Our eyes met and he gave me a slight smile. “Let’s just say I prefer to hand the twins family cases they can work on together.”
Ricky exuded confidence and he was definitely smart. I could tell he had his act together by the comments he made in the staff meeting.
“I’m glad you have so much faith in my abilities.”
He smiled. “Let’s just say I’m a good judge of character.”
We both took bites of our sandwiches. I had to admit, I found Ricky a bit intimidating. Even though I was the one with the Master’s degree, he seemed much sharper than me.
“So, where are you from?” I asked, trying to make conversation.
His head tilted slightly as if he was trying to assess why I asked the question.
“You have a slight accent,” I added.
He gave me a sexy grin. “Very perceptive.” The guy was hot and he knew it.
“I am a therapist,” I joked.
“I guess all of those accent reduction classes didn’t do the trick.”
“I did say slight,” I reminded him.
“I grew up in New York but I was born in Puerto Rico.”
“Do you get back there much?”
“Which place?”
“Either—both?”
He shook his head. “Too many bad memories. Florida is my home now.”
I sensed there was a lot to the bad memories but I didn’t want to pry.
“And where are you from?” he asked, clearly trying to change the subject.
“Illinois,” I replied.
He raised an eyebrow. “A Midwest girl, huh?”
I nodded. It looked as though he wanted to say more but he stopped himself. He just gave me a sly smile. Then something caught my eye in the distance, over by the school. Although I couldn’t see that well that far away, I had the feeling it was Daniel. He was talking with another guy, who had his back to me.
“What are you looking at?” Ricky asked and I gave him my attention again.
I shook my head. “Nothing.”
I could tell Ricky didn’t believe me, but he didn’t push any further.
“Can I stop by your office this afternoon and hand you a few cases? Are you ready to see clients?”
I nodded. “Tom gave me the green light.”
Ricky smiled. “Great.”
When I looked back over to where Daniel had been, I noticed he was walking right toward us. Ricky had his back to him but he could see my face.
There was no reason for me to panic but I did. There was absolutely nothing going on between Ricky and me, but for some reason, I didn’t want Daniel to see the two of us sitting together. Unfortunately, it was inevitable.
I could see the look on Daniel’s face change as he registered the fact that I was seated on the bench having lunch with Ricky. Even though it wasn’t planned and he had just sat down for a friendly chat, I felt guilty, like I was doing something wrong. Especially when I saw the look of pain on Daniel’s face and the sadness in his eyes when he passed by the two of us. He didn’t stop or say anything, he just continued walking right by us.
When I looked at Ricky, he was taking a sip of orange juice. He swallowed and said, “What’s wrong?”
I didn’t respond. I just looked down at my lunch. I could feel a few tears forming in the corners of my eyes.
“Was that Danny?” he asked.
When I looked back at Ricky, I could see he was trying to figure out who had just passed by. I found it odd that he called Daniel ‘Danny.’ Everyone else called him Daniel.
I could feel a teardrop escape down my face. I tried to discretely brush it away, which wasn’t easy with Ricky staring at me, almost examining me. I could see his wheels spinning. I knew in a few seconds he would realize something was going on between Daniel and me. Then a look of understanding spread over his face. I wasn’t sure if he was going to say something or keep it to himself.
When he started to say something, I realized he wasn’t sure either. Then he stopped and just looked at me. “Danny’s a good guy,” he said finally. “I’d hate to see him get hurt.”
Without another word, he rose and walked away.
***
I sat in my office staring at the case files. At least the pile was getting smaller. I debated the sanity of trying to read cases when all I could think about was the look on Daniel’s face when he saw me with Ricky.
I didn’t even know Ricky. He had just sat down to talk to me. It was such an innocent thing, yet it wasn’t. There was obviously something more between Daniel and Ricky then just me having lunch with him. They had to have some history together. Why else would he call him Danny?
I grabbed a file from the pile and opened it. After I read the same opening paragraph five times and it still didn’t make sense, I decided it was time to talk to Daniel.
I hadn’t yet been to his office but I had an idea of where the intake area was, so I did a little searching until I saw the door with him name on it. It was half open or half closed, depending on your point of view. It made me wonder if it was symbolic of how he was feeling about me. Yes, as a therapist, I had a tendency to read too much into everything.
I knocked lightly on the door and when Daniel looked up he seemed surprised to see me. Not pleasantly surprised, as I had hoped, but he didn’t look unpleasantly surprised either. He just looked confused.
“I think we need to talk,” I said as I entered his office and closed the door behind me.
He nodded and I took a seat.
“I just want you to know that I was eating lunch by myself when Ricky introduced himself and asked if he could join me. We were just talking.”
He nodded again but didn’t say anything. I noticed he had put up a bit of a wall between us. It felt cold and uncomfortable.
“I’m not interested in Ricky, if that’s what you’re thinking.”
His look was sullen. “Ricky has a way with women.”
“He’s not really my type,” I said. “And I’m interested in someone else.”
