Chapter 6

BONNIE

Bonnie was thrilled with her new job. Ellie was wonderful in teaching her the office routines and duties. She realized that a lot of her transcriptionist duties would involve technical medical terms, but Ellie helped with that as well and provided a list of terms and their meanings to which Bonnie could refer. The other doctors were polite and seemed genuinely interested in her succeeding. She especially liked dealing with the patients, answering the phone and making and coordinating appointments, but what made working at the clinic most enjoyable was working with Richard. He had insisted that when they were not with a patient or the other doctors that she call him by his first name. Bonnie had become totally enamored with him despite Ellie taking her aside.

"Bonnie, Honey, I know you think the world and all of Dr. Grafton, but..."

"Isn't he wonderful, Ellie?" she beamed.

"Well, yes, of course, but..."

"But what?"

"Well, he's divorced and..."

"I know."

"Well, he sort of has a reputation."

"What kind of reputation?"

"As a -- ladies man."

Bonnie laughed. "Oh, Ellie, he's just been very nice to me. He knows I'm married."

"Just the same, I'd tread lightly if I were you. You did say your husband was the jealous type."

"That's an understatement," smiled the attractive blonde.

"Well, I just don't want to see you in any trouble."

"I'll be careful. I promise."

But whether it was her youth, her naiveté, her inexperience with men or her misjudgment of character, Bonnie did grow more infatuated, day by day, with the handsome doctor. He would take time out to stop at her desk and talk small talk, compliment her on her outfits or hairstyle and one day even took Bonnie and Ellie to lunch. He said it was a farewell lunch for Ellie, but it was Bonnie and Richard who spent the time giving each other most of the attention. When Ellie finally left, Bonnie arrived at work the next day to find a luscious bouquet of flowers on her desk. They were from Richard and signed "To a lovely and talented young woman. Welcome to the clinic."

Other than Kevin, she had never before received a gift from a man and since they were married, Kevin's gifts had dropped to Christmas, her birthday and their anniversary, when he didn't forget, which he had this past year.

When Richard arrived later that morning she thanked him profusely and her heart fluttered when he smiled and told her how much she brightened up the clinic simply by being there.

Later that day she was typing up one of the transcriptions and could not recognize a word which one of the other doctors had used. As she sat at her desk Grafton came around behind her while putting the earphone to his ear with one hand, his other hand rested lightly on her shoulder. He acted quite nonchalant about it but, for Bonnie, it sent chills throughout her body and she could hardly refrain from fidgeting with excitement.

Afterward she told herself she had been foolish, acting like a schoolgirl, yet she found herself thinking of him in every spare moment.

As for things at home, the recession was cutting into the construction business in a major way. Construction starts were way down including commercial as well as residential building. Kevin's father had already had to lay off a half dozen workers. Kevin was certainly in no danger of being laid off, but there were no more bonuses and overtime. As a result they had had to tighten their belts and that meant little dining out and fewer movies and other entertainment events.

Bonnie didn't really mind all that much but it seemed to bother Kevin that they seemed stuck in a lower middle class neighborhood and lifestyle. His frustration sometimes led to anger and that to arguments when his temper flared as it tended to do more often these days.

What was perhaps most bothersome for him was the fact that without Bonnie's salary they would have a very hard time making ends meet. He didn't want her working and had said so many times. Now there seemed little choice.

Then there were the doctors she worked with. All were men and all at least good looking enough to be considered a threat by the extremely jealous husband. He had shook hands with them all when Bonnie had asked him to come by at lunch one day to meet the people with whom she worked. Yet there had been suspicion in his eyes and he hadn't stayed long, It had been obvious to everyone how uncomfortable Kevin had been around the doctors with their high salaries, advanced degrees and, as he saw it, their self confident and flirtatious manner.