T.R.'s Tale - 4. Chapter 4

When I arrived at the clinic David was already there. I found him checking on the Irish Setter, Tammy. I had spayed her yesterday. When I walked into the kennel, David looked up and smiled. He didn’t just smile. It was like his smile reached out and grabbed me. He broke eye contact and let his smile lose its enthusiasm but was still warm.

David's smile slipped into an evil grin, “Morning T.R., how did you two sleep last night?” I was immediately embarrassed. How could he have known about Bill? My face took on that fucking crimson color that I hate. David was returning Tammy to her kennel so that he only saw my face after he latched the door and stood up. The emotions that ran across his face shifted from placid to shock to anger and back to placid. “Oh, I see. Excuse me I have some notes to dictate.” He stepped around me to the door and didn’t say anything else.

I went to my office and pulled up my patient schedule for the day. Nothing too challenging. Juanita was the next to arrive. She stopped in to say good morning and to let me know that today was Cassandra’s birthday and that there would be apple caramel spice cake in the kitchen to be cut, once everyone arrived.

I was a little distracted by my patient load but I couldn’t help but notice that David had twice avoided me this morning. Once in the hallway he actually turned and double back then in the reception area he actually walked out the front door rather than to speak to me. I decided that somehow I had offended him and this was only my second day here. I began to visualize myself and LBJ heading east. If I couldn’t have a good working relationship with one of the partners and someone who supposedly accepted my orientation, there was little hope for a bright future here.

By the close of business hours, I’d had enough. I finished dictating instructions for a hit and run victim that was staying overnight when I saw David hurry by, obviously leaving for the day. “David, can I get a minute of your time?” He had to have heard me and yet a moment latter I head the door slam. This did not look good. To be ignored has always been a pet peeve. I ran out into the parking lot just as he was driving away. I was pissed.

I called Bill and begged off dinner tonight. He was not happy but I assured him it was a work conflict. In fact I explained the whole thing. He was not thrilled with the idea that David knew about us so soon. But, he agreed I should talk to David. He even offered to go along with me. I didn’t think that would help, I thanked him profusely and asked if there were foods he didn’t like or couldn’t tolerate? Pineapple? Who doesn’t like pineapple? I didn’t say this to him… But pineapple?

I went back inside and talked to Doc. I explained that I wouldn’t be able to cook tonight but I would pick up something for dinner. Doc could hear the tension in my voice. He asked if I had a fight with “your young Trooper”. I assured him Bill would be coming to dinner tomorrow night. He told me not to worry; he would get dinner at Julie’s.

I checked at reception and got David’s address. David actually lived on the lake. I passed the cut off to the restaurant and was surprised to realize the place where Bill and I stopped was indistinguishable from any other spot alongside the road. Thinking about that had lightened my mood and that kind of pissed me off. I wanted David to know that I was upset by his behavior toward me.

It’s probably just as well. If I lose my temper I tend to say things I might later regret.

David’s house sat on the lake. His Tahoe was there so I had caught him at home. I had mellowed considerably and was ready to discuss “our” problem like an adult, even though his behavior had been childish. I knocked on the door nearest his vehicle. I could see a walkway lead to deck with a speed boat tied alongside. David answered the door in gym shorts and apparently nothing else. I couldn’t help but look. His chest was covered in soft swirly black hair. His nipples were large and seemed even more pink because of the black hair. He was not a gym rat but he sure had a nice body. He didn’t invite me in, he just stared.

Fighting a blush at obviously being caught admiring his body, I sputtered, “David, k, k, can I talk to you? It won’t take long. I figured I would stop by to say goodbye and that way I won’t have to show up at the clinic tomorrow. You and Doc can tell everyone there.” Don’t ask me where that came from. I don’t know, sometimes I shock myself. David was stunned.

“Maybe you better come in.” I stepped into his kitchen and shivered. The air conditioning let me know I had been sweating. I couldn’t figure out what could have made me sweat. I only walked from a cool LBJ to David’s door. I should not be sweating. The distinctive smell of sauteed onions and black pepper greeted me as we moved into the kitchen. David turned off a burner and asked if I would like a beer.

