It's a Wonderful Date

by Sophia Summers

  “Perhaps.” She smiled and moved forward, placing pieces. Soon she’d be crawling under the piano.

  “You saying you’re hoping for a little fun from the stodgy doctor?”

  “I said nothing like that…” She lifted her lashes. “But, I like fun.”

  “Well now, so do I. And gallantry, do you like gallantry?”

  She tipped her head. “You mean. Like a man doing something brave and noble for his woman?”

  “Yeah, like that.”

  “Sure. I like gallantry, but…”

  “Say no more. I shall strive from now on to be fun and gallant.”

  She shook her head. “And work. We’re almost finished.”

  ‘The lady who complains of too much work is now pushing us back to it.”

  “Perhaps work is our lot after all.”

  “I imagine we can squeeze in the fun. Look at how fun this bit of work is turning out to be.”

  She skootched ahead of him, placing pieces. He dug some more out of the box and handed them to her as she went along until at last, they had rounded the tree, and the track was complete.

  “And now the fun part.” She winked.

  “Ah, see.”

  “Yes. Get the train. Let’s set it up and see this thing go.”

  He placed every piece on the track, linked the train cars together and unloaded the remote control. “Here we go.” He handed it to her.

  She hesitated. “Usually Miss Lily likes to do this part. But…” She shook her head. “I think we’ll test it ourselves today and then she can do so again when she’s up for it.”

  He could tell the thought saddened her, but he agreed. “She looked like she’d had enough excitement for one day.”

  “In that case, you start it, David.”

  He took it from her, unable to resist. “I really love trains.”

  She laughed. “You do? Then this is perfect.”

  He nodded, feeling like he was young again, working with his dad on their model trains. He held up the remote and pushed the power button. The train responded with a cheery whistle.

  His grin grew and then he eased the train forward, the speed low, as it went for one complete loop around the room.

  To his great amusement, Sarah followed it, climbing furniture, hopping around the table, watching the journey until the train returned to his front.

  “Now let’s see how fast this thing can go.” He pushed the accelerator and watched it race around the room. The light lit behind the couch as it circled back through the furniture. It whistled and made train sounds as it went under the piano and looked charming as it circled underneath the tree.

  He could have stayed for another hour or more, but Sarah drifted away and started gathering up the boxes. He waited until the train was under the tree again and then he stopped it and turned off the power. “All finished?”

  “For today.” She smiled. “Thank you for your help, for everything.”

  “I was happy to do it. Let me know if you need another set of hands again. I will be planning return visits to Miss Lily and I would be happy to give myself some extra time if you need it.”

  “That would be super helpful. I will if you don’t mind. Feel free to tell me no when it doesn’t work.”

  “And right now, we’re returning boxes to the attic?”

  “Exactly.” She carried as much as she could and he did the same. “Wow, we can almost get everything with just the two of us.”

  They worked to clean up the space so that it looked just as clean as before and then quietly slipped out the front door.

  “What a day.”

  “It all looks incredible.”

  “Thank you. But I meant all of it, the décor, Miss Lily, you…”

  “Me?”

  “Well, yeah. You came in, brightened a dear lady’s day, paying a house call. Who does that? And then you stayed and put up the star and helped me finish. I would still be there hours yet if you hadn’t come.”

  “It was my pleasure. And then you handed me the best sandwich I’ve ever had.”

  “We’ll have to thank cook next time.”

  “Absolutely.” He eyed her. “But now I’m hungry again. You wanna grab something to eat?”

  “Like you and me on a date?”

  “Not quite a date, though I’m itching to take you on a real date. This will have to count as something close but not quite as awesome.”

  She shook her head. “I’d love to get something to eat on our non-date.”

  “Excellent. Let’s drop your car at home and then head out.”

  ‘That sounds so nice.”

  “What?”

  “Drop my car at home.”

  “It does have a nice ring. Our homes are so close together, it’s all one big home.”

  “Sure thing. Okay, race you home.”

  She took off running even with a huge bag handing over her arm. All he could do was jump into his car and hurry as quickly. She was something special. He was sure he hadn’t yet discovered all the ways.

  8

  Sarah rushed home. Could this really be happening? Was there a man as awesome as David in the world, a man who showed some interest in her?

  She slowed her car when she got into the neighborhood and she was impressed to see that David did too. When she pulled up into her driveway, she noticed David arrived at the same time.

  “I call a tie!” She shouted as she ran for her front door. “Just a second. I’ll be right out.” She flew into the house, flung a few outfits around and then pulled on some tight black pants and a wraparound shirt, grabbed her favorite lightweight coat, brushed her teeth, freshened her make-up, grabbed her pursed and then headed out the door. She wanted to get to his front door before he came back out because she wanted a peek inside his house. How did a man like him decorate?

  She locked her door, keys fumbling in her hands, and then she rushed across the street, ignoring Mrs. Miller who was standing on her driveway, watching the whole thing from down the street. Breathless, Sarah climbed the stairs in two large leaps and then knocked on the door.

  Ready to yell, “Hah” When he answered, she laughed to herself.

