downstairs by the back door when you're ready. Just make sure you're on time." Marci turned on a hop and scurried down the hallway.
Nova shut the door and let her head fall back. Staring at the ceiling, she had doubts that Dr. Brandof would believe she slept well and adapted to working at Red Light. The doctor's intense gaze behind his glasses noticed everything, playing part gynecologist and part psychologist.
Fifteen minutes later, she'd washed, brushed, primped, and snarled in the mirror at her reflection. Then she walked downstairs and joined Tara, Tawny, Kathryn, and Marci.
Already familiar with the walk to the doctor's office down the block, she trailed Marci. Each woman silent and dragging their feet. Obviously, she wasn't the only one tired this morning.
She claimed the chair closest to the door, folded her arms, and dropped her chin to her chest, closing her eyes. The soothing respite relaxed her body. She tuned out the conversations around her.
Her next conscious thought was the nurse calling her name. She startled out of her seat and ignored Tawny's giggle. Past the point of caring where she caught her cat naps, she looked forward to laying on the paper-sheeted table in the exam room.
"Go ahead and hop up on the table and I'll take your vitals." The nurse followed her and put a blood pressure cuff around her bicep.
The gauge on the band went up to one hundred and sixty. Nova looked away and read the domestic violence poster on the wall to distract her from the tightness. Six out of ten women would experience physical and mental abuse in their lifetime. Nova exhaled. Good reason never to get married or fall in love.
"One hundred and five over seventy-two. Are you tired?" The nurse ripped the Velcro apart and removed the device.
"Yeah. I'm exhausted," said Nova.
"Thought so." The nurse smiled holding a thermometer device against Nova's forehead until it beeped. "Ninety-eight. That's it. Go ahead and change into the gown I've placed on the pillow behind you and Dr. Brandof will be with you in a few minutes."
"Okay, thanks." Nova waited until the door closed, stripped, and slipped her arms into the gown.
She laid on her back and let her legs dangle over the table. Her first day off in five days, she wanted to take care of her weekly doctor visit and go back to her room. Better yet, she wanted to return to Shayla and Nick's trailer, crawl into Shayla's bed, and listen to her cousin talk about unimportant things until she fell asleep. Just like she'd spent every night after she'd moved in with her aunt.
The door opened. "Miss Nova..."
"Morning, Doc." Nova opened her eyes, lifted her legs, and put her feet in the stirrups.
Dr. Brandof rolled his stool to the foot of the table. "Any problems you want to discuss?"
"Nope." She yawned.
The doctor's efficient examination, followed by a swab test ended her internal exam. At the snap of his latex gloves coming off, Nova put her feet down and curled into a sitting position. Weekly STD testing no longer bothered her. She appreciated the care the madams gave toward the ladies in the Network. Soon, she hoped to walk away from the business whole, disease-free, and richer than shit.
If Shayla or Nick wanted to live with her when she bought her new house, she'd move them in, too. No trailers. No loud neighbors. No gossip.
"I'll call the test results into Red Light tomorrow afternoon." Dr. Brandof wrote on the folder in his hands. "We're done here. I'll leave you alone to get dressed and then the nurse will be in to draw your blood, and you're free to go."
"Thanks, Doc." She hopped off the table.
Alone, she redressed. The nurse came in and poked her arm drawing a vial of blood. She returned to the waiting room. Tawny talked with Marci by the door. Nova spotted the nearest chair and sat down.
"Here she is." Marci raised her brows at Nova. "Do you want to walk back to the Sterling Building with Tawny? There's an escort outside waiting if you do. Kathryn's the only one
Nova shut the door and let her head fall back. Staring at the ceiling, she had doubts that Dr. Brandof would believe she slept well and adapted to working at Red Light. The doctor's intense gaze behind his glasses noticed everything, playing part gynecologist and part psychologist.
Fifteen minutes later, she'd washed, brushed, primped, and snarled in the mirror at her reflection. Then she walked downstairs and joined Tara, Tawny, Kathryn, and Marci.
Already familiar with the walk to the doctor's office down the block, she trailed Marci. Each woman silent and dragging their feet. Obviously, she wasn't the only one tired this morning.
She claimed the chair closest to the door, folded her arms, and dropped her chin to her chest, closing her eyes. The soothing respite relaxed her body. She tuned out the conversations around her.
Her next conscious thought was the nurse calling her name. She startled out of her seat and ignored Tawny's giggle. Past the point of caring where she caught her cat naps, she looked forward to laying on the paper-sheeted table in the exam room.
"Go ahead and hop up on the table and I'll take your vitals." The nurse followed her and put a blood pressure cuff around her bicep.
The gauge on the band went up to one hundred and sixty. Nova looked away and read the domestic violence poster on the wall to distract her from the tightness. Six out of ten women would experience physical and mental abuse in their lifetime. Nova exhaled. Good reason never to get married or fall in love.
"One hundred and five over seventy-two. Are you tired?" The nurse ripped the Velcro apart and removed the device.
"Yeah. I'm exhausted," said Nova.
"Thought so." The nurse smiled holding a thermometer device against Nova's forehead until it beeped. "Ninety-eight. That's it. Go ahead and change into the gown I've placed on the pillow behind you and Dr. Brandof will be with you in a few minutes."
"Okay, thanks." Nova waited until the door closed, stripped, and slipped her arms into the gown.
She laid on her back and let her legs dangle over the table. Her first day off in five days, she wanted to take care of her weekly doctor visit and go back to her room. Better yet, she wanted to return to Shayla and Nick's trailer, crawl into Shayla's bed, and listen to her cousin talk about unimportant things until she fell asleep. Just like she'd spent every night after she'd moved in with her aunt.
The door opened. "Miss Nova..."
"Morning, Doc." Nova opened her eyes, lifted her legs, and put her feet in the stirrups.
Dr. Brandof rolled his stool to the foot of the table. "Any problems you want to discuss?"
"Nope." She yawned.
The doctor's efficient examination, followed by a swab test ended her internal exam. At the snap of his latex gloves coming off, Nova put her feet down and curled into a sitting position. Weekly STD testing no longer bothered her. She appreciated the care the madams gave toward the ladies in the Network. Soon, she hoped to walk away from the business whole, disease-free, and richer than shit.
If Shayla or Nick wanted to live with her when she bought her new house, she'd move them in, too. No trailers. No loud neighbors. No gossip.
"I'll call the test results into Red Light tomorrow afternoon." Dr. Brandof wrote on the folder in his hands. "We're done here. I'll leave you alone to get dressed and then the nurse will be in to draw your blood, and you're free to go."
"Thanks, Doc." She hopped off the table.
Alone, she redressed. The nurse came in and poked her arm drawing a vial of blood. She returned to the waiting room. Tawny talked with Marci by the door. Nova spotted the nearest chair and sat down.
"Here she is." Marci raised her brows at Nova. "Do you want to walk back to the Sterling Building with Tawny? There's an escort outside waiting if you do. Kathryn's the only one
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