The Doctor's Choice

Chapter Two

"Evan!" Liam stood up from his bar stool and raised a shot in greeting.

"Glad you made it." David gave Evan's hand a shake, "Liam owes me a twenty."

"You bet on my showing up?"

"Yup," Liam grinned mischievously as he threw back the shot.

"Thanks a lot," Evan chuckled.

"What will it be, sir," the pretty bartender behind the counter asked.

"Scotch on the Rocks, please."

With a nod she set to work. "Don't mind them." Lucy took Evan's drink from the bartender and walked it over to him. "Glad you made it out." Evan gave her a side hug and accepted the scotch. Lucy was in her late twenties, relatively new to the practice but she had more than proved herself as a capable receptionist that their clients adored. She flipped her brown hair over her shoulder and sauntered back to the bar. Evan took a swig of the drink. It felt good going down; it'd been awhile since he had really had any good liquor.

"One of these days I'm going to marry that woman," Liam said once Lucy was out of ear shot.

"Good luck! A firecracker like that is liable to blow your hand off." David crossed his arms. "Not to mention interoffice relationships tend to be bad ideas."

"Yeah, yeah. Look but don't touch. How about we get a game of pool going? I've got to win my twenty back."

"Fat chance, Junior."

Evan grabbed a cue stick. "Be glad Dana's with her grand kids tonight. She's a regular pool shark."

As the night, and the drinks, continued, Evan felt the stress melt away. He even won the second game they played and, before too long, his many worries were far from his mind; for the first time in a long time, he was having a truly good time.

"You should take me up on my offer." David lined up his break shot for the next game. "I'm telling, Izzy is perfect for you."

"David, I know you mean well," Evan took his turn. "But don't you think I should wait a bit longer before putting myself out there again?" The ball hugged the rail before clanking against the six ball and pushing it forward into the neighboring corner pocket.

"Hell no. Nothing like a new lady-friend to show you that you're still a living, breathing man with needs."

"And how many lady-friends are you up to now?" Liam chuckled and chalked his cue stick.

"Numbers aren't important, and it's not like they don't all know what they signed up for."

"I'm more of a one-woman man." Liam glanced over at Lucy, leaning over the table to line up her shot.

"I know I'm going to want another relationship. Someday. The last thing Abby needs right now, though, is for me to date women when a good few won't stick around."

"Fair, but you should consider it."

"Does your niece now you're trying to fix her up with strange men?" Lucy rolled her eyes. "We tend to not like that."

"Oh, she knows."

"Has she asked you to stop?"

"You think I'm bad? My sister has gone into full on Jewish mother mode! Thirty is an old maid in her book. Believe me, Izzy would much rather me be doing the set ups."

"It can't be that bad."

"She's showing strangers pictures of Izzy and asking for their numbers."