The Waiting Room is a delightful romp with three women who meet in the waiting room of a doctorâs office and grow to become life-long friends. After Allisonâs roommate goes missing and is later found dead, the man they identify as a suspect stirs up trouble for them.
Fortunately, life has its way of making things right, and so it was left to the three women to see things through to the end and correct a wrong.
Years later, when the friends gather, they realize the waiting room theyâre now in is actually the space between here and there â a timeless space where you choose how to live your remaining years.
Humorous, honest, and tender, The Waiting Room will steal your heart and hold it captive long after you finish turning the last page. Itâs a book worth sharing with others, especially those you love.
The Waiting Room is a delightful romp with three women who meet in the waiting room of a doctorâs office and grow to become life-long friends. After Allisonâs roommate goes missing and is later found dead, the man they identify as a suspect stirs up trouble for them.
Fortunately, life has its way of making things right, and so it was left to the three women to see things through to the end and correct a wrong.
Years later, when the friends gather, they realize the waiting room theyâre now in is actually the space between here and there â a timeless space where you choose how to live your remaining years.
Humorous, honest, and tender, The Waiting Room will steal your heart and hold it captive long after you finish turning the last page. Itâs a book worth sharing with others, especially those you love.
1983
Chapter 1
Allison
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               Trying not to panic, the three women sat in the small cubby area designated for those who hadnât cleared their examination. Their striped oversized wraparound gowns did nothing for their appearance, making them as self-conscious as if they were stripped naked and wore nothing at all.
At least, that was how Allison felt as she tried to avoid the other two women studiously doing the same. They sat in their self-made bubble of privacy, caught up in concern and what-ifs. Curiosity got the better of her, and Allison found herself focusing on the other women, taking them in. The women ignored her, remaining within their thoughts, and Allison turned away to give them privacy. She found it took greater effort to ignore them, yet, determined to do just that, Allison picked up a worn magazine from the empty chair next to her and began to thumb through the pages. Finally, she couldnât stand it anymore and exclaimed, âThis is cheery, isnât it? My name is Allison Sullivan, by the way.â
At first, the two women appeared startled at being addressed, her words sounding deafening as they broke the silence. But then, they relaxed enough to smile and indulge her by offering up their names. âHi, my name is Bella Jones,â said the pretty woman looking to be in her 30s with coffee-colored skin and a wide smile. With her sparkling dark eyes, there was a playfulness about her that was pleasing.
After hesitating, the other woman stated primly, âIâm Marianne Houghton.â It was easy to see she was the tallest of the three with long blond hair, knotted severely at the back of her neck, and blue eyes that appeared slightly haunted. She seemed guarded and looked about the same age as the other two but appeared the most worried.Â
Any further conversation was interrupted when two nurses stepped into the room. One leaned over Marianne and spoke in a soft voice. âYou can get dressed now, Marianne, and leave, but youâll need to be rechecked in six months. Itâs late in the day, and the front office is closed, so youâll need to call us tomorrow to set up your appointment.â
The nurse patted Marianneâs shoulder in support before turning away and leaving. Marianne looked dazed but gamely stood and headed into the curtained locker area to change.Â
The second nurse stood in front of Bella. âCongratulations. Youâre all clear. Weâll see you next year.â
Bella smiled. âThanks.â
Then the nurse at Bellaâs side turned. âAllison?â she asked, looking at her notes. âGood news for you too. Make sure you make your appointment for next year, okay?â
Allison stood and checked her clothes out of the locker that was temporarily hers and went behind her own curtained area to get dressed. Relieved, the three women finished dressing and emptied from their private dressing rooms. They left the doctorâs office in a group and stood together, waiting for the elevator to arrive.
It was dusk outside, and the stress of the day began to collapse, and their moods lightened. Then, Allison looked at the other two and asked on the spur of the moment, âLadies, are you up for a glass of wine at the cocktail lounge downstairs? My treat.â
âAfter this day? Heck, yeah!â answered Bella with a wicked grin.
They both looked to Marianne. âWhy not?â she replied, seeming to perk up at the thought. However, a bit of sadness surrounded her that was hard to identify yet remained.
As they unloaded off the elevator, Allison impulsively hooked her arms through the arms of the other two, and the three of them entered the pub area light-hearted and laughing. The bartender looked up at them and smiled. âAh, ladies, in for a night of fun?â
They laughed and headed for the larger booth in the back. The waitress followed them and asked, âWhat can I get you, ladies? Cosmos are our special for tonight. Interested?â
They nodded, and she turned to holler at the bartender, âThree specials, Mike! Is there anything else I can get you?â she asked.
âNot right now,â Marianne was quick to answer.
