“Consider this,” Larry went on. “Let’s proceed with the will and disposition we have and think about the unknown factors. Give yourselves some time to think about it and discuss it. We can deal with it in a month or two.”
Anna nodded gravely but what she really believed, at that moment, was that in a month or two his young pregnant mistress would have spent all of the money.
THREE
Jessie went to the hospital after leaving the lawyer’s office because she knew exactly how to function on the job when clearly she did not know how to function in emotionally charged personal situations. She had come down hard on her mother and siblings when all she had really wanted was to understand what the hell had been going on with her father. And she wanted someone to put their arms around her, hold her, tell her everything would be all right.
She pulled into a reserved parking spot. There were three patients to check on, none of them critical. She could easily have passed on this errand. In fact, given her circumstances of grieving the death of a close family member, she had colleagues checking on her patients and they would continue as long as she needed them to.
She grabbed her bag, pressed the door lock and exited the car before realizing she was without her purse. The car was still running.
So much for her powerful memory and excellent coping skills. She hadn’t turned off the Lexus, the key fob was in her purse, the doors were locked. Her phone was also in her purse. In the running car. She leaned against the car in equal parts exhaustion and frustration. She cradled her head in her crossed arms and just moaned, trying to figure out what to do.
It was probably only a minute. Then she felt a hand on her back.
“Jessie?” a male voice asked.
She looked up into the eyes of Patrick Monahan, a neurosurgeon with privileges at the hospital. Her luck was not holding out. Just what she needed was to look completely stupid in front of a colleague. All she could utter was, “Um...”
“What’s wrong?”
“I, ah, didn’t turn off my car, and my purse, phone and keys are locked inside.”
He pulled out his phone. “I bet you have a service we can call. If you tell them the license plate number they can unlock the car remotely.”
“Yes. You’re right but...I can’t remember. Shit, I should’ve read the manual.”
“I’ll call Lexus.” He dialed up the number and she wondered...
“Do you have a Lexus?” she asked.
“No. Tesla. I searched it. Here,” he said, passing her the phone.
She explained her situation and they suggested a few vehicle services; she recognized one and Lexus connected her. She gave them her name, cell phone number, license plate number—and within a minute, pop. The door was unlocked. “Is there anything more I can do for you, ma’am?”
“Thank you, I’ll be fine now.”
She handed the phone back. “And thank you. I was a little rattled today. My father passed away recently and I just met with my family about the will. It was emotional. Distracting.”
“I believe I heard something about your father,” he said. “A rafting accident?”
“Yes. I have no idea why he was doing that. He never had before.”
“I’m so sorry for your loss, Jessie.”
“Thank you. Well. I thought I’d check on a few—”
“Anything urgent?” he asked.
“No, but I thought I’d—”
“Grab your purse, lock your car safely. Come with me and let’s go get a taco. You’ve had a rough few days or weeks. A little social escape is a good idea.”
“Surely you’re too busy to—”
“Actually, I’m kind of hungry and there’s this great place nearby, a hole in the wall. We can eat outside. Great food.”
“I’m really not all that—”
“If you’re not very hungry, pick at some nachos and have a beer. Then go home. I recognize the syndrome—you go to work because you don’t know what else to do and you don’t want to just hang out alone at home where there’s nothing to do. Doctors tend to do that. But maybe you’ll decide to talk about it. If not, that’s all right. The tacos are great.”
She had no idea why he was doing this. It’s not as though they had a relationship other than he was a physician at the same hospital.
“I’ve never ridden in a Tesla before,” she said, strapping in.
“It’s a complete indulgence,” he said. “I couldn’t justify it in a million years. I don’t need it and I’m not rich. But for some reason just having it makes me feel younger and slightly more reckless, something I can’t afford to be in my real life.” It roared to life under her and she tipped her head back and laughed.