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His smart watch alerted him of a text, and his eyes narrowed in on it.
“Our newest recruit has arrived.” He waited for me to stand, but I shook my head. I needed a moment to clear my mind. My uncle had probed at a door that I had been doing my best to keep shut, at least for now. I needed a few minutes to nail it back into place. “I’ll meet you inside.” He kissed my head and left me to my thoughts.
Once I was alone, I covered my face with my hands and used the tips of my fingers to ease the beginnings of a headache in my forehead. The moment I closed my eyes, the horrible memory popped up and filled my mind with all I’d tried to bury. The creak of the handle as the door opened. I flinched at the sound, and then the tapping. A nail on the side table, just tap, tap, tap, tap. It sped up and got louder. Tap, tap, tap, tap. It forced me to my feet with a rush of anxiety. I wrung my hands and paced the floor in an effort to slow my heartbeat.
“It’s not real,” I whispered as I felt my heart pound my chest. “It’s not real.”
“Damn!” Mia stepped out on the patio with a grin, and I immediately dropped my arms and morphed into everything is fine mode. “I can’t even begin to describe how hot the new guy is.” I chuckled, but she must have caught my uneasiness because she studied me for a moment.
“What’s he, ahh,” I stumbled and tried to think of something to say, “look like?”
“Like a sexier version of Marco Dapper,” she cooed.
“Who?”
“Carmine Basco from The Young and the Restless,” she smiled like she was picturing him, “but like more rugged and grittier.”
“Oh, that’s intriguing.” I looked over her shoulder through the glass door but couldn’t spot him, but I did notice Savi coming toward us.
“Oh, my God,” she stuck her head through the door, “he’s so frickin’ hot.”
“Right?” Mia gushed as I laughed at the two of them.
“Mark was right. He does look like Marco Dapper.” Savi made me chuckle. Mark was comical and wonderfully comfortable with who he was as a person.
“He’s got this haunted look, though,” Mia added, “like his smile doesn’t quite reach its full sexy capacity. Oh, baby, but when it finally does… watch out!”
“We call it the dark, sexy brood,” Savannah filled me in, and I laughed harder.
As far as I could see, these ladies were surrounded by male models as a part of their daily life, and yet here they were with me, gushing over the new hottie inside. I loved it because it was real. They were being honest, and there was certainly nothing wrong with appreciating and looking. Men did it all the time.
“You’re single, yes?”
“Yes, but not really looking.” I had way too much going on inside to even entertain the idea of dating. But, typical me, my head had already jumped beyond her words. It just might be a good way to distract my uncle and certain others from worrying about me. Also, if I appeared to be doing normal things, maybe normal would come find me again. That was something I would tell my patients because I believed it to be true. We have the power to control our own outcomes. We just have to be willing to fight for it.
“Well, you need to take one for the team and meet him.” Savi looked me up and down. “Although I might get a little jealous.” She winked. “I may just have a little girl crush on you, and all that’s happening right here.” She waved a finger to indicate my gray fitted skirt, white blouse with ruffles down the V-neck, and leather-print high heels.
“I’m not so sure the office look rates very high on the sexy scale for men who wear fatigues most of the time,” I joked. I was comfortable in my business wear. I felt I knew the type of man I would look for. At least I thought so. I had taken a break from dating after my fiancé and I broke up a few years back. We just fell out of love. We were still friends, but we both wanted more than that, and it just didn’t seem to be there. We broke it off before either of us got hurt. I thought our parents were more upset than we were. One thing that came out of it was I realized that dating someone in my own field was boring. Two psychologists in a relationship was like a punch line for a joke. I needed to shake it up a little, but I just wasn’t sure if I was ready yet.
“Take it from me, you’d be surprised how opposites attract.” Savannah wiggled her eyebrows. “Come on. Let me introduce you.”
I followed her inside and scanned the room. I didn’t see anyone I hadn’t yet met.
“Ivy?” Cole waved me over. “I’d like a word with you, please.”
“Of course.”
“Now, Cole?” Savi’s face fell, but she backed off as she read her husband’s face. “Sorry. We’ll meet out here when you’re finished, okay?” She winked at me and gave Cole’s arm a pat.
“Lead the way.” I smiled and followed him through the kitchen and down the hall to his office. He partly closed the door.
“I apologize for taking you away from the others, but I assume you’d like to keep your personal situation private from the others?” He gave me a moment as I pulled at the cuff of my blouse and composed myself. I pushed away my discomfort at the topic. It wasn’t easy to speak with anyone about my private life. I knew, however, that Cole had been brought up to speed on it or I wouldn’t be here at all.
“Thank you, yes. I appreciate your discretion.” He nodded and tapped a key on his keyboard.
“Frank called and—”
“Has he shown up?” I didn’t mean to cut him off, but I didn’t need to be warmed up to what was going on. I just wanted it straight.
