“Not any of them? Baseball, basketball…football?”
“No, I guess I’m your stereotypical workaholic type. I don’t have the free time or interest to follow professional sports.”
“You’ve never watched them?”
“I just don’t understand why adults get paid ridiculous amounts of money to play childhood games, and I definitely don’t get why hard-working people spend money they don’t have to attend those games or buy the team’s paraphernalia or whatever else fans spend their money on.”
“Is that so?” he asks, apparently entertained by my response. “Interesting.”
“I’m wondering if you truly find me interesting or if that’s code for amusing?” I jest.
“How could I make fun of a woman who saves lives for a living?”
This man clearly does not know what a typical day in the office looks like for a pediatrician. It’s mostly booster shots and runny noses. The only life I saved today was my own when I braced myself against the knock in the stomach by a seven-year-old brute.
“I take it by your response that you are indeed a big sports fan?” I ask.
“I am.”
“I didn’t see you cheer for… who was it again?”
“The Rangers, and that’s because they’re not my team. I’m not from here.”
“Oh, so you’re a transplant?”
“Yes, ma’m. I’m from Texas.”
“Your accent isn’t that thick and I think you just threw that ma’m in to make a point.”
“My accent is probably watered down since I’ve spent a lot of time around you, Northerners.”
He grins and dear God is that a dimple in his chin?
“I went to Penn State,” he continues. “Go Lions.”
“You went to college?”
Crap, I hope that didn’t sound as condescending as it felt coming out of my mouth. It’s got to be that shot of tequila.
I’m definitely losing some of my filter.
Eight
ADRIENNE
“Snooty much?”
“I’m sorry.”
“Yes, I went to college.”
“I didn’t mean it that way.”
“It’s fine,” he says almost dismissively, and I feel like a Grade A ass.
“No, really, I didn’t mean it that way at all. I’m a first generation college graduate myself, and my parents put food on the table every night to pay cash for my tuition. Not one loan. They don’t believe in loans, except for their mortgage, of course. I shouldn’t of said that to you. It doesn’t matter if you went to college or not.”
“You’re right, it doesn’t matter, but just for the record I went to Penn State and you don’t need to worry about offending me. I’ve got a thick skin. Nothing that comes out of a New Yorker’s mouth surprises me anymore.”
