“You are so like your mother,” he said with a sigh when she continued to just stare at him.
“Dad, I’m not your patient. I’m your daughter.” She’d had this conversation so many times sheshouldneed therapy. “I’m fine.”
“What do you do for fun?”
“I go to the gym.”
“Okay, you exercise your body. What about your mind?”
“I do crossword puzzles and word searches.”And I sound like I’m ninety, but I like word puzzles.
Her dad coughed, and she mentally dared him to once again compare her to Great-Aunt Martha. Fortunately for him, he asked, “What about social interaction?”
“I hang out with Jed and Shannon. Sometimes Bob.”
“Who’s Bob?”
She flushed. “He’s a janitor at the gym. He’s a nice guy.” And she hadn’t seen him lately. Hmm. He might have moved, now that she thought about it.
“I’m just curious. How old is he? Someone you’d consider a potential boyfriend?”
“Dad.”
Aaron just waited.
“Bob’s sixty-nine. But he’s in great shape. He’s a retired Marine who still works out and does the janitorial stuff at the gym. He tells funny stories.”
“So not a romantic connection then?”
“No way.”
He sighed. “Do you realize your only social outlets are Jed, the man you see at work all day, and his wife?”
“And kids,” she muttered.
“In addition to an older man at the gym, the only other consistent place you go when not on duty? I love you, Cass. But I see problems for you if you don’t get out and let loose a little. It’s not bad to be focused on your job. Not at all. But you need balance.”
“Oh look, there’s Mom.”
Her mother finally returned to the table. She leaned down to kiss Aaron and picked up her purse. “Sorry, I have to get back. Cass, next time you’re off, let’s do dinner at the house. And don’t forget to leave our server a big tip, Aaron.” She waved goodbye and darted out the door.
Cass tried to get money out of her wallet stuffed in her backpack, but her father insisted on paying. She didn’t mind, but she didn’t want him to think she couldn’t take care of herself. She made a decent paycheck and had little overhead thanks to an inheritance years ago from Great-Aunt Martha. She was successful, so why was her father so bent on making sure she had a life?
Maybe because you don’t?
She shoved the thought away and waited for her father to take care of the bill. Once outside, she walked him to his car.
“What’s on your agenda today?” he asked.
“I thought I’d see a movie, actually.”
Her dad brightened. “That’s great. Which one?”
She mentioned an action flick she’d been wanting to see. With the cold outside, she wouldn’t mind being indoors. “Then after that, I’ll probably hit the gym and grab a quick dinner. Then it’s back to work. I’m off Friday and Saturday this week if you guys want to do dinner.”
“I’ll check with your mother, but I’m leaning toward Friday. We’ll text you details. But if plans come up that interfere with dinner, you let me know.”
“Plans?”
