Chapter 4
CHAPTER FOUR
“All done. You can go ahead sit up,” said David. He grabbed the patient’s chart off the side table and made a few notes. “I think you’ll be ready to get your braces off on your next visit.”
“Finally,” his patient beamed, “I can’t wait.”
“Let’s have you set up your final appointment with Sarah on your way out.” David stood, grabbing the patient’s chart from the side table. He made some final notes on it.
“Woohoo,” the patient declared.
Leading the patient to reception, David gave Sarah the patient’s file. Sarah scheduled the last appointment.
After the patient left, Sarah said to David, “Oh, by the way…” She stopped typing and glanced up at him. “Your mom called. She wants you to come for dinner Friday night.”
“Dinner?” David couldn’t remember the last time his mom, Kelly, called the office for anything. Kelly usually just shot him a text. Many nights he dropped by on his way home from work, not always for dinner, but simply to say hello. “Okay… that’s strange.” David scratched his head. “I don’t know why she didn’t call me or text me directly.”
Leaning forward, Sarah propped her elbow up on top of her desk, cradling her chin. “She wanted me to check your schedule before I asked you. I think she didn’t want you to have an excuse to back out. You’re free by the way, and Kelly knows it.”
“Wonderful,” said David sarcastically. He furrowed his brow. “She’s scheming. I can feel it. Do you know what this is all about?”
Sarah held up her hands. “Hey, I only answer the phones. Take this up with Kelly. Unless you want me to call her back for you.” Wiggling her mouse, David’s schedule popped back on the computer screen. Then Sarah peered back at him. “I could call her back and say something else came up. What do you want me to do?”
David fished his phone out of his pocket. “No,” his fingers slid across the screen as he typed a message to Kelly. “I’ll get to the bottom of this on my own. Thanks.”
Sarah shrugged. Swiveling in her chair, she grabbed some patient files off the shelf.
Though the conversation clearly ended, David couldn’t help but elaborate. “Last time Kelly officially made dinner for me, she invited a woman from church to join us. This has a familiar ring to it.”
Chuckling, Sarah nodded. “You’re probably right. But what can you do? Kelly only wants her son to meet a nice woman. You can’t fault her for that.” Sarah scooted herself closer to her desk.
David groaned. “I wish she’d stop though.”
“You don’t even know if she’s invited someone,” said Sarah. “And besides she’s only done it once. It’s not like she’s trying to set you up left and right.”
“Oh, she’s invited someone. I know she has.” David ran a hand down the length of his face. He knew he needed to get back out there and start dating again, but his most recent dates only left David discouraged. “Anyways…” He stared out the lobby windows, hoping for his next patient to arrive and distract him.
His phone pinged. David dug into his pocket, pulling out his phone. The text revealed Kelly invited some mutual friends for dinner. But before he had time to text back and ask her to elaborate on said friends, the lobby door chimed and in walked his next patient. Greeting the patient, David immediately stopped worrying about his predicament and led them back to the exam room.
The rest of the day sped right on by.
Then the rest of the week. David didn’t allow himself to stew over the dinner Kelly set up or call to get more details. Knowing there wasn’t any point, David dropped it.
It wasn’t until Friday finally rolled around; he dreaded whatever the evening held in store for him. Tugging at his shirt collar, David knocked lightly then entered his parents’ house, announcing his arrival as he closed the door behind him.
At the end of the hallway, Kelly popped her head through the sliding glass door. “Come on out here, David.” Her voice carried down the long corridor. Waving him over, Kelly continued, “we’ll eat out here tonight. It’s too nice a night to be stuck inside.”
When David didn’t immediately move, Kelly entered the house walking toward him.
Striding down the hallway, David met her halfway. “Who did you invite?” asked David, keeping his voice low enough not to carry out the open sliding door. Darting his glance between Kelly and the outside voices, he continued, “and why wouldn’t you tell me who you invited? What’s with all the secrecy?” He suddenly wanted at least a slight heads up before he faced whoever was beyond the door.
Fluffing her hair, Kelly pushed up her chin. “It’s like I said… a mutual friend… actually friends.”
David raised an eyebrow, tilting his head to the side, he studied Kelly. “What friends ?”
Kelly tugged on his arm, bringing him closer. Lowering her voice, she replied, “I invited Claire and Alexis. After you told me you were Alexis’s orthodontist, I felt the need to do something nice for Rebecca’s girls. So, I drove on over to the house, I went there many times for the knitting circle I was in with Rebecca, and I extended them an invitation.”
David inhaled. His eyes darted toward the patio. Laughter vibrated down the hallway. Kelly had no clue he had joined Claire and Alexis at the beach for a movie. Now he regretted not calling or at least texting. Though David enjoyed Claire’s company and found her attractive, he didn’t see the point in meeting up again, not with her moving.
Shaking his head, David pinched the bridge of his nose. “Why didn’t you just tell me that?” He gritted his teeth.
