by Lily Robins
Everyone remained silent.
Ben found the courage to tell the rest of what was on his mind. “I mean…hope’s a very tricky thing. We lose it, we search for it, and there’s many times when it flat ain’t there, but we cry out for it anyway. Sometimes, there doesn’t seem to be any hope left in the whole world, but there was this little ray of it that showed itself in that bar, right when I was going to tell the bartender that I’d like a shot of whiskey. It was actually a ray from the sunset that peeked its way through the front window of the bar, and for three or four minutes, that ray landed right in front of me.” Ben had been looking at the floor, but lifted his eyes to Roman and to members of The Group. “That time, something more powerful than me sent that ray of hope my way.”
Roman, along with the others in The Group, held triumphant looks, sharing ample portions of pride and respect for Ben’s successful trial.
*****
As The Group began filing out of the solarium and down the hall to the reception area, Rene Sampson waited until she caught Roman’s attention, and had an inquisitive look on her face. “Jessica Leitner’s waiting to see you,” she announced with a beaming smile.
Mona had already made her way to Jess and was eagerly wagging her tail as Jess was holding Mona’s face in her hands and speaking to her. Seeing her there, and watching Mona greet her with such familiarity, made something in Roman’s stomach perform somersaults. He said his goodbyes as the last ones in The Group left, noticing that Ben and Hope were exiting the clinic together.
When just the three of them remained, he walked over to Jess with a more than pleased smile and said, “To what do I owe this honor?”
With an entertaining look, she said, “I’d like to take you out to lunch.” She looked great like always, wearing skinny jeans, and some type of dark sweater beneath her jacket, and women’s dress boots on her feet. Her hair was especially shiny, and her smile was terrifically bright.
“Rene, uh…have you met…”
“We have—yes,” Rene kindly reminded him with a bright smile herself. “Again, it’s nice to see you again, Ms. Leitner.”
“I’m definitely losing it,” he muttered, making Jess and Rene’s grins grow wider. He smiled at both women. “We’re done and it’s finally Friday,” he declared. “Have a great week-end, Rene.”
“Mona’s ready,” Jess observed, gesturing as the Leopard Hound had already fast-trotted to the door and was wagging her tail.
Rene handed him Mona’s leash, he grabbed his coat and felt so light-hearted by Jess’s surprise visit that he wanted to dance out the door with her.
*****
The woman had pulled up in her deceased husband’s late model crossover vehicle, intent on going into the clinic and pleading with Dr. Roman for forgiveness and for another chance. In fact, Cynthia Ralston had her hand on the handle to open the door when she saw the clinic’s door open, Dr. Roman’s dog and the same woman emerge, followed by Dr. Roman, himself, who had held the door open. Cynthia saw that it was her, the woman who had become her nemesis…her archrival for the affection, for the sole attention and love that Dr. Roman Mayer should give only to her. Their backs were turned as they walked down the slope of the parking lot, apparently going somewhere on foot. NO WAY! Cynthia looked over at what lay on the passenger’s seat. As long as Douglas had owned it, she’d never, ever touched it. It was in its case and was now available to her for what she was being forced to do. But, she had to leave before the snotty receptionist came out. Yes, she had to go home and think about how best to accomplish this.
*****
While they waited for the 12:35 ferry, he had an arm loosely around her, noticing that they were the only walk-ons in line for the return to Whittler Island.
“Why’d you come on foot?” he cheerily asked.
With a ready answer, she said, “Because you did.”
“How’d you know that?”
“I saw your vehicle, up at your mother’s house.” Jess was smiling, despite the fact that her lips were quivering from a cold wind that blew from the northwest.
“Hmmm,” he delightedly rumbled, pulling her closer beneath his arm.
The ferry attendant undid the rope for the passage for the walk-ons, and Roman looked behind him before saying, “We are the only ones on this trip. I’m going to take advantage of that, and maybe warm you up a little.”
