Kelly shuddered. "Girl, you are going to have a heart attack eating like that."
Aurelia grinned. "I was too tired to fix anything else. Pizza is easy."
"Sure, it is. But you're going to pay for it later, I'm telling you."
Thinking about the pain in her chest, she thought Kelly might be right, but she wasn't going to worry about it right then because the pizza smelled good, and she was starving. She'd skipped lunch because she'd been running late and forgotten to bring a sandwich with her. She didn't have the extra money to eat out every day, so she'd just gone without.
"So do you want Bella to stay here, like last time?" she asked, cutting the pizza. Thankfully, the owners of the house were okay with the occasional visit from Bella, as they had often babysat her for Kelly as well before they moved down to Florida full-time.
"That's fine. Brian and Kim don't mind, right?"
"Nope, they just didn't want a tenant with their own pet, but they adore Bella, so they're good with her being here."
"I bet if you wanted a pet, they'd let you." Kelly stroked Bella's fur. "I don't know what I'd do without my Bella to keep me company."
Aurelia shrugged. "I don't really have time for a full-time pet. Having Bella every now and then is perfect for me."
"I am so glad you turned out to be a dog person. I don't know what I would have done if you'd preferred cats!" She laughed.
Laughing along with her, Aurelia shook her head. She plated her pizza and then picked up a slice. "I don't hate cats; I mean they're fine too."
"Oh, speaking of cats, did you hear about Mrs. Henderson?"
Aurelia wiped her mouth on a paper napkin and finished chewing. "No?"
"Her little calico, Tansy, went missing. She's been putting flyers up all over the neighborhood. She's devastated."
"Oh, that stinks, I'll keep an eye out for her."
Kelly glanced at the clock on the stove. "Oh, hey, I should get back home. I've still got to give Bella her dinner. So, if I bring her by on Thursday night, does that work? My flight leaves at five, and I'm sure you don't want me coming over at three a.m. with her."
Aurelia laughed. "You're right. I don't." She reached over and petted Bella. "You're cute, but I'm not getting up at three a.m. even for you."
"Okay, if I don't see you before then, eat a salad, would you?" She laughed.
"I'll think about it," Aurelia answered. She enjoyed having Kelly as a friend. She'd missed having a girlfriend for so long. Someone she could just chat with and commiserate with and just hang out and be herself.
"Bye," Kelly called, giving her a little wave as she headed down the walk and back next door.
Smiling, Aurelia relocked the door and returned to the kitchen. She finished eating and then went to relax for the evening.
The next morning, as she stood in her kitchen drinking her coffee, the pain returned. "Damn it," she muttered in frustration.
Shaking her head, she poured the rest of the drink down the drain with regret. Having no caffeine was going to play havoc with her day, but she thought the coffee might be the reason she was having these episodes. With that in mind she decided to forgo her coffee for the next few days.
Unfortunately, it didn't help, and the pain worsened. Thursday morning, she'd had enough and decided to call her new doctor's office and set up an appointment.
"Ms. Carson?" the receptionist asked, taking her off of hold.
"Yes?"
"It looks like his first available for new patients is four weeks from now on a Wednesday at eleven a.m., will that work for you?"
Aurelia gritted her teeth. "Is there no way he can see me sooner? This pain has been steadily getting worse—"
"I'm sorry, Ms. Carson, but unless it's an emergency, there is no way I can fit you in to his schedule. I can put you on the cancellation list, but just know there are about twelve others on that list as well."
Aurelia sighed. "Fine, I guess put me in for that date and on the cancellation list."
"Excellent. Now if you really need to be seen sooner by a physician, you can always use the urgent care in your network. You don't need an appointment for that."
"Yes, all right. Thank you."
"No problem. We'll see you in four weeks."
Aurelia hung up and marked the appointment on her desk calendar. She left her cubicle, went to Ms. Hoffman's office, and knocked on the door.
"Come in?"
Aurelia opened the door. "Um, hi, is this a good time?"
"Sure, come on in. Have a seat." The blonde behind the desk looked more like a cover model than an accountant, but she was smart and stylish. "How's the chest pain?" she asked.
Aurelia sat down in the comfortable leather chair. "Not great. That's what I wanted to tell you. I've got an appointment to see my new doctor next month at eleven. I hope that's okay?"