poised—”
“She’s not Alaska.”
“What kind of name is that?” she snapped. “She’s a good for nothing hippie.”
“She’s a beautiful and talented artist.”
She grabbed her purse from the back of the chair. “You will have dinner with her and you will take her home.”
“No.” I held my ground.
“Then she’ll have to walk. Come on, Bill. Let’s go.”
You’ve got to be kidding me.
My parents left, leaving me alone with Clementine.
Whether I had a girlfriend or not, I wouldn’t leave a girl stranded. I sighed then sat down across from her. “I’m sorry about that…”
“It’s okay.” She looked down at her hands then turned back to me. “They just asked me to meet their son. My parents pushed me into it too. I know how you feel.”
At least she was cool about it.
“So, you have a girlfriend?”
“I do. And I love her.” I wanted it to be clear this was not a date.
“Your parents don’t accept her?”
“If she doesn’t have an MD, she isn’t good enough.” I clenched my fist just thinking about it.
“Geez, they sound like my parents. When my dad found out I was dating a guy in a band, I thought he was going to put a hit on him.”
I laughed. “That sounds close to home.”
She rolled her eyes. “Right.”
“What happened to him?”
“He went on tour and we broke up. I wanted to go with him but my parents insisted I stay in school. Totally lame. I wanted to see Europe but they insisted I would see it some other time. Like when? When I’m forty and boring?”
I laughed again. “Yeah, it makes me wonder what I would have done with my life if I wasn’t pressured to be like my father.”
“Me too.”
The silence descended on the table. Since we were here, we may as well have dinner. And she seemed pretty cool. “Would you like to have dinner with me?” I asked.
“We’re here, right?”
“Yeah.” I relaxed while I sat across from her.
“Tell me about your girlfriend.”
“Her name is Alaska.”
“Cool name.”
“Yeah. She’s a freelance photographer. She’s beautiful. She’s warm. And she’s everything I ever wanted in a woman.”
“She sounds wonderful.”
“She is.”
“It’s a shame your parents don’t approve.”
I rolled my eyes. “I don’t care. If my parents push me to the point where I have to disown them, I will.”
“Wow…you really do love her.”
“More than anything.”
“Your parents will see that and eventually accept it.”
“I don’t give a damn if they do or don’t.”
The waiter came to our table and took our order. When we were alone again, I asked her about her experience in emergency medicine. She and I had a lot in common. We even had the same personality. She was actually really cool. Perhaps if my heart wasn’t already taken something could have happened. But I was more than happy with the girl I fell in love with.
“Are you seeing anyone now?” I asked.
“No.” She sighed. “My parents know everyone, so if they spot me with ‘trash’ they’ll know about it then give me hell. I can only spend time with my future husband. If he isn’t good enough to marry, I shouldn’t spend time with him.”
“I’m glad I’m a boy. I messed around a lot and my parents never drilled me for it. But they did it to my sister.”
“What’s wrong with just wanting to go to a bar and hook up? I’ve done that a few times but didn’t use my real name. It’s ridiculous. Let me make my own mistakes and learn from them. Geez.”
I laughed. “I feel like we’re different versions of the same person.”
“What would you have pursued if you weren’t pushed into medicine?”
I never thought about it before. “I’m not sure. My parents bred me to be a doctor since I was little. I’m not even sure what my other passions are. What about you?”
“Music. I’ve played the violin all my life but I’ve fallen in love with my guitar.”
“A musician…I can’t think of a worse career to please your
“She’s not Alaska.”
“What kind of name is that?” she snapped. “She’s a good for nothing hippie.”
“She’s a beautiful and talented artist.”
She grabbed her purse from the back of the chair. “You will have dinner with her and you will take her home.”
“No.” I held my ground.
“Then she’ll have to walk. Come on, Bill. Let’s go.”
You’ve got to be kidding me.
My parents left, leaving me alone with Clementine.
Whether I had a girlfriend or not, I wouldn’t leave a girl stranded. I sighed then sat down across from her. “I’m sorry about that…”
“It’s okay.” She looked down at her hands then turned back to me. “They just asked me to meet their son. My parents pushed me into it too. I know how you feel.”
At least she was cool about it.
“So, you have a girlfriend?”
“I do. And I love her.” I wanted it to be clear this was not a date.
“Your parents don’t accept her?”
“If she doesn’t have an MD, she isn’t good enough.” I clenched my fist just thinking about it.
“Geez, they sound like my parents. When my dad found out I was dating a guy in a band, I thought he was going to put a hit on him.”
I laughed. “That sounds close to home.”
She rolled her eyes. “Right.”
“What happened to him?”
“He went on tour and we broke up. I wanted to go with him but my parents insisted I stay in school. Totally lame. I wanted to see Europe but they insisted I would see it some other time. Like when? When I’m forty and boring?”
I laughed again. “Yeah, it makes me wonder what I would have done with my life if I wasn’t pressured to be like my father.”
“Me too.”
The silence descended on the table. Since we were here, we may as well have dinner. And she seemed pretty cool. “Would you like to have dinner with me?” I asked.
“We’re here, right?”
“Yeah.” I relaxed while I sat across from her.
“Tell me about your girlfriend.”
“Her name is Alaska.”
“Cool name.”
“Yeah. She’s a freelance photographer. She’s beautiful. She’s warm. And she’s everything I ever wanted in a woman.”
“She sounds wonderful.”
“She is.”
“It’s a shame your parents don’t approve.”
I rolled my eyes. “I don’t care. If my parents push me to the point where I have to disown them, I will.”
“Wow…you really do love her.”
“More than anything.”
“Your parents will see that and eventually accept it.”
“I don’t give a damn if they do or don’t.”
The waiter came to our table and took our order. When we were alone again, I asked her about her experience in emergency medicine. She and I had a lot in common. We even had the same personality. She was actually really cool. Perhaps if my heart wasn’t already taken something could have happened. But I was more than happy with the girl I fell in love with.
“Are you seeing anyone now?” I asked.
“No.” She sighed. “My parents know everyone, so if they spot me with ‘trash’ they’ll know about it then give me hell. I can only spend time with my future husband. If he isn’t good enough to marry, I shouldn’t spend time with him.”
“I’m glad I’m a boy. I messed around a lot and my parents never drilled me for it. But they did it to my sister.”
“What’s wrong with just wanting to go to a bar and hook up? I’ve done that a few times but didn’t use my real name. It’s ridiculous. Let me make my own mistakes and learn from them. Geez.”
I laughed. “I feel like we’re different versions of the same person.”
“What would you have pursued if you weren’t pushed into medicine?”
I never thought about it before. “I’m not sure. My parents bred me to be a doctor since I was little. I’m not even sure what my other passions are. What about you?”
“Music. I’ve played the violin all my life but I’ve fallen in love with my guitar.”
“A musician…I can’t think of a worse career to please your
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