Sweeter Than W(h)ine (5 page)

             
Rafe realized that she was right. Of course, he didn’t want to be too informal. He had lots of friends around Wellstone Village, but if he kissed her or some other nonsense, they might start gossiping. “We do.”

             
“We’ve become friends since I’ve been here, and I
will
call if I need anything.”

             
“Good. Well, goodbye, Dina.”

             
“So long. Maybe when I start feeling better, you can come to hear me play the piano on my weekend job.”

             
He remembered hearing her talk about playing the piano at Nutsie Nan’s Café, in Roselawn, on the weekends. “I’d like that, so I hope you get better fast.” As he left her room, he started making plans. He could certainly find a way to get to Roselawn to hear her play. It wasn’t that far away from his house in Wyoming. Sure, they were just friends, but he had enjoyed listening to her make music on the Wellstone Village piano.

             
Dina was up early the next morning. As she’d told Rafe, she was both excited and nervous. By that afternoon, she’d be home and reunited with her kitty, Schmoopie. She had to admit that she’d miss the tall, dark and handsome doctor. As she’d told him, though, they were friends. That was fine with her. She could always use another friend.

             
After breakfast and goodbyes to the nurses and aides, Dina’s parents arrived. Ruthie, her physical therapist, wheeled her down to the library, where Jay was waiting outside with his familiar red cab. “Now don’t forget what I told you when you get to your condo.  When you walk in, ask your cab driver to grab your pants.”

             
Dina couldn’t help chuckling over this. Ruthie had given her that advice yesterday, and she’d said she’d better ask her mom to do that, not Jay. Ruthie thought it would be good in case she started to fall because she was worried about her parents’ age. She and Jay had been friends for almost five years, but they weren’t
that
close.

             
“Can she sit in front?” Ruthie asked, as soon as she wheeled Dina outside with her parents following behind.

             
“Nope,” Jay said. “She’s been riding with me for almost five years and she
always
sits in the back.”

             
He’s right, Dina thought, guessing he just wanted to be master of his domain in the front seat. She also knew he kept candy in the glove compartment, and wouldn’t want her to be tempted. He stood there watching every move she made with Ruthie as she tried to get into the cab and maneuver the walker at the same time. She knew he was trying to memorize all the steps in case she ever
did
fall, and needed his help. She said her goodbyes and thank you to Ruthie, then settled into the back seat while her parents went inside to get some last-minute instructions.

             
“Hey, you!” Jay said, shaking her hand and not letting go. Neither of them said a word for a few minutes. Nothing seemed quite real to Dina, but she finally broke the silence.

             
“Jay,” Dina said, taking in every inch of her friend’s slight frame, from his black leather cowboy boots to the top of his Cincinnati Red Wolves baseball cap. He’d been busy during the holidays, so she hadn’t seen him for almost a month. “You have no idea how glad I am to see you…how glad I am to see anybody. I’m so thrilled to be sitting here in this cab and on my way home.”

             
“It’s like being let out of prison, isn’t it?”

             
“It wasn’t
that
bad. They had really good food, which I’m sure isn’t the case in jail. The coffee was better at Hanover Hospital, though.”

             
“Yes. Their coffee
was
good.”

             
Her parents got into the back of the cab with her. Dina leaned back in the leather seats and inhaled the scent of coconut from the air freshener that Jay had hanging on the mirror. He started driving toward home. Home, Dina thought, now actually looking forward to going back. As Jay drove past McDonald’s, Dina said, “I haven’t been there in such a long time. I can’t wait ’til I can go again.”

             
“We’ll get egg biscuits,” her mom said. “or pancakes. Maybe we’ll even take you with us, Jay.”

             
“Cool,” Jay said, driving past Shortencute’s Market. Surprisingly, Dina actually looked forward to going to the grocery store again. Right before her operation, the pain had been so bad that she hadn’t even been able to do that; she’d had to ask her parents to get groceries for her. She was amazed at how much she looked forward to doing mundane things like grocery shopping and laundry. Since she’d come close to losing her life, though, she even found the idea of doing things like that exciting. If everyday tasks thrilled her this much, she could only imagine what would happen the first time she played the piano at Nutsie Nan’s Café again.

             
Dina was tired, but she tried to stay awake and focus on every mile of the ride; every shred of conversation. It might have been a cold, dreary day, but to Dina, the sun was shining and the temperature was balmy.

             
They passed a donut shop that was one of Dina’s favorites. “I guess I won’t be going there anymore. They’re supposed to be building one of those near my condo, too.”

             
“You could always get donuts for me,” Jay said.

             
“Or I can cut the donuts in half like I did when they served dessert at the Village.”

             
“I like my idea better.”

             
“Okay, but I’m not really sure if they’ll put a donut shop on that vacant property. Somebody told me it might be a strip mall.”

             
“Isn’t that illegal?” Jay asked.

             
“It’s a strip mall, not a strip club,” Dina said, unable to resist laughing again.

             
“That’s not what I heard. I think they’re looking for pole dancers. Dusky Dream is gonna apply for a job, and so is Bette Bastardo.”

             
“Isn’t she your cousin?”

             
“Nope,” Jay said. “No relation.”

             
“Now, Jay…” Dina tried to imitate his boss, Rafe’s aunt, but she started snickering. She tried to talk again, but she couldn’t. Her mom smiled, and then joined in the merriment. By the time Jay reached Dina’s condo, they were all laughing, even her dad.

