Ample & Alluring

by Mary E Thompson

  “Okay. Let’s go this way.”

  He strolled casually over the black, white, and mauve tiles like he didn’t have a care in the world. I watched the stressed out moms dragging kids behind them, the teenagers trying to hide that they were out with their parents, and the babies throwing temper tantrums. It was everything I hated, times ten.

  “How are you so calm?”

  “What do you mean?”

  “Doesn’t any of this bother you?”

  “Any of what?”

  “You can’t seriously tell me that you haven’t noticed all the screaming kids and stressed out adults.”

  He shrugged. “I don’t have that gene that signals kids to me. I’ve never planned on having any, so I pretty much don’t notice them. And the parents? I guess I don’t notice them because I don’t notice the kids.”

  I shook my head. “I wish I could do that.”

  “You’re a sensitive person, Dr. Peyton. What people are going through impacts you.”

  I nodded. “That’s true. Does that mean you’re insensitive?” I teased.

  A laugh burst out of him, drawing the attention of a few people nearby. The moms shot him dirty looks that he was out laughing and having fun and they were struggling not to scream at their kids.

  “Maybe it does. I’ve certainly been called that by an ex or two.”

  “You really know how to pick them, don’t you?”

  “Yeah, something like that,” he said with a grin.

  We walked along, dodging strollers and rushing adults, before we ducked into a store that looked like it could be promising.

  “I think I come here every year looking for something.”

  “Anything good?” I asked.

  He shrugged. “Sometimes. We’ll see what they have this year.”

  Wyatt led me to the ornament section, yes the store had an entire section dedicated to ornaments, and started browsing. I looked with him, but most of the ornaments were childish. Like cartoons. They didn’t suit him.

  “I’m not really inspired by any of these,” he said finally.

  “Oh, good,” I breathed. “I was going to worry if you liked one.”

  He laughed. “They’re not really me.”

  “I agree.”

  “Next?”

  I nodded.

  When we were out of the store, a kid ran past us. I jumped closer to Wyatt so the kid didn’t run me over. He caught me around the waist and held me for a long moment. His eyes sparkled before he released my waist and reached for my hand.

  “I noticed that kid,” he said with a nod toward the tyrant.

  I laughed, shaking my head at him.

  We went to another store that had home decor all over. Wyatt walked around and found one that he thought he already had. I suggested one that was pink and sparkly, but he wasn’t impressed with it.

  We looked in a few more stores, not finding anything that was right for Wyatt. I could tell he was getting frustrated so I suggested we go to the food court.

  “We just had dinner.”

  I shrugged. “So? I always have room for ice cream, don’t you?”

  I paused, then nodded. “I think I do. It’s like a secret compartment that’s only available to ice cream.”

  “I agree. I told my mom when I was little that I had a second stomach, an ice cream stomach, and that I could still be hungry for ice cream even if I was full of dinner.”

  Wyatt laughed. “You were a crafty one, weren’t you?”

  “Oh, yes. I think I drove my parents crazy.”

  “Do they live around here?”

  I shook my head. “I grew up near Albany. They still live there.”

  “Do you have any siblings besides Vicki?”

  “Nope.”

  “I’m kind of surprised your parents didn’t move here when you both ended up here.”

  I shrugged, not telling him that it was definitely for the best. “They’re happy where they are. They both grew up there and have a lot of friends. I don’t think they’d like living here.”

  “Now, as the mayor, that’s hard to hear.”

  I grinned. “No offense, Mr. Mayor.”

  “I’ll try not to be offended.”

  “What about your parents? Are they here?” I asked after we got our ice cream and found a booth.

  Wyatt nodded. “Yep. My parents, my brother, and my sister are all here.”

  “A brother and a sister? Where do you fall?”

  “I’m the oldest.”

  “Being the oldest sucks!” I blurted.

  Wyatt laughed with me. “It kind of does. Of course, my brother and sister are both married. My sister has two kids. My brother said they’re trying for kids. Between them, there’s a little bit of pressure off me.”

  “From your parents?”

  He nodded, wide-eyed. “Oh, yeah. They’ve been asking when I’m going to settle down and have kids for twenty years.”

  “No way.”

  He snorted. “My parents were young when they got married. They were young when they had me. They think I’m wasting my youth by not being married already.”

  “But you have to want to be married. It can’t just be something you do because they tell you to.”

  “Trust me, I agree. I think it got worse after I broke off my engagement.”

  “Whoa! You need to warn me before you drop a bomb like that.”

  He smiled. “Sorry. I just figured everyone knew.”

  I shook my head. “I live with my head in the sand. Or between a woman’s legs.”

  He closed his eyes and fought his smile. “You know that’s killing me, right?”

  I ate a bite of ice cream and grinned. “Yep.”

  He took a breath. “Okay, getting rid of that fantasy image.”

  “Ew! They’re my patients!”

  “But if they weren’t?”

  I rolled my eyes. “Not my fantasy. I don’t know how straight men do my job. I don’t think I could go home and have to look at a woman’s vagina and not have it appear clinical.”

  “You’re crushing my dreams.”

