Elsie's heart was thumping loudly inside her rib cage. Her mind whirled. The kiss had sent a tidal wave of emotion inside of her. It was exciting and made her feel young. It reminded her of her first kiss, or at least the way her first kiss had made her feel.
“I guess you're technically right,” she said, nervously fidgeting her hands.
“Look, Elsie, I know that we both feel something for each other, and it's more than just friendship,” Oliver said. “I felt drawn to you from the moment I met you.”
“I know, Ollie. I feel the same way,” she said. “It's just horrible timing. For the last few months you've been my patient, so I haven't been able to express my feelings. But now that you're not my patient and I finally can express how I feel, you're leaving to go home. I like you a lot. I really do. There's nobody else who I feel I can talk to the way I talk to you. But you're not going to be here for very much longer. And after that, then what?”
“Elsie, if I learned anything from that car accident, it was that life can change suddenly and when you least expect it,” he said, pushing a strand of her hair off of her forehead. “I don't know what tomorrow will bring and either do you. Nobody does. But I do know how you make me feel and that's something that's not up for debate. I'm happiest when I'm with you. I may only have a week left here, but I want to make it the best week ever. I don't want to hold back any more. There's something special between
us and I want to explore that. As far as the future, why not just let the chips fall as they may? Because regardless, none of it is guaranteed.”
“I had no idea you were so deep,” she said, smirking. “Seriously, Ollie. I've never heard you say anything so poetic.”
He smiled. “I was lucky enough to get a few smarts from my brother. He didn't take all of the intelligence.”
Maybe he's right. Maybe there's something to be said for just letting go and having fun. The future is never certain. Uncle Frank's cancer has taught me that. But still, I don't want to get hurt. I don't want to just be another fling or a notch in Ollie's bed post, she thought.
“What are you thinking?” he asked, his blue eyes on her face.
“How do you know I'm thinking something?” she replied.
“I can just tell. You do this thing with your eyes when you're deep in thought,” he said, placing his hand on top of hers. “You squint ever so slightly and look up. You do it all the time.”
“I'd be a horrible poker player, wouldn't I?” Elsie giggled, feeling embarrassed about how obvious she was.
“Horrible,” he agreed, with a smile. “So what were you thinking?”
Elsie sighed. “I was thinking that I really like you and have since our first session.”
“Is that all?” Ollie asked. His thumb made small circles on her hand, creating warmth that coiled in her belly and begged for more.
“No, there's more,” she said. “I was thinking about how badly I wanted you that time you took your shirt off for your massage and how much will power it took for me to maintain self-control. I was also thinking about how nice it was to have you there to talk to when my uncle was diagnosed with cancer. But that's still not all.”
Oliver raised his eyebrows, waiting for her to finish.
“It's just that... I don't want to end up being some statistic for Oliver Lance's scoreboard,” she confessed. “I don't want to be someone you just have fun with and then go home, never to think about again. I've been that girl before and it hurts. It hurts bad. I can't do that again.”
“I'd never hurt you,” he said, with deep sincerity. “Besides, all I'm asking is if I can take you out on one date this weekend. A real date. Not just having you come over so we can watch TV, but a legitimate date. If you don't want to, I understand. But I have to ask, because if I don't, I'll kick myself for the rest of my life.”
She narrowed her eyes, evaluating him for a moment. How can I possibly turn that down? Plus, it's just a date. A casual, fun date. And anyway, it might be nice to get to spend a little bit of relaxing time with him before he goes on his way.
“Okay. Yeah. I'd love to go on a date with you, Ollie,” she finally said. “That sounds fun.”
“Really?” he asked, his eyes widening. “You will?”
Elsie nodded. “Yes, of course I will. Besides, it's like you said, I'm not your doctor any more.”
“I can still call you 'Doc' though, right?” he asked, chuckling. “I'll plan the whole thing. All you have to do is be ready by six o'clock Saturday evening. I'll pick you up.”
Elsie looked confused. “Pick me up? How? You don't have a car and any rental place is sure to recognize you.”
Ollie stood up from the weight bench and proudly put his hands onto his hips. “Hey, just because I've been slightly disabled over the past few months, doesn't mean I haven't made any friends. The nice farmer who lives next door stopped by a week or so ago and we chatted. He offered up his mode of transportation and I told him I might take him up on it if an opportunity arose. Well, here's the opportunity.”
“Neighbor? There aren't any neighbors around here,” Elsie said.
“By neighbor, I guess I mean the neighboring farm,” he explained. “Johnny Jones was his name, I believe. He lives a few miles from here.”
Elsie smiled while she watched Oliver's excitement. Somehow, he'd managed to make a connection in her small town. Apparently, it was a connection that offered him transportation too. He was nothing if not resourceful.