His heart jackhammered. Sweat slathered his brow. Claire was out there… geez this was a mess. David cringed at how little he thought through the consequences of joining Claire and Alexis at the movie. Na?vely, after the movie, he thought he could avoid Claire until they left Pismo. Now the error in his thinking was blaring obviously.
“I didn’t want you to fight me on it,” countered Kelly. Nudging him with her elbow, Kelly continued, “besides you should be glad. It’s not like I’m trying to set you up. I only needed someone closer in age to them, so the conversation was a little livelier.”
“Fine,” David’s jaw locked. “Do Claire and Alexis know I’m coming? Did you tell them I’m Alexis’s orthodontist?” His middle twisted on itself.
Kelly slapped him on the arm. “Of course, I told them.” She gave him a sideways glance. “Why do you look pale suddenly? What am I missing here?”
David gulped. This was going to be awkward. Sweat smattered his brow. He swiped it away, forcing himself to smile. Kelly narrowed her eyes, reexamining him.
Motioning his head toward the patio, David mustered up some courage. “You aren’t missing anything.” He cleared his throat, squaring his shoulders. “I’ll follow you out to the patio.”
Pivoting, Kelly wandered back to the patio. David followed behind her. Before he passed through the screen door, he took a deep breath to settle the rapid pace of his heartbeat. Once through the sliding door to the patio, David closed it behind him before turning to face everyone. When he finally glanced over, Stephen, Claire, and Alexis stopped talking and stared back at him. David gulped. Alexis crossed her arms and glared. Claire’s back stiffened, but she met his gaze and held it.
Dang, Claire looked good. Her hair was down, loose, and flowy. And her jeans and T-shirt managed to hug her in all the right places. Oh, buddy. David tried to remember why he blew it and didn’t call her. Then he reminded himself they were moving from Pismo.
“Hello to you both,” David forced his lips into a crooked smile. “I hope you’re having a nice evening.”
Lowering himself into the only available seat next to Claire, he awkwardly sat down.
“David,” Claire folded her arms. “It’s nice to see you again. Or should I call you Dr. Clark?” Her gaze seared his skin, making him all sorts of nervous.
Gulping, her words sent a shiver down his spine. “David is fine,” he managed to reply. David scooted his chair closer to the table, trying his best to act casually. Claire being this near him made him acutely aware of his appearance. “I hope you are doing well since the last time I saw you.”
“We’re great.” Alexis piped up. Her gaze darted to Claire, looking for confirmation. “Right?”
“You bet,” Claire turned her face away from David, staring out at the view of the ocean. “Never better.”
The sound of the waves competed against the commotion in his chest. David was at a loss for what else to say. He imagined the evening was going to be a long one. He gazed out at the view too, trying to think of something else to talk about.
If Kelly noticed the tension between them, she didn’t acknowledge it. Pushing her chair back, it scraped against the floor. “Stephen, why don’t you help me bring out the dinner.”
David moved to get up too. “Do you need more help?” He certainly wanted an opportunity to escape for a moment and dampen the anxiety bubbling up inside of him.
Kelly waved him off. “No, we can manage. You stay and talk to the girls.”
Perfect.
Begrudgingly, David settled back into his chair. Stephen and Kelly left to get the food, leaving David to face the mess he made.
More silence.
His skin itched. David tugged at his shirt collar.
Claire spoke up first. “I didn’t know Kelly and Stephen were your parents, not until I arrived.” Claire kept her gaze on the ocean. The ocean breeze filtered in between them. She looked beautiful, and suddenly her departure day whisked away with the wind. He wondered why he worried about something so trivial. “Kelly was nice enough to invite us over. She made it difficult to refuse.” Glancing down, she fiddled with the ends of her shirt. “It wasn’t until we arrived, she mentioned who you were and that you would be joining us.”
Alexis scoffed. “Yeah, we wouldn’t have come.” Her eyes glued to her phone. Alexis didn’t bother looking up. “Trust me.”
David ran his hands back and forth over the chair’s armrests. “I don’t imagine you would. I didn’t know either. I mean Kelly wouldn’t tell me who she invited.”
“Your parents seem like very nice people.” Claire shifted, turning to meet his eyes. It nearly undid him right then and there. “Let’s not mention us going to the movie together. I think it’s for the best.” She waved a hand, reverting her glance back to the ocean. “In fact, let’s forget it ever happened.”
Boom. Whoosh.
Slouching, David replied, “If that’s how you want it…”
Though David had no idea what he wanted, even though he had fallen asleep every night that week thinking about his conversation with Claire on the beach. They were interrupted by David and Kelly, pushing open the sliding door with their hands full of food. David jumped up to assist them with placing the food on the table. Kelly had prepared grilled chicken, corn on the cob, fruit salad, and baked potatoes. With everything on the table, they resettled into their seats. Stephen offered a quick prayer over the food.
Slowly, they passed the food around in a circle. Each took some of each dish. It seemed to David that Claire was extra diligent in making sure their hands didn’t touch when handing him the next plate of food.
