One Sure Thing (Mamma Lou Matchmaker Series)

by Norfleet, Celeste

  She turned to the page and began reading the article. The piece offered some interesting and provocative ideas about some of the trends in cosmetic surgery. She settled back on the sofa and read more.

  ***

  Raymond closed the door to his office and walked back over to his desk. He turned to see Mimi Woods Herrington Carter Brown standing in front of a mirror looking at her reflection. Raymond shook his head. He was amazed at how similar mother and daughter were. Like her mother, Laine Herrington was stubborn and vain, and he had just had the same argument with her daughter earlier on the phone.

  Mimi, who had been married more times than he could count, wasn’t just a patient. She had known his family for years. Unfortunately, she had the tenacity of a pit bull and was determined to have more plastic surgery despite Raymond’s advice against it.

  Realizing that Raymond had returned, Mimi sat back down in her seat. Her collagen-injected lips were still slightly swollen, exaggerating her pout. “As I was saying, if you don’t do it, I’ll simply hire another plastic surgeon to do the job.”

  Raymond leaned back against the desk and shook his head. As usual, he wasn’t getting anywhere with Mimi. When she made her mind up to do something, there was very little anyone could say to change it. “That’s your prerogative Mimi, but I strongly advise against it. I have to be candid about this. The procedure only lasts up to four months before having to be repeated plus it can be very dangerous if improperly done.”

  Mimi stiffened. “But, you leave me no other choice,” she said. Raymond remained silent as he went back around behind his seat. “For heaven’s sake Raymond, it’s been approved by the Food and Drug Administration, and it’s not like I’m asking for another eye-lift.” She looked at the mirror across the room, then back to the small three-sided mirror on Raymond’s desk. “Why are you being so difficult?” she asked then looked at him pointedly.

  “Mimi, I’m not intentionally trying to be difficult I assure you. It’s just that at some point you have to realize that enough is enough.”

  “I know the risks Raymond. That’s why I came to you instead of going elsewhere.”

  “Mimi, we’ve discussed this at length on numerous occasions. I won’t change my mind. I will not perform the procedure.”

  “You are so damn stubborn. I don’t know why you’re making such a big deal out of it. How on earth do you make a decent living? No one turns down an opportunity to make money.” She stood and gathered her purse and jacket from the chair next to her.

  “I do.”

  “Well, that’s just ridiculous. And to think, I gave my approval for my daughter to date you.”

  Raymond smiled, shrugged, and bit his tongue. Laine was the last woman Raymond wanted to date

  “Thanks, but no thanks. That really wasn’t necessary.”

  Mimi smiled knowingly, “I understand that my daughter called you recently.”

  “Yes, she called.”

  “And?”

  “And, I was unavailable.”

  Mimi began wiggling her finger. “I’ve heard about your reputation Raymond.”

  “Mimi, Laine and I are friends. That’s all.”

  “Oh please that’s exactly what your cousin said before he broke my daughter’s heart.”

  “I’m usually very busy particularly since Mamma Lou is in hospital.”

  “What? Louise is in the hospital and no one informed me?”

  “It’s nothing really.”

  “Don’t be ridiculous, Louise is my dear friend. She’s been like a mother or grandmother to me. What hospital is she in?”

  Raymond reluctantly gave her the information. She wrote it down quickly then went back to her conversation.

  “I’ll make sure to have Laine call you.”

  “That’s really not necessary Mimi. As a matter of fact I actually already have my eye on someone.”

  “Really?” Mimi said. “I take it by that remark that you’re interested in someone in particular?”

  “Yes. I am,” he said standing and moving to the door.

  “And who might that be?” she stood and followed licking her lips seductively.

  “You don’t know her,” Raymond said as he opened the door for her and escorted her to the lobby.

  As soon as Mimi laid eyes on Hope she grimaced. She turned to Raymond and leaned in to kiss him. Raymond turned so that she kissed his cheek. “I see your next patient has arrived.” She reached up and stroked his face seductively. “Goodnight darling. I’ll give Laine your best.” She turned, eyed Hope then departed.

