Chapter 38
Rebecca's Tales -- Part 3
Rebecca sat at the counter work station, finishing up the latest entries from Mrs. Peterson's examination, when her cell phone chirped. She pulled the device from her smock and checked the entry. It was from her daughter Audrey.
"We have to cancel. Sorry. Paul's in bed sick. Call me later."
Rebecca had been looking forward to dinner that evening with her daughter and son-in-law. Her son Carl and his fiancΓ© Nina had agreed to watch Jasper, her five-year-old grand-son, while she and her husband went out to the Texas Roadhouse with Audrey and Paul. She was disappointed at having her plans changed. Rebecca looked at her phone and debated passing the text on to her husband.
Rebecca was finding it more and more awkward to be around both her husband and son. Since she and Carl had started fooling around more than two years before, Rebecca had found she was less and less excited by her husband. Ron was still a handsome man, and his work out at the Gen. Bradley Research Center seemed to keep him fit enough. Unfortunately, his long hours had taken its toll and he seemed to rarely have enough energy to enjoy their life together. On those rare two-day weekends, Ron didn't really seem to recover until it was time to head back. With the up-coming 4th of July weekend, Ron would have a full four days to spent at home, and she was looking forward to giving a little something back to her husband. It had been more than a year since he had taken a vacation and Rebecca needed some time away from work, and Regal Bay all together.
With Carl now engaged to Nina Masters, Rebecca was finding that her son was paying less attention to her. Not that there was anything wrong with that, so realized. What had been wrong was engaging in a sexual relationship with her son in the first place. Even if he had been the instigator, at least at first.
And then Luke Vaughn came to mind. He had added something entirely different to her life, and promised more excitement. Rebecca hadn't paid that young stud a visit in a couple of weeks, however. In fact, she'd not been intimate with anyone in that time. "Damn! I need to get laid!" she murmured.
Rebecca closed out the file on Mrs. Peterson and checked the time. She still had two hours left in her day, though Dr. Charles, her direct supervisor, had already left for the golf course. Wednesday afternoons were all the same, and she recognized that she, too, could leave, letting the younger nurses finish straightening up the clinic. But Rebecca wasn't one to skip out on her duties. Usually.
"Hey, Angel," she called to one of the nurses as she passed by. "I'm going down to take a break. Can you keep an ear out for the phones?"
Angel Ridgeway, a younger nurse who besides being an accredited OB/GYN nurse, was also the mother of five. She was only 33 years of age, but motherhood had not been kind to her body. She was only 5'3" to begin with, but she was painfully skinny, in Rebecca's eyes, and looked older than Rebecca's own 48 years in her face. Angel could easily be handed her AARP card, should that company ever get a look at her, no questions asked. Despite her appearance however, Angel was a hard and energetic worker. She was also very reliable and was always willing to help around the clinic in one way or another.
"Sure, go ahead, Becky," Angel replied cheerfully. Angel was one of the few who insisted on using the shortened form of Rebecca. Her son Carl had also begun calling her Becky, at least when they were getting sinful. So did Luke.
"I'll bring you back a Diet Coke," Rebecca offered as she gathered her purse up from the under-counter cubby hole.
"That would be great, thanks," Angel replied as she settled into the chair at the reception position along the counter.
"I won't be long. I just need a cigarette and some fresh air."
"Now that's a contrary statement if I've ever heard one," Angel laughed behind her. Rebecca flipped her colleague the bird, and then used that middle finger to stab the elevator's down button.
Outside, Rebecca found a free bench just inside the shadow line along the walk. She had purchased a Sprite on her way out and twisted the cap off. After a long drink of the lemon-lime soda, she closed her eyes and settled back on the bench. She wanted a cigarette, but fought the urge. She was trying to quit. She'd also begun to spend more time in the hospital's rehabilitation gym working off some of her middle-age muffin top. She often wondered if it was for herself, or her son, that she was beginning to take her health a little more seriously of late.
Her cell phone rang, breaking her out of her relaxed state. She pulled it from her smock pocket and saw that it was Paul calling.
"Hello?" she answered.
"Hey, Rebecca! How are you?" Paul's voice came to her through the phone.
"Just taking a break. I got a text from Audrey. I guess you're too sick to go to dinner?"
"That's why I was calling," he replied. "I still think we could go out tonight. I'm not feeling all that bad, not with all the meds I've been downing. I took the day off to rest. In fact, I'm lying in bed right now, resting."
"Well, if you're not up for it, we can always try again Friday night."
"I haven't seen you in more than a month," Paul reminded her. "And, well, it's been longer than that since we, you know."
"Yes, Paul, I know." Rebecca was beginning to wonder where this was going.
"Well, I was sleeping," Paul continued, "and I had a dream with you in it. It was very much like our first time, you remember? But it was more like we are today. Older."
"You're obviously taking way too many drugs to be dreaming about this old woman," she replied.