Romance Moonlight Bay

"He isn't one of those guys that gets what he wants and tosses the girl on the scrap heap when he's done, is he?" demanded a concerned Heather.

"Don't worry about that. My sister's still fond of him and she's been married for two years," revealed Derrick. "I don't think any of the girls he's dated have ever said anything bad about him, except maybe how they couldn't get him to commit. He sure doesn't treat girls like that jerk treated your sister."

Jessica was pleasantly surprised at how intelligent and personable Dave was. She had assumed that a surfer/waiter would be little more than eye candy. Dave had constantly surprised her with his wit and observations. He was obviously well educated and capable. She found she liked those traits in a man.

As they strolled along the water's edge, Dave would point out points of interest on the beach and beyond. He explained some of the history of the town and spoke fondly of his years in high school. Jessica envied him his many good memories. High school had been a difficult time for her.

Two very attractive women in small bikinis had been walking along the shoreline, but stopped Dave to speak to him. "Are you going to the Moonlight Ball next Saturday night? You worked the last two years and missed it. You've got to come this year."

"I haven't given it much thought," Dave said evasively. "I'll have to check my schedule."

Jessica resented how the two women ignored her, even though she was obviously with Dave at the moment. Without much thought, she simply blurted, "Yeah, we'll let you know about that. We haven't even discussed it yet."

"And you are?" asked the big breasted red head.

"I'm Dr. Jessica Williams and perhaps more importantly to you both, I'm the woman Dave is with this afternoon," responded Jessica with the hope of intimidating the two sharks.

"Wait! Are you the woman that got dumped by her boyfriend last night at Moonlight Bay House? Because you give lousy blow jobs!" laughed the busty brunette. "I never even knew that was possible!"

"Word certainly gets around quite quickly," blushed Jessica as she tried to think of something to get back at the two beautiful women. "Luckily, Dave has agreed to be my instructor this week in hopes I'll improve my game. I really didn't have much to work with before."

The two ladies looked at each other in surprise and then broke out in laughter as the redhead quipped, "I'm sure Dave will get you up to speed. He's very experienced and has a lot to offer a girl."

"We should get together sometime and compare notes," suggested the other girl. "You're pretty funny. That was a great comeback. We were busting your chops and you turned it around and made us both jealous."

Once Jessica and Dave were alone, Jessica apologized. "I'm sorry about acting like we were together, as if I had some say in who you took to some dance. It's must be pretty embarrassing for you to be seen with the girl that can't even give a good blowjob. It sounds like I'll ruin your reputation. You've been with both of those girls, haven't you?"

"Jess, the thing I dislike most about your boyfriend was his eagerness to share what should be personal information. I don't discuss any relationships I may have had. I feel that whatever another person shared with me in a private setting should remain private. I've never done anything I need to be ashamed of, but I feel it's a betrayal to tell stories out of school," concluded Dave.

Jessica felt herself more drawn to Dave as he told her his thoughts. Why couldn't James have been a true gentleman, like Dave? As she thought back to James' words the previous night, she realized that being rid of him was the best thing that could have happened. It occurred to Jessica that the 'surfer dude' next to her had far more character and loyalty than the guy that would soon be leading businesses worth millions.

As she walked, Jessica considered Dave's situation. His mother owned a popular restaurant and he worked for her. He seemed to be a very good son to her. He had served in the Marines and had even been wounded and almost killed. He seemed to be very popular with the local female population, as well as certain lady tourists. He was obviously intelligent and kind. His body looked like something out of a mythology book, as in Greek Gods. The fact that she felt she could absolutely trust him made the entire package that was Dave Sanders look quite attractive.

An hour later, Dave and Jessica strolled back to the area of beach her parents occupied. Jessica smiled to her mother when she arched an inquisitive eyebrow, drawing a big smile from Nancy Williams in return. Willow and Tim were stretched out on blankets enjoying the sun on their backs.

"Thanks for the walk and the personal instructions," stated Jessica with a warm smile. "I've had a wonderful day and a lot of that was because you were so nice to me. You've been very kind to me, especially after the way things started yesterday."

