I hesitated. While I thought of them as friends, I was still a man who kept things close to his chest. However, I’d seen enough of the core group I counted as friends from Lustz to know they wouldn’t judge or talk about it.
“Okay, I’ve been consumed with Anastasia,” I confessed.
“Ha, I knew it. I saw the way you looked at her. You hated that she was with another man. Tell us,” Sharlena exclaimed happily.
“I don’t know what to say. I met her two weeks ago. You know why I went to a chiropractor. When I saw her, it was as if no one else mattered. I’ve had four treatments. We talk, but it’s about superficial things. She’s sweet and polite, and she puts me at ease. But the thing is, I can’t stop thinking about her.
“I can be in the middle of the workday, and she’ll pop into my head, and I’m off thinking of her again. When I’m home alone, it’s worse. She even invades my goddamn sleep. I try to make my brain realize she’s nothing more than my chiropractor, but the damn thing refuses to stop. And you’re right. I hatedseeing her with Sam, even though I have no reason to feel that way. She’s not mine,” I growled.
“Logic doesn’t always play into it when attraction, serious attraction, is at play,” Sawyer stated.
“Oh yeah, how would you know? Is there someone you feel that way about?” His sister asked.
“We’re not discussing me. Let’s focus on Sinner. And keep your nibby nose to yourself,” he responded.
Sharlena harrumphed, then sniped back, “Fine, as long as you do the same with me. No telling me what I can do or who I can see. Okay, continue, Sinner. Sorry for the detour,” Sharlena stated sweetly. Her hand was across the table, lying on mine.
I’d learned as we became friends that Sharlena was often uncomfortable in a variety of settings. She needed touch to ground her. Those of us who were her friends knew that and gave it to her.
“You two kill me. Okay. What else do you want me to say?” I asked.
“Tell us what you felt the first time you met her,” Sharlena prodded.
I went through it. The shock of discovering my chiropractor was female. For some reason, I never considered the possibility, which sounded so sexist. The tingling when we shook hands. Her facial beauty and her body blew me away.
“I know, that sounds so superficial,” I admitted when I finished.
“It does, if that’s all you’re thinking about,” Sawyer stated.
“No, it’s not only that. She’s sweet, funny, and caring. I can tell by the way she talks about people. Her patients adore her, and from what I’ve seen, so do her staff. She has a complicated family situation, as I do. Her family is very old-fashioned and constantly after her to marry, give up her career, and have kids. It’s what her sisters have done.
“I did some online stalking to see what I could find on her. Anastasia volunteers at events and offers her skills at fundraisers. She supports various organizations financially and with her time. If she has a big social media presence, I haven’t found it. Most of what I did find was based on others’ posts about her. Jesse at work recommended her to me. His aunt is a longtime patient who dotes on Anastasia. I almost snapped Jesse’s head off the other day when he confessed that his aunt Irma keeps pushing him to meet Anastasia and ask her on a date.”
I stopped there. That conversation had almost led me to hurt Jesse. It took restraint not to warn him that if he ever so much as glanced at Anastasia in a non-platonic way, I’d put him in the hospital.
“You didn’t like her with Sam tonight. What about other men you’ve seen her with? There have been some, right? Or if not, what do you feel about the fact that she works on other guys?” Sawyer asked.
As soon as he did, a growl rumbled up out of me before I could cut it off.
“Well, I think that is clear,” Sharlena said, grinning.
“If she makes you react that way, why did you agree to come here with us tonight? Was it just to hang out or more?” Sawyer probed.
I swear, the man saw inside people.
“Honestly, I figured it was time to come and find someone to either play with or have sex with. My inability to shake this obsession with Anastasia needs to be resolved,” I admitted.
“Here’s my suggestion. Walk around. Check out who is here. See if anyone makes you extend an offer to play or fuck. Or if they ask you to do it and you say yes. If that happens, then you’re merely sexually attracted to your doctor. Don’t pursue anything. She deserves better. However, if you don’t have anydesire to extend or accept offers for either thing, then you need to find out if you and your Anastasia are meant to be more than acquaintances.”
His sister backed up Sawyer’s advice. Sharlena nodded vigorously as her brother spoke. I sat there thinking over his recommendation. It took me a solid two minutes to reply.
“I’ll do it. I might be back sooner than you think. If not, thank you for tonight. I needed not only dinner but this.”
As I stood, I held out my hand to Sawyer. He shook it as he said, “Good luck.”
Sharlena got a hug. As I went to let her go, she whispered in my ear. “I hope you and Anastasia are meant to be. Her aura is golden. She’s real. You need that.”
I placed a kiss on her cheek. “Thank you. I’ll keep that in mind.”
