On Call: Afternoon by P.D. Singer

[reviews_and_ramblings]

This is only a short story but it’s very nice and romantic, and how could be anything else, when we are speaking of hot doctors and their furry friends, little matchmaker kitties?

At first Dr. Dante James, vet, goes to Dr. Keith Hoyer, m.d., with a health problem, but the problem is minimal and soon forgotten, and instead Dr. Keith is more interesting in knowing more of the handsome African American vet than his health status. Only that the chance doesn’t come, and so Keith manages to have it; when he accidentally steps onto his cat, Harpo, first thing in his mind is to call Dante. Now, I can concede to Keith that he said he is new at the practice, so maybe also new in town? So maybe he has not yet found a vet for his beloved kitty? Or maybe Keith sees as a good chance to grasp when he suddenly needs the help of a vet right when he was thinking how to call again Dante?

As you can imagine, this is a short story, 15 pages, so I can’t really say much, other than the feeling of the story was light, the love story promising, and the help both men received by their respective pet friends real cute. As often when there are pets in a short story, they tend to steal a bit the scene to their owners, as it’s in this case for Harpo, he has almost the better scenes.

On Call: Afternoon is exactly what the title suggest, a love affair in a lazy Saturday afternoon, but maybe this is only the start of a true love story.

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Comments

[(Anonymous)]

Yes, this is a nice little feel good story, particularly as I'm very fond of "beginnings". And while dogs and cats figure in heavily in books, this is the first mention I've seen of sugar gliders (marvelous creatures!). I also liked that the interracial aspect of the relationship was handled with finesse.

I was feeling a bit depressed when I read this story, and it definitely uplifted my spirits.

[elisa-rolle.livejournal.com]

Yes, I think this is the right story to lift up your mood when your are down. And yes, it was the first time I "met" a sugar glider in a story. I wanted to add that Dante was African American, but said nothing more since, like you said, the interracial aspect was very natural, and so, indeed, good. Elisa