Beers in hand we moved to the great room. The house was well appointed with modern yet warm furnishings. My gay gene told me that was not a simple trick to pull off. Modern is easily cold. But this looked like it could be in a design magazine. Earth tones with a splash of color and very little black or white. I liked it.

“Nice room, David, your wife do the decorating?”

He motioned me to the sofa while he sat in an arm chair. “No, she never liked anything with clean lines. When she left she took most of her stuff with her.” At that he blushed and I could tell there was more to her leaving than just work. I also noticed that he had not used my name since his warm greeting this morning.

He pulled out a coaster and sat his beer down. “When did you decide to leave? I figured you found Doc’s hospitality very much to your liking.” This last statement was said with an obvious sneer.

“Actually David, I decided to leave while I was talking to you at your door. I can’t work in a place where a coworker avoids me and then blatantly ignores me. I don’t need that shit. I get that kind of treatment any day of the week from homophobes. I won’t stand for it in my workplace. So, I guess the best for all concerned is for me to leave.”

“Look…” He released a heavy sigh. “Your qualifications fill a real gap here. Your skills really do compliment mine and Doc’s. I ju…”

I cut him off. My temper was rising. “Look here, this has not a damn thing to do with my qualifications. I worked damn hard to get the training and background. I know I took on a greater load than ninety per cent of my classmates. I am also sure that my professors told you I was dedicated worker, a really good diagnostician and an excellent surgeon. This has nothing to do with whether I am qualified. You, Doc and I know I am highly qualified. Get to the point. This shit is personal. So forget the crap and cut to the chase. If you can’t, after all your assurances, work with a gay man, at least have the balls to say so.”

David smiled at my outburst. He sipped his beer, even as he did he kept his eyes on me. At last he sat his beer down again and looked directly at me, “Well, I can see when push comes to shove you’re not shy.” The teasing smile he had as he said that faded. “When you came in this morning you more or less admitted that you and Doc had some kind of sexual contact last night. I know I teased you about it yesterday… but this morning when I realized you two had connected… well it was, it is… just hard to accept. I mean if you two give me…”

I don’t know if I shouted as I jumped up or after,

“WHAT THE FUCK ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT. YOU STUPID SON OF A BITCH!!!

Are you out of your fucking mind? How did you get such an idea? You think because I’m queer I can’t keep my hands off of any man? Hell, why would I go for Doc when there is a hot stud like you around? Or maybe you’re jealous because you think I chose him over you?” Is stupidity your life’s ambition? You think a queer can’t sleep in the same house with a man without sucking his cock? What about you? You ever spend the night with your wife and not have sex?”

At this David jumped up and yelled, “Leave my sex life out of this. Whether or not I ever had sex with my wife is none of your business. You breeze in here with your charm and your good looks and everybody’s heart is all a ‘flutter. Doc may have fell victim to your charm but I damned sure didn’t. You same as admitted you slept with him this morning when you first showed up.”

I could have been knocked over with a feather. In fact I fell back onto David’s sofa. I am sure my mouth was gaping like the Grand Canyon and my eyes were bugging out so far they could lay on my cheeks… David thought.. Me and Doc… David… I couldn’t finish the thought. I about busted a gut I didn’t start with a twitter or a giggle, I started out with a gut busting roar. I can’t recall when I laughed so loud for so long. I was crying and cramping. I was actually in pain and couldn’t stop. The guffaws began to sound like sobs and still I laughed. I was rolling on the floor… no not metaphorically I mean actually rolling on the floor. I was in pain and still I laughed.

When I looked David was standing over me with his fists clenched. I think he really wanted to kick my ass. The snarl on his face was a fair indication.

I sprang from the floor and backed away. I extended my arms palms up to slow him down. I didn’t want to hurt him, but I wasn’t about to let him hit me.

“David, you misunderstood. I did not have sex with Doc.” Even saying that made me want to laugh again. “I met someone the first day in town. I was embarrassed because I thought you knew. Seems Julie knows everything about me and doesn’t hesitate in sharing personal information. Doc is a great guy but he is not my type. I don’t have a “Daddy” issue. I like guys my own age. I don’t feel like I did anything to give you the wrong impression. You could have just asked me if I had sex with Doc, or you could have asked why I was blushing.”

