Have I ever been interested in a man that way? “No.”
“Then set clear boundaries with the daughter.”
Yeah, right. That would work as well as telling a teenager that they can’t do something they want to.
“Back to the interesting guy, you need to apologize. Waiting on things like that only makes things worse.”
Don’t I know. The drama I’ve seen happen from just a small little issue that went ignored... “I’ll try to do it today.”
“Good. Now I have a question.”
I hate when she has one of those. They never bode well for me. “Shoot.”
“What if, in your guilt, you misinterpreted his response? What if he wasn’t mad?”
“Impossible.”
“Is it though?”
“I’m good at reading people.” My time living on the streets and taking care of all these kids has honed that skill.
“What if you’re wrong?”
***
What if you’re wrong? That question has been playing over and over in my head since I walked out of her office. I can’t be wrong.
Focus. Maddox called you to his office for an important meeting this morning. Something important is wrong. Your silly issue with Max is a trivial matter that can be fixed.
I knock on Maddox’s office door and wait for it to click open.
“Good. You’re here.” He practically runs over to me. “She quit.”
Huh?
“Well, she didn’t quit. She agreed to take a part-time position here and there.”
Huh?
“Mindy and I are going to be able to spend so much more time together.”
Yeah, right, mister workaholic. “That’s wonderful news.”
“So I, um, need to take her on a date.”
Okay?
“Where should I take her?” Maddox starts pacing. “I was thinking about this two-star Michelin restaurant…”
I take a seat and listen to him ramble about date ideas. I should have found this cute, but my therapist’s words keep coming back, blurring with Hope’s desire to matchmake.
***
What I should be thinking about is the wonderful date Maddox just planned for Mindy, but instead dread fills me as I make my way out of Maddox’s office building.
What if Max was repulsed by my touch because he thought I was hitting on him? What if Hope won’t stop with her machinations?
Why can’t I just be transported to another planet where I can live forever in peace? Or take up Knight on his offer?