Jessica stepped closer to Dave and kissed his cheek lightly. Dave glanced at Nancy Williams to determine her reaction to Jessica's small sign of affection and was pleased to see the woman favoring him with a warm smile.

When Tim stood to join Dave, Willow jumped to her feet and hugged him briefly before planting a quick kiss on his lips. "Thanks for everything, Tim. You have my number, so don't wait too long to call."

As the two men headed toward the parking area, Willow turned to her friend with a big smile and asked, "Dave gave you personal instructions?"

"Surfing instructions," replied Jessica. "We did meet a couple of beautiful girls in skimpy bikinis that know Dave and seemed to think he's very good in more than a few disciplines. They were extremely friendly to him."

"Derrick told me that Dave dated his sister back in high school and she still has a thing for him," revealed Heather. "He said Dave's a great guy, but it sounds like the competition is pretty heavy."

"Tim's really nice," observed Willow. "He served in the Marines with Dave and thinks the world of him. The cool thing is he's a fireman! I can't wait to tell Dad I'm dating a fireman. He'll like that!"

"You're dating Tim?" asked Jessica. "You just went for a walk on the beach, or did he ask you out?"

"He's working the next four nights. So we can't go out, but I'm going to see him during the day. He works twelve hour shifts. He works the next four nights and then has three off. We'll be here for two weeks, so it's very possible we'll be dating before it's time to leave," reasoned Willow. "I sure hope so!"

"How about you, Sis? Are you going to be dating your Adonis?" asked Heather.

"I wouldn't call him mine," clarified Jessica. "I can see the argument for the Adonis part. He's really good looking and in great shape. We didn't talk about work. I don't know if he'll be working at his mom's restaurant tonight or not."

"I guess that means you don't have a date tonight, either. Should we go out someplace?" asked Willow.

"I don't know about that," hesitated Jessica before lowering her voice so her parents could not hear her next words. "The two girls we met on the beach had already heard I was dumped because I gave lousy blowjobs. This is a small town and everyone knows everyone else's business."

"They really told you that?" marveled Willow. "Did you bitch slap the shit out of them?"

"You know I wouldn't do that. I just told them that Dave was helping me correct and improve my technique. I thought it would make them jealous," admitted Jessica. "It didn't bother them at all, but it seemed to make them like me better for some reason. I had the feeling that they thought I was joining their 'I've been with Dave Sanders' club or something. They gave me the impression they had been with him already."

"I can see why the guy might cut a wide swath," agreed Willow. "He's really good looking and Tim is no slouch, either. Hell, I'd do his sister and I don't even swing that way. The whole family is gorgeous!"

Against her better judgment, Jessica agreed to visit a few local nightspots with Willow. The two attractive and unattached friends were in constant demand on the dance floor. While taking a breather during an intermission, two men approached their table and offered to buy them a drink.

"No thanks," smiled Jessica as she took in their tattoos and the dirty jeans they were wearing. "We've already had our limit for the night."

"Come on! You've been dancing up a storm, shaking that sweet ass and those tits all over the place. You must be thirsty," responded the taller of the two as he made a point of staring at Jessica's chest.

"I think you two assholes had better leave us alone," insisted Willow loud enough to be heard across the room. "We have no interest in a couple of filthy losers. Get lost!"

"You bitch!" snarled the second man. "Who the hell do you think you are to come into our town and act like you own the fucking place? We should..."

"Don't even say it, Billy Jensen!" warned a woman that had approached unnoticed by Jessica. "I met her on the beach this afternoon and she was with Dave Sanders. I think I saw Tim Benson with the other girl. You're going to get your ass kicked all the way to Georgia if you don't leave these girls alone right now!"

Jessica watched the two men mull the woman's warning over briefly before turning and walking out the nearest exit. Relieved, she turned her attention to the young woman that had stepped in and convinced the men to leave. It was the big bosomed red head she and Dave had spoken to on the beach!

"Thanks so much for helping us out with those jerks. They seemed to be pretty angry," stated Jessica as she stood and hugged the other woman. "Would you like to sit with us?"

"Sure, if I can bring Sheila with me. She's the girl that was with me when we met you on the beach with Dave," responded the redhead. Soon the four women were seated and introductions were made. Bianca, and her friend, Sheila, were very friendly and Jessica found she enjoyed their company.

