She’s polite and courteous, handing Patricia a glass of water. I led her into the office, asking about her day before telling her I just need a minute.
I poke my head over to Mia’s desk and I watch her tuck a note under her keyboard, smiling.
“Are you still on for dinner tonight? I have another recipe I thought might be good for Dinner Club.”
“You don’t want to make the lasagna?” she asks.
“Not sure. This one looks like a winner, though. Seven tonight?”
I won’t see her this afternoon. Her Wednesday classes take her away from me, but I meant what I said about having her over every Wednesday for dinner. I don’t want to wait until tomorrow morning to see her. Fuck, I want her so bad. Her soft breathingmixed with some erratic nodding has me smiling like the head cheerleader had agreed to be my prom date. It feels unreal, like a fever dream where you wake up with everything you didn’t know you wanted right in front of you. Only this isn’t a dream and I have the added pressure of knowing how delicate Mia can be around men. I absolutely could not fuck this up.
“Sure. Can I bring something this time?”
“Just yourself. And comfy clothes.”
She nods, her eyes sparkling as I slip back into my office.
???
The incessant rain should be an indicator that the universe isn’t happy. My waterproof jacket doesn’t account for downpours, apparently, as I’m soaked through, and I’m not the only one. I’m watching Nate, and I haven’t told Mia about this particular excursion. Nate grew up in what appears to be a house of horrors according to his file. He’s come a long way since we first started sessions, but he’s jumped from therapist to therapist over the years, and it’s hard to determine if he’s actually making progress or if he just tells you what you want to hear.
According to his file, his father would beat his mother until she passed out, leaving Nate to tend to her for days. One social worker reported that she was unconscious for over twenty-four hours whilst a five-year-old Nate tended to her wounds, pushing a pillow under her head and placing a blanket over her.
He’s unlearning many things, but it’s a slow process and I don’t have the patience to wait for him to catch up. Not when someone’s life could be at risk. So for now, I’m standing in the rain hiding behind a topiary bush styled in a shape that can only be described asphallic.
I purposely didn’t tell Mia about this excursion. She seems to have accepted my extracurricular activities, even if she’s only there to monitor me, but I won’t put her in danger. She told me she thought I should date other people, like I wouldn’t have done that without her permission if I had an inkling to. I don’t want to datein general;I want to date her. She’s the one who’s captivated me, but I know I need to earn her trust first.
I think back to my father meeting her, and my shoulders begin to tense. I hate his arrogance, his assumption that I would do whatever he requested because he was the one who demanded it. To tell me to grow up when he can’t hold a relationship together and do his job at the same time. Pathetic.
I watch Nate wipe his nose with the back of his hand as he continues to stare at the café. It’s Saturday morning, and the streets of Seattle are relatively empty. Those who are braving the weather walk briskly to their destinations, their umbrellas held tightly.
I should be doing something else. I should be consulting colleagues on how to better help someone like Nate. Instead, I’m standing in the pouring rain behind a giant penis-shaped bush and freezing my ass off. I’ve only just got rid of the cold I got from jumping in the sea with Mia, how was I going to explain this one?
Glancing at my watch, it’s evident I need to leave soon to make it on time for lunch with my mother. A few more minutes will do.
My eyes return to Nate. His brows scrunched together in knitted annoyance as he bites the skin around his thumbnail. In the blink of an eye, his eyes widen, and he licks the rain off his lips. He’s spotted someone, and as I follow his eyeline, I’m drawn to a woman with raven hair in a high ponytail. She’s wearing workout gear, tight lycra that curves perfectly around her body. I’d be remiss if I didn’t point out that it concerns methat I recognize someone by the shape of their ass, but I do spend an ungodly amount of time looking at my employee in tight pencil skirts. Mia skips into the café on tiptoes, laughing as she shakes out her umbrella before ducking in and smiling at a blonde-haired barista who closes the door behind her.
When I turn back to Nate, he’s shuffling on his feet, bouncing toe to toe as if he’s contemplating what to do.
Just leave.
Call me for help.
Go home.
Do anything except enter that café.
He punches the wall of the alleyway, an act of aggression I rarely witness. I feel my eyes widen, everything around me moves in slow motion. All except for the pulse I hear thumping in my ears. Nate steps onto the sidewalk and storms down the street, blood trickling down his knuckles along with the rain.
Chapter Eighteen
Mia
Three weeks have passed since the Children’s Psychology Charity Ball, and Alfie has kept a respectful distance. He’s honored what I’ve requested, and although part of me is grateful for the reprieve of the constant sexual tension between us, that seems to come at the most inappropriate moments, I’m also slightly disappointed. Like I’m missing a fundamental part of our relationship.
The only thing he’s continued to do is leave notes in my desk drawer, accompanied by a flower of some sort. I notice that they’re mostly from his garden, but it makes my heart fizz with excitement that he looks at them and thinks of me.
So, as we’re on our way back to the office from the studio, I eagerly anticipate the note that awaits me in my desk drawer as always on a Thursday morning. I’m getting quite a collection under my keyboard now.
