by Katy Kaylee
An older woman, whose name plate said Ms. Johnson, started the proceedings by reading off my name and the charge against me. Then Mr. Brown went through his report, starting with the call from the person who apparently saw me and Hunter in a compromising situation in the Rookery. He indicated that the people he interviewed for the most part were unaware that Mr. Raven was in counseling.
I closed my eyes as I realized this investigation outed Hunter to the people who worked for him.
“So much for confidentiality,” I quipped under my breath. But it was loud enough for the panel members to look my way, and Mr. Brown to stop talking momentarily. I probably should have apologized, but I simply stared back at them.
“One person did say she saw the two of them embrace and kiss,” Mr. Brown said, with a glance up at me.
I scanned my brain as to when that might have been. We didn’t do any public displays of affection that I remembered, and no one was in the office with us when we had sex. But maybe they heard us.
“I can also verify catching them…or should I say, hearing them in Ms. Reynold’s office.”
I closed my eyes as humiliation swept through me.
“We don’t need details, Stuart,” Ms. Johnson said. “At least, not at this point.”
“I’d like to point out that Ms. Reynolds lied to me when I first approached her.”
“That’s not true,” I said, even though I was being loose with the truth. “I told Mr. Brown I wasn’t seeing a client nor had I ever been reported before. That was true at the time I saw him.”
Ms. Johnson frowned. “But he’s found that wasn’t true.”
“Mr. Raven was no longer a client when Mr. Brown visited me,” I clarified.
“Did you have an inappropriate encounter during the time he was your client?” Ms. Johnson asked.
Now was the time to come clean. “Mr. Raven and I had been working together professionally for some time now. I had one encounter with him, at which time I terminated our professional relationship and referred him to other counseling.” I blew out a breath and prayed.
“You were aware of the potential ramifications and still broke your ethical vow?” Ms. Johnson asked.
“I did, and it has been a burden.”
“Not so much so that you’re not still seeing him,” Mr. Brown quipped.
“He’s not my client anymore.”
Ms. Johnson studied me. “Even so, there could be transference. You could still be negatively impacting his mental health because he first met you in a professional helping capacity.”
“No, she isn’t.”
I turned to see Hunter barging his way into the hearing.
“Hunter, please. I’m okay,” I said willing him to not do whatever it was he came to do.
He looked at me, and I got the feeling he wanted to abide by my wishes but couldn’t. I sighed as he stepped up next to me, putting his hand on my shoulder.
“I’m wondering why we’re having this hearing without a full investigation,” he said.
“I assure you, my investigation is complete,” Mr. Brown said.
“You never interviewed me,” Hunter challenged.
“I met you in Ms. Reynold’s office.”
“You showed up there to deliver the notice of this hearing, which you wouldn’t have done unless you were finished with your investigation. So again, I ask, why wasn’t I interviewed? And why wasn’t there an investigation on the motives of the reporter?”
“The motives of the reporter are irrelevant unless the charge was untrue. However, Ms. Reynolds just admitted to one inappropriate encounter,” Ms. Johnson explained.
He looked at me, and I wasn’t sure if he was surprised that I’d confessed.
“With that said, it is unusual that you weren’t interviewed considering you’re the victim in this case,” Ms. Johnson finished, with an annoyed look toward Mr. Brown.
“I’m no victim,” Hunter growled.
“Perhaps we could talk to you now,” Ms. Johnson said.
Mr. Brown slapped his hand down on the table. “The evidence was there without his testimony. And I’ll add, he’s not a reliable witness. He’s volatile and likely to perjure himself to protect Ms. Reynolds.”
“He’s not a liar,” I spoke up for Hunter. He was many things, but I believed he always told the truth.
“Perhaps there’s someone else we need to look into,” another member of the board said with a look to Mr. Brown. “We’ll have a lawsuit on our hands if we’re suspending and revoking licenses without full investigations.”
Mr. Brown stiffened. “I assure you; all my investigations are full.”
