Over the last several months we'd chatted about her books, how she was enjoying NYC, her home back in Akron, and all kinds of random things. I'd really fallen for her over the course of the last four months. We'd flirted, had lingering glances and handshakes… but that was all. I had to hope that she'd be open to me asking her out. But maybe she'd find it weird. I didn't think so, but then it was an odd situation.
I didn't normally find myself attracted to my patients. Though technically, I had found Jane attractive before she'd ever become my patient. I knew we hadn't ever met, but I had watched her interviews and had thought she was attractive and someone I'd like to meet. I just hadn't had the chance before she had become my patient. And she'd been the first to say she wished we'd met under other circumstances, so that had to mean something, right?
I had gotten up early and gone to the gym this morning before coming to the office, mostly because I hadn't really been able to sleep. I'd been too keyed up over seeing her. Over moving our relationship from that of doctor/patient to something a little more personal. She was a special woman and I really wanted to be part of her life, have her part of mine. And today was the first step toward changing it to that.
"Good morning, Janet." I nodded to my receptionist.
"Morning, Dr. Chase. I put the coffee on if you're needing a cup."
"Thanks," I said and headed for the back of the office where the coffee maker was. I poured myself a mug and returned to the front. "Who's on our schedule today?"
"You've got Mr. Lynch at nine, Ms. Adams at ten, then you're free until after lunch. You've got Mrs. Pembrooke at one-thirty, and then the patients at the hospital at three. And your mother called, she'd like you to call her when you have a moment."
I sighed. "Okay, thanks." I decided to get that out of the way while I could, so I headed back to my office and dialed my mother.
"Darling, that receptionist of yours sounds … well… low class, isn't there anyone else you could get to answer your phones? She is the first contact for your clients, what kind of impression is she giving off?"
"Good morning to you too, Mother. What did you need?" I asked, bypassing her disparagement of my staff.
"Oh, well I am making preparations for the Fourth, you know your father likes to have a big celebration. Everyone who is anyone will attend. I wanted to make sure you'll be coming. You are of course, are you not?"
Sighing, I glanced down at my calendar. As of right then I didn't have anything else scheduled around the Fourth of July. "Yes, I'll be there," I replied, wishing I had something, anything scheduled for that weekend.
"Wonderful. Belle has been such a dear, helping me with the planning. It is going to be spectacular."
I knew she'd only brought up Belle to get a reaction from me, but I wasn't going to fall for it. "Great. I'm looking forward to it. Now, I'd better go, I have patients coming in. Goodbye, Mother."
"Bye, darling."
I hung up and rolled my eyes at her manipulations. She'd been trying for months to get me and Belle back together. Belle had been more than cooperative with her, not that it made me want to take her back. The woman was a narcissistic bitch. Nothing in this world was going to convince me otherwise.
"Doctor? Mr. Lynch is in exam room one."
"Thank you, Linda." I stood up from behind my desk and headed toward room one. I knocked on the door and then went in. "Good morning, Mr. Lynch."
I spent the next thirty minutes going over things with the elderly man, making sure he understood his pill regiment, again. He was having trouble keeping track and I feared he might be experiencing the beginnings of dementia. I decided I needed to put a call in to his son, just to confirm that he was still checking in on his father as he'd said he would. After making the call, it was nearly time for Jane to arrive. I opened my cabinet door and nervously checked my hair in the mirror on the door and straightened my tie. I had just closed the cabinet door when Linda knocked on my office door.
"Come in."
The door opened and Linda poked her head in. "Ms. Adams is here. I put her in room two."
I nodded and grabbed my suit jacket and pulled it on before heading in to see her. I had to admit, I wanted to look good. Smiling, I knocked on the exam room door and when she told me to come in, I opened the door. "Hi, good morning."