Page 62 of The Reading

As she unrolled her silverware, she said, “You say that as if there’s something wrong with being a wife and mother.”

“Not at all,” I countered. “I’m just saying that a good man in a woman’s life is not the necessity that it used to be. Hell, sperm banks take all the aggravation out of having to wash someone’s dirty underwear every week.”

She laughed. “Taylor, behave.”

“I’m just saying,” I went on. “Has Racheltoldyou that she wants a man in her life?”

Those same brown eyes that mirrored mine looked over at me. “Yes,” she answered. “She just seems to think that her weight is an issue with that particular want.” She waved her hand around dismissively. “Guys are more interested in internet models and fan pages to appreciate the real thing.”

“That’s bullshit,” I scoffed. “Rachel’s beautiful.” Mom lifted a brow, and you’d think that with my college degrees, medical license, and the demand for my services that I’d be smarter than to fall for my mother’s shit, but I guess not. “Ha. Ha.”

“I’m just saying that I think you two would make a lovely couple,” she said before digging into her meal.

“Do I need to remind you that Ijustgot her to stop thinking that I was a douchebag?”

“Taylor, since when are you afraid of a little challenge?” she huffed. “You’re only thirty-three and have more accomplishments under your belt than most people.”

“That’s because I’m a genius, Mom,” I drawled out, not one to throw my IQ out there.

“And a hard worker,” she added. “You could have been a lazy genius, but you’re not.”

“Look, I only have a short time to spend with you today,” I reminded her. “How about we tackle my love life later?”

She smiled, and I really did love my mother’s smile. “Agreed.”

The rest of our meal was spent with memories of everything that we were both grateful for, and I wouldn’t have had it any other way.

*****

Rachel~

Icouldn’t stop thinking about that damn toilet paper roll-that I still had, bythe way.

Holy flippin’ crap.

Now, while most people would think that I was here because I wanted a chance to see what was hanging between Taylor Mannis’ legs…well, they’d be right. Granted, a part of me was here because I knew that he was working on Thanksgiving, and I was still feeling bad for misjudging him so wrongly. However, I had also stared at that beat up toilet paper roll all freakin’ night.

I’d been so obsessed that I had sent out a group text to the girls, and each text had come back with the demand for me to find out if Taylor was really as blessed as he had professed to be. No one had cared about Madam Brousseau’s prediction; they had wanted to know if the evidence was real. Sloane had texted that I could find my soulmate later. At the present, Taylor Mannis’ penis size was the priority.

So, now here I was, a turkey dinner in hand as a peace offering into his pants. Now that I no longer hated him, his appeal was really doing a number on me. I’d always found him attractive, but my unfair judgements had not let me go there. Well, there was nothing blocking my lady bits from thinking of all the ways that Taylor Mannis was a sexy beast now.

Walking into his practice, I was greeted by a pretty nurse, and I’d never felt so stupid in all my life. Taylor Mannis was a renowned doctor that was surrounded by women every day. He was probably getting his dick sucked every day during lunch.

What was I thinking?

I turned to leave, but I wasn’t quick enough.

“Rachel?”

I winced, but I turned around anyway. “Oh, hey.”

He glanced at the nurse, then at my hands, then back at the nurse, and my stomach felt like my entire Thanksgiving dinner was going to come back up. When I had made him a plate at my parents’, thinking this was a good idea, I hadn’t given any thought to much else.

“What are you doing here?”

“I…” I glanced over at his nurse. “I…knew that you were working the holiday, so I…I thought I’d drop off some dinner. I…I didn’t…I didn’t stop to think that…I should have brought more than one plate.”

“Oh, honey, don’t mind me,” the nurse said. “My husband is on deployment, so I offered to work today. I also already ate.”

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