"Let's dance," the woman said. "'You promised."
Kim glanced at Jason uncomfortably, trying to ignore the jealousy that was yanking at her heart.
"Jenny," Tony said, talking to the woman on his arm even though his eyes hadn't left Kim. "Do you know Jason Neerbore?"
The woman nodded. It was obvious she had already had more than a few drinks. "I think so____"
"And this," Tony said, "is Kim Risson. Dr. Risson's daughter."
"Nice to meet you," she said, giving Tony a sloppy tug on his arm. "Come on, Tony."
Tony forced himself to break away from Kim and Jason. "Have fun," he said, accepting Jenny's hand as she pulled him onto the dance floor.
Jason smiled as he watched Tony and Jenny weave their way through the couples entwined together in front of the band. "That Tony. He's always got some beautiful girl on his arm. He's too much, isn't he?"
Kim stepped out of her car and adjusted her sunglasses. It wasn't as though she needed them to protect her eyes against the sun. In fact, even though it was nine o'clock in the morning, the day was dreary and overcast, making it look as though the sun had not yet appeared. But she was suffering from a lack of sleep, and her tired eyes were sensitive to the slightest glare. She wouldn't have minded if she was suffering from a good cause. But her bloodshot eyes were not a result of a good time; they were a result of a restless night spent thinking about Tony. After Jenny had pulled him onto the dance floor, Kim had lost track of him temporarily. Unfortunately, when she saw him again, he was following Jenny out the door.
Kim had left the party shortly after, tormented by emotions she did not want to admit.
Kim glanced to her right as a bright red car pulled in alongside her. Her heart stopped beating when she saw that inside the bright red car were none other than Tony and Jenny. Together.
"Hi, Kim," Tony said, swinging open his door.
"Hello," Kim replied, giving him a curt nod. She suppressed an instinct to run away and instead stood still, politely waiting for them to join her.
"Jenny," he said, standing up. "You remember Kim Risson?"
Jenny hesitated as she slammed her door.
"From last night," Tony said.
She laughed. "I don't remember much about last night." She glanced at her watch. "Oh boy, I've got to hustle. I'm late. All because of you," she said, nudging Tony with her elbow.
Kim swallowed as she picked up her pace. So much for Tony changing his ways.
Tony scurried to keep up with Kim. "Jenny works with the thoracic team."
"How nice," Kim said, giving him a look that she hoped would stop him in his tracks. It didn't.
"Transplant coordinator," he said, as if Kim cared. She didn't. The only thing she cared about was never seeing him again.
Jenny made a sharp right turn as soon as she headed into the hospital. "Bye, guys. Tony, I'll see you tonight around six," she said, taking off her coat as she ran toward Administration. Kim and Tony were left alone. Kim continued walking, hurrying toward the elevator.
"Jenny is..."
"I don't really care about Ginny..."
"Jenny," Tony corrected her.
"Whatever her name is," she interrupted, pressing the elevator button.
"She's a transplant coordinator. She lives--" he began.
"Look," she interrupted him, impatiently hitting the elevator button again. "You don't have to explain anything. It's none of my business who you spend your time with."
The elevator doors opened and an elderly woman stepped out. "Good morning, Dr. Hoffman," she said, breaking into a smile. "I'm glad I ran into you. I have a question about my husband..."
Kim used the distraction to escape inside the elevator. The doors snapped shut before Tony could join her.
"What's the matter," her father asked. "Didn't you enjoy yourself last night?" Kim forced a smile. "It was all right."
"That bad, huh?"
Kim smiled. "The shrimp was good."
"Did you, ah... run into Tony there?"
Kim nodded. "Yes," she said. "He was there."
"Did you talk to him?" he asked hopefully.
She paused, looking at him suspiciously. "Dad... what are you up to?"
"Nothing."
"Look, Tony is not my type. I'm not sure what my type is, but he's not it. End of subject. Besides," she said, looking at him suspiciously, "I thought you didn't like him."
"I never said that. I just... well, I had made some assumptions about him. But I've decided that if you want to marry him--"
"Marry him?" Kim interrupted loudly. "Where the heck did you get that idea?"
He shrugged. "It seemed obvious that you cared about him____"
"Whoa," she said, raising her hands. "Look, Dad, he's a nice guy and all, but we... well, we're not right for each other. If I married Tony--which, by the way, is ludicrous even to mention," she rambled on, "considering we only went out a couple of times-- but, if I did, which I won't, my whole life would revolve around his schedule. I have a career, a career that means everything to me."
Her father wrinkled his brow, confused. "You're an artist," he stated. "You can't marry a doctor? How come?"
"It's not just the doctor thing. It's the marriage part. I mean, I spend all my time working, unencumbered with thoughts like: What time is he coming home? Do I have to fix dinner? Do I have to pick up dry cleaning? Do I have to... take a shower?" She sighed, as if exhausted by the very thought.