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The blush that hasn’t fully faded from her cheeks deepens into a dark pink. “I don’t know why you’d want to do that.”
“I’ve told you some really personal shit. Can’t I find out just a little bit about who you are? Make sure you’re not gonna sell me out to a tabloid?”
Her brows knit together and she frowns. “Alexei, I’d never—”
I put out a hand and grin at her. “I know. I was kidding. But give me five minutes, okay?”
She thinks about it for a second, then clears her throat and says, “Okay.”
“Have you met up with anybody on there yet?” I gesture toward her bag, where her phone is buried out of sight.
“No. I’ve exchanged a few messages, but that’s it.”
“Be careful. There are people with fake profiles on there.”
“I’m careful.”
“And be choosy. Don’t just settle for any guy who says the right shit. Lots of guys are on those apps just to get laid.”
She quirks a brow. “Hmm. Can’t imagine any guy would do that.”
My grin spreads. “Hey, I’ve always been up front about what I was looking for.”
“And women go for that?”
I shrug. “Yeah, you’d be surprised.”
“That’s a shame,” she says, shaking her head.
“Why is that? If both people are consenting adults, there’s nothing wrong with casual sex.”
“I see too many women undervaluing themselves. Thinking sex is going to lead to something more.”
“Sometimes it does.”
She gives me a pointed look. “Does it for you?”
“Uh…let’s see. Once. There was one time I slept with a woman the first night I met her and we kept seeing each other for a few months after that.”
“And how many romantic relationships have you had?”
I shake my head. “My five minutes aren’t up. How many romantic relationships have you had?”
She looks away, half-smiling and half-cringing. “Not very many. Three.”
“And how old are you?”
“I’m twenty-nine.”
That surprises me. Graysen is the kind of woman most men would kill to be with. It has to be by choice that she hasn’t been with many men.
“Why?” I ask her. “Are you a career girl?”
“I’m a career-minded woman, yes. I haven’t even been done with school for very long.”
“Ah, right. Doctoring takes a lot of education.”
She pushes the brim of her dark-rimmed glasses up on her nose and looks down at the legal pad on her lap. “Your five minutes are up. Let’s get started.”
“It’s only been four minutes and fifteen seconds.”
Graysen gives me an amused smile, making her green eyes sparkle. “Oh really?”
“Yep. I have a wicked accurate internal clock.” I resist the urge to wink at her.
“Okay.” She sighs softly. “Better talk quickly.”
“Why do you put up with Gia’s bullshit? Don’t you think you should assert your authority?”
“I won’t talk to you about any individual patient other than yourself, but I can tell you that generally, rehab is…hard. It’s rock-bottom for many people. They often feel ashamed, angry and helpless. Add into the mix that they’ve lost their means of coping with those feelings. I give patients room to get those feelings out. Anytime someone is hostile with me, I know they aren’t really directing those feelings at me.”
“You’re a good person.”
The words come out before I have time to even consider them. I’m not trying to flatter Graysen this time; I’m just being honest. I’d have put Gia in her place a long time ago if I were her.
Her blush is light pink this time. “Maybe I’m just a good therapist. I hope I am.”
“I think it’s both.”
She meets my gaze for a long second and I see gratitude there. I get the strong feeling she’s not used to being complimented, which floors me. But if she’s on dating apps, maybe that’s the case.
“Do you have family around here?” I ask.
She looks down. “No. No family anywhere really, other than some half siblings.” She gives me a small smile. “It’s time to talk about you, Alexei.”
“Okay. Ask me anything, I’m an open book.”
“How would you feel about your brother attending one of our sessions?”
“Uh, fuck that.”
“Should I take that as a no?”
I blow out a breath, clasping my hands behind my head to stretch my arms. “It doesn’t matter because he doesn’t want to come anyway.”
“Actually, he does. What makes you think he wouldn’t want to?”
“He’s pissed off at me.”
“You’re his brother. He loves you.”
I look down at the floor, a sinking feeling hitting me in the gut. “Have you talked to him? About me?”
“I’ve spoken to him, yes.”
“Jesus Christ.” I scrub a hand down my face and look up at the ceiling.”
“I haven’t disclosed anything we’ve discussed in our sessions, that’s all confidential.”
“You talking to Anton is fucked. Makes me feel like a goddamn lab rat. And the golden boy’s calling to see if the rat’s running through the maze like he’s supposed to.”
“All I’ve told him is that you’re still here and you’re doing well. Nothing more.”
