Just let me get through this, Jon prayed, suddenly having a dose of religion.
"Morning, Jen," a voice said she passed by an open door. Glancing at the door, this was Doctor Brewer, DDS...Wait....like Gladys Brewer? Is her Dad a dentist? He wasn't sure.
"Morning," he said, sounding more chipper than intended. He continued. Claiming to be busy was a good way to avoid conversations about things he didn't know.
Like driving, he seemed to be able to just fake doing certain things. They seemed familiar, even though he had no memory of them. Like getting a smock, setting up tools, and then reading the notes on his first appointment. Susan McMillan. That explained it. Sarah's mom. Apparently, she came in every 3-4 months for a cleaning. Not many clues there.
He decided he needed to get it over with, and called her in. The woman rose and followed her into the room. "How's your daughter doing?" Jon said, trying to keep the conversation away from anything he couldn't handle.
Susan paused, as if not expecting the question. "Sarah is fine. She reminds me a lot of me when we were in high school, actually."
Jon got to work, but as he did, it became increasingly clear why Susan was someone problematic. Petty bitch. I can see where Sarah gets it from, Jon thought as he worked.
He at least had the advantage of stopping her with a set of tools every time she got too annoying. Scrape, wash, polish...Piece of cake. He forced a smile. "Okay, Susan. We're done for now. Your teeth look wonderful. You probably don't need the extra cleaning."
"Need...no. But appearance is very important in my work." Jon hated to admit it, but knowing she was roughly the same age as he was supposed to be now...she looked pretty good for her age. "You do have to work to maintain it..." Susan commented, looking Jon over.
Jon had only had some of his current appearance for a short time, but... "It was very...nice seeing you, Susan," he said, forcing a smile.
"Always a pleasure, Jenny. I like to throw business to people I've known for ages...especially those who have fallen on hard times..."
"Hard times?" Jon said, the smile fading.
"I know you lost your husband and are raising three kids alone...I'm just trying to do my part..." She headed out.
Jon took a few deep breaths. The receptionist entered. "I can't believe she keeps coming here because you two had some beef in high school."
"I can't believe it either," Jon said, honestly.
"Some people never grow up."
