***
Lisa finally left at around eight o’clock, and quite frankly, Sally couldn’t have been happier to see her go. Lisa on her best behavior was a handful. Lisa after recently discovering that she was the best friend of the Jillian Ashley was insufferable.
The day-long nap she had taken to cure her migraine meant that Sally was now wide awake. She had no idea how she would eventually fall asleep later but she’d cross that bridge when she came to it. Right now, with Lisa gone and her hunger sated with pizza, Sally was finally ready to curl up on the couch and watch British potters throw pottery.
Naturally, her phone rang.
“Hello?” she answered with a bit more edge to her voice than normal.
“Hello? Is this Sally?” a woman’s voice replied.
“Yes, it is. Who’s this?”
“Hi! This is Ainsley Janowicz. Um…our mothers work together and your mother gave me your phone number because she thought we might like to meet up, maybe have a drink?”
Fuck!
“Oh, Ainsley!” Sally said, trying hard to not sound like the pretentiousness of the name was grating on her every nerve. “Yes, Mom mentioned it. So glad you called!” It was a lie but Sally figured why be a bitch?
A breathed sigh of relief came over the connection.
“Oh, thank goodness! I’m pretty crap at doing this, you know. I mean, it’s not how I normally meet women.”
Sally figured Ainsley normally met women at tea parties on Mount Olympus. Still, though, she had to admit that Ainsley had a pretty sexy voice.
“Anyway,” the doctor continued, “look, I know that the last thing you probably want is a blind date but I have a feeling we have something in common.”
Nope! I’ve never been to Mount Olympus and I have a normal name!
“Really?” Sally asked. “And what do we have in common?”
“We both have overbearing mothers who will absolutely not let us live a moment in peace unless we meet for one drink.”
Sally laughed at that, which surprised her. She didn’t think anyone who dwelled on Mount Olympus even had a sense of humor.
“So, what do you say we at least meet for that drink, do our daughterly duty and get our two Moms off our backs? No pressure for anything else.”
Sally was smiling. She liked the way Doctor Ainsley thought. And even though she was certain having one drink with anyone named Ainsley would be as enjoyable as spending time with a chihuahua, at least Ainsley was acknowledging that this blind date was simply a chore to be got done with in order to shut their mothers up.
“I think that’s a great idea,” Sally told her, knowing that her voice telegraphed the smile still on her face.
“Fabulous! You’re in Carlsbad, right?” Ainsley then chuckled. “Don’t get weirded out. My mother, no doubt coached by your mother, told me all your vitals: let’s see, you live in Carlsbad; you’re a graphic designer; you’re five-foot-ten and have green eyes.”
Sally laughed.
“Did she include my social security number?”
“No,” Ainsley replied, “but at the least the criminal background check was negative.”
Sally laughed again, which alarmed her. She wasn’t supposed to enjoy talking to someone named Ainsley.
“Anyway,” Ainsley went on, “I live in San Diego but I know a great coastal bar about halfway between us, in Solana Beach. How about tomorrow night?”
“Oh, tomorrow is no good,” Sally said. “I hate to sound like an old lady but I have a super important meeting early on Friday morning with a client and I really want to make sure I get to bed early tomorrow night. I know that also sounds like the lamest excuse ever but I swear it’s true.”
Ainsley laughed.
“Fear not, I believe you and can relate. I always make a point to get to bed early the night before I have to do a procedure. How about Saturday afternoon, then?”