Perfection #4
Page 2
I looked at the clock. I had a couple of hours to kill before Kate arrived. As quickly as I could, I put the lasagna together and slid the dish in the refrigerator. It only needed to bake for 40 minutes and I would have plenty of time to do that when I came back. I had to see him, to thank him for the thoughtful gift. There was no note in the box so I wasn’t sure how he felt about me but I had to find out. Nervously I tidied up my makeup and smoothed my hair before I left. I didn’t have to guess where he was, his assistant Page was constantly tweeting on his behalf. He was in town and at the clinic where I had met him before. I didn’t have an appointment and I sure wasn’t going to call but I was going to try to see him.
Luckily, the waiting room wasn’t packed and I did not have to beg for an appointment. After about 15 minutes, Bullet came to the door wearing his white coat and stethoscope and welcomed me back. We had not been formally introduced but from the cold stares I received from the young-looking, brown-haired nurse at the front desk, I knew she was Page. As I walked past her to follow Bullet to his office, I glimpsed at her name tag. Yep, that was Page. She had a sling haircut, bobbed at the back and longer in the front. She had a narrow face with small eyes and oversized lips. She didn’t make eye contact with me but stared at Bullet who avoided looking at her. Hmm…I wonder what that’s about.
I had about as much luck as she did. I could tell immediately that he wasn’t in the mood to receive a visit from me. He sat behind his massive desk and waved his hand at the empty chair across from him.
“Good afternoon, Lilly. I assume that you have changed your mind about the surgery? Is that correct?” He was all politeness with his professionalism but he showed no hint of a smile.
“No, I haven’t changed my mind. I’m not here for surgery. I wanted to say thank you for the violin. It was a lovely surprise.”
He leaned back in his seat, showing off his muscular frame. I couldn’t help but remember our times together—in the tent, in front of the fire. Now here we were, alone again and he acted like we barely knew each other. “I am glad you received it. It wasn’t damaged or anything?”
“No, it played beautifully. No damage at all.” He didn’t say anything, just nodded and tapped his long fingers on the desk.
“Okay, well I won’t take up more of your time.” I stood clumsily on my feet. I regretted wearing these high heels now. He rose too and opened the door for me. He didn’t try to touch me or get close to me.
“Thanks for stopping by,” he said in a soft voice. Then the door closed behind me. I paused. What should I do? Go apologize for making a scene? For not believing him? Should I bang on the door and demand that he talk to me? I didn’t do any of those things. I walked away, down the hall and out of the office. I ignored the nurse who called after me. I climbed in my car and drove down the road. I was two stoplights away when I began to swear in frustration.
The first thing I did when I made it home was open a bottle of wine. I slid the lasagna in the oven and changed my clothing. Like a spoiled kid, I kicked off my high heels, sending them flying across the room. I saw my answering machine blinking and I pressed the button. “Good afternoon, Miss Brightwood. This is Lela Dandridge with Metro. I’m calling to inform you that although you scored high on our list, you were not selected for the opening. I trust we will see you again if another position becomes available. Thank you for your audition. Have a nice day.”
Have a nice day? What? I played the message again and then again. I could not believe it! I thought I nailed it! I had never been surer of anything in my life. I had heard the other three ahead of me, and the only one I didn’t hear was the applicant after me. He must have had quite a performance because the rest of my competition wasn’t anything to worry about—or at least that’s what I thought. I wondered how rude it would be to call Lela Dandridge back and demand to know who won. I crumpled onto the couch and laid there until I head Kate knocking on the door.
“Coming,” I shouted at the door. “Welcome to Shangri-La,” I said as she swirled into the room on a cloud of usual amber perfume. Her smile faded away as she saw me grasping the bottle and pouring another glass of wine.
“Oh dear, what happened now?” Was that a note of aggravation I detected in my friend’s voice? Oh well, she could just deal with it. I’ve always been there for her. Without waiting for an answer to her question she said, “Hey, this is lovely!” Kate dug in the open box and lifted the violin out. “Gee, I wonder how old it is?”
“At least a hundred years old. Bullet sent me that. It is the one we found in Blue Lake.”
Her full lips curled up prettily. “That’s pretty good, huh?”
“Not really. I went to thank him and he acted like he didn’t even know me. I mean who does that? Sends me an expensive gift and then acts like it didn’t mean anything—that I didn’t mean anything. After all that we did—together.”
“Never confuse sex with a relationship, Lilly. I told you that, girlfriend. So he acted standoffish when you went to thank him? Hmm…you need to change your strategy I think.”
I rolled my eyes and reached for a glass for my friend, pouring her a glass of wine. I could smell the lasagna—I certainly hadn’t lost my appetite despite all the disappointment I experienced today. “What do you mean?”
“Well, obviously he likes you or he wouldn’t have sent you this but you don’t need to be too available. Guys like Bullet, they need a challenge, they like it when you aren’t too available.”
“I haven’t even talked to him!”
“Calm down, I’m on your side, nitwit.” She hugged me and peeked in the oven. “I’m giving you some good advice here. If you want this guy—and I know you do, stop accepting gifts and don’t answer his phone calls—at least for a few days.”
