smile.
"I'm Neil" he said holding out his hand which she took, and shook gently as she smiled more genuinely.
What should have been a ten minute drive took twice that, due to the busy weekend traffic. They eventually arrived at the Wynn and after he had helped them unload their cases, he thanked them and headed inside.
He joined the queue for check-in and heard them coming up behind him not long after. He laughed and shook his head as he heard "Don't worry, we've got a bunch of dares for you, Nic. You'll get at least a little bit of action this weekend, we promise."
"I just want to sit by a pool, drink some cocktails and gossip with you girls. Don't you think I've had enough trouble with men, I deserve a break!"
"Hi handsome!" he heard as they saw him in the line a little further along. "What do you think? You think our girl needs some action?"
He turned to see her looking at him apologetically with a blush rising in her cheeks.
"I think she should do whatever she wants, it's her party" he replied, giving her a quick smile. She mouthed a 'thank you' in response and he smiled a bit more.
He turned back just in time to be called to the desk, and once he had registered, he headed upstairs. On arranging the party originally, Neil thought that Adam would be safer in a room by himself, away from some of the potentially raucous behaviour expected by a few other members of the group. Now he had booked on, the only space left available was in Adams room but neither of them minded at all, it would be just like old times.
He found the room empty on arrival, so changed quickly and headed back towards the pool to look for his friends.
He heard a couple of them before he could see them and smiled widely as he walked out into the sunshine.
He heard a chorus of "Neil!" followed by "Your round, lightweight!"
He was greeted by a series of hand shakes and back slaps and a great bear hug by Adam.
"So glad you could make it" he smiled as he held him by the shoulders. "I'm not sure I'd have survived otherwise."
"Heavy night, last night?"
"Heaviest ever!" Adam replied.
"Want a soda instead?" Neil asked.
"I do, but what about them?" Adam asked missing at the rest of the group.
"Sod them" Neil replied. "You do what your like, it's your party" he smiled as he took off his shirt, threw it down by his towel and headed off to the bar.
X
Friday for Audrey was very different. Dressed in her business suit, she was browsing some notes waiting to be called into the interview at Georgetown.
She heard her name, rose from her seat and took a deep breath. 'He goes nothing' she thought to herself.
Almost an hour later she was back in the foyer waiting for her cab to Washington Hospital Centre. She imagined that the interview would be much the same.
'Why are you looking to leave your current program? Have you decided on your speciality? Which route are you looking to take?' were asked and she was confident she'd answered them well enough.
Her second interview was after lunch but she preferred to be onsite ready and grab something from their cafeteria, to be sure not to be late. While she sat, she called Jo just to check in on her lift for tomorrow.
"Of course, we're all good" Jo said. Audrey could hear her smiling down the line. "We'll be there!"
After passing the time for a few minutes, Jo had to get back to work so Audrey turned her focus back to her lunch.
The interview came and went following much the same format as the one from this morning and after she had finished she called Kashal. They were going to meet for dinner but she wasn't particularly looking forward to it. Some of the questions she had answered today had made her think on her choice a lot more. She was wondering whether seeing him tonight would make a difference to her decision.
They met at a restaurant downtown which was pretty quiet for a Friday, but it was still early.
"How were the interviews" he asked her, taking a sip of his wine. His question surprised her, normally life was all about Kashal, her career was a mere footnote to his.
"They went well, I think" she replied, fiddling with the napkin. This whole thing felt awkward. "I should find out next week."
"Good" he said. "Will you take a place if you're offered?"
"Of course" she replied, a little shocked.
"Why?" he asked quite abruptly. "Have you missed me these last two weeks?"
"Not really" she whispered, reeling a little from his question.
"Pardon?"
"Not really" she said, a little louder, surprised at herself.
"I know" Kashal sighed. "I haven't missed you either. Does that make us awful people?"
"No Kash" she replied, reaching over the table to take his hand. "I think we're finally seeing what everyone else has seen for a while."
After their revelation, they both seemed to relax. They ate dinner, had a real conversation for the first time in years and actually enjoyed each other company.
As they waited for the check, the conversation about their marriage struck up again.
