He looked down his little patient’s throat, didn’t see any evidence of a problem, confirmed that she should see a dentist and was about to tell the twelve-year-old as much when, to his amazement, she smiled and winked at him. He could see that she’d reached puberty, but he wouldn’t have thought that she was already flirting with older men.“What was that about?” he asked her.“I just wanted to see if you’d notice.”“Really? What do you think your mother would say if I told her how fresh you are?”“Please don’t do that. She might tell my dad, and he’d kill me.”He adopted his most serious expression. “In that case, I’ll mention it directly to your father. I dislike young women who tease men, and I may decide not to treat you again.”“Oh, please, Dr. Ferguson. Please don’t do that. You don’t know my father.”“Well, since you know him, behave yourself and act your age. That’s all for tonight.”It hadn’t occurred to him that girls that young knew how to entice men.
