Doctor Kim

Chapter 1

Nashville in the summer wasn't for the faint of heart—the heat and humidity were oppressive. Jay had invited our friends over to hang out by his dad's pool, and when we ran out of beer in the cooler, I volunteered to get the other case from the fridge in the garage. I did it because I needed a break from everyone.

Jay Kim and I had been together for more than three years and had started dating the summer before our junior year of high school. Since then, we'd done almost everything together. All the school dances. Family vacations. Our first year of college. Hell, our senior class even voted us 'Most Likely to Marry Their High School Sweetheart.'

I'd loved him so much, I'd given him my virginity.

But . . .

Jay had changed. I didn't know if there was a turning point, or a single event that made him different, but he wasn't the sweet, caring guy I'd known. We'd gotten comfortable with each other—maybe too comfortable. He'd tell me anything, including when he thought I looked like I wasn't 'trying' anymore, or acting like a bitch.

It was June now, and we were both home from Vanderbilt University, but I saw my boyfriend less this summer than I did when we were at school. We had jobs, sure. But today he made it clear he was more interested in hanging out with our high school friends than he was with me.

God. We'd been best friends, and now we didn't really talk anymore. No deep conversations, or playful teasing, or anything. Jay only called me when he was horny. That's what I'd become to him.

Hanni Pham—Jay's release valve.

I tucked my phone into my swimsuit top and played my favorite song by Joven as I walked through the house to the garage on the far side of the home. I opened the door and padded down the two steps into the cavernous garage, not bothering with the overhead light. The cement floor was cold on the soles of my bare feet, but the music was awesome, and in the dark space, I tried to let go of my annoyance with Jay. Maybe I was just in a bad mood and needed to shake it off.

I did that.

Literally.

I closed my eyes and danced to the song playing from between my boobs, not caring about the grimy floor, or how I was cold in my damp swimsuit. I tried not to care about anything, and it kind of worked. I swayed my hips to the music. I put my hands in the air and waved them around and couldn't stop the idiotic smile from warming my lips.

It felt good to dance like a fool, lit only by the light coming from the open door to the kitchen. Since I knew every word by heart, I sang along and, as I hit the chorus, I really let go. I swiveled around, swinging my hips as I belted out the lyrics—

A startled sound choked off in my throat as I jerked to a stop.

Dr. Kim stood in the doorway, and judging by her expression, she'd been there awhile.

I was surprised to see her for a number of reasons, but the biggest was Jay's dad was a trauma surgeon at Davidson County Hospital. She was usually on-call and wasn't around much. She was always there for the things that mattered, like birthdays and graduation, but most of the time, Jay and I were alone in the house.

Why had her dad kept such a big home when her son went off to college? It was strange. Dr. Kim barely used it.

Jay's dad looked younger than she was, at least in her face. There were faint lines at the sides of her eyes that hinted she was forty, but the lines made her look smart. Distinguished. Her dark brown hair and and the afternoon sunlight coming from the nearby window highlighted the gray. It was a good look.

In the series of pictures we'd taken before our senior prom, there was a shot of Jay and his dad, and my friends drooled over Dr. Kim. I'd made fun of them, but I understood. My boyfriend's dad wasn't just attractive—she was fucking hot.