“Yeah, that.”
Mary smiled and extended her hand. “Well, it’s nice to meet you Dr. Copper.”
He took hold of her fingers and squeezed quickly, then let go. “You can call me Gary,” he said.
“And I’m Mary,” she said. “Do you live in the neighborhood?”
He nodded, but had a hard time meeting her eyes. “Yes, our properties actually touch lines on the east side of the back of your lot,” he said. “Jeannine used to call us kitty-corner neighbors.”
“Well, neighbor, come in and make yourself comfortable,” she said, guiding them into the chairs in the living room.
She offered Gary a chair that was facing one of the concealed cameras and she sat across from him on the love seat.
“Well, it’s nice to meet a new neighbor,” Ian added, following them and sitting on the arm of the love seat. “As you know, we’re brand new here.”
“Yes. I mean, I know. I mean, that’s why I came by, actually,” he stammered. “I knew the Aldens owned this place, Bradley and Jeannine. I saw the lights, from my kitchen. I wondered, you know, who you were. Why you were here. Because I didn’t think Bradley wanted to ever sell his house.”
Mary shook her head. “Oh, no, they still own it,” she said. “Bradley is letting us rent it from him for a while. We’re newlyweds and still haven’t quite got ourselves situated.”
“Oh,” he said, looking around nervously. “I’m sorry, I shouldn’t be here. I mean, newlyweds, company is the last thing you’d want.”
Ian moved onto the love seat, put his arm around Mary’s shoulders and drew her close. “I have to tell you, with a wife like Mary, I plan on being a newlywed ‘til my dying day.”
Mary leaned her head on Ian’s shoulder. “Now that was sweet,” she said. “So, Gary, are you married?”
He lifted his head to look at Mary, then shook it quickly and addressed Ian. “No, I’m divorced,” he said. “I wasn’t real good with words, like you are. I think she got bored with me.”
“Oh, I’m so sorry,” Mary said.
Gary shrugged. “I’m okay now,” he said, shrugging. “I have lots of friends and my practice, I keep real busy.”
Ian nodded. “Good for you,” he said. “So, are you a good dentist? I’m sure we’ll be looking for one soon enough.”
Laughing, Gary nodded. “I’ve never had a patient complain yet,” he said.
“Well, that’s a fine recommendation then, isn’t it?” Ian replied, giving Mary a quick squeeze. “And what do you suggest the proper dental hygiene is for a woman who’s expecting?”
Gary looked straight at Mary. “You’re pregnant?” he asked, and then blushed again. “I mean, congratulations.”
Mary smiled. “Well, actually, we were trying to keep it a secret for a little bit longer,” she said, looking up at Ian. “But someone wants to shout it from the rooftops.”
He grinned at her. “It just keeps slipping out,” he laughed.
Gary stood. “Well, that’s just, that’s great,” he said. “You should be really happy. I, I’d better go now.”
Mary and Ian both stood. “We’ll walk you out,” he said.
Bradley sat back in his office chair. He could watch the meeting through the wireless camera system and hear the discussion in the next room through both the laptop and the camera microphones. He hadn’t seen Gary in years. The conversation Ian and Mary shared with Gary reminded him of so many evenings Gary and his wife, Beverly, had come over and chatted with Jeannine and him. And then, after his divorce, Gary had sought their company most nights and they all became good friends.
Jeannine had felt sorry for Gary because he was so shy and awkward around women and his divorce certainly hadn’t helped increase his self-esteem. Even though Gary was older than they were, he and Jeannine seemed to fill the roles of older siblings, offering advice and listening to his problems.
But when he had problems, Gary was the first one to step up. He had even been kind
Mary smiled and extended her hand. “Well, it’s nice to meet you Dr. Copper.”
He took hold of her fingers and squeezed quickly, then let go. “You can call me Gary,” he said.
“And I’m Mary,” she said. “Do you live in the neighborhood?”
He nodded, but had a hard time meeting her eyes. “Yes, our properties actually touch lines on the east side of the back of your lot,” he said. “Jeannine used to call us kitty-corner neighbors.”
“Well, neighbor, come in and make yourself comfortable,” she said, guiding them into the chairs in the living room.
She offered Gary a chair that was facing one of the concealed cameras and she sat across from him on the love seat.
“Well, it’s nice to meet a new neighbor,” Ian added, following them and sitting on the arm of the love seat. “As you know, we’re brand new here.”
“Yes. I mean, I know. I mean, that’s why I came by, actually,” he stammered. “I knew the Aldens owned this place, Bradley and Jeannine. I saw the lights, from my kitchen. I wondered, you know, who you were. Why you were here. Because I didn’t think Bradley wanted to ever sell his house.”
Mary shook her head. “Oh, no, they still own it,” she said. “Bradley is letting us rent it from him for a while. We’re newlyweds and still haven’t quite got ourselves situated.”
“Oh,” he said, looking around nervously. “I’m sorry, I shouldn’t be here. I mean, newlyweds, company is the last thing you’d want.”
Ian moved onto the love seat, put his arm around Mary’s shoulders and drew her close. “I have to tell you, with a wife like Mary, I plan on being a newlywed ‘til my dying day.”
Mary leaned her head on Ian’s shoulder. “Now that was sweet,” she said. “So, Gary, are you married?”
He lifted his head to look at Mary, then shook it quickly and addressed Ian. “No, I’m divorced,” he said. “I wasn’t real good with words, like you are. I think she got bored with me.”
“Oh, I’m so sorry,” Mary said.
Gary shrugged. “I’m okay now,” he said, shrugging. “I have lots of friends and my practice, I keep real busy.”
Ian nodded. “Good for you,” he said. “So, are you a good dentist? I’m sure we’ll be looking for one soon enough.”
Laughing, Gary nodded. “I’ve never had a patient complain yet,” he said.
“Well, that’s a fine recommendation then, isn’t it?” Ian replied, giving Mary a quick squeeze. “And what do you suggest the proper dental hygiene is for a woman who’s expecting?”
Gary looked straight at Mary. “You’re pregnant?” he asked, and then blushed again. “I mean, congratulations.”
Mary smiled. “Well, actually, we were trying to keep it a secret for a little bit longer,” she said, looking up at Ian. “But someone wants to shout it from the rooftops.”
He grinned at her. “It just keeps slipping out,” he laughed.
Gary stood. “Well, that’s just, that’s great,” he said. “You should be really happy. I, I’d better go now.”
Mary and Ian both stood. “We’ll walk you out,” he said.
Bradley sat back in his office chair. He could watch the meeting through the wireless camera system and hear the discussion in the next room through both the laptop and the camera microphones. He hadn’t seen Gary in years. The conversation Ian and Mary shared with Gary reminded him of so many evenings Gary and his wife, Beverly, had come over and chatted with Jeannine and him. And then, after his divorce, Gary had sought their company most nights and they all became good friends.
Jeannine had felt sorry for Gary because he was so shy and awkward around women and his divorce certainly hadn’t helped increase his self-esteem. Even though Gary was older than they were, he and Jeannine seemed to fill the roles of older siblings, offering advice and listening to his problems.
But when he had problems, Gary was the first one to step up. He had even been kind
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