  Raymond stood slightly stunned by Mimi’s performance. He shook his head then ushered Hope into his office.

  “I apologize for having you wait. It was unavoidable.” He held open the door to his office and watched Hope as she gracefully breezed past him. She smelled of jasmine and lilacs. He loved jasmine and lilacs.

  “I’ll be brief so that you can leave as soon as possible,” Hope declared as soon as she entered the office. Without sitting, she leaned her backpack on the arm of the nearest chair and pulled out several test results. She handed them to Raymond as he came and stood beside her.

  “That’s not necessary. That was my last appointment. And I don’t have any other plans for the evening, do you?”

  She looked at him then at the rug under foot. Her heart was beating a mile a minute. “No.”

  “Good, so, before we get started and you say anything,” he began as he removed his jacket and laid it across the back of the wingback chair, “I’d like to say something regarding our earlier conversation.”

  She turned away and continued looking in her handbag.

  “I still believe that my grandmother should be transferred to Manhattan Medical. This has nothing to do with you. You’re an excellent doctor. It’s just that I would rather be in control of her care.”

  “Sure. I understand.” Hope said without looking up.

  Raymond stepped closer and placed his hand on her arm. “Doctor,” he said, his voice was soft and caring as he loosened his tie. “Hope, I didn’t go over your head.”

  She stopped to look at him and saw his sincerity.

  “I just wanted you to know that. I’ve spoken to Mamma Lou. She’s staying until you’re ready to discharge her.”

  “Thank you.” She paused a second and looked at him oddly and decided to change the subject. She looked away. “Your office is beautiful.”

  “Thank you. We work very hard to create a comfortable environment for our patients.”

  “So you have other doctors working with you.”

  “Yes, there are three of us and a five-person staff.”

  “I wondered why…” she began then stopped suddenly.

  “Why what?” He asked.

  She continued hesitantly “You seem to be at Golden Heart quite often. I just wondered what kind of caseload you had. You must not be very busy if you can spend so much time elsewhere.”

  “My caseload can change at any time by distributing my patients to my associates. If a patient personally requests me, then I usually see them late in the evening like tonight.”

  “Oh, I see.”

  “Anything else?”

  “No.”

  “Wouldn’t you be more comfortable sitting down?”

  “No.” she said as she pulled the last test results from her bag.

  Raymond looked at them and walked over to the sofa and sat down. He spread the papers out on the coffee table and focused on them in detail.

  Hope glanced over at Raymond. He looked like a student cramming for an exam. With his wire-rimmed glasses perched on his nose, his focus was laser-like as he reviewed the results.

  Trying to concentrate was futile. Raymond reread the same paragraph three times. He had to turn back to the first page to remember exactly what test he was reviewing. Hope had him twisted in a knot without even knowing it.

  “They all came back negative,” he said, finally looking up at Hope. “There’s got to be a reason for
the rash and hives. We must be missing something.”

  “I assure you Dr. Gates, I was extremely thorough.”

  “I didn’t mean to imply that you weren’t.” Sensing Hope’s annoyance he moved to her side. “Hope, if we’re going to work together on this, I’d like you to trust that everything I say isn’t an attack on your ability as a physician.”

  She remained silent and looked away.

  “When I agreed to have my grandmother remain at Golden Heart it was with one stipulation, that you would be her physician. Believe me when I say, I wouldn’t trust just any doctor with my grandmother’s care.”

  “I realize that,” she said still looking away.

  “Raymond,” he insisted.

  She nodded and looked at him. Big mistake. His eyes made her melt. They seemed to draw her in, welcoming her tenderly. Her instinct was to reach out to him. She forced her hands to remain at her sides. A long silence fell between them as they realized they were at a stalemate.

  “Truce?” Raymond said.

  She nodded. “Truce.”

