by Barbara Ebel
Standing at her front window, Annabel waited to see what dynamics would take place in her favorite tree. Her “buddy” squirrel bolted upright in her nest as she realized a fellow squirrel was darting up the tree. The intruder almost reached the periphery of the nest when her tree rodent decided to face off with him and jumped out of her bedding. The chase was on down the tree. It was fun to witness such entertainment right in front of her, she thought as she watched the silky animal protect her territory. They were hard-working and interesting critters to watch and, unlike most mammals, they could descend a tree head-first.
The builder of the nest succeeded in running off squirrel number two and picked up an extra twig on her way back up. She stuffed it into her bedding and then curled inside. Annabel turned back to her desk and settled on a plan. One more overview of her lecture tonight, and one more sometime tomorrow, and that should take care of it. By Monday, she should be as familiar with it as much as possible. Then, it would be a question of dampening her nerves and getting over the fear of speaking to a large group. In the meantime, she would need to keep that worry out of her mind. No sense in agonizing over it until the presentation time was close at hand.
She read the first half of the lecture and referred to the hidden Power Point notes below each slide, making sure she had the information memorized. For a break, she texted Bob.
“Hey there. Would 8 a.m. be okay for me to pick up Oliver?”
“Sure thing,” he responded. “I can bring him to you if you’d like.”
“It’s up to you. If you bring him here, I’ll spring for coffee or breakfast at Pete’s.”
“I’ll be there, at your place first, to drop off his gear.”
“Super.”
Next, she texted Dustin.
“Hey, Dustin. How about I come over tomorrow late in the morning? However, I plan on going home before dinner. I’m giving a presentation on Monday morning, which is normally given by a resident or an attending.”
“Congratulations beforehand. See you then, but I was hoping I could take you to a late dinner. So, instead, why don’t we go for an early dinner?”
“Hmm…”
“I’ll bribe you. How about the restaurant that bakes that carrot cake you liked?”
“You’re on. Don’t forget, I’m bringing my new dog Oliver.”
“Any dog of yours is a dog of mine. Can’t wait to meet him.”
She read the other half of her lecture, shut down her computer, and curled up in bed. The next two days would be polar opposites … fun and terror.
-----
Annabel pulled on cream-colored cargo pants and a summery short-sleeved blouse. Since she was skipping a run, she chose casual sneakers that looked like new. She left small amber earrings in her earlobes, but took extra care with fresh makeup. Lastly, she squeezed a hair shine product on her fingers and massaged it along the front of her hair. It felt great to doll up after being less meticulous about her appearance all week.
As another preparation for Monday, she loaded her lecture on a flash drive and placed it on the kitchen counter. A knock sounded on the door and, wearing an anticipatory smile, she flung the door open for Bob and Oliver.
Like the color of the resin in her earrings, Oliver’s big eyes spoke to her with a cheeriness that could not be resisted. His tail swooshed along Bob’s leg and his toenails clicked up and down on the landing.
“Oliver, hey, buddy!” She crouched down and wrapped her arms around his neck. “So much for not letting your hair cling to my clothes.”
As she let go, Oliver managed to swipe his tongue on her forearm. She peered up at Bob. “He’s more than we hoped for, isn’t he?”
“I agree. He’s something else. And you …” He stared longer than he should at her.
“Oh, sorry. I took an extra minute on myself this morning.”
“And I’m scrubby for a Sunday breakfast.”
“No you’re not. No one looks as good as you wearing that tapered haircut.”
“You’re just being nice.” He handed her the leash. “You take him inside while I go back to my car and fetch his things.”
Annabel unsnapped him from the leash and Oliver bounded inside. When Bob reappeared, his arms were full. Annabel rummaged through a duffel bag, filled a bowl with water, and placed it below the kitchen window. Bob unpacked the rest of the items and stuffed the food bag in the corner.
“I’ll buy dog food this week,” she said, “then we’ll both have our own bags.”
“Soon we’ll be in a pattern and Oliver’s two homes will be second nature.”