Mona was the first to plod up the steps, frisking her tail as her four paws navigated the steps. The three of them entered the enclosed area filled with empty seats and large windows that gave passengers a view of the city harbor and surrounding bay with all of the anchored boats, and that afforded welcome protection from the wind. Before she could sit down, Roman wrapped his arms around her and romantically kissed her.
“Let’s forget lunch,” he invitingly said near her mouth.
“We can’t,” she said.
“Why not?” He kissed her again.
“Because then...this wouldn’t be a date.” She kissed him while snaking her arms and hands inside his jacket, and then looked up at him.
He captured her arms and hands close inside his jacket with his upper arms.
As the ferry began moving away from the landing, she asked, “Are you ticklish?”
“Yes.” He bent to kiss her cool nose, lost in the feel of her body against his.
She pulled back enough to say, “And then tomorrow night would be our first date, and not the second one.” She lifted her brows, and the light caught more of her luminous eyes.
He was feeling intoxicated by her presence and how her touch ignited hunger of a different sort in him. After threading his fingers through her hair at her temples, he looked down at her face with a look of pure wonder in his expression. She looked up at him, and what she had said finally hit him like a loaded brick bat. He placed his cool palms on her soft cheeks, looked down into her glorious eyes, and he said, “My, my. Sticking with Miss Havisham’s Dating Etiquette—are we?”
“Second dates…are just different,” she demurely explained, and laid her head on his chest.
“Well, I’m delighted to have this genuine first date with you, Ms. Wentworth.”
*****
When the ferry pulled in at Whittler’s landing, Mona led off, Jess holding the dog’s lead. “You hardly need this,” she said, speaking to Mona about her leash. “You even know where we’re going.” Mona had turned left, walking directly toward Ruth’s Restaurant.
“She knows that Fridays often mean handouts from one of her two favorite restaurants,” Roman said.
The minute they walked inside Ruth’s, the longtime servers began smiling and greeting him, one-by-one, as they got a moment’s free time. All of Ruth’s kitchen staff did likewise, pausing to beam at Jess and Roman despite the crowd of people in the restaurant. When Jess led them to the end of the old-fashioned lunch counter, Ruth came out of the kitchen with the broadest of all smiles and hefted a tote bag onto the counter.
“Roman, my darlin’ niece asked me what your favorites are, and that was a hard decision, cause I think you like about everything we serve here.”
“I do!” Roman loudly and earnestly declared.
Cheers and lots of laughter broke out at his response, causing Roman and Jess to laugh too, even as they both of them blushed bright red.
Ruth was still laughing as she looked down at Mona, the dog furiously wagging her tail. “I didn’t forget our favorite doggie girl,” she assured. “Somethin’ for our darlin’ Mona is in the bag, here.”
“You’d think we were special or something,” Roman said, feeling exactly that way.
“You are!” every staff member including Ruth responded with beaming faces.
“Thank all of you,” he said with an appreciative smile on his face. He reached over the counter to peck Ruth on one of her rosy cheeks, making her face flush even brighter. When he pulled out his wallet to pay her, she shook her head.
“Already taken care of,” she gaily informed him.
<
br /> Outside again, he said, “There are people in there who’ve known me for ages and we always say hello and shoot the breeze for a moment or so, but this was a really special deal today, all of them looking so happy and expectant.”
“Ruth and all of her kitchen and wait staff are ecstatic about you and me seeing each other.” As they began the trek up the hill to her house, she added, “You come highly recommended, you know. Everyone, and I do mean everyone, says you’re the nicest, sweetest, kindest, and most sincere guy in the entire state of Maine. I even heard the word saint mentioned again.” She looked at Roman, catching his arresting smile.
He pulled her beneath his arm, loudly chuckling, and he said, “Boy, do I have everybody fooled!”
The three of them walked abreast up the incline, soaking up the joys of togetherness, friendships, and a gloriously sunny day.
Once they reached the house, they washed their hands at the kitchen sink and Jess began dispensing their lunch. She nuked the potato soup for a minute, before presenting an ample portion to Roman, and then dished out Ruth’s famous chicken salad, a signature item that had lots of assorted fruit chunks and nuts in it, and that was enlivened by her heavenly-tasting curry dressing.