I looked into his eyes and the intensity between us started to melt the ice that had formed. He started to bite his bottom lip, a habit I found extremely attractive. Anything that brought my attention to his lips made me think about kissing him.
“And just who is the lucky guy you’re interested in?” he asked, knowing full well it was him.
“We’re going out Saturday night,” I said.
“Is that so?” he said as the heat between us continued to intensify. I was suddenly glad there was a desk separating us. “I’m jealous.”
I grinned. “You should be. This guy is the full package.”
I could see his face grow red with embarrassment. “The full package, huh?”
I nodded.
“I hope this guy doesn’t mind that we’re meeting for lunch tomorrow.”
“I think he’d be terribly jealous,” I said playing it up as much as I could. “He hates to see me with other men.”
I was surprised when Daniel touched my hand. I instinctively glanced up at the door to make sure it was still closed. He grazed his index finger along my thumb and then each of my fingers. The act was so sensual it took my breath away. “I’m really looking forward to Saturday night,” he said as he continued caressing my fingers.
“Me, too,” I managed to get out with the limited breath I now seemed to have.
I felt like crawling over the desk and into his lap. I tried to distract myself by looking around his office. I noticed for the first time that his walls were covered with framed posters of guys in the ocean on boards attached to kites. I assumed they were kite surfers.
He must have noticed me examining his art work. “I like to kite surf,” he said.
“Are the posters of you?” I asked. It was difficult to tell who was actually doing the kite surfing in the photos.
“Some of them,” he said. “Some of them are my friends.” He pointed to one across the room from me. “That one’s Ricky. The one next to it
is my roommate.” He pointed to two close to me. “Those two are me.”
I nodded. I wondered if that explained the rough hands and calluses.
“You should watch us sometime,” he said. “We’re all pretty good.”
I nodded. “Okay, sure.”
I stood. “I’d better get back to work,” I said. “Please don’t freak out when you see me talking to Ricky. You know we have to work together.”
“I know,” he said. “It’s just…” I could see him thinking. “We have a history. I know how he is with women.”
“Please don’t worry,” I said, and we left it at that.
***
That evening, I was a little surprised when Eddie didn’t barge in. My heart sank a little as I settled into bed and I realized I probably wasn’t going to see him. Then I chastised myself for feeling that way. I should have been glad not to see Eddie and be tempted by his advances. He was an asshole, plain and simple, and I knew getting involved with him would be a huge mistake. Still, there was something about him that was irresistible no matter how hard I tried to control it.
I also felt guilty thinking about Eddie when I had a chance for a real relationship with Daniel. He was so hurt when he saw me just sitting with Ricky, I couldn’t even image what he would think about my interactions with Eddie. Not that he would ever find out. I would make sure of that.
The best course of action was to steer clear of Eddie and give my full attention to Daniel. He deserved my full attention, something I’m not sure I could give him with Eddie in the picture.
My decision was reinforced when I heard Eddie’s door slam and the voice of a woman in his apartment. It didn’t take long for, shall I say amorous noises, to filter through the flimsy walls. Amorous was actually too nice of a term for what I heard. It sounded like he was filming a porno in his apartment. I put my pillow over my head and tried my best to go to sleep.
***
The next day, the twins caught me in the hallway on my way to the office.
“You look like crap,” Trinity said.
“Thanks,” I said. “I always like to start my day with a vote of confidence like that.”
“Sorry,” she said. “No offence, but did you get any sleep?”
I shook my head and starting walking. The twins followed. “I live in a duplex,” I explained. “My next door neighbor is a womanizing asshole and it sounded like he was having an orgy all night. Let’s just say the walls between our apartments are very thin.”
“That’s disgusting,” Serenity added.
“Extremely,” I agreed.
Trinity looked up and down the hall to make sure no one else was within earshot. “We wanted to talk to you about Brad,” she said.
“We need your help,” Serenity added.
I unlocked my office and the three of us entered. “What’s going on?”
The twins glanced at each other and then Trinity spoke. “We think if we can get him laid he’ll be nicer.”
I nearly choked. “And how do you propose to do that?”
“We want you to help us fix him up,” Serenity said.
“The obvious question is whether we need to fix him up with a man or a woman,” I said.
“That’s where you come in,” Serenity said. “We think we can find someone either way, but we just need to know which way to go.”
“So you’ve never gotten any clues to his orientation or preferences?” I asked. I couldn’t believe the direction this conversation was taking.
The twins simultaneously shook their heads.
“I’m not sure how comfortable I am with the whole idea,” I admitted. “I don’t think it’s a good idea to pry into people’s love lives.”
“We thought you might say that,” Serenity was obviously disappointed.
“Just think about it,” Trinity said. “You haven’t been the focus of Brad’s wrath yet but when you are, I think you’ll reconsider your position.”
And with that, the twins left my office. It was completely possible that the clinical staff I worked with were in just as much need of therapy as our clients.
A few minutes after I sat down and began checking my emails, Ricky poked his head in my door. “Mind if I come in?” he asked.