"You have to explain why dropping the names of Dave and Tim made those two assholes tuck tail and run," demanded Willow. "There must be a story there."

"I would think it would be pretty obvious to you," answered Bianca. "You saw those two guys with their shirts off. That's enough to make most guys think twice about bothering their ladies."

"I think it's more the stories that followed them back from Iraq," opined Sheila. "You probably know they were in the Marines. Well, they were considered plenty tough before they joined the service, but they've gotten a bit of a reputation since. They were home on leave before being deployed a second time when some bad ass wannabes decided to try them out at a little bar just off Route 95 in Georgia. Long story short, they put three of the guys in the hospital while two others required outpatient treatment."

"Did Dave and Tim get hurt, or in trouble for it?" asked a concerned Willow.

"There were cameras in the bar," replied Bianca. "The videos showed Dave and Tim trying to avoid trouble and they were actually leaving when the five guys jumped them. I guess things got pretty rough for a minute or so. Tim wound up with a black eye and Dave had a nasty cut on his arm. The local sheriff offered to hire them when they got out of the service."

"Combine that with the rumors about some of the things that happened in Iraq and most guys find it's wise to leave Tim and Dave alone," added Sheila. "They don't talk about it, but rumors have them involved in some pretty intense battles. We heard they received a bunch of medals and ribbons, but they've never shown them to anyone as far as I know."

"Are they dangerous?" asked Jessica. "They seem so nice."

"They're very dangerous, but only to assholes that try something stupid around them. Dave marched your former boyfriend out of their restaurant after he tried to hit Dave. He's lucky he missed. Dave probably knows a few dozen ways to disable or kill clowns like him without breaking into a sweat," laughed Sheila.

"If you girls reel those two in, you'll be doing something that dozens of us have tried and failed. I dated Dave a few times and Sheila went out with Tim, but it was never serious. That was their decision, not ours," revealed Bianca.

"I thought from the way you talked this afternoon that you and Dave had been together, if you know what I mean," admitted Jessica.

"To be honest, we were. I kind of pushed him into it. I thought once he experienced what I had to offer, I'd have him hooked," admitted Bianca. "I found out differently. He was really nice to me, but he told me we just didn't click that way. He never bragged about being with me, or even told anyone we slept together. In fact, he's never bragged about any of the women he's bedded. He's a real gentleman.

"He's the best lover I ever had," added Bianca with a smile. "He's totally unselfish and takes his time to be sure his partner is satisfied. His body is amazing. You won't have any complaints, believe me."

"I just met him. We only walked the beach and surfed a little. Why do you think it'll go any farther?" asked Jessica more calmly than she felt.

"Are you kidding?" laughed Sheila. "You were dating that douche bag when you first arrived. If you can land Dave, you'll be trading up a million times!"

"James was good looking. His family is very wealthy and he's being groomed to take over the family businesses. He's a very good catch," insisted Jessica as she wondered to herself why she felt the need to defend James.

"Sure he is," chuckled Bianca before adding, "If you like pretentious pricks that shout in front of your parents that you're a lousy cock sucker. Yeah, that's my ideal man."

"How does everyone know so much about that scene?" asked a bewildered Willow.

"It's really a small town at heart. Sheila's cousin was eating there that night and witnessed the whole thing. Plus Derrick Johnson posted a video of the dumb ass taking a swing at Dave and being shown the door so fast his head was swimming."

"What about Tim?" demanded Willow. "Have you heard anything about his bedroom skills?"

"I'd say Dave and Tim are a lot alike," replied Sheila with a wistful smile. "He's very patient and pays attention to details. I'd still be with him if it was up to me. I dated him longer than Bianca was with Dave, but Tim just didn't want to commit. I thought I'd break his heart by suggesting we should break up if he wasn't going to be serious. Big mistake! He agreed and kissed me goodbye before I'd finished my little speech."

The next afternoon found Jessica with Willow, Heather and her parents, enjoying the beach. Derrick was sitting next to Heather when Tim and Dave approached. Willow stood and gave Tim a hug, while Jessica was far less demonstrative. She gave both men a warm smile, but her eyes lingered on Dave.

