since I was so close to Galveston Bay. It's a totally different kind of fishing. You've really got to try it. You'd love it."
"You're from Michigan?" Alva asked. "Why isn't that –."
"Alva," Jennifer interrupted. "Can you come with me to the powder room?" Jennifer gripped her friend's arm.
"Ouch, Jen." Alva rubbed her arm.
"Please, Alva. Now," Jennifer demanded.
"Right now?" Alva asked, looking puzzled.
"Yes, right now. I think I split a seam."
Matt tried not to look. Lord knows, he tried his best, but his eyes wouldn't obey his command. Feverishly, he looked Jennifer over. When he saw no flesh revealed by an open seam, he didn't know whether to feel relieved or disappointed.
"Dr. Penrose," Jennifer said. "Talking to you has been enlightening. Please excuse me for now."
"Certainly. I'll be going anyway," Matt said, feeling that with her departure there was no point in staying any longer. Besides, he didn't think his blood pressure, or the seams in his trousers, could take much more of Jennifer Monroe.
He watched the two women walk away and couldn't help but admire Jennifer's beautiful posture. She stood proud and tall. The skin above her strapless gown seemed luminescent in the soft lighting. He wanted to touch her silky hair again. Shove his hands through the thick blond strands. What was wrong with him? In a professional setting, he never connected with women on the male-female level.
What had he got himself into? He turned to leave. Maybe, it wouldn't be so difficult to get her to come to terms with her problems. She was an intelligent woman. She was used to talking to her patients about sexual problems. So if he approached it as one professional to another, everything would work out fine, he told himself.
* * *
"Okay, we're in the ladies room so come clean," Alva stated, crossing her arms and fixing Jennifer with a stern look. "And don't give me that nonsense about a split seam."
"Gee, sure can't put one over on you, can I?" Jennifer said lightly, trying to do just that.
"No, you can't. So what gives?"
"Nothing. I was stuck talking with Dr. Penrose for the longest time," she said, turning to look in the mirror. She wasted several minutes fluffing her hair. With any luck, Alva would check her own hair style and put some lipstick on and go back to the party.
"Jennifer, I've known you for almost ten years. So tell me. What gives with that gorgeous hunk?"
"Who are you talking about?" Jennifer asked, searching through the tiny handbag she carried for her lipstick and hoping Alva didn't notice the blush on her cheeks.
"Now I know I'm on the right track. You know who I'm talking about. Dr. Tall, Dark, and Handsome that you were being so chummy with."
"We were discussing a case," Jennifer said.
"A case?" Alva threw her hands up. "That does it. Now I know you are completely hopeless. There you were with the most gorgeous man I've seen in a while. Not just good looking, but a guy who positively oozes sex appeal. And you were talking shop? Jennifer Monroe, you need help."
Jennifer's eyes gleamed. "Maybe you're right."
"Of course I'm right. Now I want you to follow up on Dr. Hunk. Call him, ask him to lunch, something." Alva removed her lipstick from her bag.
"As a matter of fact, we're going to get together tomorrow afternoon."
Alva's mouth turned down at the corners. "Let me guess. To discuss a case." She snorted in disgust. "I expect that from you, but I'd think a guy that looks like Matt Penrose would want to do more than discuss a case on his day off."
Alva removed the cap from her lipstick and started to apply the frosted bronze color then stopped as if struck by a thought. "Oh, no. He's married, isn't he, Jen? Great. You finally meet a guy and he's married!"
"Settle down, Alva. He's not married. Not even attached." Jennifer dropped her lipstick back in her purse. She'd made a point to look up his biography at the GYN clinic's website.
Things would work out. She'd prevented Alva from
"You're from Michigan?" Alva asked. "Why isn't that –."
"Alva," Jennifer interrupted. "Can you come with me to the powder room?" Jennifer gripped her friend's arm.
"Ouch, Jen." Alva rubbed her arm.
"Please, Alva. Now," Jennifer demanded.
"Right now?" Alva asked, looking puzzled.
"Yes, right now. I think I split a seam."
Matt tried not to look. Lord knows, he tried his best, but his eyes wouldn't obey his command. Feverishly, he looked Jennifer over. When he saw no flesh revealed by an open seam, he didn't know whether to feel relieved or disappointed.
"Dr. Penrose," Jennifer said. "Talking to you has been enlightening. Please excuse me for now."
"Certainly. I'll be going anyway," Matt said, feeling that with her departure there was no point in staying any longer. Besides, he didn't think his blood pressure, or the seams in his trousers, could take much more of Jennifer Monroe.
He watched the two women walk away and couldn't help but admire Jennifer's beautiful posture. She stood proud and tall. The skin above her strapless gown seemed luminescent in the soft lighting. He wanted to touch her silky hair again. Shove his hands through the thick blond strands. What was wrong with him? In a professional setting, he never connected with women on the male-female level.
What had he got himself into? He turned to leave. Maybe, it wouldn't be so difficult to get her to come to terms with her problems. She was an intelligent woman. She was used to talking to her patients about sexual problems. So if he approached it as one professional to another, everything would work out fine, he told himself.
* * *
"Okay, we're in the ladies room so come clean," Alva stated, crossing her arms and fixing Jennifer with a stern look. "And don't give me that nonsense about a split seam."
"Gee, sure can't put one over on you, can I?" Jennifer said lightly, trying to do just that.
"No, you can't. So what gives?"
"Nothing. I was stuck talking with Dr. Penrose for the longest time," she said, turning to look in the mirror. She wasted several minutes fluffing her hair. With any luck, Alva would check her own hair style and put some lipstick on and go back to the party.
"Jennifer, I've known you for almost ten years. So tell me. What gives with that gorgeous hunk?"
"Who are you talking about?" Jennifer asked, searching through the tiny handbag she carried for her lipstick and hoping Alva didn't notice the blush on her cheeks.
"Now I know I'm on the right track. You know who I'm talking about. Dr. Tall, Dark, and Handsome that you were being so chummy with."
"We were discussing a case," Jennifer said.
"A case?" Alva threw her hands up. "That does it. Now I know you are completely hopeless. There you were with the most gorgeous man I've seen in a while. Not just good looking, but a guy who positively oozes sex appeal. And you were talking shop? Jennifer Monroe, you need help."
Jennifer's eyes gleamed. "Maybe you're right."
"Of course I'm right. Now I want you to follow up on Dr. Hunk. Call him, ask him to lunch, something." Alva removed her lipstick from her bag.
"As a matter of fact, we're going to get together tomorrow afternoon."
Alva's mouth turned down at the corners. "Let me guess. To discuss a case." She snorted in disgust. "I expect that from you, but I'd think a guy that looks like Matt Penrose would want to do more than discuss a case on his day off."
Alva removed the cap from her lipstick and started to apply the frosted bronze color then stopped as if struck by a thought. "Oh, no. He's married, isn't he, Jen? Great. You finally meet a guy and he's married!"
"Settle down, Alva. He's not married. Not even attached." Jennifer dropped her lipstick back in her purse. She'd made a point to look up his biography at the GYN clinic's website.
Things would work out. She'd prevented Alva from
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