Pamela Bauer - The Marriage Portrait

“Did he ask to attend another dinner with me?”

“Of course he asked, but you know I’d never do that. I wouldn’t do it to a client and I certainly wouldn’t do it to a friend.” There was indignation in her friend’s voice.

“I’m sorry, Claudia. I know you wouldn’t. Sure, I’m available next Saturday.”

They talked for another few minutes about matters totally unrelated to Dinner Date. By the time Cassie hung up the phone, she’d forgotten all about Dr. Mac.

Which was a good thing. The only reason she’d been able to accept the job with the dating service was because she truly could attend the dinners with a sense of detachment. She had no interest in meeting a suitable companion. No interest in dating. No interest in men.

A man like Dr. Mac had the potential of being able to change all of that. As she returned to her painting she was grateful that she’d never see him again.

“MOM! WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE?” Michael asked when he stepped into examining room number four and saw Tessie sitting there.

“Cleo’s not well,” she answered, nodding toward the Abyssinian that sat curled up on her lap.

“She looks okay,” he observed, lifting the purring cat from her lap.

“Oh, but she’s not. She wouldn’t eat this morning,” she answered.

“Maybe she wasn’t hungry,” he said, placing Cleo on the examining table. “We all like to skip a meal now and then.”

“Speaking of meals…” Tessie took her place next to him and watched as he did a routine exam. “You didn’t call and let me know how the dinner went on Saturday.”

So that was the true reason for the visit to the clinic. “It was fine. Just as Cleo is fine now.”

“You’re sure?”

“About the dinner or Cleo?” he quipped.

She clicked her tongue. “I know you’re a good vet. If you say Cleo is fine, she’s fine. Did you enjoy yourself at the dinner?”

“As a matter of fact I did,” he answered, reaching for a cat treat.

He watched his mother’s eyes light up at the thought. She smiled smugly and said, “I knew you would.”

“They served the most wonderful coq au vin. You would have loved it. The mushroom sauce was exquisite, prepared just the way you like it. And they had those little baby carrots in a wine sauce and escargots…you know how much I like escargots.”

She fluttered her fingers nervously in midair. “I don’t care about the food. Tell me about the people. Did you meet anyone interesting?”

“There was a very nice engineer who’d worked on that new overpass on the interstate right outside of downtown, you know, the one that opened in April. He had some very interesting observations.”

Again her fingers flailed about in midair. “I don’t care about the men at the dinner, Michael. Tell me about the women.”

He shrugged. “There’s not much to tell. They were nice.”

She frowned. “Is that all you can find to say about them? They were nice?”

“Actually, there was one who was very nice.” His mouth automatically split into a grin at the memory of Cassie the artist.

“Nice enough that you might have dinner with her again?”

He’d been debating whether or not he should tell her about Cassie the artist. Now that the opportunity had arrived, he decided the less said the better. “No. It was a very nice evening and I thank you.”

“But what about the four women? They didn’t share your interests?”

Again he thought of Cassie. “Not exactly,” he hedged. “Did you ever think that maybe none of them were attracted to me?”

Tessie gasped. “That’s impossible! Look at you. You’re the complete package.”

He couldn’t help but smile again, this time at her maternal defense of him. “Not everyone sees me through your eyes, Mom.”

“I’m not just saying that because I’m your mother. Ask any of the Mums, they’ll say the same thing.” She shook her head in bemusement. “What is wrong with the youth of today? When a handsome young man like you has trouble getting a date…”

“I can find a date,” he assured her.

She dismissed his comment with a flap of her hand. “You don’t need to pretend with me. I know that you spend a lot of your free time alone.”

Guilt washed over him. He hadn’t been completely honest with Tessie over the years. He wasn’t often without female companionship, yet Tessie was unaware of his love life. He’d deliberately kept it that way, because he hadn’t wanted her getting attached to any of the women in his life, because he knew none of them would last.

“Mom, there are other places to meet women than through a dating service,” he said gently.

“I know that, dear, but I had hoped that my gift would be a lasting one,” she said on a sigh. “You’re thirty-five, Michael, and I’m eighty-one. Time is running out.”

He pulled her into his arms and gave her a hug. “Now you stop your worrying. We have plenty of time—both of us. Your birthday gift was unique and I haven’t given up on finding a special lady.”

She pushed him away. “You haven’t?”

“No. If there’s someone out there for me, I’ll find her. You know that.”

“You always have loved a challenge, haven’t you?” she said with a knowing grin.

Yes, he did, and he didn’t consider this one to be over yet.

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