"Have you had any lunch yet?" asked Dave after the hellos were done. "I'd be glad to treat you all to lunch at a popular local pub."

"If Tim's interested, I'm in!" exclaimed Willow as she held Tim's hand.

Why don't you young folks go ahead?" suggested Nancy Williams. "Ben and I will relax here for a while before we go back to our hotel."

"If your invite includes Derrick and me, we'd be happy to get something to eat. How about it, Jess?" asked Heather as she stood and took Derrick's hand.

"I guess if everyone else wants to go, I will, too," agreed Jessica as Dave helped her to her feet. "You really don't have to buy us lunch, though. Heather and I can pay for our own."

"Sis! Dave offered and we'd be rude to argue the point," retorted Heather. "Let's go!"

Jessica was more than a little surprised when Dave pulled his truck into a parking lot where several police cars, a fire truck, and a first responder ambulance were all parked. After her discussion with Bianca and Shelia, she had formed the impression Dave would tend to avoid police of any kind.

It was immediately obvious to Jessica that Dave and Tim were well known and liked by the patrons of the pub. They were greeted by comments and desultory insults as soon as they entered the building. Jessica was stunned when she saw Dave's sister, Diane, in a police uniform.

Diane gave her a wide smile, but Jessica wasn't satisfied with that reception and went over to hug her. "I had no idea you were a policewoman! You look great in your uniform!"

"Thanks, Jessica," responded Diane as she returned the hug. "I joined so I could wear a cool uniform and legally use a taser on annoying people. I enjoy the work."

"Would you join us for lunch" invited Jessica.

"I just finished mine and I have to get back on patrol, but thanks. If I may be a little nosey, how are you and Dave getting along?" asked Diane.

"We're friends, I think. We've only spent a little time together and I'll be leaving in less than two weeks, so nothing will come of any friendship we have," replied Jessica.

"I guess you haven't made it to that important second date yet since Dave hasn't tossed you out for your lack of talent, orally speaking," laughed Diane.

"No, but I did tell two girls, Sheila and Bianca, that Dave was helping me improve my game in that regard," admitted Jessica with a laugh of her own. "They thought it was pretty funny. They had already heard about James calling me a pathetic cock sucker!"

"What a jerk. There's no good way for a man to mention a lover's skills in public without making it sound cheap and slutty. It wouldn't have been any better if he had announced that you were the best cock sucker in the east. It still doesn't sound like a compliment, unless it's pillow talk between the two of you."

Diane walked Jessica back to her table and greeted everyone at the table before leaving. The waitress came over with menus and asked for their drink order. That was when the ribbing began.

"Dave, you have a new girl?" asked a man in fireman's shirt. "I sure hope she's got a good head, on her shoulders that is. I'm heard we've recently had tourists come to town lacking the ability to get ahead, or give it."

Jessica turned red at the comment and even redder at the ensuing laughter. Dave was watching her and she realized he was waiting to see what her response would be. She somehow realized that she was being tested. These were Dave and Tim's friends and she wanted them to respect and like her.

"That may be true, but luckily there are a few good men in Moonlight Bay that are ready, willing and able to remedy that embarrassing problem," gushed Jessica as she wrapped her arms around Dave's left arm and hugged it to her chest. "I've heard that this is a town that gives people a second chance. If my presence is upsetting, I'll gladly leave. I wouldn't want to make anyone uncomfortable, especially if I accidently slide under the table and polish my skills."

Jessica's surprising response caused the entire room to erupt into laughter. Willow and Heather were the only ones not laughing; mostly because they were too stunned to do anything but stare at Jessica.

"You've got a keeper there, Sanders," declared the man that had made the comment about getting ahead. "You'd better tell her it's against the law to try polishing anything under the table. We still have some cops here, so I'd suggest she wait on that one."

Jessica was accepted as one of the group after that. She had demonstrated she could take a joke, and make one. The rest of the meal was spent being introduced to various emergency responders, as well as a couple of hospital employees and sharing stories.

Once it became known that Jessica and Willow were doctors, everyone immediately began extolling the virtues of the local home town hospital and the need for better health care in the area. When Willow expressed her desire to be a pediatric surgeon, the lobbying intensified.

