smiled, drumming her pencil on the legal pad. "Are you lonely?"
He released a heavy sigh, his eyes on the carpet now. "Yeah, I suppose. I’ve been with Rhea for so long, she’s like a habit. A bad one, I guess. Hmmpf."
"Good analogy. Maybe it’s the companionship you miss. Having that other person around. Someone special?"
"I always...I never thought I’d be divorced."
"Well, we can’t always predict what life has in store for us. Have you dated? Gone out at all?"
Did sex with Bettina count? "No."
"Ty, I’m going to make a very bold suggestion. Go on a date, get laid! You’ve been divorced for nearly four months. Maybe it’s time to get your feet wet and remind yourself that not all women are like Rhea."
"With who?"
"Don’t you know any single women?"
"No, not really. My wife...my ex-wife said I was a terrible husband and a lousy lay. That doesn’t really leave a man feeling sociable." Despite the fact he’d given her anything and everything she’d ever asked for and demanded nothing in return. He circled around the desk and sat back down. "I’m sure Momma knows some girls from church, but you ever get that creepy feeling you’re being watched? That’s how I feel when I go into town for anything. Even the old men playing checkers at the feed store snicker at me! And the dancehall, I feel like everyone’s just waiting...A man’s got his pride, doc!"
"Who says you have to go out with a woman from Bluebonnet? You have all of San Antonio and South Central Texas to pick and choose from. Or better yet, sleep with a woman from Bluebonnet just to set the tongues to waggin’ in another direction," she added with a conspiratorial grin. "Ty, you’ve got to realize in the grand scheme of things, what the folks of Bluebonnet, Texas think of you doesn’t matter."
Yeah right. Tell that to his mother who switched grocery stores after shopping at the same one forever. "Alright, fine. But what if I am a bad lay?" He felt a twinge of shock at his own boldness, but hell, that’s what he paid her for. What if Rhea was right?
‘Bettina didn’t complain,’ a little voice whispered. It wasn’t like he could ask Betti if he was good in bed. Could he? Betti didn’t hang around Bluebonnet. Wanted the hell out of Bluebonnet. And had only had sex with him because of Tim, so he wasn’t sure it counted.
"I mean, how do I know I’m not bad in bed?"
Dr. Ritter smiled at him as if he were a child. "Ty, do you think you’re the only man who’s ever worried about that? All men worry about their performance. It’s the equivalent of women worrying about the size of their behind."
"Dr. Ritter," a disjoined voice said.
"Times up, Phyllis?"
"Yes, ma’am."
"We’ll be right out," she said, standing. "Consider it, Ty. A lover or just some sweet thing to spend time with. I’ll see you next week."
"See you, doc." Ty stood also, shrugging on his jacket, his anxiety over Betti returned full force. He’d have to try and call her again once he reached the truck.
He confirmed next week’s appointment, took the elevator downstairs and exited the hospital annex into the late morning chill.
Back in the truck, he sat on the edge of the seat with the door swung wide open, ticking off the rings. Looking up, he briefly wondered whether Dr. Ritter could see him from ten floors up.
"It’s a great day at The Blue Moon!" a cheerful voice sang out, startling him.
Blue Moon? "Is Bettina there?" he barked. Then forced himself to pull it together.
"She’s with a customer. May I take a message?"
"Tell her it’s...never mind. Where ya’ll at?"
"Come again?" Cheerful asked.
"Where are ya’ll at?" He enunciated each word.
"We’re on Wurzbach, sir. Right off of I-10."
That was right on his way home. "Fine. I’ll just come by."
"But sir—"
Hanging up on Cheerful, Ty headed for The Blue Moon while trying to figure out what the hell The Blue Moon was.
And what the hell he was supposed to say to Bettina? What if she was
He released a heavy sigh, his eyes on the carpet now. "Yeah, I suppose. I’ve been with Rhea for so long, she’s like a habit. A bad one, I guess. Hmmpf."
"Good analogy. Maybe it’s the companionship you miss. Having that other person around. Someone special?"
"I always...I never thought I’d be divorced."
"Well, we can’t always predict what life has in store for us. Have you dated? Gone out at all?"
Did sex with Bettina count? "No."
"Ty, I’m going to make a very bold suggestion. Go on a date, get laid! You’ve been divorced for nearly four months. Maybe it’s time to get your feet wet and remind yourself that not all women are like Rhea."
"With who?"
"Don’t you know any single women?"
"No, not really. My wife...my ex-wife said I was a terrible husband and a lousy lay. That doesn’t really leave a man feeling sociable." Despite the fact he’d given her anything and everything she’d ever asked for and demanded nothing in return. He circled around the desk and sat back down. "I’m sure Momma knows some girls from church, but you ever get that creepy feeling you’re being watched? That’s how I feel when I go into town for anything. Even the old men playing checkers at the feed store snicker at me! And the dancehall, I feel like everyone’s just waiting...A man’s got his pride, doc!"
"Who says you have to go out with a woman from Bluebonnet? You have all of San Antonio and South Central Texas to pick and choose from. Or better yet, sleep with a woman from Bluebonnet just to set the tongues to waggin’ in another direction," she added with a conspiratorial grin. "Ty, you’ve got to realize in the grand scheme of things, what the folks of Bluebonnet, Texas think of you doesn’t matter."
Yeah right. Tell that to his mother who switched grocery stores after shopping at the same one forever. "Alright, fine. But what if I am a bad lay?" He felt a twinge of shock at his own boldness, but hell, that’s what he paid her for. What if Rhea was right?
‘Bettina didn’t complain,’ a little voice whispered. It wasn’t like he could ask Betti if he was good in bed. Could he? Betti didn’t hang around Bluebonnet. Wanted the hell out of Bluebonnet. And had only had sex with him because of Tim, so he wasn’t sure it counted.
"I mean, how do I know I’m not bad in bed?"
Dr. Ritter smiled at him as if he were a child. "Ty, do you think you’re the only man who’s ever worried about that? All men worry about their performance. It’s the equivalent of women worrying about the size of their behind."
"Dr. Ritter," a disjoined voice said.
"Times up, Phyllis?"
"Yes, ma’am."
"We’ll be right out," she said, standing. "Consider it, Ty. A lover or just some sweet thing to spend time with. I’ll see you next week."
"See you, doc." Ty stood also, shrugging on his jacket, his anxiety over Betti returned full force. He’d have to try and call her again once he reached the truck.
He confirmed next week’s appointment, took the elevator downstairs and exited the hospital annex into the late morning chill.
Back in the truck, he sat on the edge of the seat with the door swung wide open, ticking off the rings. Looking up, he briefly wondered whether Dr. Ritter could see him from ten floors up.
"It’s a great day at The Blue Moon!" a cheerful voice sang out, startling him.
Blue Moon? "Is Bettina there?" he barked. Then forced himself to pull it together.
"She’s with a customer. May I take a message?"
"Tell her it’s...never mind. Where ya’ll at?"
"Come again?" Cheerful asked.
"Where are ya’ll at?" He enunciated each word.
"We’re on Wurzbach, sir. Right off of I-10."
That was right on his way home. "Fine. I’ll just come by."
"But sir—"
Hanging up on Cheerful, Ty headed for The Blue Moon while trying to figure out what the hell The Blue Moon was.
And what the hell he was supposed to say to Bettina? What if she was
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