Page 156 of The Doctors Will See You Now

I wouldn’t say it was my finest hour, but it felt like I’d been waiting for answers for forever, and I didn’t feel like waiting anymore.

I’d lucked out, managing to clear out the other women and lock the door. I was actually surprised how willing they were to believe I was surprising my girlfriend with a wanted bathroom quickie.

If you’re ever in this situation, please do a better job of looking out for your fellow female friends’ safety.

No random man should be let into the women’s restroom under the pretense of surprising his girlfriend with sex. Or for any fucking reason, for that matter.

“You didn’t want to text,” I told her, crossing my arms over my chest and putting one ankle over the other.

“And you read that as please stalk me like a pervert in the women’s bathroom?” She shouted a bark of laughter. “Christ, this is going to make one hell of a column. Let me know how the police interrogation goes.”

Well aware of the boundaries I was pushing—more like trampling all over—I was careful to keep physical distance between us, shifting even farther away when she moved to the sink to wash her hands and keeping mine clearly to myself.

“You don’t think I deserve some kind of closure?”

“Closure? What the hell do you need closure for? I was your patient, and then you had a couple of gossip rag columns written about you. Isn’t that like a normal Tuesday for you, Dr. Erotic?”

I clenched my teeth and rolled my jaw, taking a moment to smother the building fire in my chest. She was trying to irritate me. Pushing all my buttons on purpose. I didn’t know exactly what reaction she was looking for, but whatever it was, I didn’t want her to have the satisfaction of getting it.

“Come on, Harlow,” I teased. “Isn’t Kinky Boots teaching you anything about friendship?”

She rolled her eyes and turned the tap to make the water hotter. Always a doctor, I surreptitiously checked out the healing gash on her forehead. It looked good, like she’d been taking care of it. Of course, I’d done a hell of a job on the sutures, so really, I was just admiring my work.

“Adversaries sometimes make the best of friends.”

“We’re not adversaries,” she contested, drying her hands and unlocking the deadbolt on the bathroom door. “We’re not anything.”

Out the door and, I presumed, back to her seat, she left me there in the bathroom with absolutely nothing gained from our conversation other than determination.

She didn’t want to be adversaries, friends, lovers…anything?

Sure sounds like a challenge to me…

God, I fucking loved a good challenge.

As Kinky Boots ended on a more than perfect note, leaving the crowd tingly with happy thoughts, positive vibes, and hundreds of smiles, all a mile wide, I’d be a liar if I said it was awful. Despite the fact that Kinky Boots had led to an in-person meet-and-greet—and a side of bathroom stalking—with Scott fucking Shepard, the notes of friendship, adversity, and wacky fashion all won me over piece by piece. And, when I stopped feeling bitchy long enough to admit the truth, one thing was obvious: hands-down, it was one of the best Broadway shows I’d ever seen.

And let’s face it, I’d seen a lot of Broadway over the past fifteen or so odd years.

Cyndi Lauper had created something magical with the musical genius she had injected into the show. It definitely had something, and I had a feeling my dad would be dragging me back to the Al Hirschfeld Theatre for another showing.

The crowd’s applause, already a steady, rolling roar, increased ten-fold as the performers made their way back to the stage to take a bow. My dad hopped to his feet and wolf-whistled as the main cast members stepped out of the line and to the front of the stage. “Bravo! Bravo!”

I wouldn’t be surprised if, when the house lights came up, I found a few fresh tear tracks on his face.

His enthusiasm urged a soft smile to my lips and made me grateful to the cast for making such an impact.

Broadway and Bill Paige. A match made in musical heaven. I often wondered if he had a past life as a performer.

“Wow,” he said between claps as the cast took their final bows on stage. “What a great show.” He glanced at me out of his periphery, just in case the actors made some last-minute enchanted statement. “Wasn’t it fantastic, Low?”

“It was.” I nodded, struggling to swipe the amused grin off my lips. “Kinky Boots was perfection.” Bill Paige is perfection. Really, I had the best dad.

“It really was,” Nicole added with awe in her voice, briefly reminding me of the person I’d been pretending I’d forgotten.

Whatever her devil spawn of a son’s name is.

“It’s been ages since I’ve seen a Broadway show, but wow, I need to change that. I’m missing out.”