"Hello, Am I speaking with Dr. Drew?"
"Yes."
I adjusted the phone on my ear properly, the drilling noise around the restaurant was almost deafening. "My name is Jane Hampton. My husband Luke Hampton was a patient at your hospital for almost a year."
"I remember, Mr. Hampton. Is everything okay?"
"I was hoping we could talk about Luke's treatment, I have some concerning questions. Can we meet sometime this week? Or any time that's convenient. I would pay for the flight.."
"Is Mr. Hampton aware of this?"
"No, and I would like to keep it that way."
"It's against the rules to discuss a patient's file without a consent lease."
"Well, this patient is my dear husband. I'm sure you can spare a concerned wife some slack."
I heard her sigh as the line went silent, "Okay, I would be in Florida this weekend for a conference. I'll call you when I arrive so we can meet."
"Thank you, I'll be waiting." I hung up and glanced at the time-
"Sorry about that--" Andy returned from the bathroom and took his seat in front of me, "I forgot how frigid America is."
I smiled, "Is this your first time in America?"
"No, I spent most of my holiday here as a kid. My grandmother, God bless her soul, was an artist at the platinum museum. I spent most of my Summer holidays with her."
"That's lovely, and your parents?"
He laughs suddenly, "I see what you are doing Jane--"
"What?"
"You're trying to distract me so we don't talk about you."
"No, of course not. I'm really getting to know you."
"Jane, we've been sitting here for almost thirty minutes and you haven't said a word about yourself, which is why I asked to see you. I want to know how you are doing as Luke laid his hands on you?"
I cleared my throat, muttering-
"No, he's been good actually.."
"And, the boys. How are they?"
"They are fine." I didn't mention Luke has them.
"Jane, you know you don't have to pretend to be happy with him, you can grab the boys and I would take you somewhere far away."
I scoffed and laughed,
"What's funny?"
"You, you make it sound so easy, 20 something-year-old me would have jumped on the idea."
"What is that supposed to mean?"
"I mean your idea to run off is silly, you want me to grab my kids and run away with you, like some Mexican love story."
"I just want you and the boys to be safe, Jane."
"Then go home, you being here puts me more in danger than you think, he's already suspicious as it is."
"JANE, no woman should be able to talk like that, especially about their husbands, you're so afraid of what he would do you're willing to stay with him."
"Yes, because he's my husband and I love him."
"He's a monster, that's what you call a man who lays their filthy hands on a woman. Luke doesn't deserve a woman like you, I don't think any man does. . Any woman who's willing to stand by a man who hits her must be exceptional."
"Stop it!" I warned him.
"You're upset, that's good. ."
"I see what you are doing, so stop it."
"I only say these things because I care."
"No no want to sleep with me." I spat abruptly, "I see the way you strip me with your eyes.. .So I'm going to be a dear and tell you that's never going to happen, never, this is not some telenovela series where the scorned woman finds solace in the arms of a younger man and runs off with him into the sunset. I don't find you even the least attractive, you or any other man for that matter. So you get over yourself and stop this daydreaming nonsense at once, because I am never going to be with you." I gritted his hearing alone.
I had to be brutally honest or he would keep living this delusion about us.
He stared at me in silence, I could tell by the reddening of his eyes that he was hurt and offended.
"Wow!"
"I'm sorry, but you have to understand that I'm not any other woman, I'm a faithful married woman and I would never succumb to adultery, not in this lifetime, that's not who I am."
He chuckled slightly,
"Excuse me—" a waiter interrupted just to pick our order,
"That won't be necessary--" He said, stopping her, "I'm leaving."
I sighed with guilt, "Andy, I didn't mean--"
"It's fine, Jane." He cut me off, "All I've ever wanted was for you to be safe. Do I want you, definitely. You're an incredibly gorgeous woman, Jane. No man in their right minds wouldn't want you in their arms, but besides my strong feelings for you. I want to keep you safe, Jane. I want to help you fight through this. But the thing I failed to realize before now is that you're the one to decide if you want to escape from this or not, I can't force you, the least I can do is support you through it. I only pray that whatever you decide you stay alive long enough to see it.."
"Andy, wait!"
He dropped the check and left me to myself.
