The Problem With Burnt Cookies

3. Peachy

Rhys

"You're late,"  Diana said, sighing as she fished out her keys to open the door.

"So are you." Rhys sighed, holding the door open for her, while she waddled through. 

"I had to get my 4-year-old to Kindergarten. Justice's first day. I'll show you the pictures if you'd stop being such a grouch," she said with a smile, handing him his black coffee, no cream, extra sugar.  The only artificial sugar he'd allowed himself to have for the week.

"Yeah well, I'd be in a better mood if not for the fact that traffic was a pain this morning, my stupid dog won't pee on organic grass, and to top it off, it is a silver flood day."

Diana set her bag down, stretched her back, and sat down to whir on her computer at the front desk. "Well, that's life Reeces, drink your coffee, it'll help." 

 Rhys obeyed, ignoring the silly nickname she had given him after working with him in Manhattan, fresh out of her schooling. 

 "You're my angel." he complemented, smiling brilliantly at his favorite receptionist as he felt the effects of the coffee wake up his sluggish mind.

"There are those pearly whites. Now go, and try not to scowl so much... it leaves frown lines!" She joked as he turned the corner to his office. 

Rhys chuckled to himself, as he sat down in his office, turned on his iPad, and looked at his schedule for the day, before helping set up the trays in each room right as his business partner, and friend, Daniel grabbed a hair tie behind the cabinet. 

"Hey," Rhys said. 

"Hey, Silver Flood Day." His friend announced. tying his dreads back into a ponytail.

"Silver Flood Day." He echoed.

"Do you have Mr. Kingston today or do I?" Daniel asked. washing his hands and drying them. 

"I do. Thanks for the heads up by the way." He grumbled. 

"You're welcome. I tried getting through to him, but that man used the I like to savor the moment excuse. I was hoping your coldness would get him to see the light." He joked, patting him on the back as he left the room. 

Rhys put down the mirror, looking at his own tired expression. 

"I just don't know how to be with someone who makes life so... cold. You're cold, Rhys.  I am done burning myself to keep you warm."

Rhys snapped back to the present, furrowing his brow, and put the mirror face down, below the dentist trays and greeted his hygienists, Meghan finally dyed her hair purple,  Terri fawned over Diana's photo of her son, while Daniel asked how she was feeling about sending him, and Ryan spoke with Beni, his other dentist about their latest date gone wrong, waiting for the team meeting to start.

 Rhys cleared his throat, as his staff looked at him, saying good morning, as he replied individually to each. 

"Attention people. Today is silver flood day. You know what that means. There's extra dental paste in the supply closet, cups in the cabinet for dentures, and every patient goes home with floss, a toothpaste, denture cleaning tablets, and a toothbrush." He told them, as they nodded along. Ryan, you're on the x-ray machine, you'll be using the second one for our wheelchair-bound patients, if it acts up, just lower the first one, I called the company to come look at it. Meghan, you'll be with Beni, Terri with Me, Ryan with Daniel, and Diana, you'll be on bag duty. I don't want you on your feet any more than you have to be. Let's make it a good one folks."  he instructed. 

The staff dispersed, and the senior living van pulled up into the handicap space, the driver immediately pulling out his umbrella as he walked the elders into the dentistry one by one. A couple of the elderly women he knew were unmarried or widowed batted their eyelashes at him and smiled, while the older gentlemen, gave scathing looks at him, dreading just stepping into the place so early.