“Not this one, apparently,” the man said.
“We can deal with that later,” Ms. Johnson said. “Can you please tell me your name?”
“Hunter Raven,” he said, taking a seat next to me. “Can I just talk and then answer questions?”
She nodded at him.
“First counseling wasn’t my idea, and I never intended to take it seriously.” He gave me a sheepish smile, but it wasn’t anything new. He’d said as much before. He turned back to the board. “I would have refused altogether, except when I met Gr—Ms. Reynolds, I was immediately attracted to her. So, for me, it wasn’t counseling. It was a hoop to jump through to try and get a date.”
“Your reputation for the ladies is well known,” Mr. Brown said with disdain.
Hunter tensed next to me. “That may be, but when I failed to get a date during the first session, I wanted a second try and a third. The point is, there was something different about her, and so I pushed.”
“She vowed to abide by a code of ethics,” Ms. Johnson said.
“She tried. She told me it was wrong. I didn’t give a fu—I didn’t care. At the time, I didn’t understand it, but I was falling for her.”
The other man, whose name plate read “Mr. Peters,” said, “There is a situation that can occur in counseling called transference—”
“Yeah, yeah, she told me all about that when she told me to take a hike. That’s not what this is. She’s not taking advantage of me, and I don’t see her as my savior or whatever you’re worried about. I wanted her from the minute I saw her, before I knew she was a therapist. And she wanted me.” He looked at me like he was afraid he’d said something wrong. I gave him a small smile.
“She ended our professional relationship, and we’d be living happily ever after if it weren’t for Mr. Brown there.”
Happily ever after?
“But you did have one encounter while she was your therapist?” Ms. Johnson asked.
“Ah…not during a session. It was at my brother’s club.”
I closed my eyes as embarrassment washed over me again.
“Sorry,” I heard him say. “TMI. Anyway, it was after hours. She wasn’t counseling me at the time. And she ended the professional relationship right after that.”
When I opened my eyes, I could see some members found Hunter amusing, while Mr. Brown was seething. “Whether the encounter was during a session or not is irrelevant.”
“I agree,” Ms. Johnson said. I did too.
“Does it matter that the person who reported this was out to hurt Ms. Reynolds?” Hunter asked.
I looked at Hunter. Did he know who the reporter was? And why didn’t he tell me before?
“Only if the report was untrue.”
His jaw ticked. “Are you really going to punish her for this? You’re all therapists, right? Aren’t you supposed to uplift people? We’d be perfectly happy. Instead, you’re going to let the act of a jealous woman hurt someone I care about and who’s a tremendous therapist. What does it say about you and your understanding of human behavior that you’d side with a vengeful woman against a good and decent one?”
Ms. Johnson’s eyes softened. “I appreciate your passion and your candor, Mr. Raven. I can see that you truly care for Ms. Reynolds. But the fact remains that she did violate the code of ethics. While it may not have hurt you, it is
there for a reason.”
My heart lurched into my throat as I realized I was about to get my punishment.
“Mr. Brown recommended a two-year suspension of your license, after which time, you could reapply.”
“Two years!” Hunter shot up, knocking his chair back.
“Hunter, sit down,” I begged, yanking on his arm.
The woman’s brow arched. “However, taking Mr. Raven’s information into account, I’m going to suggest a six-month suspension, and one-year probation.”
“That’s outrageous,” Mr. Brown said. “If she ends up violating the code again, we could be liable for not taking adequate action.”
The woman looked down the table at Mr. Brown. “We’ll be sure to put you at the center of that liability for failure to properly investigate.”
“We shouldn’t do this in front of them,” Mr. Peters said, and other board members nodded. “However, based on Mr. Raven’s statement that I find to be authentic, I support the six-month suspension and one-year probation.”
“Second…or is it third?” another member said.
“That’s still too much,” Hunter said. “She’ll lose her practice if she can’t see people for six months.”
“Hunter, please.” I willed him to sit down and be quiet.
