saw her eyes—a network of red lines turned the whites into a roadmap. She recalled a movie based on the life of dancer Bob Fosse, a man who burned the candle at both ends on a regular basis. Scene after scene portrayed him gazing at his dissolute face in the morning mirror and murmuring, "It's showtime." Eye drops and a stimulant pill and he was off for another day.
Well, there'd be no Dexedrine, but some eyedrops and a bit of wizardry with makeup wouldn't hurt. It was indeed showtime.
"If you don't like that rug, tell me," Will said.
Cathy turned to where he sat in the living room, newspaper in hand, coffee at his elbow. "Excuse me?"
Will lowered the paper and gave her a smile. "If you don't like that rug, tell me. Don't keep pacing, trying to wear it out." He looked at his watch. "It's ten-twenty. Dr. Gardner said she'd be here about ten-thirty. She's not late. Does everybody have to be early, simply because you always are?"
Cathy shrugged. "I guess I'm nervous about this interview. I want it to work out—I mean, I need someone to cover my patients while I'm out with the baby—but I don't want to take her into the practice and then regret my decision." She resumed pacing, caught herself, and stopped to rearrange the magazines on the coffee table.
Will gestured toward the easy chair that sat at right angles to the one he currently occupied. "Get a cup of coffee. Sit down and relax."
"You know I can't have coffee," Cathy snapped.
"Sorry. I forgot. Maybe some herbal tea. But—"
The sound of the doorbell put an end to the conversation. Will's eyes followed his wife as she made her way to the door. Cathy stopped, took a deep breath, and admitted the visitor.
Will didn't listen to the conversation. He already knew what it would be like. "Dr. Sewell?" "Call me Cathy." "And I'm Elena." "Now I remember you." "You haven't changed a bit." Instead, he focused on Dr. Elena Perez Gardner.
Will was happily married, rarely looked at another woman, but Elena's appearance was more than enough to get his attention. Mid-length, black hair was pulled back into a ponytail to frame a beautiful oval face with high-set cheekbones and flawless skin the color of honey. Will decided her body would be the envy of most women and definitely merit a second and third look from almost any man.
Then Will looked into Elena's eyes. If, as some poet said, the eyes are the windows of the soul, this woman's deep brown eyes clearly showed that her soul was troubled. Maybe it was the aftermath of her husband's death, maybe something else. Will hoped they'd know the answer to that question before the day was out.
Will realized Cathy was saying something to him. "Excuse me?"
"I said, 'Elena, this is my husband, Will Kennedy.' You know, I hope you pay better attention when you're in the courtroom."
"Sorry. My mind was a million miles away." He extended his hand. "Elena, it's a pleasure to meet you."
"Likewise." Elena's grip was firm, but he noticed that when he withdrew his own hand it was moist. Well, he couldn't blame her for being nervous. If she only knew how nervous Cathy was as well.
Cathy reached for her purse and keys. "I'm going to show Elena my office and the hospital. We'll probably break for lunch about twelve. Want to join us at RJ's?"
Will turned to Elena. "Okay with you? You won't think we're ganging up on you?"
"Not at all," Elena said. "Cathy, I'd like to freshen up before we leave, if you don't mind."
"Of course. Just down that hall."
As soon as the door closed, Cathy turned to Will and raised her eyebrows. "Well?"
As he advised his witnesses to do, Will hesitated before he answered. "She's nervous, but that could be the pressure of a job interview on top of what she's already been through. Let's see what we find out after we get to know her better."
Since she started medical school, Elena always had a stack of blank three-by-five cards with her. She might use them in class to jot down particularly salient points, later
Well, there'd be no Dexedrine, but some eyedrops and a bit of wizardry with makeup wouldn't hurt. It was indeed showtime.
"If you don't like that rug, tell me," Will said.
Cathy turned to where he sat in the living room, newspaper in hand, coffee at his elbow. "Excuse me?"
Will lowered the paper and gave her a smile. "If you don't like that rug, tell me. Don't keep pacing, trying to wear it out." He looked at his watch. "It's ten-twenty. Dr. Gardner said she'd be here about ten-thirty. She's not late. Does everybody have to be early, simply because you always are?"
Cathy shrugged. "I guess I'm nervous about this interview. I want it to work out—I mean, I need someone to cover my patients while I'm out with the baby—but I don't want to take her into the practice and then regret my decision." She resumed pacing, caught herself, and stopped to rearrange the magazines on the coffee table.
Will gestured toward the easy chair that sat at right angles to the one he currently occupied. "Get a cup of coffee. Sit down and relax."
"You know I can't have coffee," Cathy snapped.
"Sorry. I forgot. Maybe some herbal tea. But—"
The sound of the doorbell put an end to the conversation. Will's eyes followed his wife as she made her way to the door. Cathy stopped, took a deep breath, and admitted the visitor.
Will didn't listen to the conversation. He already knew what it would be like. "Dr. Sewell?" "Call me Cathy." "And I'm Elena." "Now I remember you." "You haven't changed a bit." Instead, he focused on Dr. Elena Perez Gardner.
Will was happily married, rarely looked at another woman, but Elena's appearance was more than enough to get his attention. Mid-length, black hair was pulled back into a ponytail to frame a beautiful oval face with high-set cheekbones and flawless skin the color of honey. Will decided her body would be the envy of most women and definitely merit a second and third look from almost any man.
Then Will looked into Elena's eyes. If, as some poet said, the eyes are the windows of the soul, this woman's deep brown eyes clearly showed that her soul was troubled. Maybe it was the aftermath of her husband's death, maybe something else. Will hoped they'd know the answer to that question before the day was out.
Will realized Cathy was saying something to him. "Excuse me?"
"I said, 'Elena, this is my husband, Will Kennedy.' You know, I hope you pay better attention when you're in the courtroom."
"Sorry. My mind was a million miles away." He extended his hand. "Elena, it's a pleasure to meet you."
"Likewise." Elena's grip was firm, but he noticed that when he withdrew his own hand it was moist. Well, he couldn't blame her for being nervous. If she only knew how nervous Cathy was as well.
Cathy reached for her purse and keys. "I'm going to show Elena my office and the hospital. We'll probably break for lunch about twelve. Want to join us at RJ's?"
Will turned to Elena. "Okay with you? You won't think we're ganging up on you?"
"Not at all," Elena said. "Cathy, I'd like to freshen up before we leave, if you don't mind."
"Of course. Just down that hall."
As soon as the door closed, Cathy turned to Will and raised her eyebrows. "Well?"
As he advised his witnesses to do, Will hesitated before he answered. "She's nervous, but that could be the pressure of a job interview on top of what she's already been through. Let's see what we find out after we get to know her better."
Since she started medical school, Elena always had a stack of blank three-by-five cards with her. She might use them in class to jot down particularly salient points, later
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