“And I’ll keep him all week, Bob. The situation is perfect. He’ll be with me during the day. I can still sleep off my night calls and walk him in the morning, afternoon, and before I leave late in the day. You can finish your week of internal medicine without any distractions.”
Oliver lapped up some water and Annabel nodded to the door. “Come on, let’s head up the block.”
“If it’s okay with you, the weather is mild enough to sit outside and we can bring Oliver.”
“We both like that plan.”
Bob reached into the bag he brought with him. “This is a must have for an Oliver dog mess.” He stuffed a small plastic bag into his hip pocket.
Outside, Annabel slowed. “Oliver’s peeing on the tree trunk of my pet squirrel, who happens to be my source of entertainment.” She pointed upward. “She’s made a thick brambly nest and she has a fast reaction to unwanted visitors.”
“I rarely enjoy a wildlife view from my place, unless I consider kids.”
“Oliver is your obvious entertainment now, as he will be for me.” He trotted right alongside her and sniffed at cracks between the sidewalk blocks of cement.
At Pete’s, Annabel fastened Oliver’s leash handle around the wrought-iron fence and they chose a table.
“What’ll you two have this morning?” The waitress spied Oliver and put her hand through two vertical fence spires and petted him.
“Scrambled eggs, orange juice, and two pancakes,” Annabel said.
“Make that two.” Bob smiled at Annabel. The young woman had put down her notepad and was awestruck with Oliver.
A customer left Pete’s and took a double take. “Annabel, is this dog yours?”
Her downstairs neighbor grinned and joined the waitress in petting their dog. Oliver took one step back and sat. His tail brushed slowly on the sidewalk. He loved every minute of the attention.
“Meet my friend Bob,” Annabel said. “And Bob, this is Travis.”
Travis gripped Bob’s hand and then put it back on Oliver.
“Excuse me,” the waitress said. “I’ll be back with those orders.”
“I’m surprised she heard them,” Bob said when she left.
“How’s your college semester coming along?” Annabel asked her neighbor.
“Not bad. So will I be seeing this furry fellow once in a while?”
“Yup, and his name is Oliver.”
The lanky-limbed student shook the dog’s paw. “If ever you need a pet sitter … .”
“Thanks, Travis, I’ll remember that.”
“Nice meeting you,” he said to Bob and glanced back at Oliver after crossing the street.
When the waitress came back and served them, she peeled herself away without petting Oliver. “I must stay away,” she mumbled over her shoulder. “No changing my mind that I can’t own a dog.”
“Who knows?” Annabel said. “With Oliver getting around and causing a stir, there may be an uptick in dog adoptions.”
“Wouldn’t that be a blessing?”
Annabel nodded and salted the scrambled eggs. “This looks delicious.” She took a side glance at Oliver, who clearly wanted a taste test, and peered back at Bob. “Mornings don’t get much better than this.”
“I agree.”
“You feeling up to going back tomorrow?”
“As ready as I can be, I think. However, I sure hope my chief resident does lets
me peel away to attend your lecture.”
“All you can do is ask. It will be in the OB lecture room at 8 a.m.”
“You nervous?”
“Not as much as I’m going to be in the morning. At this late stage, I’m thinking the last best preparation for tomorrow will be to get a full night’s sleep. That probably goes for you too.”
“So true. And this breakfast, I can’t figure which tastes better … the eggs or the pancakes.”
“And I’m treating.”
“No you’re not. We’re Dutch treat, remember.”
“That arrangement is not set in marble. I’m paying this morning because my heart’s in it. Consider it a gift from Oliver.”
Bob turned his head to Oliver. “Do you see how clever she is using you as an excuse? You’re going to have to put up with her the next few days.”
-----
“We’re going to get along today like a butterfly and a wildflower,” Annabel said as she let Oliver hop into her SUV. She intermittently glanced in the rearview mirror as she drove to Dustin’s. It was one of life’s pleasures to watch the glee on a dog’s face as it pointed its muzzle towards an open window.
