Adam took his time answering. “Well, I’m not a hundred percent sure what her motives are, but I think, in a nutshell, it’s possible—”
“Christ, man, spit it out.”
“That she’s saying you’re a selfish asshole and that thinking about something or someone other than yourself might do you some good,” he finished bluntly.
“Well, shit, don’t sugarcoat it. Damn, you think that’s it?”
“Could be. I mean, best guess…”
***
What Adam had failed to mention in their get-to-know-you talk over coffee the week before was that he hadn’t just started out studying to become a doctor, he’d finished. He was a board-certified psychologist.
He became a police officer because he wanted to specialize in police psychology. He’d figured working a few years as an officer first would give him the experience and credibility needed to know what the hell he was talking about when counseling officers. It turned out he loved being a policeman. Psychology had become his retirement plan forwhen he finished with police work.
He kept up with current practices by taking classes and regularly reading psychology journals. Currently, he was only licensed in Massachusetts, but he planned to get licensed in New York soon.
Although he wasn’t technicallytreatingMitch, he’d been watching for progress and could already see improvement. Maggie had mentioned his hasty backyard apology, and he’d gone out of his way to thank Adam on a couple of occasions now. He got the feeling apologizing and expressing gratitude was an emotional stretch for Mitch these days. The effort was a good sign.
“I may as well call Johnny. I only have a week to line something up and do it,” Mitch said.
“What about a pet? Dogs are the best, but not really practical for a guy who’s gone all day. Do you like cats?”
The look Mitch shot him was answer enough. “Yeah, me neither.”
“I guess I could check out a shelter or something, but it seems like they only have cats and dogs. People don’t leave hamsters at shelters, do they?”
“Doubt it. You know what would be great? If we knew someone in the pet business. Like someone that sold them for a living. In her own store.” Adam turned and smiled.
“Oh, fuck me,” Mitch moaned.
***
Maggie spent most of Friday and Saturday cleaning her apartment, grocery shopping, running errands, and relaxing with Oliver. It was Saturday night, and she was sitting in a trendy, downtown bar wearing a little something she’d picked up while out shopping. The black sleeveless, sheath dress hit close to mid-thigh and was tight in all the right places. The scabs from her fall the week before were still evident, but there was nothing she could do about that.
Jenny came in a few minutes after she’d been seated.
“Hey, gorgeous. What a cute dress.” Jenny stooped to hug her.
“This old thing?” Maggie laughed. “Look at you, though. You’re glowing.” It warmed her heart to see Jenny so happy.
After ordering margaritas and a plate of nachos, they chitchatted about their weeks and confirmed plans for the following week. Jenny was taking the boys and the puppy to the beach house all week. Maggie would house-sit for a few days and then head out on Friday to meet them for a long weekend. Halfway into their second drink, Jenny finally got down to business.
“I have something to tell you. I need your opinion. Oh, God. This is so awkward.”
Maggie was worried for a minute. This sounded serious. She waited for Jenny to gather her thoughts.
“I think something is happening with Adam,” she finally blurted out.
“Adam who?” asked Maggie, thoroughly confused.
“Mitch’s partner. The one you just met a week ago. The oneIjust met a week ago. That Adam.” Jenny told her how he’d saved the day with the baseball team on Sunday and then continued taking the boys to practice the rest of the week. They only practiced on Tuesday and Thursday, but on each evening, Adam brought the boys home and then stayed to hang out. On Tuesday, he’d helped Toby with his math homework, and by Thursday, he’d helped with dinner and then ate with them. She had no idea what was happening or what his intentions were.
“Do you think he likes you?”
“I don’t know. That’s why I need advice. I’ve been out of the dating pool for too long. Is he helping because he’s a nice guy? Or could it be something else? I’m really confused.” Jenny shifted nervously in her seat.
“Oh my God. This is huge. What if he does like you? Do you like him? He seems super great.”
