Book One, Page Nineteen. The Gatekeeper.
Saturdays at Jerry's office were so busy that, a few years earlier, Jerry asked Julie to come in to help out with the paperwork. Once bidden, she never left, even though she never much cared for the veterinary practice.
In fact, the whole thing grossed her out. She badgered Jerry to take a shower as soon as he came home every evening. She no longer had to do that--he showered automatically--but she always asked him anyway, just to ease her mind.
Julie refused to touch the sick dogs and cats herself. She had enough on her hands going through Jerry's records, updating them, paying bills, mailing invoices, ordering supplies, and generally ordering the chaos. After a few years, even though she worked there only two or three hours a week, she felt she was a part of the veterinary clinic's management.
Jerry viewed her role differently. He relied on her help, but her suggestions to him about how to manage the office better was one of the few consistent irritations in their marriage. Jerry accepted this as inevitable, and much less troublesome than trying to talk Julie out of it.
The office closed at one in the afternoon. This Saturday, Jerry still had a couple of dogs to check and kennel. Julie was about to leave when the phone rang.
"This is Winifred Lancaster. May I speak with Dr. Wells?" said the voice on the other end of the line.
"Oh, hello, Winifred. This is Dr. Wells's wife Julie. Jerry told me about the services for your mother. He said he found your eulogy inspiring."
"He did?" Winifred said. "He didn't mention that to me. I'll have to tell him thanks. Is he there?"
"He's here, but he's busy with a patient, and then he has to come home, shower, and head out again on some errands," Julie said. "Can I give him a message?"
"Yes and no. My uncle took a liking to him at the funeral, and all he could talk about after we left was that he wanted to go to lunch with Jerry and me."
"What for?" asked Julie. She knew she was being nosy and maybe even rude, but she didn't care.
"Well, it won't be about anything having to do with animals, that's for sure. He doesn't have any pets. I think your husband and Uncle Bob got to talking about the old drugstore."
"What's going to happen to that old store, anyway?" asked Julie.
"We're not sure. Somebody wants to open a restaurant there, or that's what the real estate people said. But a bank wants to buy our property and the property next door to tear it all down and put in a branch."
"Wow," faked Julie. "Which are you going to do?"
"I don't have any say in the matter, but I hope Uncle Bobby lets the restaurant guy have it. I might be able to get a job that way."
Over my dead body, thought Julie. "Well, that would be nice. I'll have Dr. Wells call you as soon as he can."
"His name is Jerry, right?"
"Yes, Dr. Jerry Wells?" Julie said.
"That's a coincidence. The real estate people told me that the name of the person who wants to put in the restaurant is also Jerry. Well, thanks for taking my call."
