Chapter One: The Problem with Boys
"Sweetness, you juss wait. God has someone good in mind for you!"
Laughing, I shook my head. Miss Audrey was always a light in my day. She had just turned one hundred years old and, though forgetful, she always managed to cheer me in ways nothing else ever could. "Well, Miss Audrey, I've given up! Can't find a man who could ever measure up to your Burnley."
"Well, that's true. When they made him, they broke the mold; but I had a hand in some of his molding, now that I think about it. We met in high school, you know."
I did know. I had worked as a nurse at The Bishop House Caring Home in Parma for two years and Miss Audrey had moved in soon after I started. She had lived with her daughter until she got to the point where she needed more supervision than her daughter could provide. In the time Miss Audrey lived here, I think I had heard all her stories at least twice—and a one-hundred-year-old has a lot of stories to tell.
"But anyway, a pretty little girl like you should have all the boys hanging on her doorbell."
"That's the problem, Miss Audrey, they are boys. I want a man."
Miss Audrey's wrinkled, age-spotted hand patted me on my arm and she said, "Honey, they are all boys to begin with. Don't give up on 'em."
Smiling, I turned back to my medical cart as another care-giver wheeled Miss Audrey into the dining room. It was nearing the end of my day and I needed to lock up and do my end of shift routines. Most of those required more muscle memory than brain power, so it gave me a chance to ponder what Miss Audrey had said. "They are all boys to begin with…"
Unfortunately, all the boys in my spotted past had been badly afflicted with Peter Pan Syndrome. Like Mr. Pan, they refused to grow up and I had wasted too much of my life hoping for that magical moment when they'd realize a girlfriend did not equal mother, or personal assistant, or solely a sex kitten.
First there was Eric, my high school steady. He had always reminded me of an over enthusiastic puppy. In my defense, I've always liked dogs. However, the first red flag was when his mother went with us on our first date. That certainly was a sign of things to come. I was too dumb to run at that point, unfortunately. We crashed and burned when his mom decided to tag along when he went to college. We had chosen to attend the same college and I was hoping for a new beginning, sans Mom. You can imagine how that went. I think he's still living in her basement.
Then there was Mike. He had the most beautiful blue eyes and engaging laugh. He was also a slob. Once, he invited me over to his apartment for pizza and a movie. He pointed out that his roommates were out of town, and I thought that meant…well, you know. I spent two hours getting ready for that date. Turned out, he wanted me to not only prepare the pizza, but to also clean his place while he watched the movie- Fast and Furious VII or something—I had wised up enough to back the heck out of that one quicker than I did with Eric.
After I earned my RN, my first job was on the surgical floor at Parma Hospital. That's where I learned that Doctors are a whole different planet. Case in point, Carlisle—drop dead gorgeous, charming, intelligent—but truly underneath it all he was no different from my other mistakes. Having gone through the boy-boyfriend thing twice before, I was wary at first, but Carlisle was smooth and over time manipulated me into taking care of him. Gradually, I started picking up his dry cleaning, supervising lawn workers at his home, buying his groceries, cooking his meals and getting nothing in return. No real friendship or true respect, and just a little something-something now and again, when he felt like it. He didn't want me as a friend, something I was desperate for. I needed someone who valued me for me, not only for what I could do for him. But Carlisle had his close-knit hospital bro squad for that. When I realized that Carlisle was still a boy underneath all that surface sparkle, I broke it off. He ended up marrying someone his parents had set him up with. Funny thing was, she looked and acted a lot like his real mother. Gross.
Now, don't get me wrong. I don't see anything wrong with taking care of your partner—as long as your partner also takes care of you. It seemed in the Boydom World, Girls were the givers and boys were the takers. Period.
The Great Carlisle Disappointment happened more than two years ago, and that's when I hung up my dating skates. I changed my employment, my residence, and my expectations. I got a dog for company—a girl dog, by the way—and I was fairly happy, fairly content, and frankly, fairly bored. But at least I wasn't mothering someone. What I really wanted was someone who wanted to be with me because of me, not some convenient girlfriend whose sole purpose in life was to take care of them.
Leaving The Bishop, I drove home to my little apartment after picking up my girl, Angela the beagle. She was a sweet, happy, active pup and got lonely when I was at work, so she goes to puppy day care. She's very popular there, especially with the other beagle regulars. The staff there calls them the Beagle Brigade and they terrorize the doggy bone pool and play yard. I've seen them on the webcam they leave running, and the BB (Beagle Brigade) really are a menace. A cute menace but, wow! They don't stop. No wonder my Angie-girl is so tired when I pick her up.
I popped my Lean Cuisine in the microwave, changed out of my work clothes, poured a glass of wine, fed the ever-voracious Angie and turned on my latest fantasy fest—Outlander. Now, that Jamie Fraser. I'm sure Miss Audrey would claim he's a real man. I can't decide if his attractiveness lies in his chiseled features, his Scottish brogue, or his kilt. But maybe it's really because of the way he treats his love, Claire. He doesn't try to dominate her. He treats her as an equal and believes her value is "above rubies." He admires her for more than just her appearance. He honors her. He respects her intelligence and abilities. He appreciates the person that she is. And of course, the sex is hot. I want a man like that.
Me and everyone else in the world, it seems.
Notes:
Yes, we're back in Parma but not with the same Characters we met in my other fic, Parma High. Parma is based on my hometown in Florida, so it is what I'm familiar with. Don't think we're going to have a hurricane in this one, though.
I started this in honor of my own mother, Audrey, who actually did turn 100 on July the first, and is tearing it up at her Residential facility.
More coming soon.