Roman confirmed what Jess had been hoping he would. “These are two of my absolute favorites,” he said, reaching to kiss her before partaking of either. “Who knew Ruth or anyone working with her knew this?”
Jess got a bowl down from a cupboard and gave Mona water, along with her meat treat from Ruth. Her look of pleasure preceded her admitting, “They’ve been teasing me about the way to a man’s heart.”
Roman assured, “You’re already there.”
They ate slowly, intent on savoring Ruth’s scrumptious cooking. Jess told him that she, too, liked the curry dressing on the chicken salad.
“It’s got such a pleasant kick,” he said. “I’ll have to skip dinner.”
“But you’re not overweight,” Jess insistently said, blowing on a spoonful of her soup.
“For me, I am. I fooled around and let the pounds mount up while I was nursing my ankle for four months. I’ve got another twelve pounds to go.”
“It wouldn’t matter to me.”
She was looking at him with all-out sincerity written on her face and Roman jovially replied, “A tubby?”
“Get outta here,” she dismissively said.
Live and be happy in this moment with this marvelous woman who is gazing at you with these amazing green eyes and with these freckles across her nose and cheeks...someone who is so unique, and beautiful, and someone whom he could reach out and touch.
To prove to himself that he wasn’t dreaming, Roman placed a hand on hers and asked, “Don’t you like a guy who’s got some willpower?”
She answered, “I’m stuck on a guy who’s got a rep for being the nicest, sweetest, kindest and most sincere—most trustworthy man who anyone’s ever known. Saint? Now I could maybe let that one slide.”
Her smile was tantalizing. His grin was wicked.
When they finished their feast, Jess reached into the bag and brought out the last item that was wrapped loosely in foil—a luscious-looking piece of cherry pie.
Right away, he groaned, “Oh my.”
Broadly smiling, Jess said, “Ruth told me it was your absolute favorite.”
“I haven’t had a piece in ages.”
“But we’ll share this one so that you don’t have regrets later.”
“The crust is heavenly, and she puts all these sugar thingies all over it.”
“A lattice crust with sugar crystals to top,” Jess clarified.
“Mmmm.”
She used one fork to share the pie and feed him his first bite. He paused with the bite in his mouth, and then slowly began chewing, savoring and swallowing.
“Indelibly Ruth’s,” he said, watching her take her first bite. “That perfect contrast between sweet and tart.”
Jess kept her eyes on him while commenting, “Maybe.” She smiled while forking another bite for him.
Surprise lit his face. “You…you made this?”
She kept smiling while shoveling another forkful into his mouth.
“Really?” he asked with his mouth full of pie.
“Really,” she answered. “I’m fine tuning my skills, and I’ve learned that pie-making is definitely an art form.” She took a bite, as Roman moved in to kiss her with her mouth full. She laughed when he pulled back, and gave him another ample forkful.
When he had chewed and swallowed, he said, “I’m loving that you’ve made this for me.”
They finished the pie, he thanked her with a long hug and another kiss, and then he said, “There’s something I need to tell you about.” They sat down again and he said, “I was married for twelve years.”
“That was one of the first things Ruth told me about you.”
“Well then you know,” he said, looking at her empathic expression.
“All Ruth said was that you had lost your wife several years ago.” Jess placed a hand on his arm.
“She was a nurse at Emory, and I was in private practice. Erin loved riding her bike and sometimes, she rode it to work, even though she had a car. The hospital was only a mile or so from our apartment.” He paused and looked down at Jess’s hand that was now holding his. “There was a pipe…a piece of pipe lying by the side of the road, she didn’t see it, her front bike tire hit it, she somehow lost control, swerved into the street, and a man driving a delivery truck hit her. She was four and a half months pregnant with our baby.”
Jess sat immobile as tears began glistening in her eyes.
