He looked at his watch and realized, with satisfaction, that he was right exactly on time. It was only 6:50 AM and he'd have time to get home, get showered and get to the hospital for his morning rounds. He was also pleased, privately, that he'd see 'her' and get a chance to wave at 'her'.

He found, over a period of time, that he liked beginning so many of the days of his week this way.

The hospital had, across the road, a fine and flourishing rehab center. In the basement of the rehab building was a first class exercise facility.

Bob Raines, Dr. Bob Raines, surgery, liked to get to the facility and workout several times a week.

At least one of the reasons for his dedication was the heart attack that he'd already had some 19 years previous. That heart attack had come just before his little brother, Clark, always 'Butch' to him, had died of his second heart attack.

The one clear message that Bob Raines understood that came along with the grievous lost of his beloved 'Butch' was that he himself needed to take better care, to stop doing what many would call 'burning the candle at both ends' and get in shape.

He'd been at the exercising ever since, and, though he still missed 'Butch' a great deal, and, he knew, always would, until, he hoped, for some 'fulfillment' day, he was forever grateful that he'd been led to better ways of taking care of himself.

So, for Dr. Bob Raines, Dr. Bob, to all and sundry, it had been today a half hour with the weight machines and a half hour of cardio. It made him feel good, and he truly appreciated the opportunity to start so many of the days of his week this way.

As a matter of fact, his recent group of tests had again proven the worth of his exercise schedule. At 45 yrs, Bob Raines was in excellent health. He'd left his smoking habit behind over 25 years previously and lung tests detected no lasting damage at all.

After his heart attack, he'd had a quad by-pass and recent tests showed that the by-passes were still functioning well and were clear.

He noticed, as he went outside to his car, that it was raining that morning. Just then it started to rain just a little bit harder.

He drove up the street from the rehab building and took a left turn to get him over to that part of the city where he and his faithful companion, St. Gomer, his 'heinz 57 variety' dog had their home.

Bob Raines had bought a big house, once he was fully into his practice, after med school, in order to have his Mom and Pop live with him. It was a large white house, spread out in a lovely fashion over mainly one floor, with a master wing on one side and guest rooms, where his Mom and Dad had their rooms, on the other, with living room, dining room, kitchen and a general playroom kind of set up in between.

It worked out well for them for a number of years. But then his Dad had gotten sick, mainly from the many, many years of smoking that he'd done, which severely weakened his lungs. It seemed that his Dad, Art, just didn't have the strength to fight off the onset of pneumonia with side complications and the illness took him.

Bob devoted his succeeding years to taking care of his Mom, and they were a great pair. She passed, his lovely Annie, in her sleep one night, being there at bed time and gone in the morning. She'd told her Bobbie many times that she was always ready, and that she knew that Art would be waiting in that place where the Grace of God shines so brightly. She never let go of that thought and hope.

It was after they were both gone that Bob had gone to the shelter and adopted St. Gomer, and now they were the best of buddies.

He kept the big house, employing a cleaning woman, who came in weekly to make sure that everything was, in fact, ship shape for Dr. Bob.

She did the bed sheets and laundry for him. It was a good arrangement for him.

His only stop this morning was at the coffee bar in the hospital rehab building's bottom floor for a cappuccino. It was one of his really few indulgences.

OUT IN THE RAIN:

That morning, right on time, Georgia Wilson had gotten herself out and to the curb. She maneuvered her chair down the ramp and to the curb to wait for the bus to come and pick her up.

This was, for her, one of the bright spots in her day. She knew that that handsome man would drive by today and he always waved to her. Sometimes he blew the horn. It was a treat for her.

Georgia Wilson lived alone. She'd moved out of a very unhappy home, as soon as she could and got a job, and was taking care of herself.

Her future was, to a large extent, determined by a night out with the girls, which ended in an accident. One of the girls was killed outright, two were hurt badly and Georgia lost the use of her legs.

She continued to work and was fortunate in that the building could accommodate her chair. She'd gone into debt to purchase for herself the motorized chair and found a small apartment that was a first floor affair and laid out in such a way that she could get in and out and around well.

