Page 406 of The Doctors Will See You Now

Me: Uh-huh. ;) Scariest book and movie ever, btw.

Nick: It’s not THAT scary, Char.

Pfffft. That was total baloney. I was convinced he’d seen a different version of The Shining. I furiously typed out a three-word response and hit send.

Me: YES, IT IS!

Nick: I’m curious, which version is scarier, the book or the movie?

Me: The book, obviously. No movie can ever live up to their book counterpart.

Nick: Ah, I see. Are you a book snob, Char?

Me: No. I’m a *bibliophile*. There’s a difference.

Nick: Oh man. This I have to hear. What is the difference?

Me: A book snob thinks their reading preferences are better than everyone else’s. A bibliophile loves and respects all books and reading preferences.

Nick: Even erotica?

Me: Yes, even erotica.

Nick: What about weird, obscure erotica about zombies or dinosaurs or a man with a microwave fetish?

Me: Yes, even that. Humans should be free to read and enjoy whatever books tickle their fancy. Although, I gotta say, the microwave fetish sounds a bit dangerous…

Nick: Death by consumption of too many radiation waves while simultaneously reaching climax?

Me: Let’s just hope that fetishist follows the ten-second rule.

Nick: LOL. When are you coming to see me?

Me: When is your lunch hour?

Nick: NOW.

I grinned at his enthusiasm, but I still couldn’t stop myself from teasing him a bit.

Me: Perfect. I can’t make it, but I know someone who can. You’ll like him. He’s really good at eating Harry’s meat.

Nick: Very funny. Get your cute ass over here. And, if you’d drop by Mitch’s Deli on your way and pick me up a pastrami on rye and something equally delicious for yourself, I’d be forever grateful.

Me: Yes, sir. ;)

Nick: You’re the best, Char.

I glanced at the time. 11:00 a.m. I hopped off my couch and headed toward my bedroom as I typed another quick text and pressed send.

Me: I know you said now, but my body composition is nothing more than sweat and Cheetos dust right now. Can we make it 12:30?

Nick: Sounds tasty. A little salty, maybe, but overall more appealing than you’d think. But I guess I’ll allow time for a shower if you must.

Me: Careful how low you set your expectations, Dr. Raines. ;) I’ll see you at 12:30.

Freshly showered and carrying a bag from Mitch’s Deli, I strode into Nick’s office with a giddy smile on my face. He sat behind his desk, typing away on his laptop, and it took a few soft raps against his open door to grab his attention.

The instant his eyes left the computer screen, his face morphed into a welcoming grin.