Once Jessica admitted she hoped to be an ER doctor, the room erupted into groans. Everyone agreed that the two women should complete their residencies locally and assume roles in their respective specialties as soon as possible.

"We've already been accepted for residencies," pointed out Willow. "Jessica will be at a well known Baltimore hospital while I'll be at a Philadelphia children's hospital. We worked damn hard to get those residencies. They're with prestigious hospitals that are well known for great residency programs. Does your local hospital even have residents working there?"

"We have in the past," insisted one of the paramedics. "We're too lightly staffed right now, so residents would be carrying a lot of the actual load. As far as I'm concerned, that simply means we need them more than big hospitals. Of course, Dr. Thorp would have to be Willow's attending for a few years. He's a great guy, but he's not getting any younger. You might wind up learning mostly by doing, but the experience would be great."

"This is all very flattering, but it isn't that easy. Plus, we've made commitments to those hospitals and they're planning on us being there. Getting these positions takes a lot of effort, so I can't see giving them up to work in a small hospital in a resort town, as much as I love it here," explained Jessica to the disappointed group.

On the trip back to the girls' hotel, Dave asked, "Jessica, would you like to take a ride to the lighthouse tomorrow afternoon. It's really beautiful up there. Everyone that comes to Moonlight Bay visits the lighthouse at least once."

"Tim and I are going golfing tomorrow and you don't golf, Jessica," revealed Willow. "I felt guilty about leaving you, but not anymore. You guys have a good time and we'll meet up for dinner."

The next afternoon, as Jessica was riding back down the coast toward Moonlight Bay with Dave, she couldn't stop herself from smiling. She had thoroughly enjoyed the trip. The lighthouse had been beautiful and she was sure she had managed to get some great photographs. She had even asked another tourist to take a few of her with Dave. She would have something to remember him by long after her vacation was over, and that thought caused her smile to fade.

She wondered if she was attracted to Dave because he was so different than James. He didn't brag or swagger. In fact, she had to pry to get any personal information from him. He was polite and thoughtful, yet confident and self-assured. Still, Jessica couldn't see a future with a 'surfer dude' type of guy. She knew herself well enough to realize her mate would have to treat her as an equal, but he would also have to be her equal. He didn't have to be a doctor, but he had to be hard working and committed to her and any children they might have. Surfers didn't really fit that image.

"Uh oh!" was all Dave uttered, but it quickly caught Jessica's full attention. "It looks like there's trouble up ahead."

They were driving along one of the many canals crossing Florida's landscape. In the distance Jessica could see a large cloud of dust and the brake lights of several cars. As they approached the parked cars in the road, Dave pointed to the canal where the driver's side of a white car was pointed upward.

Dave was remarkably calm as he turned on his four-way flashers and stepped from the truck. He pulled the back seat forward, grabbed what appeared to be a plastic tool box and headed for the submerged car. An older man was still behind the wheel, held in place by his seat belt and an air bag. Jessica watched as Dave, reached into his tool box and pulled out a large lock blade knife. He opened the blade as he slid down the canal bank to the car. Soon he was in dirty water up to his chest.

Dave managed to get the door unlocked and opened. By this time, several bystanders had gathered. Dave glanced around, his eyes stopping when he saw a rugged young man about twenty years old.

"Jim! Get your ass down here and hold the door open for me. I need to cut the seatbelt and pull the guy out! You, call 911!" instructed Dave to a woman watching the scene.

The young man quickly scampered down the bank, took a position near the door and nodded to Dave, who then proceeded to slash the seat belt and haul the unconscious man from the car. Although the man was not small, Dave carried him up the bank and gently placed him on the ground.

"Jess! Can you try to help this man? I have to see if there's anyone else in the car!" was all Dave said as he slid back down the bank, ripped open a back door and laid down over the seat with his head disappearing into the murky water as the young man assisting him moved to hold the back door open.

Jessica had immediately kneeled down next to the unconscious man. She quickly determined he wasn't breathing and had no pulse. Her training and experience kicked in immediately and she began chest compressions. That was when she saw what looked like a very large alligator moving along the bank toward her!

