'Doc Juan'

Chapter 36

A few weeks later, he'd decided to attend another shindig thrown by the posh practitioners. He'd thought it'd take his mind off the breakup. And if it didn't, it'd atleast give him an opportunity to help himself to the free drinks plied there and drink away his sorrows! It was there that he realized that privacy was dead and how boring these parties really seemed without Elle by his side. He heard mumblings from his doctor pals as he chose to drink away his sorrows at the bar. Gossip spread like wildfire among the medical community as well.
"I do feel sorry for the man. Bein ditched at the altar...Especially by a lowly receptionist at that!" one of the more sympathetic ladies exclaimed, tsk-tsking as he miserably gulped down his umpteenth scotch. "Didn't ya hear? They never made it to the altar!" a learned medico corrected her. "Heard he cheated on her." a doctor with a squeaky, mouse-like voice chimed in quickly. "With one of his patients, did he?" a curious lady enquired. "Who knows? Maybe. Ya know, the man could never separate his practice from his privates!" he heard someone joke. That elicited haughty roars of laughter, before they dispersed to swirl their wine and dance to the same beautiful, romantic music he'd danced to, the night she'd agreed to be his date.
Soon, he was drunk, barely clinging to his senses as he stumbled out onto the street, all alone with no-one to walk him home or offer him a ride. He felt someone clutch his arm gently, leading him to the stoop of the grand hall where he collapsed upon the stairs. The good Samaritan' s face came into view in the moonlight that shone upon the streets and illuminated the stoop.
"Dr. Williams...?" he sputtered in disbelief, looking up at the kind man's face. "Now, I know what you're gonna say. Probably some joke bout this bein a doctor's gala an' me bein a dentist an' what not! But, they probably got me confused with some other Dr. Williams an' sent me the invite instead....so, here I am!" the humble dentist explained, slumping down beside him. "Oh! Well...uhrm...I hadn't any joke planned....As ya can see, I'm too in...im...inebriated an' mournful to insult ya..." Dr. Miller slurred, resting his head on the edge of a step, gazing up at the stars and letting his mind drift off to thoughts about life before the breakup and letting the soft snowflakes caress his hair. "Yes, I'm sorry to hear bout ya an' Elle. I truly am..." Dr. Williams' apologetic voice interrupted his happy memories. "Save it. I..I... don't want sympathy from a person who till last week was out to out me to my own girlfriend's mother!" he snapped with a roll of his eyes. He sat up with a groan, before continuing to fling accusations- "Ya..ya know, ya...ya kept on bringing up my past life to the extent that she herself started believin that I was incapable o' change! Sh...she lost er trust in me, cuz she trusted in yer opinion bout me! She put er faith in people who didn't even know me! An' she couldn't shake off the false fact that I was an' always will be nothing but a heartless womanizer!"
"I regret butting into your private life, mate. I'm sorry. I should've respected your privacy..." Dr. Williams apologized, hoping his apology would be accepted this time around. "Oh, well, at least ya have the decency to apologize for it." he heard Dr. Miller mutter, frowning at the memory of the crowd of medicos toasting to his misfortune, laughing at his expense and making a mockery out of his personal life. "C'mon, mate, let's get your sorry arse into a cab, eh?" Dr. Williams offered, pitying him and helping him up.
"Just outta curiosity...Why d'you hate dentists? " he enquired as he wrapped one arm around the drunk doctor and walked him to the cab. "Dread em. Listerine, floss, brush...done! Don't need a dentist goin after me with a drill. I've got perfectly good teeth, see?" Dr. Miller rambled on in a nonsensical tone, flashing his so-called perfectly good teeth boisterously as he spoke. Both men shared a chuckle at that. "Ya know what, Miller? I think this is the beginnin of a beautiful friendship." Dr. Williams quipped, quoting Casablanca. "Don't...just don't... Yer makin it sound all gay!" Dr. Miller mocked, scrunching his face up in disgust and rolling his eyes at him, which only elicited another chuckle from the easily amused dentist!