“Don’t get it twisted,” I tell him. “Mia is my best friend and has been for years.”
Proctor’s face crinkles in confusion.
“Your best friend?”
“Yeah.”
“Why is that a secret?”
“I didn’t want the team to think I pulled some sort of special favor to get her the job.” Which I kind of did.
“I get it. You didn’t want the guys questioning her skills as a therapist.”
“Exactly.”
Finally, someone who gets it.
Proctor glares at me strangely, though.
“What?” I say to him.
“Does she know?”
“Know what?”
“That your feelings for her have changed.”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about, Proctor.”
“Or maybe they’ve always been there all along, simmering quietly in the friend zone. Because if I see it, you best believe some other people are going to notice. The only one who may not realize it is the one person who should.”
“You’re way off base. She’s like my sister.”
“I actually have a sister and trust me when I tell you that I’ve never stared at her tits and ass the way you watch Mia’s.”
I want to shut him the fuck up. His words are only making the slow realization I’ve been coming to about Mia feel even more real. I’ve always told myself that I sometimes look at her body because she’s a beautiful woman and I’m only human, but now I’m thinking differently. I guess Proctor is right. If she was “really” my sister, I wouldn’t look at her in that way. In fact, I’d need to go on a therapist’s couch if I did.
“I need to go watch tape in the video room.” I’m ending this conversation. “I’ll get up with you later.”
He chuckles to himself then asks me the last question I need to hear.
“What are you going to do about that fucker Samuels?”
“What about him? I thought he was your problem.”
“You better watch him. I wasn’t lying about my mother. He slept with her and now he’s pursuing Mia hard. He’s got a way with the ladies that is almost pimp-like. ”
“Not my lady,” I counter.
“Ohhhh, okay,” he smiles. “So she’s your lady now?”
“You know what I mean.”
“I know exactly what you mean. Just make sure that she does too before it’s too late.”
I’m annoyed.
I don’t enjoy talking about my personal business with anyone, but Proctor brings up a valid point. What am I going to do about Samuels? I’ll break his fucking jaw if he puts a hand on Mia, but if Mia allows Samuels to get close to her, and dare I say becomes interested in him, how am I going to stop it?