Briefly, Roman closed his own eyes after relating what had once shattered his entire life. When he opened them, he saw Jess’s tears running down her cheeks. “For well over a year, I could not console anyone, or listen to anyone’s problems, no matter how grave or how serious they were. I was…numb. My brain…everything inside me was dead.”
Jess took a napkin to wipe at the moisture on her face. Dry-eyed, Roman squeezed her hand more snuggly before continuing. “I never thought there would be anyone else for me. Erin’s been dead for almost ten years, and all of those years…have been difficult. Almost every day, I’ve fought depression...even though I treat others for that very condition. In some ways, I’ve been…a fraud to some of my clients.”
Roman saw Jess shake her head, but he kept speaking. “Now, for the first time since Erin died…someone who’s become very special—you, Jess—you make me feel alive again. I want what’s happening between us to happen—more that I’ve wanted anything for myself in a very long while.”
Jess could see the truthfulness in his face, especially in his gray eyes that had revealed such deep sorrow, but which were now shining with so much hope and anticipation. She was compelled to admit something important to him too.
“I feel…comfortable and relaxed with you. I’ve been afraid that you might have thought I was too forward—initiating that first kiss when I did. The truth is: it’s been so long since I’ve been with anyone…I never cheated on Gary, and I’ve not been with anyone since we separated and then were divorced. I think that’s because I didn’t trust myself—my own judgment about men.”
One corner of Roman’s mouth ticked upward to accompany a warm and understanding look. He said, “Lucky me.” And his own admission came tumbling out of him. “Ten years, and there hasn’t been anyone.”
Her briefly startled face melted into a tender, affectionate expression and she said, “Lucky me.”
Roman stood up, pulling her up with him. He took her in his arms as he said, “Thank you, Miss Wentworth, for a delicious lunch that included a scrumptious piece of cherry pie. This first real date has been absolutely delightful—and we confided some things that we needed to say to each other. I’m so looking forward to a second date with you—that I’m beside myself with sheer anticipation of it.”
CHAPTER 20
The moment she got into Roman’s vehicle, Molly was
beside herself with excitement. She said, “Thank you, Dr. Mayer, for finding me a voice coach. Dr. Mannis is exceptionally nice!”
“You are so welcome, Molly.”
Aden got in when his mother did, installing his lanky frame into the backseat. “I just told Mom,” he said. “Some of us guys are camping out tomorrow night, over near Danny and Patrick’s.”
Pausing for a moment, while Jess looked at him with a tentative expression, Roman said, “Cheryl and Eli own some wooded acreage behind their house.”
“It’s way too cold,” she pointedly said.
“Mom! We’ll be in insulated tents and have heavy duty sleeping bags…and a fire going all night. I mean—really?”
Roman backed out of the driveway and headed for the ferry. He looked over at Jess and said, “It’s a guy thing. That squad will keep it a hundred, or...at least a ninety-five.”
“Hundo P!” Aden asserted with a mild huff of annoyance.
Jess said, “Run that by me again.”
“A hundred percent, Mom. Doc’s clappin’ back a little.”
Roman smiled while steering into the queue of vehicles, many of them with passengers who were going to the final basketball game. Murray High’s A team had a perfect record this season.
“So Molly, tell me how you started off with your voice lessons with Dr. Mannis.”
“I sang a song that I knew,” she pragmatically said, “and Dr. Mannis sat there looking kind of weird.”
Jess laughed. “Not weird, Molly. What did Dr. Mannis say after you’d sung?” She already knew, because she had been there in the sanctuary with Reverend Chuck and with Molly.
“He said, ‘GOOD GOLLY, MISS MOLLY!’”
Aden laughed and Roman didn’t hold back a loud laugh himself, even as Jess pressed Molly for more. Molly continued. “And he said, ‘Gracious me, what a voice you’ve got, little girl.’”
Jess added, “Dr. Mannis and his wife plan to be at the game, and he wants to hear Molly sing the national anthem.”
In his rearview mirror, Roman could see Aden bumping fists with his sister and then making a freakish face at her, whereupon she simply laughed at him.