Quality 'On Call' Time

Articles

Holly Winter
Living The Life Of Holly

Quality 'On Call' Time
July 5, 2003

“You think he’ll find something at the bar?” I asked the hostess. We were at the Fourth Story Restaurant, in Cherry Creek.

“I hope so.” She said. “I’m so sorry we’re booked all night. I can usually fit you in.”

Darlin-man came back from checking out the seating possibilities. “There are two chairs, but they aren’t together.”

“Can we move them closer?”

“Well. I think that YOU could rearrange everyone. Don’t know that I could…”

After a bunch of tapping shoulders and begging, I was able to recreate the seating arrangement so that the two empty chairs were together.

As soon as we settled into our seats, we heard the first ring.

“Sorry.” He said as he reached for his phone.

“Not a problem.”

He was on call. We didn’t usually date when he was on call, but he had made an exception.

I listened as he told someone to give some patient something and start some drips of something for some allotted amount of time. He was very focused when he was on the phone. I liked watching him work.

“I have a ninety three year old woman with a heart rate of thirty eight.” He said as he hung up the phone.

“Isn’t that a problem?”

He laughed. “Yes. It’s a problem. That’s why she’s in the hospital. Now. Tell me about this head butting.”

“Ok. So. This guy decides he wants to meet me, since you dogged me and didn’t show up…”

“I wanted to go, but you were out with the girls. You don’t need me when you’re out with the girls.” He said.

“Um. I’d rather be with you.” I said, leaning in for a kiss. “You kiss better than my friends do.” I joked.

“I’d like to see you kiss those girls.” He teased, kissing me back.

Yum. A nice kiss.

The phone rang.

“This’s Dr. Darlin-man.”

No problem. None at all. At least we were together, right? I listened as he gave medical instructions for another patient.

“What’s wrong?” I asked.

“It’s a shame you don’t care about my patients.” He laughed. “How much better it would be for me if you did.”

“What did they want?”

“They have a thirty four year old man with chest pains. They’re going to put him on a monitor.”

“Thirty four? Isn’t that a bit young?”

“Ok. You were ignoring the men at the club so one had to bang you in the head to meet you?”

“Yeah. He kept saying that he didn’t want to kill me, he only wanted to meet me.”

“I think that he wanted to kill you. You should’ve called the police.” He said, rubbing the huge black and blue lump on my forehead.

“His friends had to…”

His phone rang. “This’s Dr. Darlin-man.”

I sighed. At least we were together. This was way better than sitting home wondering when he was going to e-mail me, right?

He hung up and I kissed him. I kissed him again.

“Hey. Let’s take our food home and eat it there.” I suggested.

He motioned to the bartender who nodded and smiled. “No way. If I take you home you are going to want more kisses.” He said, leaning in for another kiss.

“No. I’m sure. When we get home, I won’t want to kiss you anymore.” I said, kissing him back.

We breezed into my apartment, dropped the food on the table, and started a long, hot, lingering kiss.

“I thought you weren’t going to kiss me.” He said, hoarsely.

“I forgot. What do you wanna do? Wanna play checkers, funny boy?”

His phone rang. “This’s Dr. Darlin-man.”

I stepped back and gave him room to work.

“Ok. Yes. Good. Yes. Start that. Perfect. Great. Ok. That’ll work. Bye.”

I leaned in for another kiss. Hot. Sweet. Long.

He moaned. “I have to go. That was a call. I have to admit a patient into the hospital.” He said. “He may need a stent or two.”

“Good.” I lied. “Really good. I was getting tired of kissing you.”

“I’ll be back in a few hours. I’m so sorry.”

“I’m glad.” I said. “I could use a break.” I handed him his dinner.

“I’ll hurry back, ok?”

No. I had no complaints. I mean. It was my idea that we hang out when he was on call. It was totally my idea that we try some quality ‘on call’ time.

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About the author: Holly Winter is a teacher and a writer and a flight attendant living in Denver, Colorado, USA. She can be reached at her website or email: Holly@livingthelifeofholly.com

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