Page 54 of Picking Pismo

While sterilizing his medical instruments at the end of the day, David heard Sarah approach. She leaned against the door frame leading into the storage room. “So…” Sarah said. “I’ve been speaking with my boyfriend on ways to help you dig yourself out of this hole you’ve gotten yourself into…”

Closing the door to the sanitizing machine, David pressed the start button. “Since when do you have a boyfriend?” He leaned against the counter, folding his arms.

“Since like a month ago.” Waving it off, Sarah took a step into the small storage room. “But we aren’t talking about me.”

“I can’t let you off that easily.” David raised an eyebrow. “You have to at least tell me where you met him.”

“Here,” stated Sarah. She held her gaze steady as if challenging him to question how it. “He’s a patient. He had braces as a kid, but he lost his retainer and his teeth moved. He ended up with Invisalign.”

“Which patient?” asked David.

Sarah scratched her head. “Dylan,” she said, shifting her weight.

David only had one adult patient named Dylan. “Dylan Mutton?” asked David.

“Yes,” said Sarah.

“If I remember correctly, he works at the resort down at the far end of Pismo,” replied David.

“Yes, he’s the hotel manager, because his family owns the place, but, Dr. Clark.” Sarah raised an eyebrow. “We aren’t talking about me right now. I’m trying to tell you how to win Claire back.”

Uncrossing his arms, David stood straight. “Oh right…”

“So,” continued Sarah, “when does Alexis come back for her final appointment?”

“In two weeks,” replied David without hesitation. He’d been secretly counting down the days until they both came back to Pismo. “I’ve been talking to Claire every night on the phone. That’s something, right?”

Sarah beamed. “You’re better off than I thought. Please continue talking to Claire every day. Make sure you ask her lots of questions about her life and then listen. Also, you need to ask her out and plan a proper date for when she’s here. On the date, you confess to her how you feel about her.”

Nodding, David slowly exhaled. “I think I’m in love with her.”

Sarah’s eyes dilated. “If that’s the case, when Claire’s here you need to tell her you’re in love with her. After you tell her, then you can ask her to come back to Pismo to live.”

The idea halted him in his tracks. David ran a hand down the length of his face. How could he ask Claire to return to Pismo? Her job was in Los Angeles. Even if he did love Claire, it didn’t mean she loved him back or was anywhere near uprooting her life yet again for them to be together. His knees became wobbly as his head spun in a tizzy.

“I—I don’t know,” stammered David. “I can’t ask her to do that. She’s already told me she doesn’t have the money to move back.”

Sarah tsked. “Then you’re going to figure out how to help her with that too.”

David bit the inside of his cheek. “And what do you suggest?”

Sarah rolled her eyes. “I can’t do everything for you, boss.” She threw her hands down at her sides. “You’re smart. You’ll figure it out.” Then she didn’t linger and left.

David stayed in the quiet of the storage room. He wanted Claire back, but how was it feasible for them to be together? But then a brilliant idea popped into his head, and he wondered why he hadn’t thought of it sooner.

CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

Every day after work, Claire counted down the minutes until David called. It was always in the evening before Alexis went to bed. He always spoke to Alexis first. During their conversations, it was the only time Claire saw Alexis’s smile or her laugh. Alexis was miserable in Los Angeles.

Claire’s days were busy and chaotic. She’d shuttle Alexis to the dance studio, race to work, spend the entire day helping clients, rush home to make Alexis and her something for dinner. By the time the evening rolled around she was zapped. Claire appreciated Mom more than ever. All those years as a single mom, Claire wondered how she made it look so easy.

So, once the dinner dishes were done, and Alexis and she settled on the couch together to watch a home renovation show, Claire looked forward to one thing--David calling. He always listened patiently, encouraging her. After their conversations ended, Claire felt reinvigorated.

A week before their final return to Pismo, Claire was talking to David on the phone. It was past eleven, and Alexis had fallen asleep an hour earlier. Claire lounged on the sofa with a blanket sprawled across her legs, and the TV muted with some PBS Masterpiece classic playing.

“Claire…” David said after a slight pause in their conversation.

“David…” Claire replied.

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