“David, you may want to kick my ass, for any number of reasons. I can’t allow that. I don’t want to hurt you, but more than that I don’t want to get hurt.” I am not sure he heard the last part about ass kicking. He had already begun to relax he moved back and fell into his chair.

“T. R., I don’t know what to say. I mean I was so sure that’s what your blush was telling me. The more I thought about it the more jea… angry I became. If I had come back when you called, I am not sure I could have controlled my anger. I, I, I don’t even know how to begin apologizing for being such an idiot.”

David continued, “I have a gay cousin, we grew up together, and he used to suck and fuck and get fucked by any man he could. He’s now some old guy’s sex slave and has “Sex Pig” tattooed across his ass. I know he’s not your average gay man, but when you blushed… well it wasn’t a mad leap at the time to figure you’d had sex with Doc. I don’t blame you for calling me an idiotic son of a bitch. I deserve much worse. I’m really sorry and especially for not giving you or Doc the benefit of a doubt.”

I relaxed my stanch and extended my right hand. David stood and approached me. He pushed my hand to the side and stepped up and hugged me. His face was in the crook of my neck and he whispered, “I am sorry. It hurt my feelings. I’m sorry.”

I was at a loss. For a moment I stood with my arms hanging at my side. Then I gave his back the traditional three hearty slaps as a signal he could let go.

He stepped back and I notice a slight blush. “Look, T. R., I know you didn’t get away to do any shopping. Why don’t you call Doc and I’ll just cook a little more pasta. You can make a salad and we’ll have dinner here together.”

I related my earlier discussion with Doc and David insisted I stay for dinner. He showed me around his house and we wound up on his dock. It was really neat; it had a retractable canopy and a retractable screened wall. It really was a nice house. It had belonged to some friends of Doc’s. “Damndest thing apparently they had some big business here in town and decided to sell out. I believe they’re running a bed and breakfast down in Galveston. I think one or maybe both are writers. I never got a straight answer from Doc. I know he goes down to see them every couple of months or so.”

We were sitting on his deck enjoying our second beers. David nervously looked over both his shoulders, as though about to share a secret. “I sometimes get the feeling something happened here, that this place may be haunted. Once in a while I’ll be sitting on the deck in the evening and a soft breeze will come up out of nowhere and I swear I hear a young man laughing. It’s the only time in my life I ever got chill bumps and felt good at the same time. I guess it's just being alone out here. Or maybe it’s just an echo on the water. I bet Julie would spin a big yarn about dead lovers or murdered children or some such shit.”

David exploded out of his chair, “Oh shit.” he dashed into the kitchen. I followed and watched as he removed a dry pan from a very hot burner. The pan had been filled with water for pasta. Now it was bone dry. I recalled what Doc had said about David couldn’t boil water without burning the pan. I held a straight face and vowed to say nothing of this to Doc.

The pasta was overcooked the sauce was from a jar with sautéed onions to perk up the flavor. The salad I made. The steamed broccoli was steamed until that pan too was dry. I decided David would be a regular dinner guest at Doc’s.

We spent the time talking about so many things. It was surprising how much we had in common. David liked muscle cars and insisted on checking out LBJ before the sun set. He was really impressed with the mural. He was even more impressed with hand rendered “wood” paneling on the side panels.

Shortly after dinner I made my excuses and left. We both committed to better understanding and more dinners together. As I was leaving David once again pulled me into a hug and once again I felt a little awkward.

Once on the road I called Bill. I told him what had happened. I was surprised when he simply asked, “Is David the man you were talking to in the parking lot?”

“Yes, that was David. What made you ask?” He mumbled some inane thing and then told me he had seen Doc at Julie’s. I began to wonder if I was the only man in this town who knew how to cook.

When I got home I was surprised when Doc handed me a plate of grilled chicken, mashed potatoes and spinach au gratin. He explained, “I figured you boys would have some talking to do after today. I told you David doesn’t know how to cook. What did he serve?”

When I said pasta, Doc began laughing, “You thought I was kidding about him burning the pan. That boy has gone through more than a few pots and pans. I think for Christmas I will get him an electric pasta cooker.” I stilled my tongue and made no derogatory comments concerning David’s culinary skills.

I was impressed that Doc did not ask any questions. I also began to wonder if I could have any secrets in this town. I ate the dinner.