Mountains Wanted Read Free Page A

you’re on the operating table. Your life is on
the line. Would you rather have two gay male doctors who were the top
surgeons in their field or would you rather have the straight doctor whose mind
was on his golf game or the affair he was having with his surgical assistant? The
truth of the matter is, people have the ability to be professional and put
their recreational and sexual desires aside when needed. This ability has
absolutely nothing to do with sexual orientation. It has everything to do
with integrity and work ethic.”
    There was applause.
    The discussion wrapped
up around 9 PM and Sarah began to gather up her belongings. Some of the
panelists were sticking around to further debate with audience members, but
Sarah knew she should get home to her children, especially since Abby was the
one holding down the fort. She walked down the stairs and into the aisle
when suddenly the GI Joe she’d made eye contact with earlier stepped into her
path.  
    “Dr. Lynde,” he said
formally, “I found your surgery analogy very interesting, but I wonder if you
have any personal experience serving in the military? I have found when
hunkered down in close quarters with my fellow soldiers that I don’t want to be
distracted by thinking one of them is checking me out. Not to mention the
problems that serving alongside an effeminate or flamboyant soldier would
cause.” He wasn’t trying to be argumentative; it was almost as if he was
prodding her for a specific response, testing her. As the corners of his lips
turned up into a fuller version of the smirk he’d given her earlier, she realized
how good looking he was. He was definitely older than her traditional aged
students, but still young, perhaps late 20’s? He projected an air of
confidence. A presence.
    “No, I haven’t had the honor
of serving,” she replied. She honestly couldn’t recall his other points
she was so distracted by his full lips and straight white teeth, not to mention
a mischievous gleam in his icy blue eyes. She forcefully gained her
composure, “Please, call me Sarah,” she said, extending her hand.
    He firmly shook it.   “I’m James McAllister, nice to meet you. I’m an instructor in
the ROTC program and I required my students to attend tonight. I was
interested in the research you did on homophobia among military personnel. I
have heard a lot of that bullshit throughout my years in the service.” He
suddenly looked a little embarrassed. “I’m sorry, please excuse my language,”
he added sheepishly.
    She wondered if he meant
that her research was bullshit or the homophobia itself was. “No need to censor
yourself around me,” Sarah offered. “I’d love to talk to you about your
experiences sometime, not to mention hear your own thoughts about the Don’t Ask
Don’t Tell policy. I t’s a hot topic these
days, and the media is having a field day with it.” She gave him another
once-over which set her wheels turning, “Maybe over coffee or something?”
    James flashed his
all-American grin, even more broadly than before.  “That would certainly
be interesting.”
    “Interesting good?
 Or interesting bad?”  Sarah questioned, her eyebrows raised. She
noticed she was leaning toward him expectantly, a posture that showed interest
and openness. Her fascination with nonverbal communication would often cause
her to stop mid-thought to analyze the position, angles and gestures her body
was exhibiting. She was always keenly aware of both her movements and
others’, and she couldn’t help but notice how closely together they were
standing.
    “I think things are good
by virtue of being interesting. Being interested in something is inherently
good, even if the ‘thing’ itself isn’t,” James explained.
    “I like the way you
think,” Sarah smiled and fished through her bag for a business card. She scrawled
her cell phone number on the back and handed it to James, this time studying
his hands as he tucked the