and was just being polite about it. Either way, she was going to let it drop. “It’s good there are people like you then.”
He laughed this time. “What do you like about your job?”
“I’m good at it,” she said.
He laughed at her again. “That’s always a good thing, but what made you go toward that career? Why not something with animals since you love them so much?”
“I wish I had. I just never cared for school. Maybe it’s because I was always quiet and just didn’t seem to fit in. I didn’t stand out. I’m not a complete loser though.”
“No one thinks you’re a loser. And if they do they have issues.”
“I’ve always thought so. Anyway, I didn’t see myself going to college for four years and most good paying careers with animals need that, if not more to be a vet. I didn’t even want to go away from home. A dental hygienist is a good solid job that pays well. It’s just not for everyone.”
“No,” he said. “I don’t think I want to put my hands in other people’s mouths.”
“That is a downside. Even I can’t say anything positive about it. But I am happy when I get someone who actually takes good care of their teeth. You’ve got nice teeth,” she said.
It was something she always noticed on someone right away. It was hard not to.
Brian’s teeth were white but not glaring that they’d glow in the dark. They were straight, but not to the point he’d had a mouth full of braces his whole life either.
“Thank you, I think. All I do is brush them twice a day.”
“No floss?” she asked.
“Of course. My mother taught me well. Or rather after the first filling I got as a kid that was sandwiched between my teeth I swore to never let that happen again.”
“That usually does it,” she said.
“So you just like it because you’re good at it?” he asked again.
“I also like talking to people when they can’t answer me back.”
“You have a little twisted side to you, don’t you?”
“Sometimes.” The waitress finally brought their drinks out that they’d ordered before Kurt stopped over at the table. They were quick to give their dinner orders as well.
“You probably meet a lot of people that way. Do you remember everyone?”
“I do meet a lot of people. And since I haven’t been at this job that long, it’s hard to remember many. The longer I’m there the easier it might be, but I do only see them twice a year.”
“Thankfully.”
“Do you dislike the dentist?” she asked batting her eyelashes.
“I never thought of it much one way or another, but when I get that text message reminding me of my appointment I do end up giving a little shudder. I mean nothing good ever happens at the dentist.”
She was going to debate that and then remembered that was how she met Alex.
He’d been a patient and he was flirting with her. He was older but not so old that it seemed icky.
She was quiet and naive and he just seemed so sweet and worldly.
She fell for his charm and thought she was the luckiest girl in the world.
Then he broke her heart and maybe Brian was right. Not much good happened there.
Or she could choose to look at it like her life changed at that job.
Meeting and marrying and then divorcing Alex brought her to where she was at this point in her life. Dinner with Brian Dawson.
“Robin. Robin, is that you?”
She turned her head to see one of her mother’s oldest friends just walking through. “Lucy. Yes, it’s me.”
She stood up and gave Lucy Russell a hug. She hadn’t seen her in years. “I was just telling Will that I hadn’t talked to your mother lately and was going to drop her a line and see if she wanted to meet for lunch. And here I am running into you. Imagine that. And who is this?”
There was no getting out of it. Which of course meant now she was going to have to tell her mother she was on a date and she might have to do it fast or Lucy would do it first.
“Brian Dawson, this is Lucy Russell. She’s a good friend of my mother’s. What are you doing here tonight?”
The two shook hands. “Will and I spent the day shopping in town and didn’t want to get dinner at the mall. If we did I wouldn’t have run into you and your new man.”
What was she