“No, God dammit. This isn’t right.”
I stood. “I accept this censure and punishment. I’ll refer all my clients to new resources tomorrow.” I’d already let my clients know it was a possiblity that I’d be taking a leave, so they wouldn’t be blindsided by my quick departure.
The woman rapped her gavel to adjourn the hearing.
I turned to leave, hoping Hunter would follow.
“Wait. There must be something else,” he said.
“Mr. Raven, the meeting is over. Ms. Reynolds has accepted the ruling. You should too,” Ms. Johnson said.
“But it’s wrong. It’s my fault. Jesus…” He paused, and I hoped that meant he was giving up.
“Come on, Hunter,” I said as I reached the door.
“What will it take?” he asked.
I closed my eyes hoping against hope that the board didn’t see his question as a bribe.
31
Hunter
Thursday
The asshole, Brown, leaned forward and narrowed his eyes at me. “Are you bribing us?”
“Are you offering to take a bribe?”
“Oh, God,” Grace said from behind me.
“You’re treading on thin ice, Mr. Raven,” Mr. Douchebag said.
“You’re the one talking about bribes,” I quipped. “They all heard it too,” I said nodding to the other members.
“I think it’s best if you leave now, Mr. Raven,” the head lady, Ms. Johnson said.
I was about to argue, but Grace snapped at me. “Hunter! You can’t fix it. You’re only making it worse.”
Her words stabbed me, and yet, I realized she was right. Not just now, but in everything I did. I’d tried to stop my platoon from engaging the enemy, and instead of listening, they went in more gung-ho and yippee-ki-yay than when we’d arrived at the village. I tried to protect Chase from a woman I thought was a gold-digger and ended up costing him his unborn child. And now, with Grace, I wanted to save her career; the thing she’d worked so hard for, sacrificing her personal life for, and I could see Mr. Butthead Brown chomping at the bit to punish her more.
I gave the head woman a curt nod and headed out of the room behind Grace.
“I need a minute,” she said heading into the bathroom without waiting for me to respond. Clearly, I was in the doghouse.
I leaned against the wall to wait for her, checking messages on my phone, when I saw Mr. Asshole start to approach me. Worried about what might transpire, I hit the record button on my phone.
“Mr. Raven.”
I only nodded in response.
“You think you’re above the law.”
“I didn’t break a law,” I pointed out calmly. “I’m just fighting an injustice.”
“Before this is done, I’ll see her licensed is revoked.”
My first thought was to rip his head off, but I took those deep breaths Grace taught me. “For what reason? Because I love her enough to want to fight for her?” I hated that he was hearing I loved her before she did.
“Because what you represent is what’s wrong with this society.”
“It’s people like you that make me wonder why I allowed myself to get shot at and blown up in Iraq.”
He jerked back. Clearly, he didn’t know I was ex-military.
I laughed. “Are you going to thank me for my service now?”
He frowned. “You’re not well, which is all the more reason that Ms. Reynold’s behavior is reprehensible. I’ll be appealing the decision and recommending full revocation.”
I nodded. “Who are you again?” I asked using every bit of strength I had to keep from shoving my fist down his throat.
“Stuart Brown. Remember that, Mr. Raven.”
“Oh, I will.” I held my phone up and showed him the recording. I hit the stop button because there was no sense in recording what I might say next.
His eyes widened in shock, and his nostrils flared. “You can’t do that. It’s against the law.”
“To record in a public place? No, I don’t think it is. But if you’d like to sue me, I’ll call my lawyer now. But before we do, let’s go talk to your boss, so I can share this recording with her.”
“This isn’t over.”
I leaned over him, and finally saw the fear I wanted to see in his eyes. “Go after me all you want, you little weasel, but if you hurt Grace, I’ll ruin you.” I waved the phone at him so he understood I meant professionally.
The door opened, and Grace walked out.
“See ya around, Stuart.” I trotted up to Grace, who hadn’t bothered to wait for me. “I’ve got a car. Let me take you home,” I said when I reached her.
