AFTERGLOW Read Free

asked.
    "Chelsea, and yes, from Santa Barbara. My folks still live there."
    Aha, David thought. A native Californian and probably so laid back she'd sneer at anything or anyone from the pseudointellectual East Coast.
    "Chelsea's dad is a dentist," George said.
    "You've got brothers and sisters?"
    "Nope, I'm their one and only. I think they gave me one look and decided not to press their luck."
    "I'm an only child, too," David said. "My parents couldn't have more children, though I understand they wanted to."
    It still fits, Chelsea thought. Produce a son whose first words were probably "conservative" and "rich," and of course they'd want to produce a veritable battalion.
    "Naturally," Chelsea said aloud.
    That earned her a raised, questioning eyebrow from David Winter. Elliot called them to order then, and they trooped to the table.
    "I still can't figure out," George said after everyone was served, "how Elliot can time everything so it's all hot when it hits the table."
    "Natural male superiority," Elliot said. "Don't you agree, David?"
    "With the dirty look I just got from Chelsea, I think I'll keep my opinions to myself."
    "I thought," Chelsea said, annoyed, "that surgeons especially, always gave their opinions, asked for or not."
    "Surgeons are just men," David said.
    "And women," Chelsea added quickly.
    Elliot shot David a rueful look. "We're surrounded by career women, David. Guess we'd better watch our step."
    "There are more and more women doctors," David said stiffly. "Most of them, however, still don't go into surgery."
    "And why do you think that's the case?" Chelsea asked.
    Never in his life had he been asked such a question by another person, much less by a woman he'd just met. Just who the hell did she think she was, anyway? A flaky California rich girl, probably. Sausalito wasn't a cheap place to live, after all. Still, it wouldn't be polite to put her soundly in her place. And his Boston Brahmin parents had taught him manners. He said easily, "Perhaps women don't like such a demanding schedule."
    "Or perhaps," Chelsea said, "they aren't given the opportunity. I read an article last year that gave the appalling rate of suicide among women residents in surgery."
    "It's a very difficult pace to maintain," David said, proud of himself for his display of patience. "And training takes a long time. I venture to say that most women would prefer doing other things than training for five years or so."
    "You mean like having babies?"
    "That, yes."
    "Would you like some more Caesar salad, David?" George asked, shooting a look at her friend. Chelsea should realize that there would be time enough to infuriate him after she got to know him better.
    He shook his head, even as Chelsea said, "Don't you see a place for a bit of compromise, doctor?"
    "In medicine? There's been quite a bit already." His tone implied to Chelsea that there'd been far too much.
    "But if women didn't compromise enough, men wouldn't be born and have the chance not to compromise."
    Elliot laughed and rolled his eyes at his wife. "Your point is well taken, Chelsea, if I understand it."
    "I'm certain that an intelligent, open-minded male of the species could," she said.
    "Perhaps," David said, wanting to smooth things over, "women have different priorities. A family, children…"
    "Men don't count family and children as a priority?"
    "That isn't what I meant!" Damned pushy female! He thought with some fondness of drinking with the two boring colleagues. Both male. Neither with a big mouth.
    Chelsea, receiving an agonized look from George, forced herself to retrench. But she didn't want to. She wanted to smack the righteous look off his handsome face. "Delicious dinner, Elliot," she said, sending him a dazzling smile.
    Outrageous female! David thought. Probably never worked a day in her pampered life. What the hell did she know about priorities, responsibility and achievement?
    Chelsea polished off another glass of white wine. She was inevitably feeling