It was a sucky day, that was all there was to it. Just a few days ago, Julia received a promotion to the surgical team but her first day consisted of pure paperwork...and other doctor's paperwork at that...with the Chief Surgeon, Dr Murakami, breathing down her neck at every instance. Therefore Julia ended up getting the blame for other people's mistakes and when the shift had ended she wondered if she should just give up working at Sim City Medical Centre altogether. When she got home she vented her frustration by chopping vegetables...harshly. It was a miracle she didn't cut herself.
As she was finishing dinner her telephone rang. She put down her knife and fork, got up from behind the table and went to answer it.
"Dr Julia Epstein speaking, whom am I talking with?" she said, formally.
"Hey Jules, it's Francesca here...I heard your day's been really rough. I wanted to see if you're OK"
Francesca was Julia's work colleague and best friend. They were rostered on different shifts these days so didn't get as much chance to see one another.
"Yeah..." Julia sighed. "Today wasn't brilliant. Thanks for calling though"
"Well, I'm a veteran of seeing the senior docs making life worse for those underneath them. Hey, Harper and I were going to head to town for a few drinks and a kick back. Do you fancy joining us? It'll take your mind off of things."
Julia thought about it and paused before answering. Maybe it was better to draw a line under the work day and spend time with her friends?
"Sure thing. Where shall we go?" said Julia.
"How about that place near you, the Blue Velvet?" replied Francesca.
"Ideal. I will see you there soon"
Julia hung up the receiver and smiled to herself. Francesca was a kind, caring person and Harper was a lot of fun and a great storyteller about all the crazy antics going on in her life. They would make ideal companions for this evening.
Francesca was already waiting outside the club when Julia arrived and they both greeted each other warmly.
"Francesca, thank you for inviting us out...I could really do with a distraction." said Julia.
"That's what we're here for...Harps and I haven't had an easy time down at the medical centre either: Some really bothersome patients...a drunken frat brawl and the injuries that came with it!"
"Ugh...I used to hate the jocks and frat boys at college!" said Julia.
"So what went wrong today?" Francesca asked.
Julia outlined all the hassles, Murakami's fierceness on the point of vindictiveness, missing patient files and a visiting senior surgeon who couldn't keep his wandering hands to himself whenever Julia was around. Francesca was shocked to hear this.
"Never fear, Harper's here!" came a voice from outside the bar. Julia and Francesca stopped talking for a moment to see that their colleague, Harper Newell, was standing there.
"Now we can get this party started!" said Francesca. "Come on, Jules, let's have a proper girls' night out!"
"Did Julia have a sucky day as well?" asked Harper. Julia nodded. "Join the club! I'm thirsty and need a drink then a good ol' dance" she added.
"Oh I don't really dance..." said a worried Julia.
"Pfft! I'm not having any of that...come on, you'll feel better after a couple of drinks."
"And I don't really want to drink that much..."
Harper made the sign of a square with her fingers.
"Now that's not fair! I can party...if I wish" said an indignant Julia.
"Sure you can" said Francesca, sarcastically.
"I will prove I can then! You'll see!" and with that, Julia punched the air in defiance.
The place was doing a lively trade and places around the bar were limited but the ladies pushed on through. However, when she saw who was already there, her heart sank.
"If I said you had a beautiful body, would you hold it against me?" came a familiar, male voice. Smooth, cultivated but sleazy. It was Alan Cuffe and he was doing what he normally did: Trying to pick up women. Although the woman he was talking to rolled her eyes in disappointment, the line clearly didn't work on her.
"I'll put you down as a maybe then?" said Cuffe in response. He saw Julia, Francesca and Harper approaching the bar and turned their attention to them.
"Well, well, well, if it isn't the Dishy Doctor herself; Julia Epstein, MD...I do hope I have your title and qualifications correct?" he said eyeing the three ladies up and down. "And who are your delightful friends? Julia, I never knew you kept such beautiful company"
"Ugh, Cuffe, don't you ever stop?" she replied.
"Never during waking hours. Are these work colleagues of yours? If that's the case then I'm coming all over faint and I'll need my temperature taking..."
"Well, you won't like where we take your temperature from...if you catch our drift" said Francesca, a veteran of sleazy men trying to hit on her and she knew all about Alan Cuffe's reputation.
"Ooh, promises..." he replied. "But I can see a future article for Lothario here; the gorgeous medical women of Sim City. It'll be great; we'll write up about your careers, what's life like for a young woman working in a hospital and we'll do a photo shoot of the three of you in bikinis but wearing stethoscopes..."
"Buy us a round of drinks and we'll think about it" said Harper.
"Harper! No!" said Julia.
"I said we'll think about it..." replied Harper, softly and giving Julia a wink.
"Deal" said Cuffe, enthusiastically.
"Wow, he's even worse than you described, Jules!" said Francesca.
"I don't know...he's rich and dapper looking." said Harper.
"He'll have you in one of those kitten outfits before long, shaking your behind for the benefit of his sleazy friends" said Julia.
"Hmmm, I don't know if I can squeeze into one of those costumes! Fran here could...I envy you: You've had kids and kept your figure!"
Julia had noticed that her neighbour and friend, John Action, was at the bar as well.
"Hello John" she said.
"My friends call me Action" he said.
"OK, Action, what does everyone else call you?" she asked.
"Action as well. Can I get you and your friends a round of drinks in?" he asked.
Harper turned towards Action and said "I think it's going to be some time before we have to buy a drink, girls. Hello..." she said, offering her hand to Action. "I'm Harper and you must be the famous Action: Julia has mentioned you at work a few times."
Action took her hand and gently held it, looking Harper in the eye approvingly. "Now why hasn't Julia mentioned you before? Tut-tut, Julia."
As the banter flowed Action was clearly attracted to Harper but was he wanting to hook up again after putting his relationship with Katherine on hold? Well, what's the harm in a pleasant evening in the company of an attractive woman, no strings attached? However, something was alerting Action's sixth sense but he couldn't put his finger on it. It wasn't this girl it was a presence nearby. Action looked to his right; there was just this random guy next to him but something about his presence didn't add up.
The two men's eyes met and Action looked at him quizzically. "Hey man, do I know you from somewhere?"
"No you don't" said the man, blankly.
Standing right near them was Cuffe. He thought to himself That must be one of 'them'! If Action guesses that then it'll all kick off! For God's sake, Action, leave this alone!
"We're going to have a dance, you coming Action?" said Harper, tapping him on his shoulder.
"Oh, yeah, in a minute" he said, turning slowly away from the man.
Julia, now fuelled by a few drinks, fancied a tinkling on the ivories. Pretty soon she had gathered a small crowd around her as she played.
"You know, this was a brilliant idea" she said, giggling. "Thanks, guys, I needed a little distraction tonight. We're like the Three Musketeers!"
It was very late when Julia made her way home. Francesca caught a cab and Harper remained behind to hang out with Action a little more. She noticed a newspaper vending machine as she walked down the road and saw the headline SUCCESSFUL LAUNCH OF GEMINI 9. Julia then remembered "oh yeah, Liberty's down in Florida...I'm glad it went well...sorry I missed the launch on TV but....*yawn*....I'm sure I'll see her at the wedding....THE WEDDING! THAT'S THIS WEEKEND!"