“He hasn’t called me,” I said a little angrier than I expected.
She flashed her cat like smile at me, “He will.” I told her the rest of my bad news and like a true friend she offered to confront the Metro Symphony on my behalf. After doling out some sympathy, I eased the lasagna out of the oven and we waited for it to cool. It was good to be with my friend again.
“So tell me what’s happening in the wonderful world of Riley Patterson? Still keen on becoming Mrs. Patterson?” I sipped my wine, enjoying the warm sensation and fragrance. A good wine calmed the soul.
Kate perked right up and began talking about her wedding plans. In the short time they had known one another, they’d broken up, gotten engaged, broke up again and now here they were…planning to take a trip down the aisle. “There’s a little hiccup on that front but I’m still planning a wedding.”
“Really, what’s that? Old girlfriend stalking him again? Boy, that guy sure can charm the ladies, can’t he?” I chuckled at that idea. Riley wasn’t anything like Bullet. He didn’t have his strong, flat abdomen, powerful thighs and muscular arms. Riley’s body didn’t appeal to me but Bullet’s made me want to…
“Lilly! You aren’t listening! What the hell are you day dreaming about?”
I shook myself and reached for a plate. “Sorry, go ahead. You said there was a hiccup?”
“Yeah, as it turns out, Riley’s ex never signed the papers. So now we have to wait four weeks before we can make it official.” Kate slid the spatula into the lasagna and dumped it on my outstretched plate.
“What papers? Why would he need to wait?” Mm…smells so good!
“Haven’t you been paying attention at all? Riley was married once before, well, he still is technically.” I stopped and stared at my friend.
“How can you be so calm, Kate? You are dating a married man and you want to marry him? What the hell?”
She shrugged like it was nothing at all. “I know it sounds absolutely crazy but Riley didn’t know. He thought he was divorced. He signed his papers and turned them in, but she didn’t sign hers. That means they never made it to the judge. All he has to do is go down and get it done.” I didn’t like the sound of this. How in the world could someone be marr
ied and not know it? I smelled something fishy but I kept my mouth shut and listened to Kate. Fair is fair — right?
“Well I guess you know that Riley is not very motivated so you’ll probably have to stay on him, you know to get him down there. Have you talked to the ex-wife or soon to be ex-wife? What does she have to say about all this?” I dug into my lasagna. It did not fail to be delicious.
“She was fine. I talked to her the day before yesterday and she said she would meet us down there Friday. Her name is Tabitha — nice lady. Apparently they married young and broke up not long after they walked down the aisle. She says she has moved on and I like her.”
I laughed in amazement at my friend’s emotional resilience. Things that aggravated other people didn’t seem to matter to Kate. She has a big heart — I hope it doesn’t lead her into trouble. Or heart ache! “It sounds like you have everything under control so I won’t put in my two cents here. I know you will use your head. Keep me posted on what happens and no getting married at the Justice of the Peace without me. I want to be there!”
Kate raised her fingers and said, “Scout’s honor. I would never leave you out, Lilly. You are like a sister to me. Okay, you are a sister. Now where is the Parmesan?”
Chapter Four
Bullet
As soon as Lilly walked out of the door in her sexy pumps I regretted the way I acted towards her. I knew Lilly well enough to know that it took courage for her to come here to see me. I waited 24 hours and then I called her from the privacy of my office. No answer. I didn’t leave a message but made a mental note to try again before I left for my meeting across town. I still wasn’t sure what I would say but I had to say something.
In-between my appointments I checked my phone for a message but I did not see anything pop up from Lilly. Just the usual, appointments, physicians and hospitals. At the end of the day I tried her number again and still nothing. I was beginning to believe that she was avoiding me on purpose, probably ticked because I gave her the cold shoulder when she came to visit me. I pulled into the valet line of Ronaldo’s and waited for the valet. I tapped on the phone once again this time leaving a message. “Hey Lilly, it’s me. I was wondering if you had plans this weekend. Thinking maybe we could have dinner soon. Did you hear anything from Metro? Anyway, call me, okay?”
I handed the keys to the valet and walked into the restaurant. Dr. Pennington waved me over to his table and I joined him. Pennington wasn’t just a former boss; he was a mentor and advisor and probably one of the only people that I completely trusted. When I was a resident at Singing River Hospital he had taken me under his wing giving me the heads up about certain positions – who was coming in and who was going out, that sort of thing. When he saw me screw up he called me on it. The older man had given me some good advice over the years and he didn’t sugarcoat anything. I liked that about him.
“So how is the new policy coming along? Having any difficulties?” That was Dr. Pennington — right to the point. I paused to place my drink order with the server before I answered him.
“Not as much as I thought it would be. I thought that I would miss some of the perks but frankly I don’t. A few of my clients are not happy with the new arrangement but I think they will adjust and if not, I am willing to let them go. You were right, I had let things get out of hand.”