             
“We’re ba-aaack,” Jay said, when he pulled onto the side street where the entrance to the condo was. Her dad paid the cab fare, and he and Jay grabbed the bags of stuff she’d accumulated from the hospital and Wellstone Village and carried them to the front door. 

             
Dina walked slowly toward them with the walker, the way she’d practiced so carefully with Ruthie. “Made it!” she said, smiling at Jay.  She was about to invite him to lunch since she and her parents planned on ordering pizza when she saw a tiny tan puppy, and its owner, walk into the front door after them.

             
“Well, hello there,” Jay said to the dog. Dina was checking out the owner. He was medium height and slender, with short brown hair and a wide smile. He wore the starched white shirt, black slacks and white hat of a Cincinnati Police officer.  His nametag glittered in the sunshine, and she read it; “H. Bixler.” She hadn’t seen him in the building before, but she’d been gone for a while.

             
“Hi, I’m Holden Bixler,” he said. “This little guy is Buster.”

             
“I’m Dina Edelman.”

             
“I live across the hall from you,” Holden said. “I was wondering if I’d ever get to meet my neighbor.”

             
“I was a little busy,” she said. Yeah. With almost dying and having knee surgery, I’ve had a full plate.

             
“Well, I’m happy to meet you. Let me know if you need any help. I’m…” She saw a hint of a smile. “I’m right next door.”

             
“It looks like you’re in good hands here, Dina,” Jay said, and she suddenly remembered that her friend was there.

             
“Do you want to stay for lunch?” Dina asked.  “We’ll probably order pizza since I don’t have any groceries.”

             
“I’d like to, honey, but I’ve got to pick up somebody else.”

             
“You’re so popular,” Dina teased.

             
Jay tried to look modest, but she knew he was flattered by her compliment. “Looks like you are, too,” he said, looking at her new neighbor. “Well, it’s great to see you up and around. Next time, we’ll go to McDonald’s. See you soon.”

             
“See ya, Jay, and thanks…for everything.”

***

              Rafe found that he missed talking to Dina when he made his patient rounds. He wondered how things had gone for her, and debated whether or not to call her. Would someone on the Wellstone Village staff overhear, and think it was unprofessional? He had the feeling that Dina wouldn’t mind. She might even be impressed that he’d called. Although at first he thought she was a pain in the neck, he actually missed talking to her. He’d found out on New Year’s Eve and the days afterward that she had a pretty good sense of humor, which was a quality he liked.

             
He opened his cell phone, and dialed Dina’s number.

             
“Hello?”

             
“Hello, Dina.”

             
She sounded sleepy, but happy. “Who is this?”

             
“It’s Dr. Farber. Rafe? I just called to see how you were doing.”

             
“Oh…I’m fine. The physical and occupational therapists have been coming by and right now I’m in some pain, but I feel so much better than I did before the operation.”

             
“That’s good. I’m glad to hear it.”

             
“Thanks, Rafe, for calling and for all your help.”

             
Now what? And why was he so nervous? He’d dated a lot, especially since he and Ruthie had started these dinner parties, but why did this one person make him so anxious? “Me? I didn’t do much.” Maybe the modesty card would work for him.

             
“Yes, you did. You got me to play the piano again and…well, I…”

             
“You had a big part in your recovery,” Rafe said, speaking quickly before he realized exactly what he was saying. When she was a patient at Wellstone, he’d told her stories about the singles dinner parties he and Ruthie had arranged. “It’s my turn to host the next singles dinner party at my house. Would you like to come?”

             
“I…I’d love to. I haven’t been out of the house at all, but physical therapy’s teaching me to use a cane instead of a walker and I…yes.”

             
“That’s wonderful.” He gave her the date and time and said he’d pick her up, surprised at his bold gesture and at her answer.

***

              “Who was that?” Dina’s mom, who had come over for a visit, asked.

             
“Dr. Farber…Rafe.”

             
“Oh?”

             
“Mom, don’t get your hopes up. There’s nothing to it. He just called to see how I was doing and to invite me to a singles dinner party.”

             
“Oh?”

             
Her mom’s grin was wide; her eyes sparkled. “Mo-om.”

             
“He asked you for a date, y’know. And he’s a doctor.”

             
“Well, since you’re trying to talk like Jay, maybe I’ll ask Rafe if I can bring him as my date,” Dina threatened.

             
“You wouldn’t do that. You always say he’s like your brother, and I don’t think you’d want to date your brother.”

             
“You know me too well,” Dina said, hugging her mom and pulling her close. “That’s one of the reasons I love you both so much. I still might invite Jay to one of the dinners, though. Maybe he’d meet somebody.”

             
“That’s possible but you need to concentrate on you.” Her mom hugged her back and they broke apart. “What are you planning to wear?”

             
“I have no idea.” She’d worn mostly T-shirts and yoga pants lately because she’d been doing physical therapy at home. “I have to see what I have that looks halfway decent because I’m not showing up at Rafe’s dinner party in yoga pants and a T-shirt. And then I have to worry about how I’ll be feeling.”

             
“If you don’t feel well, you can’t go,” Stella said. “I’m sure Rafe will understand.  Besides, you have that nice new neighbor, too. A girl can’t have too many friends.”