There Are No Men by Carol Maloney Scott

Author:Carol Maloney Scott [Scott, Carol Maloney]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Fiction
Published: 2014-07-30T04:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO

He makes his way through the crowd of wide eyed gawkers with surprising ease. “Claire? I’ve been searching all over for you! I’m so glad I found you.”

Nathan takes my hand and helps me off the bar stool, looking at me as if appraising a diamond. I navigate the short drop from the stool to the ground without twisting my ankle, and immediately notice that he’s still taller than me. His dark hair is sleeked back and he’s wearing black slacks and a striped button down shirt, with the cuffs slightly rolled up. He does resemble a younger Alec Baldwin, only slimmer and more expensive looking.

“Yes, I’m Claire. I was looking for you, too. I think half the people in Richmond are here tonight,” I nervously reply.

“I know, it’s crazier than the downtown ER on a Friday night, except no one is bleeding.” He laughs at his medical joke. “Let’s see if we can find a quiet corner somewhere to get better acquainted, shall we?” He takes care of ordering a fresh drink for me, as well as paying my bar tab. I protest but he ignores me. For once maybe I should just let a man take care of me and enjoy myself.

Miraculously, we find a corner table towards the back edge of the patio. It doesn’t have a great view of the water and that’s probably why it’s empty. However, I don’t think either one of us is interested in the lake any longer. As we set our drinks down, Nathan pulls out the chair and I work on climbing up on the seat gracefully.

“So this was a great coincidence that we both joined this group around the same time. I was hesitant to call you. Melanie means well, but as a doctor I do need to be careful of my professional reputation when dating.”

I stop staring into his deep brown eyes long enough to say, “It was weird for me too when she told me about you. I was getting dressed at the time, after all.” I laugh and blush a little. I can hear Rebecca’s voice in my head telling me to loosen up. “I had honestly forgotten all about that exchange and assumed you weren’t going to call, or maybe she had decided against giving you my number after all.”

“Thank goodness she did, and I saw your name and made the connection. So tell me a little about yourself. I’m dying to get to know the real Claire.”

He has a dazzling smile.

I shift in my seat and begin to tell him the usual information—occupation, family background, I’m from New York, etc. I am starting to bore myself with my story and I’m leaving out all the personal parts, such as my divorce and hysterectomy. I suddenly panic—maybe Dr. Mason or Melanie told him, but that would be super unprofessional and decide against it.

“You’re from New York, too? What a coincidence. I was born and raised in Brooklyn and started practicing medicine in Manhattan. I

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