  He smiled and breathed a sigh of relief. She smiled releasing the pent-up tension and frustration. With that out of the way, she relaxed enough to sit down and talk to him about Louise’s puzzling case. With no known allergies, they looked at her medications. But they ruled that out. Finally, they agreed to run another series of tests. They also agreed on a new strategy that would put Louise on a strictly controlled diet.

  “There is one other possibility I’ve considered, but hesitated to mention it earlier,” she said. Raymond looked up. Hope took a deep breath knowing that what she was about to say would most likely put their fragile in jeopardy. “Macrotentioneda.”

  Raymond frowned. “Yes, I remember seeing that in your notes the night Mamma Lou came in.” He quickly scanned the notes. “Here it is, ‘possible LP macrotentioneda.’ I’m not familiar with that term. Exactly what does it mean?”

  Hope hesitated a moment then looked into his eyes and sighed deeply. “It’s a term sometimes used in the ER. There’s no real meaning, but it implies that the patient is seeking attention from either family, friends or the medical staff. She waited for the inevitable hostile response.

  “Actually, I thought about that too. Mamma Lou can be a piece of work even on a good day. But lately she’d been visiting so many friends and she and Colonel Wheeler have been here with me in the city. They’re constantly going out enjoying themselves, so I tossed that idea around myself. But if you think it’s still a possibility, we can delve into a bit deeper.”

  Hope was stunned. She expected no less than an angry rebuke. But, instead Raymond was admitting that it was a possibility. “No, as long as you’ve already considered it, then I think we can move on.”

  After twenty minutes their conversation turned to medicine and plastic surgery.

  “But it’s so superficial,” Hope insisted, somewhat condescendingly. “It’s like doing all the frivolous stuff while someone else does all the important work.”

  “You mean fluff.”

  “Exactly, although I wouldn’t put it quite that way.”

  “Sure, some of the work I do is superficial,” Raymond said.

  “Precisely. For instance, that woman who just left. That’s your typical patient, right? Rich, shallow and vain.

  “Not everything is as it seems.”

  “But I can plainly see that she’s had some work done and here she is back again. I bet she wanted something else done, right?”

  “Cosmetic surgery can be just as addictive as caffeine and nicotine, even heroin. Although it’s not illegal, it can be just as dangerous for some people.”

  “Doesn’t it ever bother you that you’re not making a difference in the lives of your patients? I mean look around, all you do is cater to the rich. What about poor people? Who helps them? Don’t you ever want to do something more meaningful? Like your father, for instance. His work has changed so many lives.”

  “There are other aspects to my work. Sure, there are patients who want a nose job or liposuction. And that’s fine. I’m happy to help someone feel better about themselves.

  “But,” he continued, “there’s also the child whose been burned over ninety percent of her body, and whose life will forever be altered by a tragic accident. Who’ll never be asked to the prom because she looks like her body’s gone through a meat grinder? Whose face and hands are twisted and mangled? The young boy with a cleft palate. Or the child born with a birth defect? They’re society’s outcasts. They just want to make their lives better. I offer them a chance.

  “It’s been my experience that sometimes the smallest scar carries the biggest burden. So, to answer your question, no, I don’t aspire to be like my father. I simply try to help my patients in some small way.”

  Tears threatened to fill Hope’s eyes as she nervously held her hand over her scar. It was as if he’d gone into her soul and pulled out her innermost thoughts. She’d always felt self-conscious because of the scar.

  Raymond gathered Hope in his arms. “I didn’t mean to make you sad. I just needed you to understand my work. It’s important to me that you do.”

  “Why?”

  “Why what?”

  “Why is it important that I understand?”

  Raymond smiled. His dimples deepened. A playful glint sparked in his eyes. “Truth or dare?” he asked.

  “What?” she said thoroughly confused.

  “Haven’t you ever played truth or dare?”

  “Yeah, I guess so.”

  “Okay, truth or dare?”

  “Truth.”

