Chapter 9: Brushed Off

Words : 1644 Updated : Sep 25th, 2025

"Dr. Zimmerman, I'm the older one here, so... Keep this between us, okay? If anyone finds out, I'll be sleeping on the couch tonight." Hugh Zorn lowered his voice. The couch. Hugh really doted on Daisy Warth. Out in the countryside, plenty of men still clung to old ways, treating their wives like property to order around. On that front, Leonard Zimmerman had to admit he respected Hugh. "Mm. Tell me what's been going on. Let's see if meds can help," Leonard said, smiling to put him at ease. "Don't laugh at me," Hugh muttered, his cheeks burning with shame. "Every time I get all fired up, but the moment it's time to perform, I go soft. That's why we still don't have kids." "I get it," Leonard said after thinking for a second. "Here's my advice: abstain for a few days and take the pressure off. In your case, it's mostly in your head. Try again in a week-you might be surprised." Daisy was tempting, but he couldn't keep this up. Hugh's problem had to be dealt with sooner or later, or it would blow up on him. "Thanks for the advice, doc. So what's wrong with my wife?" Hugh asked, curious. "She's in the treatment room. Just some soreness in her lower back. I just did some cupping on her and told her to rest. Don't worry, Hugh-Daisy's fine," Leonard said with a reassuring smile. Hugh's face broke into a grin. Neither of them had any serious problem, and the weight he'd carried for years finally lifted. Leonard said it was mostly psychological, and as for Daisy, maybe she'd just strained herself doing housework. A happy ending for everyone. Still, there was no way he'd go in to see Daisy. She'd been feeling unwell and he hadn't even noticed. If he went in now, he'd be asking to get chewed out. "No need. With you here, Dr. Zimmerman, she's in good hands. I'll leave Daisy to you. How much do I owe you?" he asked, remembering himself only after his spirits lifted. People ran clinics to make a living. Cupping and massage usually didn't cost much anyway. "I'll just charge you for the cups," Leonard said. "I won't charge you for the treatment plan." Hugh's last worry finally disappeared. "Man, you're a straight shooter. If that's all, I'll let you get back to work." Humming a tune, he sauntered out of the clinic. Only then did Daisy slide down from the bed. She still felt a tingling numbness down below. Bracing one hand on the wall, she tiptoed to the doorway for a peek. Seeing that Hugh had left, she let out a long breath and sank back onto the bed, finally at ease. After Hugh left, Leonard wiped his brow and found it damp with cold sweat. He'd been painfully hard; now he was soft as a wet noodle. Thank God Hugh was easy to fool. Otherwise, who knew how ugly things might have gotten. Hugh had barely left when Heidi Casson came in, light on her feet, though there was a hint of hurt in her expression. She'd always thought men like Socrates-models of self-restraint-didn't exist anymore. She never expected Leonard to be one. Last night, she'd practically spelled it out, dropping hints for him to come over. She kept the light on till midnight, staring at his door until her eyes ached, and he never showed. Not so much as a shadow crossed her threshold. She'd bathed, perfumed herself, and waited. In the end, frustrated, she grabbed a cucumber from nearby, made do with it, got herself off, then rinsed the cucumber and put it back. "Heidi, did you feel any better after yesterday?" Leonard asked. Today, she'd changed outfits: an ultra-short black skirt and a white blouse, the outline of a black lace bra just visible underneath. Her chest strained against the blouse. Below the skirt, black stockings and white sneakers gave off a teasing mix of sultriness and playful innocence. Every time Leonard saw her, desire tugged at him, relentless. Last night, she said she was burning up and wanted him to come put out the fire. He seemed oblivious. Now that he was actually looking at her, his eyes had that hungry glint again. Maybe he really hadn't caught her meaning. Thinking that, her expression softened. If a hint didn't work, she'd try being direct. "Not better. It only burns hotter. What do you think we should do?" Heidi purred, her voice so syrupy it gave you goosebumps. "The treatment room's occupied," Leonard said quickly. "And you forgot to pick up the medicine I prescribed yesterday. So don't pin it on me or badmouth me." With Daisy inside, he didn't dare flirt openly. Who knew how Daisy would take it. If gossip twisted his words and spread through the village, he could kiss marriage prospects goodbye-not to mention his business. He usually got along with Heidi just fine. A doctor should treat everyone equally. But if people started saying he was mixed up with the village widow, that was a whole different story. By then, folks would avoid him the way they avoided Heidi-what business would he have left? "Oh? Someone's here? Who comes this early?" Heidi asked, genuinely surprised. She thought she'd come early, but someone had beaten her to it. Luckily, she hadn't blurted out anything too bold, and Leonard had kept his cool, steering things away from trouble. "In the next room-Daisy Warth. She hasn't been feeling well lately. I'm treating her," Leonard said, steady as ever. This was no time to panic. Panic led to mistakes. "Oh. Then could you get me a bottle of Heatwave Relief Liquid?" Heidi said, though her eyes kept darting toward the treatment room. With someone else here, she wouldn't dare to push her luck. Leonard had skipped their tryst last night. Was he hiding a sweetheart in his clinic, keeping a mistress tucked away?

Chapter 9: Brushed Off

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