  “Well, that’s no good. Usually I make people’s dreams come true.”

  “And you’re very good at it.”

  “Thank you. Anyway, back to your engagement?”

  I took a bite of my ice cream and waited while Wyatt warred with himself about how much to tell me.

  “I thought I loved her. I guess I did. In the end though, she decided she wanted kids, and I told her I didn’t. She thought I hid it from her, but it was just one of the many things we never really talked about. It happened a lot in our relationship.”

  “No communication?”

  He nodded. “Yep. We both thought the other was on board, but the other one had no idea what was going on.”

  “Well, it’s good you ended it before you got married. That would have been worse.”

  “Yep. That’s what I tell myself.”

  “Sorry that happened to you.”

  He shrugged and finished his ice cream. He threw away both our empty cups and reached for my hand again.

  “How about you? Any serious exes I should know about?”

  I shook my head. “No serious exes at all. I dated someone in med school, but it was more fun than anything serious. The hard part is his wife is a patient of mine.”

  “That’s not awkward at all.”

  “Yeah, tell me about it.”

  “No one else?”

  “Nope. I’ve been too focused on school and work to get involved with anyone.”

  “That’s how I’ve been lately, too.”

  “Less messy.”

  “I like it that way.”

  “Me, too.”

  We stopped in a few more stores, just for the hell of it, but couldn’t find anything. Wyatt looked a little disappointed as we walked outside.

  “Sorry we didn’t find anything.”

  He shrugged. “It’s okay. Eventually the right thing will appear.”

/>   “You make it sound magical.”

  “It is. Everything about this season is magical.”

  “Okay, now I’m starting to worry about you. You don’t want kids, you don’t want love, but you talk about Christmas being magical?”

  He laughed. “Maybe I never had the right person to share the holidays with. Or my life, for that matter. I feel like a scrooge most of the year since I don’t want kids. Most women have a biological clock that’s louder than the one in the square. When I tell them I don’t want kids, they look at me like I’m either lying or insane. Sometimes both.”

  “Trust me, having kids when you don’t really want them doesn’t do anyone any good,” I blurted. I immediately wanted to take back my words, but Wyatt didn’t pick up on anything beyond the words.

  “That’s what I keep telling myself. It’s why I insist on condoms, even if the woman is on the pill.”

  “Nothing is foolproof.”

  He nodded. “Exactly. And I don’t need to end up with an accidental kid.”

  “Trust me, I understand. I work with women who struggle, sometimes for years, to have their own natural kids. I’m just as crazy about pregnancy prevention as you are. How would it look to my patients if I walked in one day, pregnant. Without a husband, or a boyfriend, or anything. Heck, even if I had those things, I’d still feel horrible.”

  “It would be hard for them to look at you if you got pregnant easily and they had to work for it.”

  I nodded. “That’s what I’ve always thought, too.”

  “So you don’t want kids?” he asked.

  I shrugged. “I wouldn’t say I’m as opposed to them as you are, but I’m pretty much past the age where it’s likely to happen easily.”

  “Women have kids into their forties though, can’t they?”

  “Sure. Some can. I’ve never found someone I’d want to share that responsibility with. Someone that makes me want to give up my work.”

  “You’d give up your work?” he asked, surprised.

  I shook my head. “I didn’t mean for good. Just someone who could pull me away from work.”

  “Like I did tonight?”

  “Hmm. I didn’t think about that.”

  He was right though. I barely thought twice when I saw Wyatt in the reception area. I wanted to leave with him immediately, paperwork be damned.

  But it was just once. I knew he wouldn’t make a habit out of taking me away from work. He didn’t pull me out of an appointment or away from a patient. It wasn’t that big of a deal.

  “Well, I’m happy you came out with me tonight.”

  “I wish we could have found something for you.”

  He shrugged. “We’ll find it eventually.”

  “We?”

  He smiled. “Yes, we.”

  Chapter 7

  Laura came into my office mid-day Monday with two large bags of food that smelled delicious and greasy. My stomach growled loudly, telling me to quit working and take a few minutes to eat.

  “You are a life saver. Thank you for lunch.”

  “It was my turn to treat. Besides, I figured if I bribed you with a bacon cheeseburger you might finally tell me about the hot mayor.”

  “I don’t know what you want me to tell you.”

  “Is he a good kisser?”

  “Yes.”

  “How good?”

  I sighed. “Are we really having this conversation?”

  “Absolutely. I need to live vicariously through you. I broke up with Bill this weekend.”

  “Whoa. Why are we talking about Wyatt when you broke up with Bill?”

  I examined my friend closely. She didn’t look upset, more just disappointed. She and Bill were together for years. I knew she had to be upset about their breakup.

  “Because Bill and I have been over for a long time. You and Wyatt are much more exciting.”

  “Do you want to talk about it?”

  Laura shrugged. “I told him I’ve been thinking about training to be an infusion nurse and he didn’t care. Not that he wanted me to make the decision, just that he really didn’t care at all. I realized that I didn’t care what his opinion was, and I just knew we were done.”

  “What did he say?”

  She sighed. “Nothing. I said I think we should go our separate ways and he just shrugged and said okay. Then went back to watching TV.”