"Get the hell out of here!" screamed Jessica as she continued the chest compressions. "I won't let you get him!"

One of the cars that had stopped at the scene held two local teenage girls. The girl driving had heard Dave tell the woman to call 911. It was obviously an emergency, so she called her mother, an ER nurse at the hospital. Not being busy at the time, her mother answered the call and was quickly apprised of the situation by her daughter.

"Mom, Trish is streaming it on FaceBook. You're her friend! Just go to her page and you can see it!" explained the girl before she began calling other family and friends. Within a couple of short minutes, hundreds of viewers had pulled up the streaming video on their phones, tablets, and lap tops.

Trish had briefly shown Jessica performing CPR on the driver before moving her camera to follow Dave as he slid headfirst into the muddy water in the back of the car. She gave an involuntary gasp when Dave squirmed back out with the help of the man holding the door. Gripped in his right hand was a crying girl about five years old!

Suddenly Jessica yelled and the teen swung her phone around to catch Jessica staring at a large gator as she continued to perform CPR on the unconscious man. Those watching clearly heard Jessica shout she wouldn't let the gator get the man. The alligator seemed to freeze in place briefly as he considered her words. Then he lunged at Jessica and her patient!

Trish was unable to look away as she kept her phone's camera pointed at the confrontation and streaming to the world. She didn't understand what she saw in her screen as the gator suddenly jerked and seemed to roll down the hill and into the canal.

Dave had determined the child strapped in the back seat was the only other person in the car. He quickly cut her seatbelt and pulled the squirming child out of the murky water. He had just regained his footing when he heard Jessica yell at the gator. Since the child was moving and crying, he quickly determined that he was most needed by Jessica, and the man she was working over.

He handed the child to the man that had helped him and moved up the bank with amazing speed. He topped the canal bank at the moment the gator decided to grab his dinner. Dave's right arm wrapped around the alligator's neck area as he planted both feet and pushed back toward the canal. Man and reptile rolled down the embankment and over each other several times before disappearing into the dark waters of the canal.

The water seemed to suddenly boil as it was turned frothy by the two combatants struggling for survival. The splashing water yielded glimpses of man and reptile as they thrashed and twisted around each other for what seemed a very long time. Suddenly everything went still. Everyone on the canal bank, as well as those watching the live feed, held their breath as they waited to see who, or what, would surface.

Even though they were watching and hoping, everyone gasped in surprise when Dave's head suddenly appeared. He made his way to the bank of the canal and leaned against it as he fought to regain his breath. His shirt had been torn from his body and there were several angry looking red lines crisscrossing his back. Slowly he stood, and those watching clearly saw more cuts running across Dave's chest and arms.

Through all of this, Jessica had maintained CPR on the driver. Tears were flowing down her cheeks as she watched Dave struggle up the bank and kneel next to her. Whatever he said was drowned out by the wail of sirens as ambulances and police cars arrived on scene.

Diane was the first to arrive at Dave's side. She quickly took in the scene on the bank and then turned to stare down at the canal. Jessica followed her eyes to the water. Floating belly up in the canal was a huge alligator, deader than last year's roses.

"Jesus!" gasped a cop Jessica had been introduced to in the diner the day before. "That thing's got to be seven feet long!"

Paramedics rushed up to Jessica and she calmly explained her belief that the man had crashed his vehicle because of a heart attack. An automated external defibrillator was quickly attached to the man's chest. It took three attempts, but the man's heart suddenly began to beat!

The man was quickly loaded on a gurney, placed into the ambulance and rushed to the hospital. The small girl was still crying as paramedics prepared to transport her in a second ambulance.

"It looks like she has a broken arm," stated Diane as she walked over to where Jessica was trying to cleanse the many cuts on Dave's torso with materials she had borrowed from the ambulance. "They're going to transport her with the second ambulance.

"Jessica, do you think it's okay to have Dave ride in my squad car to the hospital? He obviously needs some medical attention."

"He doesn't seem to have any neurological injuries, so I'd say it would be a good idea rather than wait for another ambulance to get here. That's if his doctor is allowed to ride in with him, of course," added Jessica.