The waitress left and returned within minutes, placing their drinks in front of them. âEnjoy!â she said before she turned and left.
Allison hoisted her glass and knocked it against the others being held up. âHereâs to us ⌠none better,â she toasted.
Bella and Marianne laughed, and then Bella said, âAmen.â She grinned and said, âLet me spell that out for you so that you donât think I said, âAh, men.ââ
They chuckled. Allison said, âThat wouldnât work for me today either, sister.â
 âWhat a day,â groaned Bella as she leaned against the back of the booth. âMy boyfriend wanted to know what it was like to have a mammogram,â she laughed.
âWhat did you tell him?â Allison asked.
âI told him, âThink of going into the garage, lying down on your side on the hard cement floor, then picture the car backing over your boobs,ââ she chuckled, covering her mouth with her hand.
Hearing that, Marianne spit out some of her drink, trying to hold in her laughter. She covered her chest with her hands, leaned forward, swallowed, and then began to laugh uncontrollably. They all joined in until each of them was wiping her eyes. âOh, my God! I havenât laughed like that in a long time,â admitted Marianne.
Having laughed so hard, Marianne looked like a completely different personâvibrant and stunningly beautiful.
The waitress headed over to them. âAnother round, ladies?â
They looked at each other and immediately nodded. Then, the waitress headed off, and the girls sat back and relaxed. They were having fun, and nothing was going to interfere with their time together.
One by one, they released the stress of the day even more. âWhat do you do for work, Bella?â asked Allison.
âIâm a doctor at Childrenâs Hospital specializing in children with cancer.â
âWow! Thatâs a trip,â Allison said, impressed. âI think that would be difficult to do, knowing the odds arenât that great for recovery.â
âYou get used to it because the kids who arenât going to make it intuitively know they wonât and usually handle it much better than the parents do. They are amazing kids,â she solemnly explained.
âWhat about you, Marianne? What is it that you do?â Allison asked.
 âIâm a paralegal working at the Benson & Sons law firm.â
âThatâs cool,â Allison said. âThe one in the financial district? How long have you been with them?â
âEver since I moved to Boston five years ago, actually,â Marianne replied. âItâs okay,â she said without much enthusiasm.
âWhat about you, Allison? What do you do?â asked Bella.
âRight now, Iâm between jobs. Iâm interviewing for a position at the First National Bank downtown,â she answered. âIn their loan department.â
âThat sounds like a pretty important job,â Marianne said. âHave you always been in finance?â
âGod, no! Iâm not even sure Iâll be able to sit behind a desk all day, but I thought I might as well give it a shot,â she laughed.
As the evening wore on and they were nearly finished with their drinks, Marianne started to check her watch every few minutes. âWhatâs up, Marianne?â asked Bella.
âSorry to say, Iâve got to get home. My dog needs to be let out and fed.â
âWhat kind of dog do you have?â Allison asked.
Marianneâs face lit up. âSheâs a miniature black poodle. Her name is Sophie.â
âShe sounds cute,â Bella said.
âShe is,â agreed Marianne, smiling.
âI should be going, too,â Bella said, looking at her watch.
âBefore you leave, are you two game to meet up again?â Allison asked. âHere, next week? Same time?â
Bella and Marianne smiled and nodded.
âWhy not?â Bella added. âI have the next day off.â
They exchanged contact information, hugged, and left, each sensing their unusual relationship was worth the effort and they might end up as friends for life, always answering the question of how they metâthe waiting room.
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The Waiting Room is a story of three women who meet by chance in the waiting room of a doctor's office. These women did not know each other prior to that day, yet for some reason, perhaps fate, they decided to have a drink together at the bar after their long days. This leads to years of friendship, hardships, and love. The trio become caught up in a murder of one of the women's roommates, which leads them to meet their future husbands. At the end of the story, the three women are back together in old age to comfort each other and help each other figure out their path in the later years of life.
This book had potential to be really cute and sweet, however, I could not fully get into this one. It jumped around between women and the friendship between them that was so strong after barely knowing each other, strong enough for them to be having each other stay at one another's house and helping one cope with the murder of her roommate seemed far-fetched to me. Also, I wish the author had developed each character more. I felt I knew more about the physical description of the women than I knew who they were as people. I could see that the story itself had a sweet and positive note, but the events in the story that were important seemed brushed aside for romance. When the women met their love interests, they quickly moved on with life and brushed it aside for thirty plus years. Later in life, they felt they must get together solve this murder, but why did they not push harder earlier if it were so important to them?
I could see others loving this book, but it just was not for me as I was continuously trying to figure out what was the main story...the friendships, the romance, or the murder.