She didn’t say anything, but she did walk up to where my driver was waiting for me. I slid in next to her.
The car pulled from the curb, and Grace sat next to me, not saying a word.
“I guess, I should be glad you haven’t ghosted me.” I probably should have been more sensitive, but for someone who advocated talking about feelings, she sure was tight-lipped when her own feelings were involved.
She cut me a glance. “I told you I didn’t need you.”
Another remark that hit me right in the heart. “I made this mess. It was for me to try and clean up.” Granted, my past efforts to fix things didn’t go well, but for this one, I thought for sure my prestige would help. It was arrogant, but it was based on past experience.
“No. It was my mistake, and one I needed to take responsibility for. I’m lucky I didn’t get a bigger penalty.”
“I’m sorry for that. I feel responsible and need to do my part too.”
She shook her head and looked out the window. Since making up with her in her office earlier in the week, all I’d felt was like I was losing her again. Not a quick loss like when she would bolt on me, but a slow death of our relationship. The worst part was that the more I tried to hang on, the more it felt like she was slipping away.
She turned back. “Not everything is about you, Hunter. I’m a grown woman who can make her own decisions and suffer the consequences of those decisions if I need to.” She shook her head. “I told you not to come. I told you to stay out of it. Why couldn’t you do that?”
“I told you why.” I was having duel emotions; fight or flight. Only it wasn’t a PTSD event. It was whether or not I should try to convince her to forgive me or cut my losses.
“You know what? I need some time.” She leaned forward toward my driver. “Can you pull over, please?”
“Running again?” It was the wrong response, but God dammit, why couldn’t she stay and work with me on this?
My driver looked at me through the rearview mirror. I nodded that he could pull over. He pulled to the closest curb th
at didn’t involve blocking another car.
Grace got out on the traffic side. A car horn blared as it whizzed by.
“Jesus, Grace,” I said as I got out on my side. “I’d have let you out.” I walked to her, reaching out to touch her but she pulled away. “Let me try to fix this. Not the licensing board, but us.”
“I can’t right now, Hunter. You’ve done enough damage.”
And with that, we were broke. Snapped in two.
I stepped back from her with my arms up in surrender. “Story of my life.” I watched her for a moment. “You know, we’re not really that different, Grace.”
She stared at me.
“You and I both were sour on relationships. My method of dealing was meaningless sex. Yours was avoiding intimacy.” I let that sink in for a moment. “Of the two of us, I was the only one that truly let their issues go and was willing to see where this thing between us could go.”
She flinched.
I checked my watch. “I was going to skip group to be here for you, but since that will do more harm than good, I’m going. Before I do, I’m going to recommend you seek counseling as well, Grace, because you’re as fucked up as I am.”
I turned and started toward my car but stopped and looked at her over my shoulder. “By the way, I’ve got that asshole, Brown, saying he’s going to appeal your sentence and revoke your license recorded on my phone. If you change your mind and think I might be helpful after all, I’ll send it to you.”
Not wanting to see her reaction, I headed back to my car. With each step, my heart tore into tiny pieces. But to hell with it if I was going to continue to have her freeze me out. Yes, I should have listened to her and respected her wishes, but couldn’t she see where I was coming from? That I cared for her? She not only couldn’t cut me a little slack, she couldn’t cut me any slack. So fine. I was done.
I gave my driver the address of the group. I didn’t want to go, and yet, the only other option was to drink and find a woman. Neither would work. Neither would the group, but at least I wouldn’t leave feeling worse than I did now.
Stop whining, I told myself as the car wound through the traffic. The truth was, Grace was probably right not to completely attach herself to me. I was fucked up, not just from my experiences in Iraq, but also from my family. What did I know about love and relationships? I think my father loved my mother, but he was too busy building an empire to show it. He was too busy to make it home from a business trip overseas before her cancer finally took her. He was my role model for love ever after.