Dr. Pennington displayed a knowing smile. He was tall and muscular but lean and had a head full of salt-and-pepper hair. “I am glad to hear you acknowledge that, and even happier to hear that you are sticking to it. You are a talented physician, Dr. Steinmann. No one can take that away from you but all that disappears if a couple of unhappy clients decide to tear down your hard-earned reputation with some idle gossip. Speaking of which, how did the investigation go, the one concerning Amelia Sheffield?”
“My attorney is handling the Sheffield matter. I’m quite seriously thinking of pressing charges for libel. I don’t want to do that but I can’t have someone running around the state saying the things that she is saying. According to my lawyer, I am not her first target and I probably will not be the last.” Strangely I did feel sympathy for Amelia. She had been a referral from one of my regular clients but the meeting did not go too well. Young and kind of pretty, Amelia made it very clear that she wanted to have sex with me. Unfortunately for her, but fortunately for me, she had been 17 — I was not even tempted. Angry at my refusal she went to our mutual friend and began to spread gossip. I endured the usual investigatory procedures but of course there was nothing to find. I was a little surprised that Dr. Pennington asked me about her. I had not even been aware that he knew anything about her. Had I let it slip?
“Good! That’s very good. Can’t be too careful and if she insists on talking out of turn then you do need to do what you have to legally to prevent further gossip.”
Our server brought us salads, refilled our drinks and took our orders. Pennington clasped his hands and leaned forward on his elbows. “So how are you? Tired of flying back and forth? It seems to me you spend more time here than you do at home. Have you ever thought about moving, maybe establishing a more permanent residence here?”
Instantly I thought of Lilly, of being close to her, what it might mean if I did move here. It was probably over between us anyway; still, it might be smart to make that move. “It is not out of the realm of possibility. You are right. More and more of my clients are here and I do travel way too much.” I thought of friendly Candy and flying her friendly skies. I rubbed my hands together and looked away. Pennington knew me too well.
“The reason I’m asking is because Dr. Turner plans to retire. Initially he was going to retire at 65 but now that his wife is ill, he wants to go ahead and make that transition now. Talking about traveling with her, seeing some sights. Can’t say that I blame him although I think if he wants to travel with her he better do it sooner rather than later. She’s pretty sick.”
I stared at Dr. Pennington trying to understand what he was saying to me. “So you need someone to fill in while you find a new partner?” I dug into my salad with gusto — I skipped lunch today. I was starving and doing my best to keep a certain blonde off of my mind.
“No. I would like you to be the new partner—that is if we can come to some agreement. And of course, Bernard and Lambert would have to agree.” The man was offering me the world and acting as if it was nothing. I put my fork down and wiped my face with the linen napkin.
“I hope this doesn’t sound stupid but are you seriously considering me? What an honor that would be, sir but you know my……struggles…that’s not going to be a problem?”
“Do you think you are the first imperfect doctor to practice medicine? You’ve seen behind the curtain, Bullet. We are not perfect—we are just men in white coats.” I felt humbled by his proposal and honestly surprised by it. He continued with a tone of caution, “However, don’t jump the gun yet, like I said, my partners have to agree and you aren’t Lambert’s first pick. Still, if you are willing to move and follow our policies, I think it can happen. What do you say?”
“Of course I say yes! It would be an honor to be included in your group.” I couldn’t help but smile.
“That’s great, but like I said, keep things quiet. I have to deal with Lambert first. I’ll let you know what’s next. Probably a few meetings, an interview and then our lawyer will have to work out the details.” Then he changed the subject and I followed suit. I wanted to ask him a hundred questions but he made it clear what the protocol was.
“Are you going to that fundraiser this weekend, the one for the new hospital?”
“Yes,” I lied but then I thought better of it. “That is if I decide to crash it.”
Dr. Pennington laughed. “If you did not receive an invitation Bullet, I am sure that it was just an oversight. You are a rock star in the medical community. You show up and as my guest — it will be a great way for you to rub shoulders with the partners. I think it starts at eight if I’m not mistaken. I’ll see you then.”
I tapped on my phone and pulled up the number for Executive Massage. “Yes, hi Stacy. This is Mr. B. I would like an appointment in say, about 30 minutes?...I don’t really care—you pick for me…Thanks…Yes, please use the credit card on file. See you soon.” I drove my car onto the highway and drove like a demon towards the massage parlor. I needed some relief and quickly. However my anger instantly dissipated and instead of feeling excited about my upcoming encounter I felt nothing but regret.
Technically, I wasn’t doing anything wrong but it felt wrong. I knew I did not want this. What the hell is wrong with me? I wanted Lilly, with her heart-shaped face, pretty pink nipples and slow, seductive smile. I sat in the Executive Massage driveway deciding whether I would stay or go. Swearing under my breath, I put my car in reverse and left. The ladies would charge me regardless of whether I came in or not but at this point, I did not care.
I drove to my hotel room and sat on the uncomfortable couch in my suite. I stared at my phone again. No. Still nothing. I decided to do something unusual — I called my brother. He had always been the voice of reason in my life. Although we were just reconnecting, I knew I could talk about this with him.