She'd gotten rehab lessons and practiced constantly, honing her skills at using the chair, getting into it and out of it, to bed, to the bathroom etc. By now, a number of years later, she was good at it.

She also worked constantly on her attitude. She was a lovely Afro-American woman and dealt with her 'poor me's' on an on-going basis, so as to not let herself dwell forever in the doldrums.

She had no family, having left all of that behind her in a different part of the country and was self-sufficient and satisfied.

Part of her attitude work was not letting herself dwell on what life did not have in store for her.

She was pretty; she was petite but she was crippled. She didn't date but was a good friend to various, especially, women from work.

There was a special handicapped bus that the city employed that took her, and people like her, to work daily. She made sure that she was out at the curb and waiting.

During the past half year, on a regular basis, he'd driven by, precisely at this time and at first it was a smile and then, constantly, he waved to her or blew the horn. It was as though they were the best of friends.

But today was, would be different. She got to the curb, and shortly after that it began to rain.

The rain was almost enough to distract her from waving at 'him', almost but not quite. She was also angry at herself for not sticking an umbrella in the side bag on her chair.

Bob Raines turned the corner and drove up the street just as it began to pour. It was then that he saw her, the lovely Afro-American woman, whom he called, to St. Gomer, 'his girl friend'. She was sitting in the rain in her chair.

He stopped immediately and pulled over. Getting his umbrella, a large 'golf' style one, he went down the slight hill to where she was sitting.

"No," he said as he approached her. "This won't do!"

"Hi!" he said brightly, as he stood and made sure that the umbrella was covering her.

It made her cry.

"Sorry," she mumbled but had leaned her head over and placed it against his side.

He took out a handkerchief and began to wipe the rain from her face. She smiled at him, and said: "This is so nice of you."

"Of course," he said, "We're pals; we see each other all the time."

"Yes, we do," she said.

"I'm going to leave the umbrella here for you," he said. "I'll collect it in a day or so."

"Oh, how nice," she said, and just looked at him.

He understood right away and said: "I'm Bob Raines."

"Hi, Bob Raines," she said.

"I work at the hospital," he went on, "It's Dr Bob Raines; on my way home now to clean up after a workout and get back to work."

She smiled: "A doctor making house calls."

"Yep!" he said. "You okay?"

"Yes, sorry to be crying like a fool out here," she said, "Forgot to stow my umbrella today."

"Oops!" he said, "But it was the doctor to the rescue."

He thought a moment and said: "Hey, I have a hot drink in the car; can I give you a sip? Might help."

"Why, thank you," she said with appreciation.

He went to his car, a good sized SUV and brought back a cup of cappuccino. He handed it to her and she took a drink.

"My, is that good!" she exclaimed.

He smiled. "It's a hazelnut cappuccino; a favorite of mine."

"Hm," she said, "I could get used to that."

He grinned at her and said: "Then please accept it as a gift from me."

She gave him a dazzling smile and said: "You are so nice, Dr Bob Raines!"

"At your service," he said.

Just then the special bus came for her.

"My ride," she said, and mentioned the name of the place where she worked. "I can give you back your umbrella."

"Best keep it," he said, "In case it's raining, when you come home."

"Oh, thank you," she said, another dazzling smile.

"Love your smile," he said and she beamed at him.

He watched her get loaded onto the bus and stood to wave her off, as the bus pulled away.

For himself, he was pleased about their meeting. He was pleased, of course, because she was, after all, out in the rain. But he knew that it was more than that. He'd seen her so often and over that time period had wanted more and more to get to know who she was

"Mission accomplished, old boy," he said. "Wait until the saint hears this news."

For her part, it had indeed made Georgia's day. She grinned about their finally meeting most of the morning. She hummed to herself and was in a great mood. She was even reminded about it later that afternoon, when the same kind of bus brought her home from work. She still had his umbrella, though now it was no longer raining. She still had it, like a pledge of seeing him again.

