In a strange twist of fate, he
wound up riding home with Natalie instead of risking driving his car under a
few day’s influence. A part of him was irritated that he was behaving so
erratically, while quite another was intrigued by the pretty new stranger at
the wheel.
“So doc. You like your beers I
see. So what else are you in to?” she asked.
“Hmm. Well right now I’m enjoying exploring the country a little I guess. I’ve always been drawn to the beach and you guys seem to have a lot of them.”
“I grew up not far from here,” she said. “Out in the country where we could ride horses and start bonfires and go to the beach anytime. When you say you’re from Chicago you might as well be from Mars for all I know about it. I won’t ask you what brought you here, but I do want to make a little confession.”
“Okay” he said carefully. People were often confessing to him, which worked just fine when he was working.
“The thing is. I got curious and bought a few of your books. I don’t know how much of what you write is from your life and how much is made up. But I couldn’t put the stuff down. You’ve got a story. That much is obvious. And so do I. Maybe we’ll get to it one day. But one thing I have learned is to take a chance on things when you see an opportunity. So here’s the thing. I want you to come on in when we get to my house, and we’ll take it from there. I don’t want you to answer now. I want you to use that mysterious, slightly inebriated brain of yours, and think about it.”
“Hmm. Well right now I’m enjoying exploring the country a little I guess. I’ve always been drawn to the beach and you guys seem to have a lot of them.”
“I grew up not far from here,” she said. “Out in the country where we could ride horses and start bonfires and go to the beach anytime. When you say you’re from Chicago you might as well be from Mars for all I know about it. I won’t ask you what brought you here, but I do want to make a little confession.”
“Okay” he said carefully. People were often confessing to him, which worked just fine when he was working.
“The thing is. I got curious and bought a few of your books. I don’t know how much of what you write is from your life and how much is made up. But I couldn’t put the stuff down. You’ve got a story. That much is obvious. And so do I. Maybe we’ll get to it one day. But one thing I have learned is to take a chance on things when you see an opportunity. So here’s the thing. I want you to come on in when we get to my house, and we’ll take it from there. I don’t want you to answer now. I want you to use that mysterious, slightly inebriated brain of yours, and think about it.”
He felt the rush of blood and looked over and
took this woman in. Although probably 50, she was still quite striking, and he
guessed she was a truly stunning woman at one point of her life. He felt a
strange Déjà
Vu and thought back to his encounter with Lisa, the pretty secretary he had
just been with. Was he going to let history repeat itself?
As they got closer to Natalie’s house she
rested her hand on his leg, as they wound their way through the north shore of
the city. He knew he had a choice to make, and soon. Not long ago he had made a
pledge not to use people anymore, and he wondered to himself if he was about to
do this again. On part of him rationalized that they were consenting adults.
Another took her in and saw the long lines of her face worn with years of
sadness. He thought back to his reading a few weeks before.
~“But
never again use another person's body or emotions as a scratching post for your
own unfulfilled yearnings.”
“So tell me” John said, as they sat parked in
Natalie’s driveway. “And this is way out of character for me believe me. But
what is it you think is between us? I made a pledge to myself not to ever use
someone again, so it’s important for me to know.”
“Well doctor, since you’re
being so vulnerable. I do have to say, I’ve read your books, and have imagined
being one of the girls in your stories. Is that so weird? You seem like a
wonderful guy in those books. Is the in-person guy just as nice?”
“I don’t know the answer to that actually,’ he said as he touched her face. “But I do know I’m not quite ready for this right now. You’re a beautiful woman and I would love to be your friend. I really and truly mean that. But I don’t think it would lead to good things for either one of us if we slept together right now. I hope you understand.”
“I don’t know the answer to that actually,’ he said as he touched her face. “But I do know I’m not quite ready for this right now. You’re a beautiful woman and I would love to be your friend. I really and truly mean that. But I don’t think it would lead to good things for either one of us if we slept together right now. I hope you understand.”
He hoped he’d made the right move…
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