by B L Clark
Amber had finished a small painting before Nicole and Lucinda came back. She was starting on another when they walked up to her station.
“Hey,” Nicole said, smiling at Amber.
“Hi.” Amber smiled back.
“Thank you for letting me borrow Nicole for a bit, Amber,” Lucinda said. “Nicole, it was great to meet you. If you need anything, please let me know.”
“It was nice to meet you, too. Thank you for showing me Amber’s show pieces and for taking the time to talk with me.”
Lucinda smiled at the two women, turned, and headed back to her office. Amber turned back to the painting she was just starting and explained to Nicole what she was doing and the reasons she was doing it.
During lunch, Amber and Nicole walked to the deli across the street and got a sandwich and a bowl of fruit. While they ate, Amber told Nicole about her call from the therapist and said they would be going to her office after work. Nicole said she was okay with it and that she was looking forward to meeting with Dr. Dyer.
The cab pulled up outside Dr. Dyer’s office building. Nicole and Amber entered, and the security guard smiled at Amber.
“Hi, Tony,” Amber said.
“Hi, Amber. How are you doing?” the burly security guard asked.
“I’m good. Tony, this is my girlfriend, Nicole. Sweetie, this is Tony.”
“It’s really nice to meet you,” Tony said.
“You too,” Nicole said as she shook the man’s hand.
“What time is your session?”
“In about ten minutes.”
“I’ll be here when you get done, and I’ll get you a cab.”
“Thanks, Tony. Tell Trevor hi for me, and I hope to see him Friday or Saturday,” Amber said as she took Nicole’s hand.
“I will.”
Nicole and Amber made their way into the elevator, and as they rode it up to Dr. Dyer’s office, Nicole looked at Amber questioningly.
“Tony has been the security guard here for as long as I’ve been coming. His partner, Trevor, owns the club I was thinking we’d check out this weekend. That is, if you’re up for it.”
“I look forward to it.” Nicole gave Amber a chaste kiss just as the elevator dinged.
“Hi, Amber,” the receptionist said as they entered Dr. Dyer’s office.
“Hi,” Amber said softly and averted her eyes.
“It’s been a while since I’ve seen you. You’re looking good today.”
“Thank you.”
“Did you want something to drink or anything?” the receptionist asked.
“No, thanks.”
Nicole and Amber sat in the lobby. Nicole glared in the direction of the receptionist. “Who was that?”
“Nobody, sweetie. Just let it go,” Amber said.
“Does she do that often?”
“She isn’t usually here when I come in. Dr. Dyer had her schedule switched because she didn’t understand the boundaries.”
“She still doesn’t,” Nicole snipped.
Nicole was about to say something else when Dr. Dyer appeared and motioned for them to come in. The two women rose, and Dr. Dyer could sense the tension.
“Is everything okay?” Dr. Dyer sat in the high-backed leather chair, and Nicole and Amber sat on the couch almost near each other.
“Fine,” Amber said, not making eye contact.
“Nice try, Amber. Nicole, what’s going on?”
“Hey, this is my session, not hers.”
“Well, if you aren’t going to tell me the truth, I’ll seek it out.”
“Fine, whatever,” Amber said dismissively.
“Your receptionist needs to learn professional boundaries,” Nicole said curtly.
“I’m sorry about that. I try to keep her on days that Amber isn’t coming in, but I thought it would be good if I got you both in since you were in town and I’m certain that things are good but confusing.” Dr. Dyer made eye contact with Nicole to show her sincerity.
“Can we just move past it? Please?” Amber asked softly.
“Sure,” Dr. Dyer said, and Nicole smiled and moved closer to Amber so that they were touching.
“So, outside of that, how have things been going?”
“Nicole is here.” Amber smiled. “She doesn’t hate me.”
“I never hated you,” Nicole said.
The three women discussed Amber’s return and Nicole’s need to be here with her. They discussed the emotions that came with her sudden appearance. Nicole mentioned her talk with Lucinda and what it was like to see the pieces that were going in the show. Dr. Dyer pointed out the three pieces of Amber’s artwork she had in her office. Amber blushed as the two women discussed her artwork. Nicole talked about what had transpired with Amber’s father and that since she had talked with Amber, she hasn’t had any terrors or episodes. Dr. Dyer agreed with Dr. Scott, Nicole’s therapist, that having faced her fear and telling Amber about what happened gave her some closure. Dr. Dyer asked if they would be willing to do weekly sessions to try to move Amber out from under her past. They both agreed to it.
“Nicole, what is the biggest change you’ve seen in Amber?” Dr. Dyer asked.
“Physically or mentally?” Nicole asked.
“Both.”
“Physically, I would have to say her being a blonde. She’s always been the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen or known. Mentally, I’m still learning the truth about her and what she kept hidden from us for all those years.”
“I really can’t picture you as a brunette.”
“I have pictures. I can bring them next time,” Nicole offered.
“No, you can’t.” Amber smiled.
“Maybe,” Nicole said.
“Well, let’s call it a night and I’ll see you back here Monday night.”
“Sure,” both women said.