She wouldn't, however, let her mind take that thought any further. She was disciplined that way and told herself that she was just being realistic She'd been able to make of her life, with its great difficulties, what it presently was. It was pleasing and she constantly told herself that her situation was sufficient, and that she shouldn't go 'dreaming' of things that wouldn't happen.

COFFEE AND A PHONE:

He was there two days later but now with a new wrinkle in his approach to the lovely Georgia. He had a cup of cappuccino for her that morning.

She beamed at him, when he parked and got out, with the two cups of coffee in his hand.

"Got this for you," he said, smiling.

"You are my knight!" she said and he grinned.

"Dr Bob my white, shining knight!" she proclaimed and he stood with her for a while, until her bus came for her.

"Thank you, Georgia the Beautiful," he said then.

It made her cover her mouth and giggle. "Don't you be foolin' with me, Dr Bob," she said.

He put his hand up in the air, as though taking an oath and said softly: "Not foolin' at all; not in the least."

"Oh," was her only reply but there were tears in the corners of her eyes.

"By the way," he said, "What's your cell number? Here is mine, in case you ever need it."

"Don't just have a cell phone," she answered softly. Then she kind of barked a laugh, as though to dismiss the idea, and said: "Not in my budget."

It was the coming of the bus that saved them right then from any further conversation about it.

But the thought was already in Bob's mind.

He did take some time to mull over the thought that had occurred to him. He wasn't quite sure but he constantly remembered her comment about his being her 'white, shining knight' and decided to do it.

For a number of days now, he stopped, got the cappuccinos and made a stop to give her one. He always greeted her as 'Beautiful Georgia', and she always gave him a huge smile, when he did, especially when he said that.

But with his mind finally made up, he made a stop one afternoon and visited the Apple Store. He told them what he wanted and they helped him make his purchase and get it all set up. He was intensely please, and only hoped -- hoped that he wasn't about to make a fool of himself.

The next day was one for his workouts. It was the day that he planned to stop and give her the phone. Lately, of course, he'd been stopping every day with the cappuccinos for him and her; he'd made it a part of his morning schedule, even on those days, when he wasn't working out at the hospital rehab facility.

She was there that morning and smiling broadly, as she saw him pull into the curb.

"Hey, Dr Bob," she said brightly.

"Hi, sunshine!" he said, making her giggle. "How's my girl?"

"Don't you go foolin' with me, Doctor," she said with mock severity.

"Not foolin' at all," was his response. "And I have something to show you."

"Ohh?" she said. Then she said a 'thank you' and smiled at him, as he gave her the cup of cappuccino.

"Yes," he said, "It's this. Now please let me start by saying that if I'm making assumptions here that are not true or necessary, I apologize. I in no way want to insult you. Please understand that."

"Yes, yes, I do," she said, her voice faint, not understanding at all what he was coming to.

Then he cleared his throat and said: "I have this ... I bought this iPhone for you."

There was silence.

"For me?" she asked with incredulity. The cappuccinos had been nice and she'd let her mind run away with that but this was absolutely unthinkable.

"Yes," he said smiling.

"Oh, I don't know what to say!' she said, but tears were gathering now.

"Just say 'yes'," he said. "Please."

"Yes," she said, and did indeed begin to sob.

"May we go inside and I'll show you?" he asked.

She could only shake her head now.

"Oh," he went on, "And your bus; I have a folding wheel chair in my trunk, and can take you to work. Is that okay?"

She shook her head 'yes', and they went inside her apartment.

She apologized right away for it's tiny size but he simply said that it was lovely and waved away her apology.

"My white, shining knight!" she said to him.

"Georgia, my black beauty!" he said and then caught himself saying it and began to apologize.

"No," she replied, "If you are my white, shining knight, I can certainly be your black beauty."

He went over the phone with her: her new number, her e-mail address with Apple and all the programs that were on the phone. He had a book for her to read and said that as she got more into the book, they could go over the phone and its working again to make sure that she understood.

"I've put my phone number into your contacts," he said. "Almost listed it under 'white, shining knight." He finished that sentence with a huge grin.

"Should have," she said.

With a look of absolute joy, she picked up her new phone and called his number.

