Sleeping Beauty (15 page)

So I could do anything in my sleep? Even something horrible? That thought chilled me more than any danger to myself.

Plato wrote that in all of us, even good men, there is a lawless wild-beast nature which peers out in sleep. I know of people who have awoken in the midst of attacking their spouse, thinking they were beating off an intruder or being attacked by a wild bear.

Did the spouses get hurt?

A broken nose in one case, a bruised lip in the other. It could have been worse.

I shivered beneath the cashmere wrap. Lets talk about something else, this gives me the creeps. What else do you do? For fun, I mean?

He leaned back and put his hands behind his head to think. His shirt pulled against his well-defined torso and my mouth grew dry. I wasnt supposed to be noticing things like this. Im on a sabbatical from men and David is making it difficult for me to stay the course.

Im almost afraid to tell you because you will probably respond like everyone else I know.

Try me.

For the fun of it, Im writing a book on sleep disorders.

Oh, for goodness sakes.

See? I told you that youd respond like everyone else. What I do during the day for work, I do in the evenings for fun.

When I think about it, it doesnt seem so strange. You love what you do. Why not?

Exactly. He beamed at me as if I were a prize student. Now what do you do for funother than paint man-eating creatures on chair seats?

I take in smelly, dirty, frightened and sometimes sick or injured animals and try to heal, clean and love them up. When theyre healthy and beautiful, I give them away.

Thats not everyones idea of fun any more than writing a book might be.

I also like to run. Ive done a few half marathons in the past year or two. Mostly, though, I just do it for the joy of it.

Me, too. Maybe well have to run together sometime.

The idea of seeing David overheated and disheveled in his workout clothes is particularly appealing to me. I dont need to be the messy one all the time.

The question came bubbling out of my too-big mouth before I had time to stop it. David, do you date?

What are we doing right now? he asked, amusement showing on his features.

Ive got to give it to the guy; he certainly takes things in stride.

Im not sure. Are you?

He lounged on the sofa studying me. I think Im getting to know someone better in the hope of gaining a new friend. How about you?

Ditto, I mumbled, so embarrassed I thought my red cheeks might combust.

And to answer the rest of your question, I do date. Or have. It hasnt been terribly convenient lately, thats all.

Dating convenience? That doesnt sound very romantic. Maybe, I thought, I should whip off my sock and stuff it in my mouth so I dont spew out any more prying questions. Still, Ive never been known for being anything more than an open book, a what-you-see-is-what-you-get person, and I expect, sometimes futilely, that others will be the same with me.

I havent met the right one, I guess. He sounded as if he were turning inward, examining the reasons for this. Thats surprising at thirty-five, but I can be very single-minded when I need to be. I completed college in three years before finishing my M.D. and Ph.D. Ive worked in research, had my private patients and taught at the medical school as well. There were a number of years when I had difficulty fitting in time to eat and sleep. Dating wasnt even on my radar.

And now? Here I go again, Miss Twenty Questions.

Now the women I meet have their own lives and agendas. Most are successful in business or the arts. They are single-minded, too.

But maybe ready not to be single any longer, Id guess. I thought of the women Id seen hovering near him at the restaurant in Chicago. Most were so glittery and flawless that they didnt seem quite real. Especially not to me who believes if I have time to polish my nails before I leave the house, I started getting ready too early. Of course, Davids own home was glittery and flawless. Perhaps he preferred that in his women as well.

There is that. And theres nothing more terrifying than having a bright, successful, ambitious woman decide that you are her next acquisition.

I hadnt looked at it quite like that.

How about you, Suze? Whats kept you single?

For once, I wasnt going to tell the truth. I wouldnt lie, exactly, but this was going to be a sin of omission. I wasnt going to mention that this sleeping issue of mine was a major part of the problem.

I have had disappointments, thats all. Relationships Id hoped would turn out havent. Men whove ridiculed or derided my sleepwalking sagas and then expected me to trust them. Men who have given me ultimatums such as Its me or those animals, Suze. And men who want me to be something other than who I am.

