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That’s right, old buddy old pal.Analyzethat.
“Geeze, Doug. This is a curve ball. Couldn’t you give me something a little more textbook to unravel?”
“Uh, uh,” Doug’s lips twitched upward. “After all, that’s what I pay you for.” He threw Will’s words back at him, and felt his demeanor lighten a bit.
Will laughed. “Okay. You got me. So, my first question, before we get back to your initial story, is, what’s the state of her mental health?”
Doug snorted. “A lot better than mine. She was able to tell me all about her past, dared to confront me when I parked across from her sister’s house, then called me out on all kinds of bullshit over dinner. After that, she let me sleep in the guest room. On Saturday, after a MECASA call-out, she contacted me for help when a problem arose that made her nervous in her hometown of Skowhegan. To sum things up, when we were on our way back to Old Town where her sister lives, we stopped for dinner in Newport. It seems almost improbable, but the place got held up by a drugged-out asshole.”
“Cripes, Doug. That’s a situation that’s well withinyourwheelhouse, but certainly not in hers.”
“Tell me about it. That’s all I could think about as I took the guy down and knocked his firearm away.”
“Not exactly the nice, relaxing meal you intended.”
“You don’t even know that half of it,” Doug chuffed. “But Pixie was…amazing. She thought, at one point, that I was losing ground when the guy got on top of me, so she actually fucking picked up the gun and held it on him until I could knock him out.”
“Seriously? Man, she kicks ass. I like her already, Doug. How badly did the episode set her back?”
Doug knew Will was thinking about her previous trauma.
“That’s just the thing.” Doug’s face screwed up in confusion. “It didn’t upset her at all. She came out of it stronger; more confident than I’ve ever seen her before. She laughed and joked, and even ate all her supper.”
“It makes sense, in a textbook kind of way,” Will speculated. “I’ve just never seen an instance of it being laid out so succinctly.”
“Meaning?”
“Sometimes an alarming incident like that will make a person stronger,” Will told him. “And clearly this was her time. She was able to take control of the gun, and instead of being the target during a stressful situation, she was in charge. And the outcome was positive. As much as I hate to use the word ‘empower’, that’s what this did for her. It empowered her to see that she doesn’t always have to be the victim.”
“I figured that out all by myself.” Doug’s laugh was clipped. “Our sessions have at least taught me afewthings.”
Will narrowed his eyes at Doug. “Is that right? You’ve been hearing it, Doug, but can you embrace it?” Will hit out, which wasn’t his normal style. He usually led the conversations theyhad without demanding answers. But it looked like the kid-gloves had just come off.
“Keep going, Will,” Doug huffed. “Tell me how you really feel.” But…maybe this was good. Doughadcome in today to get answers.
“Fine. I will. An eye-opener like Pixie had? It’s what I’ve been hoping all these years would happen for you. Yet no matter how much we talk about it, how many teams you join, or the number of children you save, you haven’t been able to move on.”
“I know. But…” Dare he say it? “I…might have finally had a small break-through.”
“Explain.”
He didn’t know if he could, but he’d attempt it. “After Pixie had her lightning-bolt moment, she was like a different woman. She told me, point blank, that she’d been thinking of me romantically.”
Will grunted, but let Doug continue.
“And when I must have looked nervous, she blew my mind by saying that it was okay if all I can offer is friendship. She’ll take it.”
“So what’s the problem? That’s what you want, isn’t it?” Will probed.
“It is. It was. Fucking hell, Will,” he cursed. “I don’t know anymore. I’ve been…thinking about her. I actually asked her out this Friday and called it a date.”
Will’s smile was blinding. “Right. Now we get to the meat of things.”
If the asshole had been a hand-rubber, this was the point where he would have smacked his palms together in glee.
Will kept going. “You’re having sexual thoughts about the lady, aren’t you? And it conflicts with everything from your past. It makes mincemeat of the way you’ve been conducting your life ever since your youth; thinking you should avoid theworld; women in particular. Didn’t I tell you this would happen, eventually?”
“Yeah. But I didn’t believe you,” Doug grumbled.
