“What in the hell?” I hear a woman say.
When I look back to the door, there stands the woman that I dreamed of last night when my brain finally shut down. Dr. Winnie Mason. It didn’t take me long to track down a name when I left the funeral. She’s a therapist at the Women’s Crisis Center in Townsend. I have all kinds of information on her and the only thing it did was make her more interesting—which is fucking complicated. My plan was to ignore she ever existed and fuck some women with long dark black hair and a curvy body until whatever has me on alert around Winnie disappears. I did not plan on her showing up in my office.
“I didn’t have seeing a woman’s droopy vagina on my bingo card today. I guess I should have penciled that in when I decided to come to your office, Mr. Aetos.”
“You bitch. My body is perfect. It’s exactly how Mr. Aetos likes it!” Layna screeches. I really should have banned her from entering the club property. Even using her to hurt Olivia isn’t worth this kind of shit.
“Oh please. You’ve been stretched so much it was like they were trying to recreate the drum solo to In the Air Tonight. You should really try some Kegel exercises.”
“You cunt!”
Winnie steps up to Layna, slapping the hell out of her. Layna’s head goes back, and red blooms on her face immediately. “The next time you spout shit at me could be your last. I’d be careful if I were you,” she growls. Then she whirls around to look at me. It’s an alien feeling to me, but I feel ashamed when I see the condemnation in her gaze as she looks at me. “I came here to try to talk to you about Livy. I can see now it’s useless to even try, especially if this is the type of women you surround yourself with,” she huffs.
Her words piss me off and I already don’t like feeling ashamed of anything I do. She came into my office. I can do whatever the fuck I want. Yet even as I think that, I know I’m not doing what would make Bear proud. Still, I’m not going to give this woman the pleasure of putting me in my place. “That’s just the thing, Ms. Mason. I haven’t been surrounded by women for over four years, thanks to your friend, Livy. Now, if you’re throwing your hat into the ring to take Layna’s place, I’m more than willing to give you a private interview.”
“Blade—”
“I told you to leave, Layna. You should go now while I’m preoccupied. I can promise you that if you continue trying to talk to me you won’t like where it goes,” I respond before she can keep going. I don’t bother to look at her, however. I keep my gaze focused on Ms. Mason and the myriad of emotions traveling over her features. I can see shock, anger, and disgust. I also see interest. Now that I can work with.
The sound of Layna’s heels clicking against the tile get fainter and fainter, yet Ms. Mason still hasn’t spoken. She finally shakes her head. “If you think I’m going to have an adult conversation with you in a room that your secretary just came out of naked and trying to put her dress on, you’re mistaken.”
“Talking is overrated, Ms. Mason. We can do other adult things in my office if you want.”
Surprise lights her eyes, and her face deepens in color before revulsion takes over. “And with that I’m out of here.”
“Fine, you can plead Olivia’s case tonight over dinner.”
“I’m not having dinner with you,” she argues.
“Then, I will proceed with my plan to take my revenge out on Olivia. Have a nice day, Ms. Mason.”
“How can you be so cool and calm? Do you have any idea what Olivia has been through?” she says, anger thick in her question.
“I have to ask you, Ms. Mason, do you have any idea what I’ve been through?”
For a second, I see shame move over her face. I love how expressive she is. It all shines on her face. There’s no guessing what she’s feeling—it’s there for me to read. In the beginning, I used to think Olivia was like that. I’ve spent a lot of years thinking about it and I slowly began to realize I was wrong. Olivia was always guarded. I lived for the times she let her shields down, but she definitely had those up the majority of our time together. I loved her, but she never truly let me know who she was. I can see that now. I push thoughts of my past away. I don’t need to lose focus right now.
“Of course you have. I didn’t mean to imply that you haven’t. I just want you to take into consideration that Olivia was as much of a victim as you were, Mr. Aetos.”
I let out a bitter laugh. “I lost my brother and almost five years of my life. I hardly doubt anything Olivia has been through could compare.”
“You’d be wrong. I think you’d find you and Olivia have a lot in common. I don’t know if you can weigh being in hell by the different levels you’ve both experienced. I imagine that’s a personal thing, but I think if you heard everything Olivia has endured, you’d agree that of the two of you might have had it easier.”
“That will never happen,” I answer at once, my words absolute and brokering no argument. That’s a line of bullshit that I’ll never entertain.
“You don’t think it’s possible?” she asks.
“Not at all.”
“What if I could guarantee that you are wrong?”
“You can’t, so it’s a silly argument, and you don’t strike me as the type of woman who would waste her time on frivolous chatter.”
“Frivolous chatter?” she laughs, shaking her head. “Well, you’re right. Not that I think there’s anything frivolous about what Olivia—or you—have been through. Yet it’s not my story to tell, Mr. Aetos. So, I can’t really share what Olivia has experienced with you.”
“Then, why did you even come?”
“Because I think someone needs to get you to understand that you don’t know the whole story. I’m sure you saw Olivia yesterday. You can’t tell me you thought the way she was could be described as normal. Do you think a woman gets broken that easily, Mr. Aetos?”