“Oliver and I are almost at your place,” Annabel said after reaching Dustin with a hands-free call.
“I’ll be outside waiting for you.”
She pulled into the driveway, where Dustin popped up from the front step and waved. It was partly cloudy and slightly humid and the curls on Dustin’s head were extra tight. She opened the door and quickly fastened Oliver. “Come on, there’s another human I want you to meet.”
Dustin approached them with a full smile. “Oliver, I’ve heard all about you. You are one handsome boy!” He let the dog sniff his hand and then ruffled the back of his neck.
He motioned if he could hold Oliver’s leash and Annabel handed it over. “I always wanted my own police dog on the job, but many stations can’t afford them. They aren’t cheap.” They began walking absent-mindedly along the street curb as Oliver researched the grass.
“Are we going to finish Gone with the Wind?” Annabel asked. A sly grin crept over her lips.
“Sure. Nothing like the classics. Plus, weren’t you going to get a heads up on Miss Scarlett and her housemaid’s delivery of Melanie’s baby?”
“Actually, I think I have the characters beat.”
“Seriously? Are you telling me that during the last week, you helped out with a delivery?”
Annabel tilted her head and smiled. “I did the delivery. It was awesome. I happened to be at the right place at the right time. Now, if I’d had a bad outcome, I would have never wanted to stumble into it. No one was around when this patient’s infant was at the doorstep, so to speak, but it all worked out.”
“That’s crazy. Congratulations. I guess we’re so busy that we sometimes don’t communicate the most dramatic aspects of our week with phone calls or texting.”
“Which is understandable.” She faced him. “Don’t forget I can’t stay over tonight because of the lecture I’m giving in the morning.”
“I assumed that. But you’re still letting me take you out later, right?”
“I’m wearing Sunday-like clothes for our date.”
“Which look great on you, by the way.”
She glanced at the front door. “How’s Solar going to react to Oliver?”
“Let’s go find out.”
Dustin swung the door open and they trotted in straight to the kitchen. Oliver wiggled back and forth with his nose to the hardwood floor.
From above, Solar spotted the dog and let out a screech. He bobbed his head like he was going to hammer on Oliver’s head with his beak. The parrot screeched again and the dog jumped back and eyed the strange bird, which was inside the house instead of outside where birds belonged.
Oliver rumbled out a low “woof.”
Annabel squatted and put his face in her hands. “It’s okay, Oliver. It’s only a bird.”
“Hush, Solar,” Dustin said. “Oliver is a dog like you see on television. He’s your friend.”
Solar stopped bobbing but pranced across his perch. “Friend.”
“Oliver. You can call him ‘Oliver.’”
“Oliver,” Solar mimicked but screeched again.
“That was for good measure, wasn’t it, buddy? You’re making sure Oliver knows who’s boss. You’re the top bird. Don’t worry.”
Annabel laughed and petted Oliver, who finally peeled his eyes away from the parrot and nestled against her.
Dustin kept from laughing. “Can I fix you a sandwich or anything?”
“No thanks. I just had a big breakfast and I’ll hold off until we go to this restaurant you’re keen on.”
“That’s a deal.” He put his arms around her shoulders and they both kissed. “We’ve had an exciting week. Want to relax on the couch and resume the movie?”
“Exciting? I wouldn’t characterize your concussion as exciting.”
“All right then, Dr. Tilson.”
“But the relaxing part sounds wonderful.”
Dustin dumped a bag of kettle corn popcorn into a bowl and poured two iced teas. Annabel folded her legs beside her and leaned into him on the couch. He pressed the “resume” button on the infamous movie. Scarlett O’Hara and Prissy were still in a state of flux over Melanie’s imminent baby.
“Last time,” Dustin said, “you were worried because you didn’t ‘know nothin' 'bout birthin' babies.’ What a difference a week can make.”
Annabel erupted with a smile. “You know, I’m still experiencing an afterglow. It was way cool.”