  “Why did you come here tonight?” he asked.

  “I had no choice. Dr. Wescott insisted that I come here tonight to discuss your grandmother’s case.”

  “I don’t buy that. You could have gotten out of it and you know it. You don’t seem like the kind of woman that would do something she really didn’t want to.”

  Hope went silent. This was getting too complicated.

  “Well?” Raymond prompted.

  She bit her lower lip. “I already answered the question. It’s your turn. Truth or dare?”

  “Truth.”

  She eyed him slyly. “Why did you ask me to come?”

  Raymond smiled. “Because I need you to know me outside the hospital.”

  “You use the word need a lot. You need me to understand your work. You need me to know you. Why?”

  “You and I are connected. We have been since the very moment we laid eyes on one another. You knew it and so did I. There’s a strong attraction that’s been building between us. And I’d like to do something about it. My turn, truth or dare?”

  Hope didn’t want to play the game anymore, but she was still curious. “Dare.”

  Raymond smiled. “Kiss me.”

  A flurry of images went through Hope’s mind. Kissing Raymond would be like heaven. But she wasn’t sure she could stop with just one kiss.

  Stone-faced, she took his hand and slowly leaned in just inches from his mouth. Then she stopped, brought his hand to her lips and kissed the inside of his palm. Raymond smiled. Despite her avoidance, it was definitely worth it.

  “Truth or dare,” she asked.

  “Dare.”

  She looked at him, wanting to follow his lead. But she knew that if she dared him to kiss her, he would. And that would be the beginning of something she wasn’t sure she wanted to start. Suddenly the room seemed smaller and warmer. He was sitting too close and he looked too good. She gazed into his eyes and saw the smoldering look in his eyes. His gaze told her everything she needed to know. He was right. There was an attraction between them. So, she did what any warm-blooded woman would do.

  Chapter Twelve

  Hope looked around the beautifully decorated restaurant. She’d never been to a traditional Japanese restaurant before. She’d never even eaten Japanese food.

  The tables in the restaurant were partitioned using rice-paper Shoji screen room dividers. Makimono scroll
s adorned with calligraphy using Japanese characters hung from the walls.

  The host and staff were dressed in elaborate silk kimonos with obis around their waist. They seem to glide through the restaurant catering to the patrons every request, all the while smiling and bowing gracefully to guests.

  When they first entered the restaurant, they passed through an open area where a number of patrons were seated along a long counter being served sushi that was prepared right in front of them. Hope watched as the chef, wearing a tall white toque, press steamed rice onto a thin layer of seaweed. He spread the rice out evenly, adding more when needed, and wetting his hands frequently by dipping his fingers in a small bowl of water.

  Once the seaweed was completely covered with rice, the sushi chef patted it down firmly. They he picked up the layer of seaweed and rice and flipped it onto a small bamboo tray. With the rice now on the bottom, he began to add other ingredients. Salmon, eel, sprouts and thin slices of avocado were folded inside. Then the chef carefully rolled the ingredients tightly using bamboo skewers. When he pulled out the skewers, he dipped the sushi roll into a dish of sesame seeds. Then he began cutting the roll diagonally into one-inch pieces.

  Hope watched, admiring his skill and precision as the eager patrons seated along the counter waited to sample his culinary work.

  Hope and Raymond were eventually led to a private room where they removed their shoes and were escorted through Shoji screen doors. Once they entered they were served a meal of lobster, shrimp and scallops.

  Raymond sat silent as Hope sipped her green tea. She smiled over her cup and looked around the private room

  “This is a beautiful restaurant. Thank you for bringing me here. I’m glad you accepted my dare.”

  “It’s my pleasure. I’m really having a good time.”

  “You say that like you didn’t expect to.”

  “Well, let’s face it Hope. You and I don’t exactly have a history of getting along. We’re combative, and until now our interactions have been anything but cordial.”

  “Well, it was all your fault.”

  “Actually, I remember you being more openly hostile.”