"Dr Bob Raines," he answered.

"Is there a white, shining knight present?" she asked, giggling. "This call is for him."

"Right here," he said, and then, hesitating for a few seconds, said, into his phone: "White shining knight speaking. Who is this?"

"This is Georgia the Black Beauty," she said.

"Thought so, recognized your prettiness even in your voice," he said.

They hung up then and she had her head pressed against his stomach.

"So nice! So nice! So nice to me!" she said. "Cappuccinos and now this. So nice to me. Makes me feel so special."

"My only aim," he said, and bent to kiss her forehead.

"To work?" he asked then.

BOYFRIEND? AND MORE:

He got out the folding wheel chair in his trunk and took her to the car.

"I'll be sure to get you after work today," he said.

"Aren't you busy?" she asked.

"I have two surgeries to do today and rounds at the hospital but I can make it and to spare. If there is any problem," he now smiled at her. "I'll call you on the phone."

She gave him a large smile and said: "Yes, call me on the phone."

As they got closer to where she worked, she seemed to be upset by something.

Finally, looking at her, he said: "Georgia, tell me."

"Oh, it's silly, stupid me." she declared.

"Yes?" he said.

"I've told the girls I work with that ... you're my boyfriend!" she said softly.

He grinned and said triumphantly: "But I am! I'm the white, shining knight! That's who I am."

She gave him a positively adoring look.

"I know that they pity me," she said. "I mean the chair and all and thinking what kind of life must I have. I'm sure that they think that I'm lying about a boyfriend. And here you're making my life so wonderful!"

"My only aim," he said. "So let's go and show them your boyfriend!"

He wheeled her into her office, and the other ladies in the office were simply staring.

With a huge grin on her face, Georgia said: "Girls, this is my Dr. Bob; he's my white, shining knight!"

They were agog. He was tall; he was handsome; he was in obviously good shape and he was a doctor.

One of them, Alice said: "Oh, what kind of doctor are you?"

"General surgery," he said, "But with a sideline heart specialty. I practice at the university."

"Look what he gave me today!' Georgia said to them and showed them her new iPhone.

They all made remarks about the phone and she passed it around. She was grinning for all she was worth, by the time the phone got back to her.

"I'm going to teach her how to find dirty pictures on the internet!" he said triumphantly, and they were all laughing.

He turned to her then and said: "Love, I'll be here to pick you up today after work."

"If there's a problem, please call me," she said.

"Of course," was his answer, and he kissed her lightly on the lips.

It sent a kind of thrilling shock through both of them. It was grand, of course, but it was the kind of gesture that the other office girls would understand. She was tickled.

She wheeled herself to the door and they kissed lightly again.

"Not fooling here," he said.

"Ohhhh," was her only response.

"Dinner tonight?" he asked.

"Yes," she said.

"I'll take you out," he said next.

"I'll like that!" she replied.

Then she went back into the office to her desk.

"He's gorgeous," Alice said.

One of the others said: "Oh, I'd love to meet a doctor!" They all sighed and agreed, while Georgia beamed.

He returned on time. She was just a few minutes from finishing her work for the day, and had been working from the chair that he'd bought for her.

He knocked on the door and said: "Doctor's visit."

It caused a flurry among the ladies in the accounting department, where Georgia worked. She especially was grinning broadly.

"Dr. Bob," she said. "Welcome back."

"Ready for a wild night, Siren?" he asked.

She giggled behind her hand but said that 'yes' she was ready for him.

He went to her, as she got her purse and few effects to take with her.

With a nod and the word "Ladies!" he wheeled Georgia out of the office.

They got into the elevator and, with the door closed, she said to him: "You've made my reputation with them. Or at least repaired it. Thank you. It'll settle them for a long time."

"Hey," he said, "Wait, wait; what do you think is going on here?"

She gave him a serious look and said: "Don't just know."

He bent down then and grazed her lips with his and said softly: "I'm after you! That's what's going on. This is no sham for the office girls! This is me on the hunt and I've got you in my sights."

She put her hand to her chest and just breathed hard for a number of seconds and said an explosive: "Ohhh."

