AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Why haven’t you gone yet? It’s imperative to your journey, and it’ll do you a lot of good,” I assured him.
“I had some other stuff to take care of,” he expressed to the window that was far more interesting to him now than it had been in the past.
I observed him closely. “That’s been your excuse every day this week. If there’s no woman in your life besides me, what are you doing that’s so important in the evenings?” I shouldn’t have a personal stake in knowing. That I did would be taken to my grave.
He writhed some more on the couch, changing positions twice. I didn’t think I’d ever seen him this off before today. It was quite enthralling to know he wasn’t as reserved as he came across sometimes. His life story was always told in a dead tone as if he wasn’t a part of his own life. Thirty seconds later, he hadn’t uttered a word. Whatever was affecting him right now had to be big. Or, he hadn’t come up with an explanation that he thought would get me off his back. We weren’t going to get anything done just sitting here while he dodged my digs into his world neither.
I would have to let him off the hook. “Let’s shelve why you haven’t done the assigned work to get in the FBI for the time being. We’ll come back to it at the end of therapy. Continue to tell me about Greg’s bully.”
Mr. Graham’s uneasiness didn’t subside. His posture was rigid and defensive. He did begin sharing the part of Greg’s life that had negative effects on them both, so that was progress. I would still be wondering about the thing he wouldn’t share with me when time ran out fifty-three minutes later.
Cherise
A low voltage tickling on my wrist signaled to bring the session to a close. Mr. Graham’s eyes hadn’t budged away from the window the entire period. He’d found a way to shut me out while talking to me. I didn’t like it. The feeling of losing him somehow manifested and wouldn’t go away. At this point, I had the blues and wanted someone’s ear to sing them in.
“That’s enough for today, Mr. Graham. I will repeat that you should begin working on completing the assignment I gave you Monday. You’ll run out of time next weekend when the carnival’s gone. I also wanted to say if you’d changed your mind about sharing what made you distant in less than a minute after coming in here, we can talk about it off the clock.”
A tiny part of me thought his mood swing had something to do with me. No one else was around when it shifted. No calls had come in or gone out. Whatever brought on the cold shoulder he was giving me, I couldn’t fix it if he wouldn’t confess it. And I sure as hell didn’t like him acting as if I wasn’t in the room. It was rude… and hurtful if I wanted to be completely honest with myself.
Getting to his feet, he finally switched his visual devotion from the window to me. “No, I’m good, and I’ll get that assignment done before next weekend. Promise.”
Believing nothing would make him open up today, I got up oddly tired. “I’ll walk you out.” A craving for home, a glass of Chardonnay, and a lazy few hours alone descended on me. There was no reason to ignore it. I had no other appointments today.
Mr. Graham headed out first. I gave myself five seconds to commit career-suicide and stare after him wistfully, longingly. Usually, he dropped by reception to make another appointment for tomorrow. I had every reason to think he’d do otherwise, but I couldn’t be sure. Lingering at my desk, I eavesdropped to see if he’d break routine and not schedule a slot for tomorrow. He wasn’t himself today. Neither was I, who didn’t want to be here any longer.
He opened the office door without looking back. A delicious aroma and quiet chatter from Mr. Graham and Athena drifted in. I lifted my nose in the air like a bloodhound. My empty stomach picked that moment to grumble for sustenance. Assuming he was scheduling for tomorrow, I broke my routine by slinging my writing material on the desk instead of inside of it. Next, I slung my purse over my shoulder to shut down the office early.
Mr. Graham’s back was to me as I crossed into the waiting area. Athena was likely eating at her desk, expecting to not get off for another hour or two. She’d be pleased to learn otherwise. Deliberating on getting takeout for Malaysia’s and my dinner, I crept up beside Mr. Graham at Athena’s desk. The thick, cool indifference wafting off him was barely breathable. In front of him was an opened tray of half-eaten food near the keyboard Athena was typing on. Despite the atmosphere, my stomach grumbled louder. Jeez, why didn’t she order me something too?
“Pack up when you’re done with Mr. Graham, Athena,” I instructed. “We’re going home early. Meet me in the car.”
“Wait, Dr. Johnston.” Athena popped up like a jack in the box, reaching for a carryout bag on the far end of her desktop. “Your food order was delivered from Olive Garden while you were in session. Thanks for the fettuccine alfredo. I was starving, and you have another appointment for Monday at ten.” She wasn’t the only one starving.
I moaned, “There is a God.” Making grabby fingers for the bag, I perked up at the good news of more business and food. Food that I didn’t order. I snatched my fingers back. “Hold on. I didn’t call out for food.”
She stiffened, eying the bag between her palms as if it contained something deadly. “You didn’t order this?”
“No,” I deadpanned. That meant the food was a gift, an unwanted one. Having had enough of those for a lifetime, I became suspicious. “Who dropped it off?”
Mr. Graham’s head was swinging back and forth like a pendulum, following the conversation. I be damned if I wasn’t glad he was here. In no way did I want to deal with this by myself contrary to what I had expressed to him. He didn’t have to get involved to be a comfort. Just him being here was enough to make this situation not so horrible.
Anxiety had taken over Athena’s baby-smooth face. “The same guy that dropped off a bottle of expensive wine with a red bow on it and a tiny envelope with a card that’s under my desk for you too.”
That was all I needed to hear. The bow and note was definitely Chad Lowell’s modus operandi. At that stage, my expression mirrored Athena’s. There were no doubts that he had found me and Athena too. Maybe keeping the things happening in my personal life away from the professional side might’ve been a not so good thing. She didn’t know what dangerous individual to be on the lookout for. What if he tampered with the food to get
back at me for vanishing?
Just in case he did, I took out my phone to dial for an ambulance. “Athena, get the wine from underneath your desk with as less fingers as possible.”
Mr. Graham stopped swiveling his head like he was at a tennis match, grasping my dialing finger before I could tap the nine. “Wait, Dr. Johnston before you call. Let Miss Clark tell us exactly what happened.”
She dropped the sack, wine, and note on the desk like it was hot then blurted, “A blond and salt peppered guy that didn’t look like a delivery guy in a plain blue t-shirt and jeans came in with the stuff. I didn’t think anything about it. Drivers that contract for third-party delivery services don’t wear uniforms, and I was hungry. He didn’t give me a chance to ask any questions anyway, distracting me with making an appointment. I was glad to make it for Dr. Johnston’s business. Plus, he was a sexy silver fox and chatty, so yeah, I was distracted. He said the food was for you and me, so I thought it was you that ordered it, Dr. Johnston. Did I do something wrong? Should I open the note?” If I needed anymore confirmation that Chad had found me at last, Athena gave me plenty.
I wanted to panic, but what if Athena had eaten something bad? “No, you didn’t do anything wrong, but someone sure as hell did. Don’t bother reading the note. I know what it says. It’s the same thing every time, ‘acceptance begins now, Cherise.’ And he wouldn’t have signed it. I’ll get to that after I make sure your health hasn’t been compromised by the ‘sexy silver fox’ that fits the description perfectly of someone who’s after me.”
I turned to Mr. Graham. “We should call that ambulance now. I’m worried that she may have been targeted along with me this time.” But, Chad Lowell wouldn’t get to us again so easily. It was time to set some perimeters in place at the office and home.
Athena paled and flopped down in her seat, muttering, “Targeted? I don’t feel sick, in my stomach anyway. The food was some of the best I ever had.” She looked longingly down at the tray. She was lucky to still be hungry. My appetite had vanished.
