Part 11 (2/2)
”Dr. who?”
”The attending. Tall, blonde, gorgeous. You know- Pamela Anderson with a brain. She also asked how long you and Rosalie have been engaged.”
”Hey, I had to tell her something. She was more interested in checking me out than in helping Lee.”
”Yeah, I know. I got a date with her.”
”Mikey, when are you going to stop picking up my throwaways?”
”When you stop throwing them back. I've been trying to get a date with Deena Jansen since she started her residency. h.e.l.l, if I'd known all I had to do was tell her I'm in tight with the great Romeo, I'd...”
”Christ, do you have to start that again?”
”No, I don't have to, but I will. By the way, you never did tell me what's with you and Rosalie. She's not your usual type.”
”What do you mean?”
”She's normal-not like the shallow, self-involved, dimwitted women you usually date-the ones who think the earth and sun revolve around you. As a matter of fact, she didn't seem impressed with you at all.”
'And you call that normal? That's what you think. Did you know she curses in three languages?”
”I caught that. She didn't think I spoke Italian. When I told her, she started with Greek.”
”Make that four.”
”She's got an amazing personality, a great job-”
”Yeah, you're not going to believe where I drove her.”
”Premier Motorcars. I know. Nick, tell me you're not seeing her as some kind of kinky corporate espionage.”
”What are you, nuts? No. I just found out about her connection to Premier today when I drove her to work. Christ, Mike, what kind of a.s.shole do you think I am?”
”Hey, this is me you're talking to. The one who listened to you rant and rave about how you were going to take over Premier Motors if it was the last thing you did. You've wanted that place since we were kids. I know you, Nick. Nothing gets between you and what you want. Especially not a woman. Make sure whatever you do to her doesn't make her hate you so much, she won't date your best friend, okay? So, how long have you been seeing her?”
”A little over a week. Why?”
”I want to make sure my calendar is free when you throw her back. I'm looking forward to catching her.
She's got one h.e.l.l of a body. Let's see, I give it another month and a half, which puts us into-”
”Hold on. What do you know about her body?”
”Enough to know I look forward to getting better acquainted with it.”
”The only thing you're going to get better acquainted with is my fist, if you don't stop talking about her like that.”
”Nick, man, I didn't mean-”
”It doesn't matter. Besides, she doesn't like doctors.”
”All women like doctors. They just don't like seeing us professionally. Didn't you get the memo? Doctors are prime marriage material.”
”No, I must have missed that one. Now you have two strikes against you in Lee's book. She's not into marriage, either.”
”Right.”
”Look, I'm calling because Lee wouldn't tell me what you said. And I want to make sure she's okay.”
”Nick? You feeling all right? Suffered a recent blow to the head?”
”Oh, you're a laugh riot, Mike. Look, I'm staying at her place and taking care of her, and I need to know if she's well enough to, you know, resume normal activities.”
”Oh, I get it. You want to know when you're gonna get laid.”
”No. Well, okay, yes, that, too. But I also want to know if she should be going to work, and if I should be leaving her alone.”
”Okay, look, I don't think I'd be breaking doctor-patient confidentiality to tell you that, no, she shouldn't be going to work yet-maybe late next week for a few hours a day. As for s.e.x, well, I'd hold off on that, too. And, yes, you can leave her alone, if you think you can trust her not to go to work or have s.e.x without you.”
Nick waited for Mike to stop laughing. ”You know, Lee could be right. Maybe you did get your medical license out of a box of Cracker Jacks.”
Dave whined and stuck his nose in Nick's armpit, almost knocking the telephone from his hand.
”What was that?”
”Dave, Lee's dog. I have to go.”
”You're taking care of the dog, too?”
”Yeah. What of it?”
”Oh, nothing. I'm picturing you walking a s.h.i.+h tzu, that's all. Thanks, you made my day.”
”Yeah? Why don't you come over and make a house call? I'm sure Dave would love to take a chunk out of your a.s.s. Dave eats s.h.i.+h tzus for breakfast. Don'cha, boy? Look, Mike, I've got to go. Give me a call sometime next week. We'll have lunch.”
”Take good care of Rosalie. Oh, and give her my number when you dump her, will you?”
”Dream on.”
Nick hung up and grimaced. d.a.m.n, it'd been over a week since he and Rosalie were together, and he knew he was a selfish b.a.s.t.a.r.d, but he'd been hoping Mike would say she was up for recreational activities. Christ, he wasn't sure how much longer he could go on sleeping with her body plastered against his. He hadn't been sleeping much at all, and tonight was going to be another long one.
Nick shrugged his coat on and stepped into his running shoes. Maybe a nice long walk in sub-zero temperatures would take the edge off. Lord knows, cold showers weren't cutting it.
”Come on, Dave, I'll take you out one last time tonight. But if you take another dump, you're on your own.” Nick grabbed Dave's leash. ”Someone should invent a way to attach a bag to your a.s.s. The p.o.o.per-scooper law sucks.”
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