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“What? Slap onmakeup and wear heels to the clinic? Put on designer clothing to takecare of the sick?”
“You chose towork in that place.” She was reminded blandly. “I knowyou are trying to make a point, but you have already done so.”
Brooke could not helpbut laugh. Marjorie Campbell had a way of not seeing the point,especially if she did not approve of it. “You are priceless.”Shaking her head, she dug into her overpriced salad. The restaurantwas uptown and trendy, mainly catering to men wearing three-piecesuits and their very wealthy clients.
She spotted a fewcelebrities as well, not that she was in any way impressed orstarry-eyed. She would have preferred to be in her tiny office orsitting in the small lunch room with the peeling walls while updatingher patients’ files.
“I care forpeople who cannot manage that for themselves. The clinic is a refugefor people who are genuinely suffering.”
“And you aretheir crusader.” Her mother’s eyes flashed fire.
“That’sright.” Brooke refused to be cowed. “I am who I am,mother, and have no intention of changing. Now, about thatappointment-”
“I hardly askanything of you.” Picking up her water, Marjorie took a sip,eyeing her daughter over the rim. She was still wearing the dreadfulaquamarine scrubs she had worn for the clinic, not bothering tochange.
Her braids were piledon her head in a haphazard, and there was no makeup on her face, noteven a dab of lipstick. Marjorie had to admit grudgingly that evenwithout the artifice, Brooke managed to be exquisite. She had seenseveral men admiring her as soon as she walked in, and several werestill trying to get her attention.
Not that her daughternoticed, or if she did, she ignored the overtures. Seeing her wastingher life like this frustrated her as a mother. “I toleratedyour sense of independence that had you moving out of your home, andI cannot do anything about you wasting your life at that dreadfulclinic.
But if you do notattend this appointment, I will be disappointed. Is it too much toask? Am I not entitled to be a mother? Your mother? Or do I have totumble into that clinic of yours wearing rags for you even to spareme a glance or get your attention?”
Brooke had toacknowledge that no one laid on the guilt as thick as her mother. Shewas a master at the game. “I will be at the appointment, notthat I can spare the time, but to make you feel better and to get youoff my case, I will be there.”
“That’sall I am asking.” Marjorie bent a genial smile on her as shedug into her salad. “Don’t waste the meal. Not only is itexpensive, but it is delicious.” She gave Brooke a criticalonce over. “You look a little thinner than usual.”
“Why, thanks,Mother.” Brooke dug into the salad as she hastened to bringthis torture of lunch to its finale.
“Now let’stalk outfit.”
*****
“How waslunch?” Miranda gave her a sympathetic smile as she strode intothe clinic.
“Don’task.”
“That good,huh?”
“I brought youback some cherry blossom truffles.”
“Yum.”Eagerly reaching for the fancy container, she handed Brooke severalmessages.
“There is alsosomeone waiting for you in the waiting room.”
“Who?”She asked with a frown. After almost an hour with her motherdiscussing the proper outfit for the charity function, she was not inthe mood to visit with anyone.
“Detectivedelicious,” Miranda told her with a grin. “I told him youwere out to lunch, and he insisted on waiting.”
Biting off a sigh,she headed in the direction of the small room to see him drinkingcoffee and reading a magazine.
“Dan.”
Turning his head, heflashed her an admiring smile that was not lost on her. She was awareof his ‘crush’ on her. He had asked her out severaltimes, and she had turned him down. He was a nice enough guy,attractive in a non-threatening kind of way, but she was notinterested in a relationship. “I hope you don’t mind mywaiting.”
“I have to diveright in.” She indicated the overflowing room. A nurse anddoctor were helping out today, but the crowd was still thick.
“I can seethat. You are doing a hell of a job, Brooke.”
“Thanks. Howmay I help you?” She jerked her head and indicated that hefollowed her as she made her way to her tiny office.
