Pretenders (Firsts and Forever 3)

“Pizza.”

“What do you like on it?”

“I’ll show you tomorrow night, over dinner.” He glanced at me, and I said, “I don’t think this is going to work if we just try to memorize a list of facts. We need to dive deep over these next few days. Otherwise, it just won’t ring true. Plus, we’re going to be spending a lot of time together once we’re in the South Pacific, so it’s best to get comfortable with each other now.”

“Okay, you’re right. Where should we begin?”

“I’m open to suggestions.”

He thought about it before saying, “We’re not far from my office. Would you like to see it?”

“Perfect. Tell me about your medical practice on the way there.”

As we turned a corner and headed toward the Embarcadero, he said, “After we finished our residency on the east coast, my friend Darrah moved home to San Francisco and took over her dad’s practice because he was retiring. She was inundated with patients, so after the breakup, she convinced me to move here and work with her. It was just what I needed at the time, a total change of scenery.”

“Do you like San Francisco?”

“It’s beautiful here, but it’s also pretty lonely. Darrah’s a newlywed so I try not to be a third wheel, and I’ve only gotten to know one or two other people. Besides the fact that I’m not very outgoing, I also haven’t made an effort to put down roots. I’m just not sure if I’ll be here much longer.”

I asked, “Are you thinking about moving back to the east coast?”

“That’s a possibility. I wouldn’t go back to New England because there are too many bad memories. But my mother’s been pushing hard for me to accept a position at a prestigious children’s hospital in Washington D.C.,” he said. “She’ll definitely bring it up next week, so I’ve been trying to decide if that’s what I want and where I belong.”

He seemed so lost. Impulsively, I grabbed his sleeve, and when he stopped walking and turned to me, I drew him into my arms. It was almost like he didn’t know what to do at first, and that made me sad. Maybe he hadn’t been hugged much in his life. But after a few moments, he relaxed into it and lightly rested his hands on my waist.

When I let go of him and we started walking again, he asked, “What was that for?”

“I don’t know. It just seemed like you could use a hug.”

He thought about that before saying, “Thank you.”

We reached the Embarcadero a few minutes later. The cluster of tall buildings near the edge of the bay housed an upscale shopping center on its lower floors with offices above them. I followed Wes to a medical office on the fourth floor. He unlocked the door, then held it open for me and said, “Wait here a minute. The alarm and light switches are on the far wall.”

He hurried through the dimly lit waiting room, and when the lights came up I murmured, “Oh, this is so sweet.”

An adorable yellow Victorian-style playhouse took up almost a third of the spacious waiting room. I climbed inside and sat on a tiny plastic chair. The interior was painted to look like a furnished living room, kitchen, and library, with some interactive elements.

After a few moments, Wes crouched down and looked through the window. “I love that you have this for your patients,” I said.

“Doctors’ offices can be intimidating for little kids. I’m glad I managed to talk Darrah into the playhouse, because I think it makes coming here a more positive experience.”

“Have you ever been inside it?” He grinned and shook his head, and I said, “Join me.”

It took a bit of effort to squeeze himself through the little doorway. He sat on the floor beside me with his elbows on his bent knees, and after a moment, he asked, “What are we doing in here?”

“Experiencing something brand new. That’s a thing with me. Every single day, I try to surprise myself by doing something I’ve never done before. When I woke up today, I never imagined I’d end up sitting in a cute playhouse with a new friend.”

“Is it hard to find something new every day?”

“Not in this city. Yesterday, I went to a trendy dessert café and ordered eggplant ice cream.”

He asked, “Was it good?”

“Oh, hell no. it was absolutely disgusting, but I’m not sorry I gave it a try. On Friday, I discovered a tiny museum dedicated to vintage porcelain dolls, which was super creepy.” I shuddered as I remembered it. “The day before that, I was feeling lazy, so I hid in bed and poked around on YouTube until I found some music I’d never heard before.”

When I glanced at him, Wes was studying me closely. “Do you keep a record of all your new experiences?”