“Are you considering obstetrics as a specialty?”
“I still don’t know. So far, I liked each rotation. Well, now I like OB, but I didn’t like it at the beginning of the week!”
She glanced back at the kitchen because Oliver had not joined them. The dog still seemed curious about Solar, who was also interested in the dog. She tapped Dustin to peek at them. Solar flexed his neck at Oliver. “What’s your problem?” he said.
As Atlanta still burned and a baby was coming, they both chuckled at the entertainment behind them.
CHAPTER 30
“Table for two,” Dustin said.
The maître d’ scooped up two menus and led him and Annabel to a table adjacent to a partition. “There’s a noisy school reunion on the other side.”
Dustin eyed the linen tablecloth and napkins and the fact that there were few people on their side next to the bar. A couple and one woman sat on barstools and were drinking, eating, or watching the muted television screen. On second glance, a tiny vase adorned the table with a single rose.
“This may be perfect,” Dustin said with a questioning look at Annabel.
She nodded, didn’t wait, and slipped into the chair beside her. Dustin sat across from her facing the front of the restaurant, which was the way he always wanted it. He gathered she remembered that about him and it was now second nature for her to oblige him.
“Your server will be here in a moment,” the head waiter said as he handed them the menus. He unfolded Annabel’s napkin, extended it to her for her lap, and then turned.
Annabel studied her menu, but Dustin gave his cursory glances. He was nervous. His heart pitter-pattered like a school boy with a first-love crush. This was the first time ever in his life that he was taking the plunge at a huge commitment with a female. One for life. If she would have him, of course.
After being overly analytical at first, trying to make the decision after Sean had initiated the “marriage” conversation, and after buying the engagement ring, he finally let go of his pondering and scrutinizing of details, and was ready to ask her the big question. After all, the worst that could happen was that she said no. But that would be hard to swallow too. He slid his hand into the pocket of his trousers, as if reassuring himself that the time was ripe to pop the question, he let his fingers settle and let go of the smooth box with the diamond ring.
Annabel crossed h
er legs under the table and bumped into him, causing him to startle.
“You’re jumpy,” she said. “I hope you’re not reliving memories of your recent encounter at the diner or your terrible car accident.”
“No. Sorry about that.”
She grinned. “I am tickled to death that we’re sitting here and left a dog and a parrot together in the same house after they just met. Your house may be full of surprises when we go back and I pick up Oliver.”
“Ha. Oliver is still a child in human terms and Solar is a wise ass. You’re right. I’d better not think about them and spoil this romantic afternoon.”
“It is romantic. Thank you for bringing me to this place.”
“I’m your waiter this afternoon. My name is Chris.” A man with a black short-sleeved shirt and dark trousers poured ice water into their glasses. He wore a red mustache and one earring. “Are there any questions about the menu?”
“How is the salmon and cheese grits?” Annabel asked.
“Excellent. With grilled asparagus, you won’t be disappointed.”
She handed him her menu and nodded.
“I’ll have a medium cooked ribeye with the same sides,” Dustin said.
“And may I bring you anything else to drink?”
“I’m good,” Annabel said.
“I’ll have one of those Tennessee Calfkiller beers,” Dustin said.
The waiter tipped his head and left.
“Glad to see you’re patronizing a craft beer from my state,” she said.
“Sure thing. I have yet to spend much time there. Maybe you can take me down there and show me the sights.”
“That would be fun. We can start with a honky-tonk weekend in Nashville.”
Dustin’s heart rate and rhythm settled down into a much easier pace. They were talking about plans together and this gave him comfort that she saw at least a near future with him. His proposal, he had decided, should come after dinner, around the time to order or eat the scrumptious dessert she liked.
Annabel was talking about the nightly constant party atmosphere on downtown Broadway in Nashville. He got a kick more with how stunning she looked and the enthusiasm she emanated for her home town. Perhaps it wouldn’t be too long before he met her family. The little she mentioned about them … they sounded like a thoroughly interesting cast of characters.