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He waved his hand dismissively as he slid off the exam table. “You would’ve gotten to it had I not needed surgery. Don’t blame yourself.”
“Fair enough. Also, we’re not old. Not even close.”
He laughed. “You probably think the eighties were twenty years ago, don’t you?”
“Are you telling me they’re not?” I put my hands on my hips in an exaggerated move. “How rude.”
We both laughed, but I grew serious again. “I promise I’ll send you a list of therapists.”
“I know you will. Also, thank you for being there for me when I was sick.”
“Of course.” I struggled with what I needed to say next. It was crucial to set boundaries, both for his sake and mine. “But, Tomás, I need to make something clear. If we’re sleeping together, I can’t be your doctor. It’s a direct violation of the oath I took as a doctor, and I can’t compromise my ethics like that.”
“I wouldn’t expect you to.”
“The problem is that the number of family doctors in the area has dwindled, and most practices are full. It may be hard for you to find one that will accept you as a new patient.”
“But you would take me?”
“You live in Forestville. I don’t turn down anyone who lives here. That’s like an unwritten code. But I’ve had to say no to patients from surrounding towns because I already have more patients than I can handle, and that’s the reality for all doctors in our area.”
“Gotcha.”
The moment of truth. “Which means you’ll have to choose between me as your doctor or me in your bed.”
I held my breath, waiting for the verdict.
“Which one would you prefer?” Tomás asked.
Dammit, he wasn’t supposed to turn that question right around to me. “That’s not for me to say.”
“Of course it is.”
“I don’t want to make that choice.”
“What makes you think I do?”
“I can’t make that choice!” My raised voice shocked us both, and I took a deep breath. “Sorry, didn’t mean to yell at you.”
“That wasn’t yelling. That was making your point.”
“I can’t make that choice, Tomás,” I said, softer now. “Please don’t force me to.”
He studied me for a moment longer, then nodded. “Okay, then I will. I’ll find a new doctor. I’m generally healthy anyway. Plus, and I don’t say this to brag, but I have money. In my experience, that opens doors. It shouldn’t, but it does.”
I blinked, my brain still stuck on his second sentence. He was willing to find another doctor? “You prefer me as a sexual partner over having me as your doctor?”
“Is that so unexpected? You’re a great doctor, Fir, but as a doctor, you can be replaced. As a sexual partner? Not quite so easily. I like what we have going on.”
A fire lit up inside me. “I do too.”
“Yeah?”
“Do I need to be concerned about memory loss, since you don’t seem to remember how much I enjoyed myself with you at your birthday party?”
He held up his hands. “Point taken.”
“But yes, I am glad you chose me as your hookup and not as your doctor.”
