Greyson
After leaving the office, I sent a text to Henley Jacobs, one of my best friends who still lives here in Miami. I need to blow off some steam, and since he’s still single, Henley makes for the perfect one to do this with. We both have to work tomorrow, but nothing says we can’t go out for a few drinks. It’s not even work that I need to blow off. It’s that blonde bombshell named Sherry who’s driving me crazy. I can’t figure her out for the life of me. When I approached her today at lunch, she was lost in her own mind. She’s right about why we can’t have dinner, but she makes me want to break every fucking rule in the book to see her laugh again. Tomorrow I have lunch plans with Dad and intend to see if he can pull some strings with his buddies to get her in to see another doctor. Maybe then she just might give me a chance. Until then, I’ll have to admire her from afar. The whole drive toward the restaurant where I’m meeting Henley is a blur. I can’t get Sherry out of my mind. In the past, I’ve heard my friends talk about what it was like when they found the one who was made for them. The one they want to have their last first kiss with. The one they want to hold on to forever. Is she the one? That’s the biggest dilemma I’m being faced with. It’s not the rule breaking that scares me, we can get past that with a simple call or redirect of her appointments. Technically she’s my father’s patient, as I’ve not examined her. To her though, it’s crossing some line that she can’t see past. The simple fact that I want to turn my car around and head to my apartment just to see if I can catch a glimpse of her is driving me nuts. Instead, I push past it and find a parking spot.
Henley was and is still the player in our group. The one who will never settle down, leaving broken hearts in his path. Me, on the other hand, I dated the same girl in high school until a week after graduation. When I found her locking lips with a waiter at a restaurant we frequently ate at, I left for college early. I knew the rumors, but decided to ignore them as long as I could. I was a fool for thinking that at that young of an age you could find your one true love. In college, I dated a few times and had fun with the ladies, but nothing was serious. My primary focus was on school, and then moving to my residency. Until now, I’ve been able to avoid the love bug. It makes me wonder if Sherry has ever been in love. Do I have competition when it comes to that department? Is what I’m feeling love? Can you already fall in love this quickly? I push it down and remind myself it’s the chase that’s getting to me. The way that she refuses me with her voice, all the while her eyes are telling me another story.
Pushing it all down, I climb out of my car and head inside to find Henley. I’ve barely seen anyone other than patients and my family since I’ve been back. Maybe, just maybe I can forget about my little blonde bombshell while enjoying a nice evening. I spot Henley at the bar right away and move between the other patrons to reach him.
“What’s up, man,” he says as he gives me the one-sided man hug.
“Not much, dude. Just working and finding my feet. What about you?”
“Same as always, playing the field and getting laid.”
“You never change, do you?”
“Hell, no. I like what I like, and that’s my freedom. I heard you pissed Suzanne off, how’d you manage to do that?”
I hesitate before I answer his question. Do I tell him the truth, or make up some lame excuse for why she left and won’t respond to any text that I’ve sent? Instead of the real reason, I go with, “She didn’t like that I was tired and just wanted to hang. That girl has more stamina than a man.”
“That’s not what she said last night,” Henley says, raising his eyebrows at me, alerting me to the fact that he already knows what happened. “Want to tell me about her? I’ve known you for a long time, man, and I also know that you don’t walk away from someone like her.”
“Have you ever just wanted more? I mean, not a one or two-night stand?”
“You do know who you’re asking this question to, right?”
“I do, and I also know that one day you’ll settle down.”
“Maybe, but it’s not this week—that’s for sure. So what’s she like?”
We move down a little closer to the end of the bar where I order a Jack and Coke before I can get into this whole thing with Sherry and I. After downing over half of my drink, I find the courage to explain what has been happening and why she refuses to go out with me. Henley finds humor in the fact that a woman has actually said no to me. It’s not the first time, but it is the first that it’s taken this long to agree.
“You know what you need to do, Greyson?” Henley stops to take another swig of his beer before he turns toward me, grabs me by the shoulders, and continues. “Grab her around the waist and land those famous Davis lips on her. If you truly suspect that there is a connection, fit it in. I know you, and the old Greyson I grew up with had game. Did you lose it?”
“No, just haven’t had to use it in a long time.”
“I say go find it and don’t strike out, man. I can tell she’s under your skin, and for that I’m thankful.”
“Thankful, for what?”
“I don’t have to fight you now, there’s not enough single ladies for the both of us around here. Now, get out of here and go find your girl.”
Tossing down some cash on the bar, I pat Henley on the back and take off toward the parking lot. I don’t know if I’ll rush to her tonight, but I do plan to put a plan of action together.