“Sure,” I replied.
He entered carrying a stack of files. “Ready for some cases?” When I nodded, he placed the files on the edge of my desk.
I sensed some tension in the air. When our eyes met, Ricky’s gaze was serious. “I hope I didn’t come on too strongly yesterday,” he said. “Danny is a good friend. I guess I’m a little protective of him.”
“I can appreciate that,” I said.
“He’s gotten hurt. I mean really hurt, in a past relationship, so it’s not easy for him to put himself out there.”
“I have too,” I admitted. Then I looked him straight in the eye and said, “I caught my ex-fiancé having sex with my sister.”
Ricky went wide-eyed. “Wow. I don’t know what to say.”
“You don’t need to say anything. Just know that it’s not easy for me, either.”
He nodded. “Well, I’d better get back to work.”
“Thanks for the files.”
When Ricky left, I couldn’t help but wonder what I was getting myself into with Daniel. Could two people, who’ve had their hearts crushed, ever have a healthy relationship? I wondered if my attraction to Eddie was some kind of self-sabotage. Maybe deep down, I didn’t feel like I was worthy of, or even deserved to have someone love me. I obviously couldn’t keep my ex-fiancé interested. Maybe there was something truly wrong with me and I would never be able to hold on to a man.
FIVE
Eye of the Wind
Daniel came to get me for lunch early; it was only 11:30. I sensed he wanted to make sure he didn’t miss me or that maybe I’d go without him. At least now I had a better understanding of where his lack of confidence came from. It was the same place where my insecurities lie, in the remnants of our broken hearts.
I was glad when he suggested we get boxed lunches and sit outside by the pond. It was quickly becoming one of my favorite places.
Today, we had ham and cheese on rye bread with potato chips and a pickle. I ate my pickle first; I always did.
Daniel grinned. “Do you want my pickle?”
I stifled a chuckle. “Are you propositioning me?”
“You seem to really like pickles.”
“I do.”
He handed me his pickle. “Thanks,” I said.
Daniel’s expression became more serious. “I wanted to apologize for yesterday.”
“Let’s just forget it.”
“I don’t want you to think I’m the jealous type, who’s going to freak out every time I see you talking with another guy.”
“How about we just take things slowly and see where they lead?” I suggested.
He nodded although I could see a flicker of disappointment flash in his eyes. “I really wanted to see you for lunch yesterday, but my roommate texted me with a small crisis that needed to be taken care of.”
I was a little surprised because I saw him talking with someone by the school. “Is your roommate a teacher?” I asked.
His glanced down and I could see he was hesitant to explain.
“I didn’t mean to pry.” I was suddenly uncomfortable
He sighed. “It’s okay. You’ll find out eventually. My roommate is a teacher here.”
“I hope it’s not Mr. LaRoche,” I joked.
He didn’t laugh. Oh. No.
“So you’ve already heard about him?”
“I heard a lot about him and none of it good,” I admitted.
“Unfortunately, everything you heard is probably true.”
I went wide-eyed.
He continued, “I don’t tell many people that we’re roommates, especially women, and especially when we first meet, because I don’t want them to think I treat women the way he does.”
I took a deep breath. It was a lot
to handle. “So why do you live with him, if you don’t mind my asking?”
“We’ve been roommates since our freshman year of college. We always played sports together and had a lot of fun. Now we kite surf together. I know he’s a dog. I guess I just put up with it because that’s just the way he is.”
It made me think about my sister. She was always a tease and flirt, and frankly, kind of a slut, and I always put up with it because she was my sister. That was, until she screwed my fiancé.
“I think I understand,” I said.
Daniel seemed to breathe a sigh of relief.
When I held up the pickle he had given me and took a bite, I noticed a big smile light up his face.
***
That evening, I was lying on the couch thinking about Daniel, when there was pounding on the door. Shit. I didn’t want to see Eddie. I was starting to have feelings for Daniel and I didn’t want them to be overshadowed by Eddie’s—well—everything. He exuded so much raw sexuality and overwhelming charm, it was hard to resist.
I thought about pretending I wasn’t home or at least pretending to be asleep, but the pounding continued. Ugh.
I went to the door and opened it a sliver. “What do you want?” I said as curtly as possible.
“What are we doing tonight?” Eddie asked.
“We’re not doing anything,” I said and made a move to close the door on him. He was a little too fast for me though, and he already had his foot inside.
“Come on,” he said. “Let’s hang out.”
“Why don’t you hang out with the porn star you had over last night? I’m sure she’d be more than willing to provide a repeat performance.”
He actually had the audacity to grin. The man officially had no shame. “I don’t do two-night stands,” he said.
“You completely disgust me,” I snarled.
“So you do have feelings for me,” he countered.
I just scowled at him.
“Are you going to make me stand out here in your doorway all night?” He tapped on the door frame.
I sighed and opened the door to let him in. The quicker I let him in, the sooner he’d be gone, I rationalized.
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