Nicole and Amber left the office, ignoring the receptionist as she tried to talk to Amber. Dr. Dyer witnessed the events and advised the receptionist that she was fired for being unprofessional after receiving numerous warnings for making clients feel uncomfortable.
Nicole and Amber were exhausted by the time they made it back to Amber’s apartment. They made something to eat and crawled into bed together. Amber held Nicole, and they drifted off to sleep.
Amber was wandering through the woods. The moonless and starless night coupled with the tree cover made it so that she could barely see what was in front of her. She couldn’t tell if she was headed to safety or back into harm.
“Bitch, get back here” came a booming voice out of the darkness.
“We’re coming for you,” another voice boomed.
Amber looked around. She hoped to see some sign of life, something to help her escape. She ran forward, stumbling over tree roots and the uneven ground.
“Amber? Baby?” Nicole’s voice rang in the night.
“Nicole?” Amber whispered.
A flash of lightning lit up the sky; Amber saw her father and brother behind her and Nicole on the horizon. Amber raced forward, and as she did, the figure in front of her changed from Nicole, the love of her life, to her father and brother, two people who wanted to take away her life.
“Keep running toward us, bitch.” Jeffrey growled.
Amber turned and ran in another direction. Looking up, she saw Nicole standing in front of her brother and father.
“No, you leave her alone,” Amber called, racing toward them. She stumbled over some roots and fell to the ground.
The next thing Amber saw was Nicole at her side, reaching down and helping her up.
“Nicole, go. It isn’t safe for you here.”
“I’m not leaving you,” Nicole said.
Amber had been holding Nicole while they slept. As she started thrashing around, Nicole’s head slid off her shoulder, and she was now lying facing away from Amber.
“Nicole…run…” Amber said in her sleep. “RUN!”
Nicole woke to hear her name.
“Amber?” Nicole sai
d as she sat up.
Amber was running again. Running from the two men who had tormented her for her entire life. As she ran, she saw another flash of lightning followed by a loud crack. Amber felt something rip through her body.
Amber bolted upright and screamed out, “NO!”
Nicole was startled by the sound of Amber’s voice. The fear and panting sent shivers down her spine.
Amber sat there shaking in fear and trying to catch her breath from her dream.
“Amber? Baby?” Nicole slowly reached toward Amber. The moment her hands touched Amber, she collapsed into Nicole’s lap crying. Nicole held Amber close and comforted her.
Amber cried herself to sleep, and Nicole held her until the alarm went off.
“Are you okay?” Nicole asked, breaking the silence.
“Yeah, I’m sorry about last night and a little embarrassed.”
“You have nothing to be sorry or embarrassed about. Do you want to talk about it?”
“Yeah, but I need to call and tell them I’m not going to be in today, and then tell Zach not to pick me up.”
“Okay.” Nicole got up to give Amber some privacy to make her calls. While Amber was on the phone, Nicole went to make coffee.
After calling work, Amber went into the kitchen and grabbed a cup of coffee. She led Nicole to the sofa, and they sat and cuddled together. After several minutes of silence, Amber told Nicole about the dream and how realistic it felt. Nicole held her and listened.
“Do you often get nightmares after going to therapy?” Nicole asked.
“I haven’t in years. I did when I first started, though.”
“Well, after seeing Jeffrey and being back there, I would think that would be enough to cause them.”
“I hadn’t thought about that. I think that could be a reason for it. Wow, brains and looks. I’m going to have to keep an eye on you.”
“Promises, promises.” Nicole laughed as she pulled Amber close and kissed her. “Do you want to go back to bed?”
“Actually, I have something I’d like to show you.” Amber stood and extended her hand to help Nicole up.
The two women went back to a closed door at the end of the hallway. Amber opened the door and led Nicole inside. Nicole looked around and saw the paint tarp on the floor and several paintings around the room. There were paintings on the wall, some leaning against the wall, and four on easels.
“Wow,” Nicole said as she looked around the room.
“When I used to have nightmares, I would come in here and paint until the fear went away or until I was too exhausted to think.”
“These are amazing.” Nicole moved to look at the paintings leaning against the wall.
“Thanks.” Amber blushed. “I know it isn’t the most comfortable place, but will you sit in here while I paint?”
“Of course. Let me grab my laptop and I can do some programming while you paint.”
Nicole pulled Amber into a probing kiss before exiting the room to get her laptop. Amber stood there trying to regain her breath and clear her mind. She was still standing there when Nicole came back in.
“You okay, baby?”
“You know what kissing me like that does, right?”
“Yup,” Nicole said, smiling proudly. “But if it’s an issue, I can stop kissing you like that.”
“No, I didn’t say that. I was just verifying that you knew what it did to me.”
After Amber regained control over her hormones, she got her paints ready and started working on one of the canvases. Nicole made herself comfortable in a bean bag chair. She positioned herself so that she could still watch Amber, but it wouldn’t appear as if she were staring at her.
