“So, an hour?” he asked, pointing to his watch, his eyebrows up in a question mark, obviously even more nervous than she was.
“An hour,” she answered, wanting to hug him to reassure him. That thought made her laugh again. “If I can find my way back to Babylon after this.”
“I’m sorry. It was a little awkward, but I needed to put it out there before the deed was done.”
“The exam?” she asked. “Ha! No worries. That wasn’t going to happen.”
They both laughed and held out hands to shake, but admitted later that they mutually lingered a little longer than was absolutely necessary for a good handshake.
He walked her back to the reception desk. “Make Ms. Chua’s appointment with Dr. Lago.”
“Alright,” the receptionist said.
“I’ll see you at the coffee shop in town,” he said.
She nodded, not trusting herself to speak. The appointment was made, in the Babylon office.
“Why did I forget she saw patients there, too? I must be losing it.”
“It’s the weather,” the receptionist said. “We’re supposed to get a foot of snow this weekend.”
“No way,” Lisa said, buttoning her coat up.
Actually, she couldn’t wait. Being snowed in sounded fabulous. She’d shop on the way home after coffee to ensure they’d have enough of everything, just in case. Maybe the boys would get to stay home with her instead of going to Dan’s house.
Traffic in town was crazy on the best of days, and with the forecast of snow, really nuts. She parked down the block from the shop and took her time window-shopping. Then, right before she reached the coffee shop, she heard her name called.
“Lisa, I guess you’re in town now.”
It was Dan.
“I guess I am. Why am I running into you here?”
“I work here, remember?”
“Right, sorry,” she replied, giggling. “I want you to move here, too.”
“Yeah, well, that ain’t happening.”
“Dan, it would be better for the boys to have you close,” she said, searching his face.
“I was close and you moved away.”
He stared back at her, and the sexual chemistry was still there, still strong. Too bad he was unable to love her as a wife. But as the mother of his son, he loved her.
“So let me help you move close again. It will be better for Julie, too. You won’t have the drive.”
“What about the farm?”
“What about the farm,” she said. “How many days a week do you go there now?”
“Just when I take the boys on Saturday night,” he said. “Cara has been bringing them home.”
“Okay, well, I rest my case. Just think about it. We’re supposed to get a foot of snow starting tonight, so there’s a chance you won’t see the boys now until the roads are cleared.”
“Lisa, that’s my point. You moved them away from me,” he said, sad.
“Dan, I’m sorry. I couldn’t take it out there anymore. It was too far from everything. I wanted my family around me. I was lonely all the time.”
“I thought I was your family,” he said. “I’m still upset about this.”
“Well, get over it. I’m giving you money for a house. If you won’t take it, Julie will. She hates Hauppauge more than I hated Smithtown.”
“She does not!”
“She does. Ask her. Plus her sister is here now, isn’t she? Angela and her girlfriend moved into those apartments you and Sandra used to live in.”
“Great,” he said, mortified. “Bring that up now!”
“Ha! Chill. Anyway, you’ll think about it, right?”
“Come have coffee with me. Julie won’t care.”
“Sorry, no can do. I have a date.”
Taken aback, Dan didn’t say anything for a moment.
“With whom?” he finally asked, dreading the answer.
“With my gynecologist, actually,” she said, flaunting it. “As a matter of fact, he’s your client.”
“No way,” he said. “I mean, a lot of my clients are docs. But coffee with your gynecologist? That’s a little creepy.”
“We canceled my appointment before the actual exam, if you must know,” she said, grinning.
“Who is it?”
“Steve Lafferty,” she said. “And here he comes now.”
“He’s a tall one,” Dan said, frowning. “You couldn’t find a short, chubby guy?”
“Hey, Steve, you know Dan,” Lisa said, ignoring Dan’s comment.
They exchanged pleasantries, the weirdness factor low. Then Lisa cinched it.
“Join us,” she said.
“No, I wouldn’t think of it. You two enjoy. I’ll see you later, Lisa, when I pick up the boys.”
“Remember the snow,” Lisa said.
“The sun is shining,” Dan said, laughing, and he turned and walked away.
After they said goodbye, Steve offered his arm, and although later he felt corny, she didn’t hesitate to take it, holding on to him with both hands, and they walked to the shop.
“I hope you didn’t mind me asking him. I knew he wouldn’t accept, and it was a goodwill gesture.”
“What’s your relationship like, if I may ask?”
“Really good. I love his wife, and he’s a good father. We’re family. We don’t hang around, if that’s what you mean. My mother has parties for all the major holidays, and Dan and Julie are always invited. I shop with his wife, and she and I do things together with the children.”
“Thank you for clearing that up,” he said, smiling.
“Sorry, you probably weren’t expecting a lecture.”
“No, it’s fine. I’m trying to understand the gray areas,” he said.
“Do you have an ex?” she asked.
“Nope. Never been married,” he said. “I was too busy trying to get through college and medical school and the residency.”
“That intrigues me,” she said. “Did you date?”
“I dated, but nothing ever came of it. I guess we should get my personality disorder out of the way early, too.”