  “Where did you stay?”

  “At the apartment. He went to stay with a friend.”

  “Is he moving out?”

  “I guess. We really haven’t talked.”

  Her sad tone just about killed me. A mix between upset and resigned to being alone. I knew that tone. I’d used it enough in my life.

  “Well, if you need a place to stay, let me know.”

  “You don’t need me hanging around and cramping your style. You have a hot new man.”

  I groaned. “He is not mine. And you wouldn’t be cramping my style. Wyatt and I are friends.”

  “Friends who kiss?”

  “You can’t tell me you’ve never had a friend with benefits.”

  “Are you sleeping with him?” she blurted, a grin lifting her lips.

  “No! Of course not!”

  Laura cocked her head to the side. “Why do you say it like that? He’s gorgeous. Why wouldn’t you want to sleep with him?”

  “It’s not that. I just haven’t thought about it.”

  “I think that’s all I thought about all weekend.”

  “Ew! I didn’t need to know that!”

  Laura cackled, her dark eyes brightening. “I’m starting to question your interest in sex if you don’t want to sleep with him.”

  I shrugged. “I barely know him. And we’re friends.”

  “So you said.”

  I rolled my eyes at her, and she smirked.

  “Anyway… We get along. I don’t want to ruin it by bringing sex into it.”

  “But kissing is okay?”

  “I don’t know. He started that. I just didn’t resist it.”

  “Do you like him?”

  “Of course.”

  “As something other than a friend?”

  “Ugh. I don’t know. He’s good looking and really nice and our goals align, but our goals align to make us both prime candidates for staying single.”

  “There’s nothing to say you can’t have some fun without it getting too serious.”

  “I know. And that might happen. You know how I am. If a patient calls in the middle of the night, I’m going to answer. A lot of guys don’t get that kind of dedication.”

  “He seems like the kind who would.”

  I nodded. “Yes, but that doesn’t mean he’ll always like it.”

  “Pey, you don’t always like it.”

  I laughed. “True. Regardless of all that, Wyatt and I are just friends for now. If that changes, it changes. But for now, friends is all either of us is willing to offer.”

  “And kisses.”

  I smiled. “Yes. And kisses.”

  “Is he a slow and sweet kisser or a take control kisser?”

  “Um, a little of both.”

  “Ooh, those are my favorites. Where they let you think you’re in control and then they devour you?”

  “That’s what he did the other night. After he came by here, we went shopping. When he dropped me off, he teased me with a kiss, then dove in like he had to kiss me in order to survive.”

  “Sloppy? No, I already know. He’s not a sloppy kisser. Perfect amount of tongue, too. Mmm, I’m so jealous.”

  “I don’t know about the tongue. He hasn’t tried that yet.”

  “No tongue? Is he a boy scout?”

  I laughed. “Probably. He’s about as perfect as a guy can get.”

  “You do have a thing for him.”

  I shook my head, but she was right. I just didn’t want to admit it yet. “No, I don’t. I can see why women fall all over themselves for him though.”

  “You’re falling, too. Don’t fool yo
urself.”

  “Whatever. So, tell me more about changing to infusion. It sounds like you’re getting more serious about it.”

  Thankfully, Laura took the bait.

  “I’ve been reading more and more about it. There is a certification, but it’s not something I’d need before I started working as an infusion nurse. There are different ways I could do it. Home health care is an option, but I think I’d rather be in a facility.”

  “A hospital?”

  She shook her head. “There are a lot of doctor’s offices that offer infusion services right there. I’ve looked at a few of them.”

  “But?”

  She laughed. “I hate that you know me so well.”

  I grinned.

  “There’s one that I really like. It’s new, but it’s amazing. There’s a team of five doctors who all have slightly different specialties, but all are experienced with many different types of cancer. They’re up in the Thousand Islands, kind of isolated so they do a lot of procedures right there.”

  “It sounds like an interesting place,” I said cautiously. I knew Laura could get an idea in her head and run with it, then have it fizzle out and nothing ever happen. She sounded really excited about the infusion center, but I hated the idea of losing her.

  “I think it is. And I know you think I’m insane, but-”

  “No, Laura, I don’t. If this is something you want to do, then go for it. I’d never hold you back, you know that.”

  She nodded. “I do. I really appreciate it.”

  “You just have to promise you’ll come back and visit once in a while.”

  She grinned. “Definitely.”

  Laura didn’t mention anything else about leaving, but it was on my mind when I walked into Bite Me! with Vicki the next day. So much so that I wasn’t paying attention to where I was going and ran smack into Sawyer.

  “Whoa! You okay?”

  I laughed and rolled my eyes at myself. “Yes. Sorry. Got a lot on my mind.”

  “Everything okay?”

  I nodded. “Yeah. Just thinking about a friend.”

  “Someone here?”

  I shook my head. “At work.”

  “Is she hot?”

  “Excuse me?”

  He shrugged. “If she’s hot, you shouldn’t be holding out on me.”

  I laughed. “Are you really that big of a pig?”

  “Nah. I just like to mess with you. But if she’s hot, you definitely should bring her.”