Page 119 of Doctorshipped
“Just.”
If the fairy tale is Beauty and the Beast—we’ve got that one duplicated right down to the mob of rowdy townsfolk.
I look at Fiona. She gives me a lightly scolding look.
“If you’ll excuse us,” I say. “We need to get the frozen food home before it melts.”
Mabel looks in my cart, possibly assessing the scientific melting point of each item and how much time she has left to keep us hostage in aisle seven.
“Tell me, Doctor. What drew you to Jayme? Was it love at first sight? Or did your feelings build over time, what with her coming over so often to tutor?”
“Excuse me,” I say, holding up a pointer finger and grabbing my phone out of my pocket. I stare at the dead screen and feign interest in it as though I’ve just received an urgent message. My face may or may not look convincing.
I glance back up at Mabel. “I’d love to stay and chat. My doctoring duty calls.”
“Oh, of course. Of course. We’ll talk later. Maybe the girls and I will bring you a meal and we can really catch up then.”
I nod. Before Mabel can say another word, Fiona and I put the cart in reverse and do an awkward U-turn. I lean in and tell Fiona to run over two aisles to grab a loaf of bread and meet me at the checkout.
I choose the shortest line and avoid eye contact with anyone while I wait.
I haven’t even asked Jayme out on a proper date yet.
Pulling my phone out of my pocket, I send her a quick text.
Grant:Two things.
Jayme:Me and you?
Grant:Two of my favorite things.
Jayme:What two things were you texting about? And, by the way, I love when you text me.
Grant:Good to know. I don’t hate texting you.
Jayme:Stop it with the flattery.
I chuckle. If you counted up all the smiles and laughter I’ve had in my whole life before meeting Jayme, it wouldn’t add up to the number she’s elicited from me in these short three months, and especially these past few weeks that we’ve crossed the line into being romantically involved.
Grant: First, I want to ask you out.
I want to take Jayme on a real date. But, the problem is I’m getting more attention than Dwayne The Rock Johnson here at Kroger’s. I can’t imagine taking her to dinner without having to dodge the hordes of onlookers. We’d be in the spotlight the whole time.
Jayme:What did you have in mind?
Grant:Dinner at my place. Hazel could host Fiona and Dad for a night so we’d be alone.
Jayme:Dinner in?
Grant:Trust me, dinner out would be a fiasco.
Jayme:I know. People would be pulling up a chair to our table, or gawking and stalking our conversation from not-so-far away.
Grant:Exactly.
Jayme:Dinner at your place sounds good. What was the second thing?
Grant:Dad’s leaving in a few days. I’m driving him to Columbus. I thought maybe you could come with us to see him off. That way we could spend a day together outside Bordeaux. Fee will be in school.