“I have plenty of skeletons in my closet, Steve.”
“If you can deal with me being a pathological introvert with OCD, I guess I can handle whatever it is you’re dealing with.”
“You seem okay to me,” Lisa said. “Plus, I sort of specialize in hard-to-manage men.”
They found that particularly funny, laughing together for a full minute.
“Chua seems normal.”
“He’s a normal guy, alright,” she said, remembering that Dan had two-timed her mother to go out with Lisa. “He was self-absorbed, but isn’t that common with single people nowadays? According to his wife, he’s much better now.”
“Look, I am serious. I really struggle with OCD.”
“I can handle it,” she said. “My first husband, who’s dead, by the way, had extreme OCD. Textbook.”
“I’m sorry,” Steve said. “How sad.”
“It was very sad. He died of a brain tumor.”
“Oh, even worse.”
“What a downer,” she said. “Sorry.”
“No need. We’re getting to know each other,” he said. “I guess by the time someone is our age, they’ve lived a life.”
“How old do you think I am?” Lisa asked.
“I was surprised how young you are when we met,” he said. “I’m over thirty.”
“You have a few years on me,” she said, smiling. “So you have a personality disorder that kept you from having relationships?”
“I guess the honest answer is yes,” he said.
“Why did you ask me for coffee?”
“You look like what I imagine my girlfriend would look like,” he said. “How’s that for a goon-like answer?”
“I see,” she said. “You don’t care that I’m pregnant, obviously.”
He didn’t say anything for a moment, and Lisa’s heart sank.
“It didn’t regi
ster,” he said, mortified.
“That’s why I was in your office,” she said gently. “You asked me if it was my third baby.”
He looked at her, speechless. “I don’t know what to say,” he finally choked out.
“You can say, ‘Forget coffee. I forgot an important date.’”
“No. I mean, I don’t want to forget coffee. What I mean is that I feel for you. Whatever the reason is that you’re here with me instead of the father of your baby might be sad.”
“For simplicity’s sake, suffice it to say that I never thought I would go on a date again. But when you asked me for coffee, I guess I forgot all about it. Now it’s up to you if you’d like to say goodbye. I totally understand.”
“This is just coffee,” he said firmly. “We’re getting to know each other. If there’s anything to this, we’ll soon know, and I’ll have to make a decision at that time. In the meantime, I guess I’d like to date a pregnant woman.”
“It’s convenient,” she said, giggling. “You being an obstetrician and all.”
“There are other questions I should probably ask,” he said.
“Go for it.”
“Is the father in the picture?”
Lisa looked off into space for a moment. “Let’s see. How can I answer that truthfully, but without giving you cause to run screaming?”
“Just give it to me straight.”
“Well, the father is a close family friend. Can we leave it at that for now? If anything comes of this, you’ll understand why I’m careful about giving out the information. He won’t be a problem. And although he will have a place in the child’s life, he’ll never be competition. Is that the right answer?”
“Perfect. You do have my curiosity going, though.”
“I bet. Trust me, it’s not that interesting.”
“Okay, well, I’m ready for coffee and a donut. You’ll see I’m a binge eater. I have to compulsively exercise to keep from being a fat slob.”
“What kind of exercise do you do?” she asked, thinking of Pam and her daily gym visits.
“I run. Marathons. I do at least four a year.” He stood up to order their coffee. “Just talking about it makes me hungry. Would you like a pastry?”
“Apple Danish,” she replied, suddenly starving.
He returned with a tray piled with goodies. Maybe he really was obsessive-compulsive.
“Yikes! I thought you have to go back to work,” she said.
“I do, but not until one. I’ll be flying on a sugar high.”
“Those poor women,” Lisa said, trying to keep her face deadpan, but when she saw the look of concern he had, she burst out laughing.
“I’ll have to keep myself from telling jokes. I do it because I’m nervous and trying to put them at ease, but sometimes it backfires, especially if it’s a really funny joke. Then I have to stop the examination until they stop laughing.”
Lisa grimaced. “That’s bad!”
“I know. Maybe I’d better not eat more than one donut. I’ll get a bag and you can take them home to your children.”
They talked for the next forty minutes, comfortable, no holds barred. Lisa felt like she could say anything to this gentle guy who just looked like a hunk but didn’t seem to be aware of it. She doubted he was that naïve.
When the time was up, he was reluctant to leave her.
“I have to go,” he said. “But I’d like to see you again. If you’re free tomorrow night, would you have dinner with me?”
“I’d love it,” she said. “Do you want to meet?”
“No. I’ll pick you up. What’s the address again? I know it’s Babylon, but that’s as far as I got.”
“I just moved to the beach,” she said, rattling off the address. “Where are you?”
“The executive apartments over by the train station,” he said. “I moved there from Hoboken last fall when I took the job with Marilyn. It was supposed to be temporary, but I like it there.”
“Ah, I see,” she said. “No frills.”
“Exactly. But my dream is to be at the beach. Someday!”
She liked that he didn’t have any sarcastic comments about her financial ability to live at the beach.