Chapter Twenty-four
Night at the Club
The next couple of weeks passed without any trouble. Nicole and Amber fell into a comfortable routine. They got up and ate breakfast together. Amber got ready and went to work while Nicole sat at Amber’s desk and worked on her programming. Once Amber got home, they made dinner together, and then went for a walk or cuddled on the couch. Amber sometimes laughed at how domesticated they were. They had planned to go out so Amber could share with Nicole some of the things she enjoyed, but life crept into those plans. There were a couple of nights that Nicole was exhausted, some that Amber was exhausted, and then there were a few nights for both that nightmares had plagued them. Both were reluctantly pleased that they were nightmares and not the night terrors that had traumatized them for years.
“Hey, Nic,” Jill said.
“Hey, what’s up?” Nicole leaned back in the desk chair.
“Are you ever coming home?”
“Eventually, I’ll have to…but for now, I’m enjoying my time here with Amber.”
“But I miss you…” Jill whined.
“I get that. I miss you guys, too, but Amber’s show is in a few weeks. You and the gang are still planning on coming to it, right?”
“Yeah, we are. Zach wants us to tell Amber that we aren’t coming so we can surprise her. I’m not sure if she’ll see that as rejection or not. What do you think?”
“I think surprising her will be fun. I’ll make sure she doesn’t get too down.”
“Ew, don’t need to know about your sex life.” Jill scoffed playfully.
“Whatever. You’re just jealous that I’m actually getting some from a smoking hot blonde,” Nicole teased.
“She looks good as a blonde, doesn’t she?”
“She looks gorgeous no matter what.”
“You’re biased, Brooks.”
“Completely! And hopelessly and helplessly in love.”
“I’m happy for you two. Are things better for her in New York?” Jill asked.
“Mostly. We’ve been going to see her therapist together. Sometimes, I go in, and other times, I sit in the waiting room. We’ve each had some nightmares, but not the night terrors that we were having.”
“That sounds like an improvement.”
“It is. Mrs. Phelps and her husband are awesome, too.”
“Who are they?”
“They’re the little old couple that owns the brownstone that Amber lives in.”
“Oh, yeah. Do you see a lot of them?”
“I do because I work from home. They truly care about Amber. They call her their daughter even. I think it helps her feel like she has a family that cares about her. They were all she had for years.”
“They didn’t have to be,” Jill mumbled.
“No, they didn’t, but they were, and that helped her survive.”
“I’m happy about that, but come on. Aren’t you a bit hurt that she didn’t have the faith in us that we would be there for her? We were a family.”
“Yeah, it hurts,” Nicole started. “I’ve also learned a lot about Amber and how she learned to cope with what happened to her growing up, and I understand her reasoning. Just know it wasn’t personal that she closed us out. She honestly did it to protect us. The mental torture they did on her was more extensive than the physical shit.”
“That’s a scary thought. Oh, Jeffrey’s trial was this week. Bastard will not be seeing the light of day until he dies.”
“That’s good. Did they put him in the same prison as his dad?”
“He’s headed there next week. Not soon enough if you ask me!”
“How are things going there?”
“Pretty much the same. Heather found a new girl she’s wooing. Erik and Lori are on speaking terms again. After she heard about what went on with Jeffrey at the hotel, she decided Erik was worth another try.”
“What about you?”
“Nothing other than work going on with me. I’m content with that right now. How’s work going?”
Nicole explained about the setup she had at the apartment and the schedule she had worked out. She had all but one client transitioned so she could connect to them from New York. She had even picked up a couple of new clients courtesy of connections from Lucinda. They agreed to talk in a few days to plan
out getting together after Amber’s show.
After hanging up, Nicole looked at the clock and saw she had five minutes before her tea time with Mrs. Phelps. It had become a daily event for them, something they both looked forward to and time they cherished together.
Amber had finally been cleared by her doctor to return to normal work provided she took a five-to-ten-minute break every two hours and she kept up with the physical therapy exercises.
“Stupid arm,” Amber mumbled as she worked with the exercise band the physical therapist had given her.
“How’s it going?” Lucinda asked as she approached Amber in the breakroom doing her exercises.
“Painfully good?”
“Do those words really go together?” Lucinda laughed.
“No, they truly don’t. I know it’s just going to take time for my arm to get back in shape, but these exercises hurt.” Amber laughed as she wrapped the exercise band up. “How are you today?”
“I’m doing well. I was hoping that after lunch you and I could sit down and discuss your show, how we’re going to set up the display, and what information you would like us to include in the bio for the program.”
“Bio?”
“Yes, we put that in for all the new artists. It gives the attendees the illusion that they know the artist better. Don’t worry, though, it isn’t going to be anything extremely in-depth. And I promise that we won’t put anything in there that you don’t approve of.”
“Thank you. I really appreciate everything you have and are doing for me, Lucinda.”
“It’s my pleasure. You’ve always shown such potential. The work I’ve seen from you in the past year and especially the past two weeks has been incredible.”
Amber blushed at the compliment. Her confidence had improved over the years, but she was still far from a confident person. She had hopes of achieving it, but she didn’t delude herself into believing that it would happen.
The two women talked for a couple of more minutes before Amber had to get back to work. Lucinda told Amber that she would work out with her supervisor when the best time for them to meet was.