Country Gal Gone Wild - Chapter 17.1

On Friday, Ruby was not able to make it to Gavin’s office as planned. Her father’s shop had an unexpected surge in business that prevented her from keeping that morning appointment. It appears that the local police department suddenly needed tune-ups on their whole fleet of cars. Thus it was all hands on deck at the shop until well after three o’clock.

“You don’t have to keep apologizing, baby. I understand how unpredictable business can be. And if you’re too tired to see me after work, I’ll push past my disappointment and just see you tomorrow,” Gavin said when she called him for the third time that day to apologize.

“Tomorrow? Oh no, sir! You, Dr. Sweetwater, are going to see me today,” Ruby replied adamantly. “After the long day I’ve had, I need to see you in the worst or rather the best way. Can you squeeze me in an about an hour? I have to go home, shower, and change first.”

Gavin smiled at her eagerness to see him. It pleased him tremendously and turned him on. “I’m free at 4:30. You’ll be my last appointment for the day, so it actually works out great,” he said, perusing his appointment book.

“Wonderful! I’ll see you then.” Ruby sounded even more excited now.

Gavin grinned as he returned his cell phone to his right desk drawer. He didn’t care how late he saw Ruby today just as long as he saw her…hopefully, all of her. Until then, he went back to eating his late lunch – chicken pasta salad that he got from the diner down the street. It was delicious. He would definitely be a return customer because of that dish alone. 

While Gavin ate, he studied Ruby’s medical file. Based on that file, he now knew even more about her. He knew when she had chicken pox, her first broken arm, and both of her sprained ankles. He also knew the results of her last pap smear, HIV test, and the type of birth control she was on.  

That file backed up Ruby’s statements about being healthy, disease-free, and adequately protected. They discussed those things during the week because they were essential to having an open and honest marriage.
       Gavin was also healthy and disease-free. He brought a copy of his medical file to town with him. That way Ruby could also have proof of his status since she couldn’t request his professionally as he’d done hers.

Satisfied that they could now do away with condoms and be even more adventurous, Gavin closed the file and informed Mrs. Munsen, his gray-haired secretary, to add Ruby to today’s schedule at the new time.

“Uh…of course, doctor,” she said hesitantly.

Gavin frowned, wondering what her hesitancy was about. Was she distracted with something else? He hired her because she was pretty sharp for her age. Had that suddenly changed?

“And please tell Aussie that she can leave for the day. This last appointment is only a consultation.”

“Y…yes, doctor,” Mrs. Munsen said, sounding even more distracted.

“Thank you,” he replied, reminding himself to keep a closer eye on her as he hung up the phone.

Besides being his secretary, Mrs. Munsen also performed basic housecleaning duties around the place. She was efficient and organized and had over thirty years of dental/medical insurance experience.  

Gavin’s other employee was a middle-aged woman named Aussie Greene. Aussie was his dental assistant/hygienist. She specialized in children’s dentistry and had sixteen years of experience under her belt.

Gavin recruited Aussie from Cleavertown whereas Mrs. Munsen was from Blue-eyed Hollow. Both women were happily married, which had been a very important factor in hiring them.  

As a single man, Gavin did not think it wise to work too closely with unattached females. A failed relationship with a fellow dentist named Jenna Booker in Washington D.C. taught him the imprudence of doing that. When their personal relationship soured due to his busy schedule and preoccupation with obtaining his pilot’s license, so did their professional relationship.

Jenna could hardly stand to be in the same room with Gavin after their breakup. She didn’t mind letting everyone else know that either. As a result, his father’s medical association lost one of the best dentists it had at the time. He had no one to blame for that but himself.  

To try to make amends, Gavin worked extra hours at the dental firm. He also sent Jenna one last letter of apology. He apologized again for being negligent as a boyfriend and for causing her so much disappointment and pain. He also wished her well in her life. To his relief Jenna finally accepted that apology, but they both knew that they could never work together again. Last he heard she had opened up her own practice in Pennsylvania and that it was very successful.  

At 4:25pm, Mrs. Munsen gently knocked on his office door. “Your last patient of the day has arrived, Dr. Sweetwater.”

“Yes, come right in.” Gavin felt a grin of delight already forming on his face. He felt something entirely different forming below his belt. He took a deep breath to quickly restore his composure in every way.

When his door opened, Mrs. Munsen entered alone and closed the door behind her. That was odd. She usually brought patients to the back with her, formally introduced them, and then closed the door behind her, leaving him alone with the patients to privately discuss their dental needs and wants.

Now that Gavin thought about it, the only time Mrs. Munsen hadn’t done those things was last week when he had an appointment with Nancy. That day she left the office door open after escorting Nancy to the back.

“Dr. Sweetwater, before I bring Ruby Dee Hudson to the back, I think I should warn you again,” Mrs. Munsen began. 

Gavin frowned. “Warn me about what?”

“Well, sir, she’s just as loose as her friend Nancy, so you’ll do well not to be fooled by her beauty, either.”

Ahh…so that’s why she’d been so distracted earlier, Gavin thought. His frown deepened as he recalled that she’d been the one to warn him about Nancy last week.

That warning had come via a sticky note placed discreetly inside Nancy’s file and given to him an hour before she arrived. He had shown much appreciation for that forewarning. Not only had he thanked Mrs. Munsen for the heads-up, he also gave her a gift certificate to her favorite department store.  

She will not be getting a reward for today’s misguided word of caution, Gavin thought, about to give her something else altogether.

(c) 2014 by Mi'Chelle Dodson/Suprina Frazier 

Photo Credits:

http://boardofwisdom.com/togo/?start=431&viewid=1004&listname=beauty#.VHExV8mYeNE