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“Red roses? I mean, they’re all fine and dandy, but don’t you think it’s more fitting to go with something a bit more unique? You know, like your wife?” Lexi chimes in. She always hated it when her ex-husband would send her red roses.
“Excuse me?” he says, panic filling his brown eyes.
“Look at those beautiful calla lilies over there. I’d get up and show you, but I’m a big fat pregnant woman, and I might have to pee for the eighteenth time this hour the second I stand up.” The poor guy actually pulls at the neck of his shirt as if it were choking him.
“You can pick whatever you like,” Payton says, trying to reel this sale back in. “The calla lilies are gorgeous and very unique, but the roses are timeless and classic.”
“Umm,” he starts, glancing around from woman to woman. “Maybe…I’ll take the calla lilies?” It comes out a nervous question.
“Good choice, champ! She’ll be putty in your hands and you’ll be sexing it up in no time,” Lexi adds right before shoving more pizza into her mouth.
Payton grabs the vase from the case, rings up the sale, and sends the customer on his merry way. Before he leaves, he gives us all one more long, uncomfortable look and practically runs out the door. “I think that went well,” Payton grumbles.
“I’m sure he’ll be back soon.” This from Abby.
“He wouldn’t survive five minutes with Grandma and Grandpa,” Lexi adds, making us all laugh.
“No shit,” Payton says.
“I only have ten more minutes before I have to get back to the school,” AJ replies, and together we all gather around the pizza and dive in.
* * *
Tuesday afternoon proves to be much busier than normal. Two dental emergencies showed up at the office, and when that happens, Dr. Adams does everything he can to accommodate the added patients. A hectic afternoon transformed into an even busier evening. Tuesdays are our late night, as we schedule patients through seven o’clock. Tonight, we’re just doing everything we can to get all of our patients taken care of.
When the clock strikes eight, Patty is ready to take off, only a few minutes after flipping the closed sign and shutting down the front office. Erika, the part-time dental assistant who helps Nick with procedures, leaves with her a few minutes after that. And as soon as I finish tidying up my room, sterilizing my instruments, and get everything set for tomorrow’s round of patients, I’m out of here too.
At eight thirty, I’ve finally completed my tasks. My feet are starting to ache, even though I get to wear comfortable tennis shoes all day, and I’m pretty sure there’s a bottle of wine in my near future.
Tuesdays are always the hardest for me. Sure, every day can be labeled as difficult, but this particular day of the week is downright excruciating.
Every Tuesday, Josh would get home from work, start a load of whatever had the biggest pile in the laundry room, and cook dinner. After we were done seeing patients, I would go home to my warm, cozy house, where my fiancé had dinner ready. He would ask me about my day, share with me a few tidbits of his, and we’d enjoy dinner and a movie together.
Every Tuesday.
And now those days are filled with emptiness and a Lean Cuisine microwave dinner. The television is on, but I don’t pay attention. I need it for the noise. The distraction. The familiarity. The entire house is hollow, just like my soul. It died the day my best friend and lover was taken from me.
Blinking back tears, I make my way to Nick’s office. He’s been fighting with the computer software company since the final patient left, and it looks like he’s not done yet.
I knock on his door and wave when I see the phone plastered to the side of his face. He looks beat. Even though he smiles as soon as I step into his office, the smile doesn’t quite light up his hazel eyes the way it normally does. His dark hair is standing up, as if he just ran his fingers through it. It does nothing to change the fact that he’s a very handsome man.
My heart actually does this weird tap dance in my chest.
I push it away.
“Hey, are you done?” he asks, moving the receiver away from his mouth.
“Yeah, I’m heading out.”
“I’ll walk you,” he says, standing up. This is something Nick has always done on the late nights, especially when it’s winter and dark by now. He won’t let any of us leave alone.
“No, you’re on the phone,” I tell him, adjusting my purse over my shoulder.
“I’m on hold. I suppose Patty and Erika already left?”
“Yeah, they left together a little after eight,” I reply, offering him a small smile as he runs his big hand down his tired face.
“Shit. Okay, I can set the phone down for a few minutes and walk you out,” he replies, starting to set the receiver on his desk.