“So how about if we get an early start. Like four.”
Lisa laughed, but she was fine with it, the boys would be with Dan anyway, on their way to the farm to stay with Cara. “Four is great. If it’s not snowing, we can walk on the beach.”
They stood together, Steve pulling her chair out. He walked to her car and saw the gigantic SUV with multiple car seats lined up in it.
“How many kids do you have?”
“I have two, but Dan has a little boy who lives with me, and my brother’s child and his father live upstairs.”
“His father, your brother,” he said.
“Actually, my brother is dead. It’s his adoptive father. Sorry it’s so confusing.”
“No, it’s not confusing at all. So why is Dan’s little boy still living with you?”
Lisa wondered how much of her personal business she was required to tell Steve, a stranger.
“How about if we get to those questions later in the weekend?” she asked, batting her eyelashes.
“Forgive me,” he said. “I’m also nosey and ask inappropriate questions.”
She got into the car and put her seat belt on, thinking he’d move on with his day, but he stood there, holding the door.
“You know what?”
Looking up at him, she was struck again at his face, how handsome he was. His hair fell across his forehead perfectly and, with his crooked grin, gave him a rakish look. It struck her suddenly that she might be in trouble with Dr. Lafferty. He might just be crazy enough to love her with her bevy of mismatched children and loony family, and if that was the case, she’d hit pay dirt.
“What?” she whispered.
“I’d like to see you tonight. Is that too presumptuous?”
“No. I’d like to see you, too,” she said.
“What time is good for you?”
“I should be free by seven. Dan will pick the boys up after work, but my sister owes me a free night. I’ll see if she’ll keep Megan. That’s my little girl.”
“I won’t mind staying in if she can’t watch her,” he said.
“How about if I pick up something for dinner? It’s supposed to snow. We can eat by the fire.”
“I’d love that,” he said. “Nothing better than sitting by the fire while it snows.”
“Okay, well, I’ll see you at seven,” she replied.
“Goodbye, Lisa. Drive safely.”
He closed her door and stood on the sidewalk, watching her pull away. It was a little weird and a little wonderful at the same time, having someone so interested in her.
Remembering she’d just invited him for dinner, she made a beeline for Organic Bonanza. Hopefully, her aunt’s chicken parmigiana was available. That, spaghetti and salad would be the perfect meal. She’d bypass garlic bread just in case he was a kiss on the first date kind of guy, which she hoped he wasn’t because she was afraid she’d be unable to stop.
While she shopped, picking up rolls and a cherry pie for dessert, choosing a bottle of wine for him, she remembered something that sent chills down her spine. If they’d continued with her medical appointment, she would have told him about Ryan’s history and the chance of HIV.
Shuddering, she took a deep breath. Steve was obviously attracted to her, evidently so excited about seeing her again that he’d moved their date up. She’d tell Steve Ryan’s history because it might make a difference to him. Although her last AIDS/HIV test was negative, there was always that possibility.
Just weeks ago she’d declared that she would never have a relationship again, that it was too much trouble especially now that she was pregnant. But here was a gorgeous, educated, single guy who had made it clear that he wanted to date her. Remembering that in his office, in front of the receptionist, he’d said he’d see her in an hour, he
wasn’t trying to hide his attraction, either.
Her basket full of dinner for the night and supplies in case of a snowstorm, she went through the checkout and left, excited about possibilities.
Chapter 7
Tim and Valarie had the same idea about a snowed-in weekend, and when Lisa pulled up, Valarie was right behind her with a car full of groceries from Organic Bonanza.
“We must have just missed each other,” Lisa said.
“I feel like I’m in that place constantly, but we’re ready for a week of being snowed in,” Valarie said. “I even got enough for you.”
“Aw, you’re so sweet. Let’s get it inside. If I buy the house, we’ll have to get a dumbwaiter installed.”
“This is the only exercise I get,” Valarie said. “Hauling his groceries up and down the damn stairs.”
Daniela came out to help.
“Thank God,” Lisa said.
The three women got everything inside and then helped Valarie get her load up to the apartment. “Leave it to Tim to ignore the noise on the stairs,” Lisa said.
“He’s probably got headphones on so he can’t hear,” Valarie said, defending him. “He’s got a deadline. Elizabeth is pissed at him, but she’s still working hard on his behalf.”
Lisa peeked through the living room and saw Tim at his desk with headphones on, just like Valarie had said, working away.
“Just so you know, I have a date tonight,” Lisa announced. “He’s coming here at seven.”
“Who?” they asked in unison.
“Believe it or not, my gynecologist. It was the first time I saw him, and he canceled my appointment before the exam so I wouldn’t be embarrassed. We hit it off right away.”
“Yuck, I don’t know about that,” Daniela said, flaring her nostrils.
“What?”
“Datin’ a guy who looks at pussy all day? It’s gross. He’ll be sick of it once he gets home.”
Lisa covered her mouth to keep Tim from hearing her laugh.
“She’s right,” Valarie said. “Why would a man want to do that for a living?”
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