Page 4 of Doctor Second Chance

Sophie snickers. “What did he say? It can't have been that bad, Elle. Come on.”

“Let’s see… He talked about how he made four hundred thousand dollars that day on stock futures for a client, drives a super exclusive BMW convertible, one of only two hundred and fifty ever made, and has the biggest house in his neighborhood.”

“Oh, wow. He got all of that in before the desert?”

“Yep, oh, and he managed to scrunch his nose at the fact that I scrape crustaceans off the bottom of sedentary ocean objects to study.”

“Is that bad? I mean, hanging out at the beach and studying cool Marine life seems pretty amazing to me.”

“That's exactly my point!” I throw up my one good hand. “When I told him I have a PhD and work at a biotech firm studying marine life, he scoffed and asked if I work in a non-profit with a condescending look. As if, somehow, that is beneath him.”

“What a pretentious prick.” Sophie puts the Alzheimer's brochure on the small makeshift tray table. It’s beside the large water cup the nurse brought me a lifetime ago, which is now sweating and has a ring of water around it.

“God, you'd think with a face and body like that, he could at least have a decent personality. Why does it always have to be one or the other?”

I hesitate, secretly supposing he wasn't hard on the eyes beneath his off-putting arrogance. But his condescending assumptions instantly soured any physical attraction for me.

“So, how long did you subject yourself to Mr. Moneybags after that lovely first impression?” She quirks an eyebrow. “Based on your tone and the look on your face, I’m guessing it didn’t get any better.

“It was the longest dinner in the history of humankind. Unfortunately, I couldn’t escape him even after we got back to Isabella’s. It’s like he thought I would invite him to my room and hook up.”

“Eww.”

“Finally, around midnight, I told everyone I was turning in. He looked stunned, and I scurried out of the den as fast as possible. Maybe that charm offensive works on some, but not me.”

“Geez, I’m so sorry. Are you supposed to see him tonight?” She asks, implying that the hospital will release me tonight. With each passing minute, I am less and less confident that will happen.

“Well, I guess that is one good thing to come out of this. I don’t have to be Wentworth, III’s date. That is if I am stuck here instead of drinking our signature cocktail and listening to that amazing Tina Turner cover band.”

“Well, praise the Lord for that,” Sophie chuckles. “That you might not have to see Wentworth, III again.”

“A fate worse than death,” I deadpan, shifting again in the bed. My lower back is starting to hurt more than my throbbing hand and the growing crick in my neck.

I've worked hard recently to bury thoughts of The Love I Always Dreamed Of. The One. It is starting to look more and more like that isn’t in the cards for me. Loneliness is undoubtedly better than deluding myself with impractical fairytale fantasies.

“I'll never understand why you ended things with Justin,” Sophie muses, interrupting my reverie. She started to bring this up earlier today while we were decorating, but I was able to walk away and shut it down. Now I’m captive.

“I just knew it wasn’t right. It was time. It’s not like we’re getting any younger. Justin deserves someone who will appreciate all his goodness. He is a great guy, just not my great guy.”

I recently ended things with my boyfriend of five years. Justin truly is a good man, and there is nothing I can point out as to why I did it. I was just never head over heels for him. And as much as I keep finding out that head over heels can be an illusion, I am not willing to settle.

When I turned thirty, I suddenly felt I had to make real, long-term decisions. Justin didn’t seem like lifelong partner material for me, regardless of how comfortable and easy our relationship was. Once I realized it, it took me a full year to finally pull the trigger and make the break.

“Yeah, yeah. You’ve told me. You loved him but weren't 'in' love.” She levels me with a bewildered look.

“But he adored you, treated you like gold, and God knows that passion stuff fizzles out after a few years for everyone anyway. Wouldn't it have been wiser to just…be happy with that? Most of us would kill for a guy like that.”

It's an echo of my own nagging doubts these past few weeks. At thirty-one, shouldn't I embrace security, family, and companionship, even if it isn't the epic romance I dreamed of as a foolish girl?

Ultimately, I keep coming back to the same thing. I’ll wait for that epic romance or enjoy my life all by my lonesome. I’m not so bad, after all. Indeed, he is out there. Somewhere.

6:09 pm

“I’m going to walk down the hall for a bit,” Sophie declares as she stands and yawns. “I want to stretch my legs. Do you need anything from the cafeteria?”

“No, I’m good, sweet friend. You know you can go, right? I’m going to be okay.”

“I told you, I’m staying until we hear from the doctor. So stop trying to get rid of me.”

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