"I wouldn't have it any other way. I'll bring the car closer," promised Diane as she headed for her squad car.

Meanwhile Jessica was shaking her head as she looked at Dave's face. She wiped a couple of stray tears off her cheeks and then moved closer and gave Dave a lingering kiss on the lips.

"Let's get you to the car," was all she said as she walked with Dave to where Diane had parked.

Jessica held Dave's hand as she entered the emergency room with him. She had spent a great deal of time in ERs while doing her rotations, and was accustomed to the smells and sounds that greeted her. Then the typical sounds simply died. That was when Jessica first noticed that all activity had stopped and a large number of people were watching her and Dave. It was apparent that a large section of the hospital's staff was on hand, including administrators.

As Jessica looked around at all of the people, someone began to clap. They were soon joined by every person in the ER. A middle-aged nurse came up and gave her a quick hug before returning to her professional persona.

"Dr. Williams, would you like to assist in treating this gentleman with the alligator cuts scattered all over his impressive torso. We've voted you an honorary position on the staff. You saved that man's life this afternoon, risking grave bodily harm. You looked a seven foot alligator in the eye and never flinched!"

"I may not have actually flinched, but I'm in desperate need of clean underwear," replied Jessica with a straight face.

Everyone broke into gales of laughter at Jessica's comment. A beautiful, self-effacing lady doctor with a good sense of humor was not something often seen in their facility. Everyone who was able had watched the drama unfold in real time simply because a teenage girl had a good phone and the knowledge to use it. Staying with the ill man and doing CPR even as an alligator eyed Jessica up for dinner was heroic in anyone's book.

Jessica was shown where she could clean up and given a lab coat to wear before joining Dave as he was being treated. The attending doctor was an older man but worked with obvious confidence and skill. Stitches were needed for some of the deeper cuts, but large majority of the cuts only needed to be cleaned and treated with antibacterial creams. Dave complained mildly when the doctor insisted he receive a tetanus shot.

"For God's sake!" chided Jessica. "You're tough enough to wrestle a huge alligator with your bare hands and kill it, so why whine about a simple little shot?"

"I had my big lock blade," corrected Dave. "It was a good thing, too. It took me a while to locate a vital spot on that gator. I hate to think what would have happened if I hadn't been armed with my knife."

"You had a knife?" asked the nurse. "There goes that legend. Everyone thought you killed that beast with your bare hands. You practically cheated."

"Yeah, I feel real bad about that," quipped Dave just as his mother and father, a tall distinguished looking man, stepped into the examining room.

"We watched the whole thing on FaceBook! Jessica, you were incredibly brave the way you faced that animal while doing chest compressions. I'm just glad Dave was able to stop it before it got you," stated Mrs. Sanders as she hugged Jessica tightly.

"Wait! How did you see it on FaceBook?" asked an obviously puzzled Dave. "Did someone video it?"

"Better than that son," replied his father. "It was streamed live by a local high school girl. She did an amazing job of following the action. How about introducing me to your co-hero?"

"Oops! Jessica, this is my father, Mike Sanders. Dad, this lady is Dr. Jessica Williams."

As Dave finished his introductions, a nurse stuck her head into the room and announced, "There's a Mr. and Mrs. Williams coming this way and we aren't about to stop them. They want very much to be certain their daughter is healthy after her hair-raising heroics earlier in the day."

With that, Nancy Williams swept into the room and pulled Jessica into a tight embrace. Tears began flooding down her cheeks as she turned to Dave and hugged him much more gently. Ben Williams also hugged his daughter and then kissed her forehead before taking Dave's hand and shaking it firmly.

"Son, you came through for Jess today. I expected no less, but I was sure as hell relieved when you killed that big bastard. I'm just glad Jess didn't have to look to James for that kind of help. We both know she wouldn't be here if that were the case."

"One of the reasons I'm here is to ask Dr. Williams if she'd consider doing her residency here at General," stated Mike Sanders as he steered the conversation while looking directly at Jessica. "I know there are lots of reasons why you don't believe it would be possible, but we'll work with you any way possible. I'm on the board of directors at the hospital and we all agree about this. We're building for the future and you represent the type of physician we want on our staff.

