They’d found they had a great deal in common, even if their present circumstances were quite different. Daphne’s parents had died when she was young, leaving her to be raised by a maiden aunt. Carrie had never known her parents at all, living most of her young life in various foster homes. They both knew what it was like to be alone in the world.
But Carrie had to admit, she felt a little guilty, having Doc, while Daphne had no one.
“What, I should just go over to Mr. Scruff and say ‘Hey, let’s you and me bump uglies?’”
Carrie glanced over at the guy. He was a little rough around the edges, but still kind of cute. “Why not?”
“Because he’s not the one.” Daphne waved the suggestion away, reaching for her purse and pulling out a stick of gum.
“What are you waiting for?” Carrie took some Fruit Stripe gum from her friend’s pack.
Daphne chewed thoughtfully, finally saying, “Mr. Right.”
“I’m afraid he doesn’t exist.” Carrie blew a bubble and snapped her gum.
“He does too-you found him, didn’t you?”
“Well…” Carrie felt that stab of guilt again. Daphne was always telling her how lucky she was to have Doc. And she knew she was.
“I blame you.” Daphne poked her lightly in the ribs. “You proved that it’s possible.”
“So what are you doing for Christmas?” Carrie asked, trying to change the subject.
“You mean, speaking of Christmas miracles?”
She laughed. “Ho ho.”
“I’ll be working at Blockbuster, what else?” The redhead tossed her gum wrapper toward the trash can full of lint and missed. “Me and the Jewish kid are splitting the Christmas shifts.”
Carrie felt guilty about that, too. Daphne was working her way through school, and although Carrie had her undergraduate degree and had gone to college in Boston on scholarship and grants-where she’d met Doc in the first place-she hadn’t really done anything with her degree since.
Doc said he liked having her home, and while things got a little tight sometimes, with Doc’s residency paying just enough for them to live on each month, they really wanted to have a baby, and she didn’t want to be tied down to a job when that happened. They’d had one bright moment of hope last year, but she’d miscarried that baby and hadn’t gotten pregnant again since.
But every time Daphne mentioned her job at Blockbuster and her diet of Ramen noodles and Kraft Macaroni and Cheese, Carrie felt a twinge of guilt about not going to school or having a job.
“What are you guys doing?” Daphne interrupted her friend’s thoughts.
“I don’t know.” She sighed. “Doc’s parents are talking about going to Key West. They have a timeshare on a private beach. But I’d miss the snow at Christmas time…”
Daphne scoffed. “Are you kidding me? You have the chance to spend Christmas on a private beach in Florida and you’re complaining?”
Ouch. There was that twinge of guilt again. “I’m not complaining, exactly…”
“Well I’d jump at the chance, if I were you.” Her friend got up to retrieve the gum wrapper and slam-dunked it into the basket.
“So you’re all by yourself then?” Carrie could have kicked herself for the way she’d worded that.
“I’m always all by myself.” Daphne shrugged, taking her seat again. “Unless I’m with you.”
“I think you should date more,” she told her emphatically, reaching around and pulling the book out of her friend’s pocket. “Spend time with some real guys instead of paper ones.”
Daphne grabbed for the book, but Carrie held it out of her reach. “It’s kind of hard to have a social life when you’re pursuing a degree in astrophysics.”
“Yeah, guys are kind of intimidated by that, huh?”
“To say the least.” Daphne leaned across her friend, the fullness of her breasts pressed against Carrie’s arm. Doc’s mention of her friend this morning had Carrie looking and thinking about her friend in a whole new way. “Gimme my book!”
“Well you could always play dumb.” Carrie stretched, holding it out further. “What’s in this book that’s so interesting anyway? Love’s Unbound Wrath. What kind of title is that? Do they actually fuck? Or is it all purple prose? Like ‘He slid his manhood into her quivering sheath…’”
Carrie flipped the book open, scanning the pages, and laughed at her discovery. “Oh my god, you didn’t! You actually underlined it!”
Daphne turned bright red, almost matching her hair. “Give it back!”
Carrie took aim and made it-the book dropped into the lint-filled wastebasket. “Two points!”
Daphne flounced over and retrieved the book from the garbage, shaking it off and putting it back into her pocket.
“I’m sorry,” Carrie apologized as her friend took a seat beside her. Daphne relented a little, her posture relaxing as Carrie slid an arm around her waist. “What we need is to find you a smart guy.”
Daphne leaned her head on Carrie’s shoulder. “No nerds.”
“Hey!” Carrie brightened at her own idea. “There’s a Christmas party tonight for all the residents. Doc’s making me go. Wanna come?”
“What an appealing offer.” The redhead smiled.
“Free food, free drinks-and tons of eligible doctors.” Carrie leaned closer, her voice dipping to nearly conspiratorial tones. “Smart doctors.”
“One would hope,” Daphne said wryly.
“Come on, Daph.” She tickled her friend’s ribs, making her giggle. “Do it for me. It would be way more fun with you.”
“Hmm. Maybe.” Daphne looked over at the guy across the aisle. Their antics had awakened him.
“Cute doctors…” Carrie reminded her.
“You got the best one already.”
She grinned. “True, but not the only one.”
“Oh hell, why not.” Daphne gave in, grinning back.
“Hey, I think you’re done.” Carrie glanced at the row of machines behind them.
Daphne laughed. “Let’s hope that’s not a euphemism for anything.”
“No, that’s your laundry beeping, not your pacemaker.”
Daphne laughed, pulling open the washer, reaching inside for a handful of wet clothes. “What do you think?” She held up a pair of red panties. Carrie noticed the scruffy guy across the way, his eyes averted but clearly watching them anyway. “If I wear panties like this, will I catch a cute doctor for a husband?”
“Maybe if that’s all you wear.”
“It’s a thought.” Daphne held them up against her crotch, cocking her hip to one side, making her utterly irresistible. “These and a Santa hat?”
“Cute,” Carrie agreed. “But the results would likely be a gangbang, not marriage.”
“Or both,” Daphne quipped, laughing at Carrie’s raised eyebrow look. “Hey, a girl can dream, can’t she?”
* * * *
“Maybe I should introduce Daphne to Wilson.” Doc handed Carrie the rum and Coke she’d asked him to fetch from the bar. He slid in beside her, draping an arm casually across her shoulders.
“Oh, I don’t know, Doc.” Carrie sipped her drink, glancing toward the bathroom where her friend had disappeared a few moments before. “He’s on the rebound.”
“So?” Doc knocked back the shot he’d ordered, making a face and shuddering just slightly. “He’s a cute doctor, right? He fits the bill.”
“Wilson’s kind of… eccentric.” Carrie smiled into her glass, seeing him getting his order up at the bar. There weren’t too many residents with fat, dark ponytails and eyebrow rings. In fact, Wilson was the only one. But the University of Michigan had accepted him in spite of his alternative looks-and ideas-and that was a testament to his intelligence and skill, she knew. He was just that good.
Of course, he wasn’t as good as her Doc.
“I’m a cute doctor.” Doc pouted, actually sticking out his lower lip at her. “I don’t see why I can’t be on the list.”
She nudged him, her breath thick with alcohol as she whispered in his ear. “Because you’re already taken.”