Both Seth and Meagan turned in response to the greeting. A heavyset matron in a dress better suited to a somewhat younger woman surged toward them, towing a painfully thin man in an ill-fitting tuxedo behind her.
Glancing at Meagan, Seth could almost see her groping for a name. “Mrs., um, Clayton, isn’t it?”
“Clanton,” the woman corrected. “Olivia Clanton. You took out my gallbladder last fall?”
“Yes, of course,” Meagan said smoothly, smiling graciously at the couple. “How are you?”
“Well, I haven’t had any more trouble with my gallbladder, of course,” the woman replied with a laugh. “But I’ve been plagued with pain in my left shoulder something fierce. Do you think surgery would help it?”
“You should see your primary care physician, who will refer you to someone who specializes in whatever is causing your problem. An orthopedist or rheumatologist, perhaps.”
Not particularly satisfied with Meagan’s subtle brush-off, the woman went into more detail about the pain she encountered whenever she raised her left arm above her head. Her husband stood behind her, giving both Meagan and Seth wryly apologetic looks. Seemingly from experience, Meagan was able to extricate herself fairly quickly. Claiming to see someone else trying to catch her attention, she excused herself and nudged Seth in the opposite direction. He complied happily, leading her toward the silent auction tables.
“I guess you get hit up all the time for free medical advice,” he commented sympathetically.
She shrugged lightly. “Probably no more than you get hit up for free legal advice.”
He nodded to concede her point.
It turned out both of them knew quite a few people at the event. Considering they had a few mutual friends in the local professional community, it was actually rather surprising they hadn’t met previously. She introduced him to a few people, and he did the same for her. It didn’t escape his notice that people reacted somewhat differently when he added “doctor” to the front of her name.
She seemed quite comfortable making small talk with strangers, sharing air kisses with acquaintances, skillfully juggling champagne and hors d’oeuvres, politely applauding the trite speeches from the event organizers. He couldn’t help remembering how Colleen had thrived on this sort of occasion. If it had been up to her, they’d have attended some sort of social event almost every evening of the week. Networking was important to their careers, she had lectured repeatedly. They had to place themselves repeatedly in front of the social elite to be accepted as one of them.
That had been one of the issues that had caused the most friction between them. Seth had wanted to spend more evenings at home with Alice. He hadn’t been opposed to attending even one function a week, but more than that was too much for him. Eventually Colleen had started attending without him, though she never left without a complaint that her husband refused to support her career aspirations. He’d always considered that an unfair accusation. He’d done everything he could to support her, but he would not miss his daughter’s childhood to further Colleen’s ambition.
Out of the corner of his eye, he watched Meagan chatting and laughing with an acquaintance beside the silent auction tables while he tried to pay attention to the smug boasting of a couple of the law firm’s most prestigious clients. She seemed to be enjoying herself. He supposed she was glad to be out and about again, but he couldn’t help wondering if this was her idea of a good time.
Seth wasn’t much of a dancer, despite the classes Colleen had forced him to attend early in their marriage. She had insisted that learning to dance and to play golf and tennis were all crucial for anyone with aspirations of mingling with the professional and social elite. Still, he didn’t mind so much dancing with Meagan a couple of times durin
g that evening. She was very relaxed about it, which put him more at ease and he had to admit she fit very nicely into his arms. Those few turns around the small dance floor were unexpectedly turning out to be his favorite part of the evening.
Meagan was just full of surprises, he thought as they ended another pleasant dance and politely applauded the orchestra. The more he learned about her, the more he wanted to know. It seemed she was bewitching him as easily as she had his daughter. He couldn’t help worrying a little about the potential complications—for all of them.
Meagan was secretly relieved when Seth hinted he was ready to leave the charity gala somewhat early. He’d told her on the way in that he didn’t tend to stay until the end of a party, and she’d assured him that wasn’t her usual habit either. Usually, she’d added, she had to get away early because she would have to be at the hospital only a few hours afterward. Even though that wasn’t the case this time, she was still ready to leave as soon as Seth indicated they’d stayed long enough for his purposes.
All in all, it hadn’t been a bad evening. Seth was certainly a pleasant escort. The fundraiser had been for a good cause. She’d seen the social politics at work, of course; that was part of any society event. Plenty of kissing up and schmoozing, but that was as common in the medical world as in the legal or financial or other professions. She’d never been particularly interested in playing those games, settling instead for doing just what was expected to keep her active in her own professional network.
She’d concluded long ago that she would never have been happy with a socialite’s life, serving to bolster her spouse’s career or flitting from one charity event to another. She was so impatient to get back to her own work, to feel truly useful again. There had been parts of her enforced vacation she’d enjoyed, she thought with a glance from beneath her lashes at Seth, but she was glad there was only one week remaining before she could get back to the hospital.
Squirming a little in her seat, she felt her healing abdomen muscles protest the movement. She was frustrated by how quickly she still tired after her surgery. She was accustomed to going at top speed for long hours without feeling the effects until she crashed at home at the end of the day, to being on her feet twelve or fourteen hours a day without even being aware of the passing time. Now, after three hours at a standard charity function, she felt as though she’d just run a daylong marathon.
“How are you holding up?” Seth asked as he drove, suggesting he was not oblivious to the signs of her weariness, even though his eyes were focused on the road ahead.
She made an attempt to speak briskly. “I’m fine, thanks. Your partner’s wife put together quite an affair, didn’t she?”
“Yeah, she did a good job. I’m sure she had plenty of help, but still she can be proud of the results. She raised a tidy amount of cash for the shelter tonight.”
“Yes, she did. I know the donation will be greatly appreciated. My sister volunteers at that shelter sometimes, and they always need extra funds.”
“What does your sister do?”
“My sister’s a second-year resident in the psychiatry program. Mom works part time as a bookkeeper and serves as full-time caregiver for my grandmother. She needs the spa day worse than any of us.”
“Your sister is also a doctor?”
She nodded. “My brother, too. I tease them about following in my footsteps.”
“Three doctors in the family. Your mother must be proud.”