Socio

33-year-old Shannon Owens cussed under her breath in one of the many reception areas of the medical building she worked in. Even though she answered phones and scheduled appointments just three days a week, she sometimes got sick of some of the bitchy nurses that she worked with. The way they rudely barked orders at her as if she were a disobedient child or a simpleton didn't sit well with her. Most of them were actually pretty friendly. It was just this one bitch, in particular, that was getting on her nerves lately. Her expectations weren't just high, they were ridiculous. The slightest imperfection and the crabby old lady would likely scold her and make her feel like a kid all over again. Yet Shannon simply sucked it up as she scheduled patients in the hematology department and dealt with all the insurance companies as well. Screaming kids in the waiting room didn't help her concentration very easily but she needed to get out of her apartment at least a few days a week to avoid getting cabin fever. She loved working from home as she did when she wasn't at the medical center as a digital magazine editor. But as much as she enjoyed the comforts of home and her solitude, she couldn't imagine being at home seven days a week. It seemed to take all day for the lunch break to finally arrive and she and her growling tummy were more than happy to take the elevator down to the cafeteria when it did. The cafeteria was very crowded that day as doctors, nurses, office staff, and other hospital personnel bustled through it. The dozens of people around her reflected the amazing diversity of New York City. She could see every race, color, nationality and body size imaginable. She took her tray and selected a tuna sandwich with a banana and a diet soda. After she paid for the food, she turned to scan the tables for an available seat. Damn, it's crowded in here,she thought to herself. Yet just when she was pretty sure there were no available seats, she spotted a woman gesturing to her at a nearby table. Shannon walked over to it and the woman told her she was welcome to sit at her table. Shannon looked appreciatively into the woman's dark eyes. She'd never seen her before but with the white coat she wore, she was obviously a doctor of some kind and appeared to be about a decade older than she was. She first thought she might be Puerto Rican or Mexican but the accent suggested otherwise. "Thank you," said Shannon. The doctor brushed her hair aside. She had a thick, long black ponytail that hung to her waist. Shannon sat down and began eating. The doctor, who sat across from her, was eating a salad. "You're welcome. Haven't seen you around here before," the doctor said. "I'm still fairly new here. I started last month in the hematology office, and I only work here Monday through Wednesday. I'm Shannon Owens, by the way." "Nice to meet you, Shannon. That's a very beautiful name you have." "Thank you. And you are?" Shannon asked, trying to see the doctor's name tag better. "I'm Dr. Angelica Warren." "Well, nice to meet you too, Doctor. Are you a PCP?" The doctor shook her head as she chewed a sliver of tomato. "Endocrinologist. I'm up on the third floor." She took a drink and asked, "Are you home with small children the rest of the week?" "No, I'm home with a couple of pet rats and a laptop where I work as an editor for a digital magazine." The doctor's eyebrows raised a notch. "It's just a lame beauty magazine. Not any kind of juicy gossip magazine or anything fancy like that." "You correct and verify the articles that are written?" Shannon nodded. "It involves research and proofreading for the most part. I'm only here so I don't go stir crazy from being at home so much of the time, not that I'm not a homebody because I am." "I see. And how about promotional modeling?" Shannon looked at the doctor, confused. "Pardon?" "Would you consider participating in a promotional video?" "Depends on what I'm promoting." The doctor smiled as if she found that statement funny, exposing a nice set of even white teeth. "Do you have a doctor here?" "No. I'm both uninsured and healthy, so unless I get sick, I don't need to bump up to full-time to be insured and see someone." "But you could be sick and not know it." "Yeah, I know. But life is about taking chances and I'm going to die someday anyway." The doctor studied her. Shannon could tell that while she may appreciate her humor and her directness, she thought it a shame that she didn't have a doctor, which was understandable, being a doctor herself. Shannon sensed a bit of surprise on the doctor's part as well and had a feeling that the doctor wasn't used to such directness. The doctor pulled a pen and a small notepad out of her breast pocket and scribbled something in it, which she tore off and handed to Shannon. Shannon took it and found the doctor had written her name and a number in a scrawl that was barely legible. Didn't most doctors have shitty handwriting, though? "Many doctors now have promotional videos online. We don't usually like to use any of our real patients because we don't want to appear like we're favoring certain patients over others. I have been looking for someone to do an updated video and I think you would be a good candidate if you're interested. You don't need to say anything. All you need to do is sit in the exam room with me as they film. There will be no sound in this case. It will just be me appearing to examine and inform you of your health. If you are interested, rather than pay you, I would like to refer you to a PCP for a basic checkup to make sure you are as healthy as you think you are. I will take care of the expenses." "Wow, that's quite generous of you, Doctor. But if I'm surprised with any health issues that need to be dealt with, I doubt I'll be able to afford to do so." "Don't worry about that right now. One thing at a time." She crumpled her napkin and rose to her feet. "Just give me a call if you're interested and please do it by the end of the week." "I will. Can I ask you a question first?" The doctor stopped and looked at her. "Why me?" "You're very beautiful."