"So what do you want to do?" Kashal asked. "Do you want a divorce?"
"We should, shouldn't we? If that's how we feel?"
"Could we wait?" Kash asked. She couldn't hide the confusion on her face and he continued to talk. "It's just the firm loves the family image. You know, family run and all? Could we work something out do you think?"
"Like what?" she asked, feeling a little disappointed.
"Like you could stay in California, we'll tell everyone you're finishing your residency. Then when the time comes that you're meant to join me, we can say we've drifted apart?"
"Are you for real?!" she exclaimed.
"Please Aud" he said, almost begging. "They couldn't fire me if we separated but I'm sure they'd look at me differently."
"So I'm meant to live like a nun?" she asked incredulously.
"No difference from the last year" he replied flatly. "And it'd be the same rule for me. I promise."
"Why do I do this to myself?" she muttered. "Sure Kash" she replied.
"Thank you Audrey" he smiled. "I appreciate it."
"Sure, let's go" she said, feeling flat.
"Of course" Kashal replied. "You can take the bed, I'll take the couch tonight" he said, not picking up on her mood.
'Story of my life' she thought, with a sigh.
X
Neil's Friday night was taking a very different direction. The group had agreed on a calmer evening not to spoil the plans they had made for the Saturday so were still around the pool bar in the early evening.
The group of ladies that arrived with Neil had just arrived and were certainly dressed for a night out. As they passed by the bachelor party, a number of heads turned and Nicola caught Neil's eye. He nodded and smiled before his attention was diverted by his friends hollering.
"He's been here half a day and he's already getting all the attention" one of them laughed giving him as friendly nudge.
"It's not like that" Neil protested. "She just seemed a bit overwhelmed earlier on the van. Nice to see she's enjoying" he smiled.
"It must be so tiring being so nice all the time" one of the others joked causing the group to laugh out loud.
"Exhausting" he replied, laughing along with them.
The ladies ordered a round of flamboyant looking cocktails and were sitting around a couple of tables nearby. So far they were keeping themselves to themselves until he felt a tap on his shoulder.
He looked up to see Nicola looking down at him, standing a little awkwardly and looking nervous.
"You ok?" he asked.
"Yeah" she said quietly. "Can I ask you a favour please?"
"Sure" he replied and stood up as she nodded to a quieter corner.
"What's up?" he asked with a smile.
"So" she started. "I've agreed to do their dares" she sighed. "Don't judge, I know" she said putting her hand up.
"Okay" he smiled. "What do you need?"
"I need to kiss you" she said quite plainly and laughing a little as he choked a little on his beer.
"So they're starting out with a bang then?"
She nodded.
"I know it's stupid, but if I do this, they'll leave me be for the rest of the night. They want me to just kiss a stranger and you seemed nice and normal, and you wouldn't get the wrong idea about it" she garbled on. "I'm worried they'll just get worse if I don't humor them."
He put his hand on her arm to get her attention and she went quiet.
"I've got no problem kissing a beautiful woman" he smiled. "But do I count as a stranger? You do know my name remember?"
She blushed again. "I checked, it's fine" she said quietly. "This is waaaaaaay out of my comfort zone" she continued. "I had to make sure."
"Okay, in that case, I think I'm ready" he teased. "Do your worst" he smiled.
She cleared her throat but didn't move. He raised his eyebrow and gave a little smile.
"You ok?" he asked for the second time that evening.
"Yeah" she replied. "I'm just... you know."
"Would it still count if I kissed you?" Neil asked.
"I suppose" she replied quietly, nodding.
He put his beer down on the table, took her face in her hands and lowered his lips to hers. Her kissed her gently and smiled against her lips as she began to respond. Her hands came to rest on his upper arms and she stepped a little closer towards him.
"Think that'll be ok" he murmured against her lips.
"I think that should keep them quiet" she whispered back. "Thank you" she said as she turned and headed back to her friends.
He stood a moment before re-joining his friends. He hasn't kissed anyone in a while, not for the want of trying, and he'd rather enjoyed it. Maybe he'd enjoy this weekend more than he thought.