Page 8 of Brainwashed
“I’ll do that right away, Doctor!”
Entering my office, I close the door behind me while Emily is still speaking, cutting off her rambles. I’ve considered firing her, but that would make five assistants in the last two years, and those numbers are a bit staggering. I just can’t seem to find someone who meshes well with my personality. All the assistants I keep hiring as recommendations are far too chipper, when really all I need them for iswork. That’s it.
I’m beginning to think my colleagues are doing it to me on purpose as a joke.
Hanging up my coat on the rack, I take a seat at my desk, powering on my computer monitor and clicking around my emails until Emily’s voice comes through the speaker.
“Dr. Love, I have Dr. Callahan for you on line one!”
I cringe, pressing the button and picking up my desk phone. “Callahan.”
“Love. How’s it going, pal?”
My teeth set.Here we go again.
“You called while I was at lunch?” I ignore his attempts at conversing and get to the point.
He sighs in my ear as if he’s displeased that I don’t want to tell himhow it’s going. But again, I’m not sure why he’s surprised. We’ve known each other since med school. He knows how I am.
“Yea, I did. We’re having a fundraiser. Actually, more of a charity auction. In three weeks,” he tells me.
“I’ll send a check,” I mumble while skimming emails.
“Well, to be honest, we were hoping you’d attend,” he goes on. “I know Felicia wants to see you, and there will be a few more J.H. alumns there…”
Tuning him out, my mind drifts to thirty minutes ago. To sitting in the cafe with Gabrielle across from me.
“I just think we want different things…”
“That’s not exactly true.”
“I’m talking about what we truly want, Lem. You can act like this is what you want until you’re blue in the face, but I can tell it’s not.”
“I don’t see how that matters.”
“You never want to do the things I want to do. The benefits, the activities… It’s a part of this lifestyle. But you’re just… uninterested. In all of it.”
My fingers dig into my thigh beneath the table.
“What interests you, Lemuel…?”
“Love!” Callahan shouts in my ear, and I snap out of it. “Are you there??”
“Yes. Sorry.” I shake my head. “I’ll have to think about it. Send over the details.”
I hang up the phone and stare at my computer screen while minutes tick by. Gabrielle’s words ring through my brain, and as much as I try, I can’t seem to shake them.
Of course, I know she was right. I’ve never exactly been interested in the things people in my position are supposed to want… Like friends, relationships, chats and lunches, going to events and making small talk with fake people who live to impress. Throwing money around while sipping expensive champagne, schmoozing the medical community and talking about all thegoodwe’re doing.
That’s not why I got into this. I’m not my father, or his father. No matter how much they wish I was.
“Dr. Love,” Emily squeaks over the speaker again. “I have your mother on the line.”
Oh, for fuck’s sake…
Taking a deep breath, I mumble, “Put her through.”
My line rings and I pick it up reluctantly. “Mother.”
