Private Practices Read Online Free PDF Page A

vulgarity if Sidney had been in the room. Sidney, something of a puritan, despised Mulenberg’s coarse humor. Was Claudia genuinely fond of the old man, he wondered. Or was she just being political, manipulating him for Sidney’s sake because despite his age and recent stroke he still had important friends at the hospital? He could never quite figure out his elusive, well-bred sister-in-law.
    â€œHarry, you’re incorrigible,” she said liltingly now. “You may be seventy-two, but inside you’re still a nasty-minded nine-year-old. At ninety-two, you’ll still be trying to make women blush.”
    Mulenberg said, “I only hope,” and waited while Claudia rose and opened a new bottle of wine. She filled his glass only halfway and then her eyes clouded over. “Excuse me, I’ve got to put the fish in now or we’ll never eat,” she said abruptly and left the room.
    Mulenberg muttered, “It looks like Sidney plans to spend the whole night on the phone.”
    Ben tried to distract him. “He’ll be along soon, I’m sure. Tell me, Harry. What do you think of all this snow we’ve been having. Do you think spring’ll ever come?”
    Mulenberg made a fretful sound. “First of February tomorrow. Spring’ll come. It always does.”
    Ben realized that the old man was bored with him. He considered him a good doctor. He often recommended patients to him. But he was always restless and somehow disapproving in his presence. He decided to talk about work instead of the weather. “Thanks for sending me Mrs. Harper,” he began, but Mulenberg interrupted him. “I’m starving. Why don’t you go see if you can get Sidney off the phone. Maybe he doesn’t realize we’re all waiting.”
    Ben doubted that but he stood up. “Sure. I’ll see what I can do.”
    Sidney was standing next to the bed talking into a salmon-colored princess phone. Across the center of it he had long ago, on the eve of a party, placed a strip of adhesive tape, obliterating his number. Ben had questioned him about it and Sidney had explained, “Just because I invite someone to a party at my house doesn’t mean I want them to know my home phone number.” Now he was cupping his hand around the mouthpiece as if Ben too had invaded his privacy. Ben backed away, hearing Sidney in an angry tone saying, “No, I don’t believe it! No, it’s not possible!” but Sidney gestured to him to wait and, resuming his conversation in a lower voice, finally said, “Okay, okay, I’ll look into it. I’ll send someone down.”
    â€œAnything wrong?” Ben asked when Sidney hung up. “You were in here so long.”
    â€œIt’s nothing,” Sidney said, but he sounded singularly on edge. “Just one of my researchers kicking up his heels. A real jerk.”
    â€œSpeaking of kicking, Mulenberg’s out there claiming you’re starving him to death.”
    Sidney made a face. “Remember when he used to keep us waiting?”
    â€œYes, but he’s different these days. I feel sorry for him.”
    â€œAre you saying I don’t?” Sidney asked in a sharp staccato voice.
    â€œOf course not,” Ben said, startled. He felt like leaving the room and slamming the door with a thud.
    Over dinner, Mulenberg wanted to know about Sidney’s new birth control pill. “I understand it eliminates menstruation altogether,” he said, chewing.
    â€œThat’s true,” Sidney nodded, but Ben could see that he was still unusually tense.
    â€œDo you actually think women would tolerate that?”
    â€œI wouldn’t mind,” Claudia said. “Think of the mess. The bother.”
    â€œYou don’t count,” Mulenberg said. “You’d go for whatever Sidney tried.”
    â€œThat’s not so.”
    â€œYes, it is, my dear. You and Ben both. But tell me, Sid, what