Total pages in book: 61
Estimated words: 57675 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 288(@200wpm)___ 231(@250wpm)___ 192(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 57675 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 288(@200wpm)___ 231(@250wpm)___ 192(@300wpm)
14
Bethany
“What?” squeals Wanda over the phone. “You did what?”
“Well, I did say I was meeting them again, right? On a date?”
“No, you did not say that,” she huffs into my ear. “I thought I told you not to see them again.”
I chew at my lip, looking down at my kitchen floor. The linoleum is peeling a little. I’ll have to get the super to come and look at it. Meanwhile, I let out another helpless sigh.
“Yes, Wan. You did tell me to avoid them, but it kind of just happened.”
“How could something like that just happen?” asks Wanda plaintively. “I mean, did they tie you up and force you to meet them or something?”
I sigh again and at that moment, Danny decides to crawl into my lap and ask for another cookie. I balance the phone and him in my arms, and reach up to the cabinet to get his favorite Toodly-O’s. These things are all sugar, but in a pinch, they do the trick. Managing toddlers is hard, but it’s always easier if you have snacks on hand.
I roll my eyes, sitting back down with my son in my arms. He’s nibbling on his cookies, but I know that in five minutes or so, he’s going to demand my attention again.
“Doctors Stephenson and Stevens invited me to dinner, so I went,” is my simple reply.
Wanda’s jaw probably just dropped on the floor.
“You went to dinner with them? Why?”
“Because they asked me to,” I say, a little terse this time.
“Oh my god, I’m calling the police right now,” she mutters, and there’s a scrabbling sound. My friend’s probably looking for her second cell phone to make the call. I roll my eyes again and my voice becomes slightly sharp.
“Seriously, stop, Wan. I appreciate your concern, but it was just dinner. And if you want to know, the doctors invited me because they were specifically terminating our physician-patient relationship. They wanted to make sure that I knew I was no longer a patient of theirs, so that everything we did in the past and everything we do in the future is as private citizens.”
Wanda grumbles.
“Well they certainly know how to protect their handsome asses,” she mutters. “I’m not surprised.”
I shrug.
“Maybe they do, but it doesn’t matter because I wanted everything that happened. Besides, once they made clear that I wasn’t a patient anymore, then we were free to do as we like. And Wan,” I say, lowering my voice to a hush. “I made love to them.”
The confidential tone has no effect because immediately, my best friend is letting out another hyena-like shriek.
“What?” she screams. “You had sex with them? What? How?” she sputters.
“Wan, are any of your roommates around right now?” I ask in a stern tone. “Seriously. You know how much I hate other people knowing my business, and the way you’re screeching right now is bound to attract attention.”
She stops abruptly.
“No, no one’s around,” my friend says in a tight voice. I let out a sigh of relief. Wanda’s a talented reporter, except that right now, journalism doesn’t pay even if you are good at your job. The American publishing industry is in huge upheaval, and it seems that customers don’t want to pay for digital content anymore. As a result, Wanda doesn’t make much and to make ends meet, she splits a three bedroom with two random girls she found off craigslist. By contrast, I’m grateful to have my cozy, rent-controlled apartment that I share with only my son.
Wanda’s breathing fast. In fact, she’s practically hyperventilating on the other end of the line.
“I can’t believe you did this,” she finally manages in a strangled tone.
I’m perplexed. Why does she sound pissed? It shouldn’t be affecting her like this.
“Wan, if anything you should be happy for me. I’ve been on such a huge string of dating disasters that it was really nice to make love for a change, and for something to go well. Doctors Stephenson and Stevens are turned on by my womanly figure, and when I started lactating in bed …”
Uh oh. I’ve already said too much, but it’s too late. Wanda goes ballistic again.
“What?” she screams. “You lactated? In front of them? During sex?”
“Cool it, cool it,” I soothe. “They’re doctors so I bet they’ve seen everything under the sun. And it was fine. In fact, they were really turned on and, well, they sampled a little of my breast milk,” I say in a hushed voice. “I mean, it sounds weird, and it is weird but at the same time, it felt so … I don’t know, erotic.”
Wanda’s trying to make sense of this.
“Holy fucking shit. You’ve gone off the reservation,” she declares into the line. “They’re your doctors. They never should have touched you.”
This is where I step in again.
“Doctor Stephenson and Doctor Stevens were my doctors,” I correct her in a firm voice. “But they’re not anymore, and anything that happened at our first appointment is water under the bridge. Remember? Because I’m okay with it, so it’s fine.”