A Date With the Doctor At the Opera House – Fiction Short Story — Romance

Kim sat staring at the phone in her hands, her heart racing at a thousand miles per hour. She felt sick to her stomach at what she had just heard. There has to be some mistake! she thought to herself.

She listened to the message again.

‘Hello, Ms. Davis, this is Dr. Jonathan Scott. I would like you to come to my office at your earliest convenience. It’s very important. Thank you.’

No, there was no mistake, Dr. Scott had said her name. But she had just been for her bi-annual check-up, and they had done all the usual tests. Surely Dr. Scott would have given her an indication that something was suspicious.

On top of all that, Dr. Scott had been his usual flirtatious self with her, which had left her internally flustered in the best possible way.

Kim had had a crush on Dr. Scott since he had become her doctor three years ago, and for the past three years, she’d been fantasizing about him all sorts. He had always given her the impression the flirting was genuine. She would see him twice a year, and every time she had talked herself out of making any moves because he was probably with someone already, and he was her doctor.

He was a meticulous doctor, a caring doctor, and she had just been to see him earlier this week. So why would he need to see her again so soon?

No, this had to be a mistake.

Kim nervously dialed the number to Dr. Scott’s office and asked the secretary to transfer her. At the sound of his voice, her heart skipped a few beats.

What didn’t help was that the secretary’s voice gave away that she might know more than she was letting on. ‘Oh, yes, he will be relieved to hear from you so soon.’

Oh, dear, Kim thought, this must really be bad.

‘Ms. Davis,’ came Dr. Scott’s voice, cordial and in good humour as usual.

‘Hi, Dr. Scott. You said you wanted to see me?’

‘Yes. I would like to call you into my office to’ — he hesitated — ‘discuss a matter with you, if possible.’

Oh my god, I’m dying!

‘Yes. I can come right away.’

‘Excellent. Speak to you soon.’

Why the Hell did he sound pleased!?

Panicking, Kim picked up her purse and hurried to Dr. Scott’s office. It was only a few short bus stops away but it felt like the longest bus ride in her life.

When Kim was finally sitting in front of Dr. Scott in his office, he clasped his hands together, looking nervous.

‘There is a matter I wished to discuss with you,’ he began in a tone she had never heard from him before.

Oh my god, my life is ending!

‘I’m dying, aren’t I?’ blurted Kim. ‘Tell me how many months I have left.’

‘What?’ Dr. Scott looked genuinely confused. ‘What are you on about, Kim?’

He always called her Kim in person, using the informal name, which made her heart flutter, but this time, she was freaking out too much to even feel that flutter.

‘I just had my bi-annual check-up. The reason you’re calling me in so soon after is because you found something, haven’t you? I’m dying, aren’t I?’

Dr. Scoot merely gaped at her.

‘Oh my god, it’s really that bad, isn’t it?’

‘Uh, you’re not dying,’ Dr. Scott reassured her.

‘I’m not? Then what’s wrong with me?’ Kim was unsure of what was going through Dr. Scott’s mind, his face remained one of surprise.

He let out a nervous laugh and put a hand on his forehead. ‘This is embarrassing.’

‘Look,’ began Kim, ‘if I’ve got something wrong with my health, I’d rather you just come out and tell me. Don’t mince words, okay.’

Dr. Scott’s expression relaxed. ‘Your courage is one of your loveliest traits, you know that?’ He fidgeted. ‘I’m sorry. The reason I asked you here is, well, I preferred to discuss this in person than over the phone but…’ He smiled — he had such a handsome smile. ‘I’ve won some tickets to the opera.’

‘The opera, wow, that’s fancy,’ remarked Kim.

Dr. Scott let out a small laugh. ‘I, uh…’ He hesitated again, looking like he wanted to say something.

Oh! My! GOD! Is he going to ask me out? Kim was suddenly freaking out about freaking out and felt absolutely embarrassed.

Dr. Scott met her gaze. ‘Would you like to accompany me?’

It was Kim’s turn to gape. Internally she was shouting and jumping up and down, waving her hands wildly about.

After a moment without an answer, Dr. Scott looked at his feet. ‘I’m sorry.’

‘I’d love to!’

He looked up at her, beaming. ‘Great, uh, well…’ He told her the time and day, and the time he’d pick her up. ‘There is a lovely quaint restaurant right next door. I was thinking we could have dinner first, then walk over to the Opera House.’

‘That sounds wonderful.’

‘Excellent. Uh, I have your address on file, so…’

‘Yeah, see you then.’ Kim stood and started for the door. ‘Hey, I’m sorry if I freaked out.’ She still just felt so embarrassed.

‘Don’t worry about it.’ Dr. Scott smiled nervously. ‘I was vague, I apologize if my timing made it appear as though-’

‘No, it’s fine!’ Kim interrupted.

The two smiled gingerly at each other, both fidgeting awkwardly for a moment before Kim nodded and walked out of the office, letting out the breath she hadn’t realized she’d been holding.

When she passed by the secretary’s desk, the young woman there grinned knowingly.

Kim stepped outside and paused, trying to process all the feelings she was feeling, and then she breathed out a long, relieved and excited, ‘Oh! My! GOD!’

Dr. Scott was waiting downstairs after ringing Kim’s doorbell. He greeted her with a bouquet of prairie gentians, which Kim brought back upstairs before joining him downstairs again. He took her hand and brushed a tender kiss to it before offering her his arm.

‘Thank you, Dr. Scott.’

‘Please, Jonathan.’

He was dressed in an elegant suit; it was strange seeing him out of his scrubs, and he looked most handsome.

‘Uhm, so, do you participate in contests for opera tickets often, or…?’

‘Oh, some lawyer friends of mine come here often enough, they entered for me,’ replied Jonothan. ‘If I’m honest, I’d been trying to think up an excuse to ask you out for a long while now.’

‘Really?’ Kim beamed. ‘Me too. I mean, uh…’

Jonathan chuckled. ‘I guess we were both trying to pluck up the courage, then, eh?’

Kim stopped, turning to face Jonothan. ‘You’ll have to stop being my doctor, won’t you?’

‘Yes. I was hesitant you’d say no and I’d never be able to see your lovely smile ever again,’ replied Jonothan.

Kim felt her cheeks flush. ‘Honestly, I don’t know if anyone would ever decline an invitation from you, Dr. Sc — I mean, Jonathan. I feel lucky to be out on a date with you, to begin with. You are just such a lovely man. You’ve won opera tickets, yet I feel like I’ve won the lottery.’

Jonathan opened his mouth to speak, blushing significantly, a wide smile spreading across his face. ‘You are…beautiful inside and out.’

Kim felt herself blush. Then, they resumed.

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