  But when he opened, he had a phone to his ear and he mouthed, “I’m sorry.” Then he waved her in.

  She looked around, full of curiosity. His home was large, the outside full of stone, brick, wood shutters, no siding in sight. His front entryway was vaulted, with thick wood beams along the walls, on the banister, along the ceiling. The floor was a thick, hand scraped dark wood. The furniture in the front room was large, oversized, masculine. The place was one big man cave, and she loved it.

  He waved her in, and she followed him toward the back of his house, through a large living area with an enormous television on one wall. The room connected to his kitchen which was incredibly outdated, but had the best layout she’d ever seen. He waved for her to take a seat, mouthed another apology and then went into what sounded like a description of correct dosages for young children to take.

  Wow, what must it be like to be the only practicing doctor in an office? Why didn’t they have another? He said something about his brother doing plastic surgery, but what about a physician’s assistant? Or another doctor even? She tried not to listen as he patiently explained again what he already had. Sarah understood more about the dosage situation than the person on the other end of the line at this point.

  He was finally able to hang up and he came over to her. “Hey, sorry about that. I’ll just be a minute while I change. Cause wow, you went from working girl to hot date in like five minutes.” His grin told her he appreciated the result too.

  “Thank you. It’s fine. Do what you need to.”

  He had a stack of books on the side table. She respected that. A man who decorated with books earned points where she was concerned. But did he read them? She lifted the top book. No dust. She opened it up to what looked like a well-read copy of Atlas Shrugged. He was an obvious corner turner to save his page kind of
guy. She could forgive him; at least he read books.

  He came out with a sports coat, tan pants and a nice crisp shirt. Her eyes travelled over the breadth and length of him. His hair stood up just the right amount. His teeth sparkled white against his beautiful skin. His jaw looked newly shaved. Mmm. Now she wanted to run her fingers along that skin.

  His grin could have melted her on the spot. “I’m ready. Let’s go get some food.” Then his phone rang and he lifted it to see the face. “Sorry, let me just see who…Oh, I’ve gotta take this.” He held the phone to his ear and stepped further into the kitchen. “Hello….Yes, Hi Mrs. Henderson. No, that prescription is for your oldest. Please don’t give it to anyone else. Yes…okay, he’ll need to come into the office so I can see him before I call in any more prescriptions. Yes. No. Ask him if it itches.” He winced and looked at Sarah who pretended like she wasn’t listening. “You can get an over the counter for that. Yes.” He mumbled something. Then he repeated it. “Yes. That’s the one.” He went on. This Mrs. Henderson must have either a million ailments or that many children. The hour grew later. Sarah stood and began to walk through an inspection of the room. His ottoman looked to be a storage bin, so she tried to lift it and sure enough, it held cozy looking blankets. The more she knew about this man, the more she liked him. She wondered what would come up on his television. Did she dare turn it on? She looked over her shoulder. He was making his way into the other room, “Mrs. Henderson…”

  She picked up the remote and turned it on. Apple TV menu showed all his apps. You could learn a lot about a person by looking at his apps. And…he didn’t have any. Not even Netflix. She laughed to herself. Well, if tonight was any indication, he didn’t have any time for Netflix. But, he did read, she reminded herself. She scrolled down. Oh, there was ESPN, some outdoors looking channels and… Hallmark! Score! She clicked on it and a movie came up, playing right now. She couldn’t remember the name, something about a girl who went to a foreign county and fell in love with a prince. She loved these kinds of shows. She reached into his ottoman, grabbed the softest blanket in there, turned up the sound and snuggled back to watch a movie.

  She must have dozed off because the next thing she knew, a yummy smell filled the room and David called her name. “Sarah.”

  “Mmm?” Her eyes fluttered open. “Oh dear. I fell asleep?”

  “You did, and I don’t blame you at all.”

  “What time is it?”

  “Well, before I answer that question, you should know I had dinner delivered…” His eyes widened and he grinned at her.

  She sat up. The TV was dark. The lights were low and David had a tray in his hands. “Here. Scoot a bit and I’ll come sit by you.”

  She reached for the tray. “What did you get?”

  “Tacos? I ordered a variety. And soup…and some rice, and a pizza is coming just in case none of that sounds good.”

  “What on earth. David. I don’t need all this. Tacos is fine.”

  “Oh good. They’re my favorite.”

  She reached for the cup. “Diet coke?”

  “Yep.”

  “Impressive.”

  “It was a safe guess.”

  “I imagine that’s true.” She took a deep drink, blinked a few times, trying to clear her fog. “So…how long was I out?”

  “A couple hours.”

  “What?”

  “Well, it’s my fault. After the Hendersons, two more families called and then right when I thought I was finished, I got a call from Tricia.”

  “Oh no.” Sarah’s heart clenched. “What’s wrong?”

  “I’m not usually able to share any information about my patients but I told Tricia I was with you and she said I could tell you that Miss Lily took a turn for the worse. Her pain seems to be spreading.”

  Sarah’s eyes welled up. “We have to save her.”