Just some plain old bad luck, I guess.

He didnt look as if he believed me but instead of pushing me further, he changed the subject.

Theres a run for charity next Saturday. Ive got a dozen guys who refuse to run with me but have agreed to sponsor me. If I run the distance, Ill earn almost three thousand dollars for the cause. Do you want to run with me? Ill guilt them into sponsoring you, too. He named the list of charities that would benefit. There were several animal shelters that Charley and I had worked with over the years. Theyd all sent their hopeless cases to us rather than euthanize the animals without a final chance to find a home.

Ill do it.

David looked both surprised and pleased. As he shifted on the couch so that he could move closer, I forgot about my sabbatical from men. In fact, I forgot about everything except the fact that he was about to kiss me. And then everything went blank except the feel of his lips on mine.

Whamm! Kapow! Zowie! Zamm! Eee-you! Zap! Wow!

I felt like a character in the Batman comic. Hed swept me off my feet while I was sitting down.

Even he looked surprised when he pulled away. It had been a friendly, tender, affectionate kiss, with surprising results. Neither of us knew what to say.

He recovered first. Well, that wasIm at a loss for words. Nice hardly says it.

My mouth worked but nothing came out. A completely innocent, friendly kiss that caused fireworks inside my head.

Fireworks in my head and a knot in my stomach. Although I didnt want to, I mistrusted Davids motives. I refuse to be a guinea pig and I make a lousy lab rat. When Id heard the words Im writing a book on sleep disorders , a seed of my doubts and reservations about the good Dr. Grant had been planted.

Maybe sleeplessness is making me loony. Pretty soon Ill be suspecting my new cat of rearranging the furniture when Im not home.

Would you like to see my office before we leave? David asked politely. I dont let many people see my inner sanctum but you could be one of the privileged few.

Id love to. I wanted to see if his work space was as sleek and tidy as the rest of his home.

It was. Only more so. A blotter, a pen and a laptop were the only things on Davids vast desk. The entire room held built-in bookcases, the books neatly arranged, protected by glass doors and lit with soft light from inside the cases themselves.

There are more books here than in a medical library! It was a medical library of sorts, one specializing in everything written on sleep and wakefulness. Dont you read anything else? Mysteries? Thrillers? Cookbooks? Ive got a half-dozen cookbooks Id love to loan you.

Nearly three hours had passed when I finally glanced at my watch. Ive got to get back. I promised my parents Id be home by now.

Does it matter so much? He tipped his head appealingly but I shook mine emphatically in the negative.

Mickey and Jeff have found that their sitterseven my parentshave to be treated like gold. They always arrive home when they promise. It doesnt take much for a sitter theyve hired to refuse to come back again so we all step very carefully.

What about you? They left you alone with them for two months or more. That sounds more like a lump of coal that a brick of gold.

Their blood runs in my veins and theres no getting out of that. Besides, I love them. I love all children but these two really crack me upboth literally and figuratively. Ill manage. Somehow, if it doesnt kill me first.

He helped me put on my jacket and we returned to the garage for our ride home.

We were both quiet, David lost in his thoughts and I in mine. No matter how hard I tried to push it out of my mind, a nagging question remained. Sure, David is wonderful, handsome, considerate and funny; there will be no argument from me on that. But like the poor little rich girl who cant be sure if shes loved for herself or her money, did David really care about me or were my nighttime meanderings too tempting to resist? The last place I want to find myself is in a textbook for physicians or, worse yet, on the shelves of the self-help section at my local bookstore.

I have to be careful. The full reason for my sabbatical from men came back to me. I didnt want to be hurt again.

T hanks for the wonderful evening, I told David as we stood on my front porch. Even though right now I feel as if Ive stepped back into high school.

David chuckled and waved at my parents who were peering from behind the curtains on the front window. When he did so, the curtains snapped shut.