While spooning some fruit salad onto her plate, Kelly said to Claire, “David told me you were moving.” Stephen took the fruit bowl from her and took some for himself. Kelly reached for the corn on the cob and took one. “Do you have a moving date?”
Nodding, Claire replied, “Yes. My job is on hold for me in Los Angeles. We can’t afford to stay here.” Claire took the baked potatoes from Alexis, placing one on her plate before holding them out to David. Once he took one and passed them to Stephen, Claire continued, “We have about sixty-six days to be out of my mom’s house before we put it up for sale.”
Alexis crossed her arms. “I can’t believe you’re making me move,” she muttered.
Claire’s back stiffened. Swiping at the loose hairs around her temples, she tucked them behind her ears. “I know it isn’t ideal.” Claire reached out, giving Alexis’s shoulder a squeeze. Claire sighed, making her chest heave and shoulders droop. “But we don’t have a choice.”
Lifting her shoulder, Alexis shook off Claire’s hand. Removing her hand, Claire picked up her fork and scooted around some food around on her plate. Alexis pierced a piece of chicken, shoving it into her mouth. The silence between the two sisters permeated the very air they breathed.
Taking a sip of his drink, David broke the tension and said, “I’ve heard great things about Los Angeles.” David speared a piece of chicken. “They don’t call it the city of stars for nothing. You do ballet, Alexis, just think of the huge dance studios they have there. There’ll be way better opportunities for you in Los Angeles to dance than here in tiny Pismo. It might turn out better than you ever imagined.”
Alexis’s eyes lit up. “How did you know I did ballet?”
Casually, David grabbed his corn on the cob. “I fixed your lip didn’t I? Plus, you’ve told me, multiple times about your dance at your orthodontist appointments.” He took a bite.
Pausing, Alexis blinked. “Yeah,” her tone softened. Her icy exterior from earlier melted away. “But, Dr. Clark, you have like hundreds of patients. I can’t believe you remember I danced.”
David shrugged. “I remembered.” He wiped his face with his napkin. “I could tell by how you spoke about it that it was a passion of yours.”
Alexis shifted forward. “Do you think I could be discovered there? I’ve always wanted to become a professional ballerina, but I never dreamed it could be possible.” Her eyes widened with anticipation.
“They discover people in Los Angeles all the time. It’s the perfect place to go.” David had no clue if that was true or not, but it seemed like the right thing to say. His gaze skidded to Claire. She tilted her head, shifting closer to him and mouthed thank you. David smiled, turning his attention back to Alexis. “So, what’s your favorite part of ballet?”
Alexis lit up like fireworks. Her entire being beamed as she told him about her love of ballet. Kelly and Stephen jumped in and asked a few more questions. Claire’s demeanor softened, and she no longer avoided his glance.
As the meal finished up, Kelly asked, “What are you going to do with your mom’s stuff? Do you need help packing?”
Claire sighed, clasping, and unclasping her hands on top of the table. “I’m going to sell the big things we can’t take with us.” She flipped her hair over one of her shoulders. “Some I’ll move into storage. And the remaining items I think we can fit into my apartment in Los Angeles, we’ll take with us.”
“I’m sure you’ll need lots of help packing and organizing everything,” added Stephen.
“I’ll manage.” Claire shrugged, taking a sip of her water. “Alexis is at school during the day, and I’m on leave from my job. Every day I get a little bit more done.”
“I don’t doubt you are more than capable.” Kelly placed her silverware on top of her empty plate. “But you’ll need some help with moving the big things.” She made a head nod toward David. “David can help you with whatever heavy lifting you might need. He’s still relatively young.” She nudged him with her elbow.
Uncrossing his ankles, David raised an eyebrow. “Thanks, Mom? I think…” Pausing, he shifted in his seat. David turned toward Claire. “But yes Claire, I’d be happy to help you out with whatever you need.”
Waving her hand, Claire avoided his gaze, staring out at the ocean. “I’ll be fine. Besides I’m sure David has better things to do with his time than helping me.”
After remaining mostly silent for the duration of their exchange, Alexis piped up and asked, “What about the yard sale next Saturday?”
Without even giving David time to reply, Kelly piped up, “David can help you with your yard sale. He doesn’t have a life and doesn’t work Saturdays.”
David threw a pointed look at Kelly. Kelly narrowed her eyes at him and dared him to challenge her. Leaning forward, David steepled together his fingers, resting his elbows on the table. “I’d be happy to help. I can come next Saturday to assist you with your yard sale.” He moved closer to her. “You’ll need help moving the big stuff outside to your driveway, right?”
Claire ran a finger in a circular motion around the top of her glass. “I suppose I do need help.” Each word was slow and calculated.
“I have ballet Saturday morning, so I can’t help,” added Alexis. “So, please don’t turn down David’s willingness if you are counting on me to pitch in.”
Gnawing on her bottom lip, Claire paused. “Saturday, are you positive you don’t mind?”
“Nope.” David clapped his hands together. “It’s all settled then. What time do you want me there?”