I pick up my phone and dial the number on the card before I can talk myself out of it.
They answer on the second ring.
The woman on the line sounds calm—warm, but not overly familiar. Professional without being cold.
"Elite Relationship Solutions. This is Tessa."
I swallow hard, suddenly unsure what I'm supposed to say.
"Hi. Um. My name is Lindsay Smith. Evelyn Sterling gave me this number."
"Of course," Tessa says smoothly, "I'm glad you called. How are you feeling?"
"Overwhelmed," I admit, gripping the phone tighter. "I'm not sure what I'm looking for. I just know I can't do this alone."
"That's usually where we start," Tessa says gently.
She doesn't sound surprised. She doesn't sound like she's waiting for me to perform gratitude or excitement or clarity I don't have yet.
She just sounds steady.
Tessa explains the process in steps—intake, assessment, options. Nothing is framed as obligation. Nothing is rushed. She talks about confidentiality like it's sacred, about boundaries like they're built into the foundation.
I keep waiting for the pitch. The upsell. The moment this turns into something I regret.
It never does.
"We work with clients whose lives don't fit into conventional frameworks," Tessa says. "People who need structure that adapts to complexity instead of it railroading thier lives."
I exhale slowly.
"That sounds… really good, actually."
"Would you like to move forward?" Tessa asks. Her tone makes it clear thatnois an acceptable answer.
I close my eyes.
"Yes."
Their email arrives before I even set my phone down.
I open it immediately, curiosity outweighing caution, and start scrolling.
Elite Relationship Solutions: Client Intake Questionnaire
The first section is straightforward. Demographics. Location. Lifestyle preferences.
Public visibility tolerance. I pause on that one, then check the box markedlow to moderate.
The next section asks about my day-to-day life.
The cursor blinks patiently, while I try to wrap my head around questions like: What does stability look like? What causes you undue stress?
I type slowly at first, then faster as the answers start flowing. If I stop, I might lose the nerve to be honest.
I need people I can trust. I need space that doesn't make me feel like I'm a target. I need someone who understands that money doesn't fix everything.
My fingers hesitate over the keys.