"Please don't give me an answer right now. Think about it and meet with our board to discuss the offer. We're flexible and very determined," concluded Dave's father.

"Sir, I'm extremely flattered. I have to admit that, but there are a great many assurances I'd have to have before I'd even consider changing my plans," responded Jessica carefully. "You have a wonderful community, but it would be quite impulsive for me to suddenly toss all of my plans out and embark in a different direction."

"We completely understand," replied Mike Sanders. "We just want you to understand that this hospital is very anxious to have you in our ER."

Soon everyone was engaged in conversation on the merits of Jessica remaining at General. It made Jessica uncomfortable to have other people trying to map out her life and career goals. She excused herself and went to use the staff bathroom, mostly to get away from the conversation.

All the stalls in the bathroom were unoccupied, so Jessica chose the farthest stall, hoping she'd have a few moments of quiet so that she could think. It had been an incredible day and she was beginning to feel the adrenaline rush wearing off.

A minute into her contemplation, Jessica heard voices as two nurses entered the restroom. "Did you hear Mike Sanders is doing everything he can to get that woman doctor to do her residency here," asked one of them as she opened a stall door.

"Yeah, he pulled out the big guns, one big gun anyway," chuckled the second nurse.

"Can I assume you're referring to Dave?" asked the first woman with a laugh.

"She's a goner if Dave gets her into his bed," predicted the second nurse. "He must have Dave putting the full court press on her. Once he has her on the end of that amazing cock, she'll wash windows and change bedpans just to be close to him."

"The voice of experience has spoken. He's that good?"

"He's very good, but it's the whole package. He's so polite and gentle, unless you want it rough. Then he'll do rough. He always made sure I was satisfied. Somehow he made me feel like a lady, even when I was giving him head. If my last boyfriend had been half as good, we'd probably be married by now," admitted the nurse with a sigh.

"Do you think he's going to settle down with this doctor, or is he just leading her on?" asked the other woman.

"Good question. I don't think he'd ever try to lead a girl on, but he's a confirmed bachelor. Every single female in the county, from eighteen to eighty has tried to take him off the market, but he's never come close to having a lasting relationship of any kind. I know for a fact he isn't gay, so I'd say he's enjoying playing the field too much to settle down.

"Mike must know how Dave is by now and probably doesn't care as long as she commits to doing her residency here. Once she does, Dave will put her in his rearview mirror a few months later. He'll try to let her down as gently as possible, but he'll start looking for someone new to warm his bed. It's what he does."

Jessica held back her tears until the two women left the bathroom. As soon as the door closed behind them, huge sobs shook her frame as she considered what she had just heard. She admitted to herself the main reason she would even consider General Hospital's offer was because she would be near Dave. Since she now understood the folly of that line of thought, there really was nothing they could offer that would keep her around once her vacation ended. It was very unlikely she'd even visit the area again!

Jessica was unsure which man was more worthy of her contempt. Mike Sanders was urging his son to pursue her in order to cloud her decision making abilities. He was using both Dave and her!

Dave was just being Dave, the local Lothario, using woman and then casting them aside like old shoes once his conquest was complete. Jessica felt ill when she realized she had almost succumbed to his charm! Jessica fixed her makeup and rejoined her family and Dave's.

Jessica strode up to Mike Sanders as he gave her his best smile. He had no knowledge of the conversation she had so recently overheard. Nancy Williams lost her smile when she saw her daughter's face. Jessica was obviously angry and upset. That observation was soon confirmed!

"I've reached a decision, Mr. Sanders," announced Jessica as everyone turned their attention to her. "It'll be a very cold day in hell when I have anything to do with you or your pathetic son!"

With that, Jessica pulled her hand back and slapped the older man across the face, leaving a red handprint on his left cheek. Still seething, Jessica moved slightly to her left to stand directly in front of Dave. He made no attempt to deflect her arm, or the palm that stung his face and plunged his soul into darkness.

"You think you can play with people's emotions and careers and not suffer any consequences? Maybe that works with the local talent, but I didn't get through med school by being stupid, or naïve. You can go straight to hell!" spat Jessica as she turned and headed for the door.​