Then he did kiss her and it was real, and it was live, and it was expressive and they both loved it.

"Out to dinner?" she asked, as they drove toward her place.

'Yes," he said, 'Hungry?"

"Yes," she replied, and then, almost as an aside: "Don't do that often."

"Doing it now," he said, smiling at her.

"Request?" she said.

"Anything," was his reply.

This got another expostulated 'Ohhhh' from her.

"Time to take a quick washcloth bath and change?" she asked.

"Is that your norm?" he asked.

"Yes," she said.

"Don't think so," was his initial reply, "The Doctor is going to plunk your beautiful body in a tub of lovely hot water and give you a personal bath."

This made her giggle. She leaned over and put her head on his shoulder.

"How did I get so lucky?" she asked.

"By getting caught in the rain and then caught by me," he replied.

It made her giggle again.

"Bet you're a treat without any clothes on," he said, giving a low dirty kind of chuckle.

She put her hand over her mouth and laughed.

"I'm in trouble here," she said.

"Yep," He said, "Gonna bathe you; make you all clean and shiny, put a pair of panties on your beautiful ass and take you out to dinner. You'll be Georgia, my almost naked girlfriend tonight. The hit of the town."

She hit him on the shoulder.

"Hey, what you doin'?" he asked.

"Tryin' to make the Doctor behave," she said.

"Won't!" he declared and she giggled.

"Maybe just a little," he said.

She giggled again.

"Okay," he said with a large sigh, "Clothes for you for dinner out!"

She giggled one more time.

"Where'd you like to eat?" he wanted to know.

"I hardly know any place," she said, "And will be happy with wherever you choose."

They got to her house and, before they got out of the car, he turned to her, smiling, and said: "Bath time," in a soft voice.

She smiled and put her hand over her mouth. By then he was out of the car and had the chair ready for her. He took her into her apartment building.

Once they were in her apartment, he reached down and picked her up in his arms, with an arm behind her shoulders and one under he knees.

She kind of sighed and settled her head against his shoulder.

"So fine," she said.

"You won't be saying that, once I get your clothes off," he said, chuckling. She giggled.

He took her to the bed room and sat her on the bed. She just sat and looked at him, the ghost of a smile on her face.

"Don't know what to say or do," she said softly, tears actually forming in the corners of her eye. "This, since the accident, has not been part of my experience."

He kiss her cheeks, where the tears were coming.

"Is now," he said.

"Takin' such good care of me," she said.

"Only aim," was his answer, "Apart from getting your clothes off right now!" She giggled again then.

"Keep doin' that," she said. He grinned.

He began by reaching out and unbuttoning her blouse. As he did, he reached down and kissed her lightly. For the kiss, she put her arms around his neck and simply hung on.

"Ohh, my," she said, once the kiss was done.

He smiled and went back to paying attention to the buttons on her blouse. He was humming a tune and she was grinning at him. The blouse, unbuttoned, showed a very pretty beige, lacy bra.

"Very nice," he said, "You can wear that out to dinner with your panties."

She hit him on the shoulder. He grinned. "Okay, I'll behave," he promised.

"Please don't," she said, "Just continue to be exciting.

"I can do that!" he said. "Like my bedside manner?"

"Oh," she replied, "Is that what this is? You've practiced?"

"Not really," he answered, "Saved all of this accumulated knowledge for you and only you."

"Oh dear!" was her reply, as he took her blouse off altogether.

"Choices now," he said.

"Choices," she repeated.

"Pants or bra?" he asked in a very pleasant tone.

"So polite!" she said. "Nice choices."

"Yes," he said, "Polite. Are we stalling?"

"Kind of," she said.

"Problem?" he asked suddenly in an earnest voice.

"Not really," she replied, "Just out of any possible previously known element. Pants."

He grinned at her, as she finally replied to the previous question.

He lowered his head and said: "Georgia, Georgia, your chair doesn't matter to me; not at all. I am so all encompassed by the beauty of you, and the more clothes I take off, the more your beauty is apparent."