  “We’re doing everything we can.” He didn’t mean for his voice to sound so defensive, but the stress of all the phone calls, of letting her down, of Miss Lily’s bad news came out in a tumble.

  “No one said you weren’t.” She set the tray aside. “Look, if I’ve already been here for two hours, I’ve got to get back. There’s things I need to do too.”

  “I know. I’m so sorry. I…well, I guess you see why I don’t date very often.”

  “Does this happen every night?

  “More or less. I have a couple hours every day dedicated to answering late night calls. Otherwise they all go to voicemail. It’s easier to just take them sometimes.”

  She nodded. The worry about Miss Lily, the awkward evening, the grogginess was all too much. “Thank you for all this. I think I’m gonna hit the sack…again, at my place.” She shook her head.

  “I’m sorry. But I get it. I’ll walk you home.” He snatched up a bag of the delivery and walked with her toward the door.

  “Nah, don’t worry about it, I’m across the street.”

  She accepted her meal while he held it open. “Give me another chance?”

  “Sure. Life’s not about chances or anything. I just…I need to just think for awhile. This news about Lily is tough to hear. We both need a minute.”

  “Sorry I snapped at you. I’m stressed. Some of this is out of my hands.”

  Sarah turned from him. “I understand. Good night.” Her feet propelled her across the street.

  When she finally reached her porch and opened her door, she heard his door shut. What a mess their night had been. Why invite her to catch some food if he had to answer calls all night, and he did say he could just send them all to voicemail…so why not do that? She knew she had no idea who these people were or what kinds of emergencies they were having but it doesn’t sound too desperate to her. No one was rushing to the hospital.

  She made her way upstairs around some boxes that had been delivered. Time to work on the plans for other clients. One of them insisted on a live tree every year.

  Her light was on way into the quiet of night while she worked. But when she was finished she felt great about her purchases, her plans and even her ideas for David’s office. She would have to stop by there this week to double check two color samples in their exact lighting, but then they should be ready to get to work.

  When she turned out her light she moved to her window to gaze across the street at David’s house. A light was still on in an upstairs window. Was he still working like she was? Were they both too busy to socialize? She had been too busy up to this point. She’d gone on dates, more or less, had boyfriends, sort of. But really, she’d been married to her business. And it had paid off. She smiled. Her first order for her own furniture was in. It should be delivered this weekend. At last, she was providing for herself, and it felt great.

  The next day she awoke early and headed back over to Lily’s house. She let herself in and got to work. She was too far from anyone’s room to wake the house and so for the most part worked in quiet for three hours before she heard a peep from anyone.

  The cook started work in the kitchen around ten.

  Sarah had finished the garland on the stairs and most of the study and then she went in search of Lily. If the dear woman was awake and well enough, she wanted to talk to her about her theme room. She’d found some ideas of what she could do and wanted Lily’s thoughts.

  She stepped quietly through the house to find her. At last she heard her quiet voice coming from her favorite sitting room. “Thank you doctor McArthur. It means so much that you would call. That medicine you suggested worked a lot better. Yes I slept well.” Then she sighed. “I just don’t think he’ll be as good a doctor as you. I know I need to trust him.”

  When she said goodbye, Sarah waited in the hallway a moment more. David was such a good man. He did this kind of personal service for all of his patients. Sarah had heard first hand. And would she want him to be any less wonderful to the Henderson family for example, than he was for Miss Lily? She supposed not. But what a sacrifice. Surely there was a way for the man to have a life of
his own. She didn’t know.

  Sarah stepped into the room. “Miss Lily? Are you up to seeing me for a moment?”

  “Oh darling. I’m always happy to see you. I just got off the phone with that doctor of yours. He’s something special, I’m tell you. What a good, good man.”

  She felt her face heat. Oh please, stop. Did she correct the dear woman. He was not her doctor. But she kind of liked the sound of it, and really, what did it matter if she thought so? “He really is great.”

  Lily patted the seat beside her. “Now, what have we got to plan out today?”

  They talked about the creche displays, all the nativities, and Sarah showed her some options she’d seen to purchase.

  After they talked through several options, Sarah felt like she had a good understanding of what Lily wanted in her theme room.

  Lily nodded. “I’m going to invite the whole family to come.”

  “Come where?”

  “Here. For Christmas I would like everyone to be together.”

  One last time.

  That’s what Lily didn’t say, but Sarah heard it echo through the room as though it were a great lonely vault. This dear woman wanted to gather the family to say goodbye.

  Sarah wrapped an arm across her shoulders and gave her a squeeze. “We’ll make your home as beautiful as it has ever been.”

  “I know you will darling. Every year this place is something special thanks to you. It will be my gift to my family, such beauty all around them at Christmas time.”

  “I will do my absolute best.”

  She hoped her best was good enough. As she worked the rest of that day, she eyed everything with a new lens. Nothing she had ever worked on had felt so important.

  9

  David sat in the nurse’s office at the school. “If we are already to the last name M, does that mean we are halfway through?”

  Nurse Smith laughed. “Not in this case. Our school has a whole bunch of S’s.”

  He laughed along with her, but he was starting to feel tired. “I think we’ll stop at two today.”