I havent been monitored this closely since the night of my graduation party. How humiliating. Im out with a big-shot doctor and my parents are hovering in the background like the parents of a rowdy teenager. My cheeks burned with embarrassment.

I think Ill go in now, put a sack on my head and cower under my covers for the rest of the night, hoping the humiliation will go away.

Dont do it on my account. Ive had a wonderful evening with you, Suze. Refreshing. Fun. He glanced at the window and put a quick peck of a kiss on my forehead. It burned like a brand into my skull.

Are you sure you will run with me next Saturday?

For the sake of the animals, yes.

Not at all for my sake? Charm oozed out of him like toothpaste from a tube.

Maybe just a little.

He chucked me under the chin much like my brother did when he thought his little sister was being cute. Then he ambled back to his car, leaving me more confused than ever.

How was your date? Mom looked so eager for details that I felt sorry for her. These people really need more to do.

Not a date. Just dinner and pleasant conversation. And it was fine.

She looked disappointed. Just fine? Nothing more? And he looks like such a nice man, too. And a doctora sleep doctor, no less!

Lest she get the idea that fine and mediocre were synonymous, I told her about Davids home, the windows that overlooked the city and his position at the clinic.

Then even my dad got excited.

Hes perfect for you, Suze. Hed know what to do with you when you roamed around at night. Wouldnt that be great?

Yes, indeed. My parents hope Ill fall in love with someone who can act as my keeper.

By the way, Mickey called.

Did the twins get to talk to her?

Oh, yes. Terry told her all about eating paste and throwing up at preschool and Tommy told her hed locked himself in the bathroom for almost an hour and the teacher had to call for help.

They could have talked all day and not said that. Were the boys upset when they heard their mothers voice? Were they lonesome?

Not for a moment. They told their mother they loved it at Auntie Suzes house and that they could stay here forever.

A cold chill bolted down my spine at that thought.

That must have made her happy, to know the boys arent homesick.

Actually, I think it made it worse. She cried for the rest of the call, wondering what shed done wrong as a parent since her children didnt want to come back to her.

We calmed her down eventually but shes lonesome, homesick and impatient.

Any idea when theyll be back?

None whatsoever. Thats part of the problem. The waiting is stretching on indefinitely.

Did you have a good night with the twins?

Dandy, Dad blurted. Couldnt have been better.

Youre going to have to tell her sooner or later, Mother chided. Shell find out, you know.

Uh, oh.

You really should clean your garage more often, Dad grumbled. You cant leave things on the floor like that.

My mind raced through the items that might be in the garage, which is, for the record, practically spotless. The only thing I could think of was some equipment I used to paint the chairs Id just finished. Paint, of course.

What happened, Dad?

Im buying you shelving tomorrow. Ill be over to install it next weekend.

What your father is trying to say is that he turned his back on the boys and they pried open several cans of paint.

If the concrete in the garage werent so porous, I might have been able to get more of it up. A skim coat of concrete will make the whole thing look better.

Deny, distract, divert. Why didnt Dad just spit it out, that the twins had trashed my garage floor while under his watch?

He tried to mop up most of it, but Im afraid your floor now looks like a modernist painting. Picasso, maybe, or, if I were to go out on a limb, Franz Marc.

I guess Mom does get out occasionally, to the art museum, at least.

Dad brightened. And none of it got on your car except

I closed my eyes. Tell me it isnt so!

And it will wear off the tires in no time flat. He grinned. Flat, get it? Flat tires, flat

Ill put it on Mickeys bill, I sighed.

Youre charging her to watch the twins? Mom gasped.

No, but Im going to show the list to her every time I want her to do a favor for me. That should get me favors from my sister through the year 2050.

Im sure you girls will work it out, Mom said reassuringly.

When Dad went into the other room, Mom dropped her composed and unruffled act. I dont know how you do it, Suze, those boys are into everything. I found them swapping the flour and the sugar in your canisters and then discovered theyd drawn pictures on the inside of every one of your kitchen cupboards.