Georgia sighed and said: "Then take my clothes off and tell me about the beauty that you see. I'm not being coy here; I just have not been talked to this way. Not ever."

"Are now," was his reply, as he reached for the waistband button on her slacks.

He was humming again and singing, half to himself, a song that he was making up about 'Black Pussy and Black Booty'. It made her hoot.

When he had her slacks down and off, still singing his 'Black Pussy and Black Booty' song, he hesitated, taking in the sight of her in her beige, lacy panties and bra.

"Perfection!" he said, and then had her arms around his neck.

She had, right then, her usual 'earnest' moment, with the semi-present voice in the back of her head calling her a fool for expecting anything, especially anything for a cripple.

He saw the look and asked, softly: "What?"

"I have to ask," she said, "I have to ask only this once but I have to ask. What do you see in a cripple like me?"

He held up a hand to her and said: "No more using the 'c' word. It doesn't describe you, not at all."

She stared at him as he spoke.

"Talk to me, Doctor," she said, "I want ... need to hear it right now."

He did; he talked to her then: "The beauty, sheer beauty of your face; it's wonderful. And your skin. It's the color of light chocolate fudge; I mean the kind that is mixed with rum and made by the Trappist Monks in Kentucky. Enchanting! Look at the breasts on you! Lovely, sloping a bit and, I'm sure, and will discover, that your nipples are world class. But the hips and ass on you! My, my! What a sight." Then he began to croon his improvised song about "Black Pussy and Black Booty."

She was crying now. She had her arms around his neck again and was crying. He sat on the chair that was in the bedroom and hauled her bodily from the bed and sat her on his lap. She curled up there and laid her head against his shoulder.

"Honey," he said, "You are world class; you're my beauty; that's who you are alright!"

"It's who I want to be more than anything in the world!" she replied.

"Guess what?" he asked next in a voice laden with joy.

"What" she asked, suspicion in her voice.

"Choice time," he said happily. "Bra or panties next?

She giggled now, and grinning up at him said: "You choose, troubadour."

"Glad you recognize some of my artistic talents," he said and sang the little song about 'Black Pussy and Black Booty' only now he added to that list: 'Black Boobies'. It made her laugh, and while she was laughing, he unhooked her front hook bra and took it off of her.

"Look at the tits on this babe," he said and she grinned.

She put her arms in the air and shook her shoulders, making her breasts sway.

"Wow!" he said with great appreciation.

"Now the best for last," he went on, and hauled the panties off of her.

Once he had her panties, he twirled them around his finger, accompanying the gesture with his little song.

"That was sung to an all naked you!" he said smiling.

"Bath time for the siren," he said, enfolding her in his arms again. She was ready for him now and lifted her face for a kiss at once.

She opened her soft, full lips to him and scraped his own lips and teeth with her tongue, before sliding it into his mouth to explore.

The kiss was sufficient to lead to the future that was awaiting them.

"Bath time," he said into her ear.

"Yes," she sighed, "Bath time."

He went then and drew her bath water, making it hot and fragrant for her. When it was ready, he went to her, where she sat smiling at him. He picked her up in his arms and took her to the bathtub, lowering her gently into the tub.

"Mmmm," she said, "Smells nice."

"Will smell like you now," he said, "And that is very nice."

She reached up and pulled his head down then to kiss him.

Then he bathed her. At one point, he helped her stand and lean against the wall to facilitate the more personal bathing, and got an idea about how to modify his own large bathroom with her in mind.

She looked over her shoulder and asked: "See anything you like, white boy?"

"Guess so!" he said and sang his crazy song about 'Black Pussy, Black Booty and Black Boobs' again. "You're absolutely, gorgeously black and I've got you here."

He gave a dirty laugh then and she reached around and kissed him.

When he was finished, he wrapped her in a towel and held her.

"Wait until I tell St Gomer about this little episode," he said.

"Who?" she asked.

"St. Gomer," he said, "My mutt, my buddy at home. The saint and I share bachelor quarters. I'll haul your spectacular boobs, booty and pussy there soon to meet him."

He had her giggling then again.