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My mouth started dribbling words on its own accord. “Um, no problem, Athena. It’s the least I can do for him. Tobin, get in.”
He jumped to it. “Don’t mind if I do. My truck’s a few spaces down from your office.”
Moving in sync, we took our perspective sides of the car, reaching for seatbelts. I moved so fast that I nearly headbutted him when trying to buckle up. Mortified, I fell back on my side of the car quick. Giving him a migraine wasn’t a good look. In my rearview mirror, Athena’s shoulders shook from her soundless laughter. Ever the gentlemen pursing his lips to keep his laugh at bay, Tobin insisted I buckle up first.
Edgy from the near-disaster and his nearness sucking the air out of the car, I drove to the front. Braking roughly behind his truck like I just learned to drive was likewise humiliating. There was no excuse for it. The car had an automatic engine. I wondered if I’d be this awkward on our date. God, I hoped not.
“Thanks for the ride.” Tobin unbuckled. “When we get to your home, I’ll do some reconnaissance there too while you go inside.”
“That’s fine,” I agreed too fast.
He got out. My head swiveled to keep him in my sights without my consent. When his hard body was safely ensconced in his vehicle, it was a tragedy. Someone tapped me on the shoulder. Startled, I jerked around.
Forgotten about Athena snickered wildly. “We can go now.”
“Oh! Okay.” I wheeled around. Like I said, the only thing I got a grip on was the door handle.
Our takeoff went smoothly, thankfully. Entering traffic was a breeze. A grinning Athena sat primly with her hands crossed in her laps. The scenery downtown seemed to have stolen her attention. I knew that because my eyes kept gluing themselves to the rearview mirror. Tobin was keeping pace behind us.
A mile down the street, the bus stop came into view. I pulled into the restaurant behind it, parking. Tobin’s truck drove up beside us, blocking our side view. Neither of us minded. We just stared at the fender of his truck at eye level. Once Athena got tired of the silence, she got chatty.
“Do guys really need a truck that big?”
“A few do for work, a few to accommodate their size. Others are overcompensating for something,” I remarked nonchalantly.
She rocked her body as if thinking hard. “I thought so too. We know what category Tobin fits in. The man is supersized. The bus will be here in about three minutes.” The small talk was leading to what was really on her mind.
“However long the bus takes is fine, Athena. I’m not thrilled about unpacking boxes. Now, you gonna say what it is you really wanna say before the bus gets here?” If she wanted in my business, she was getting the full flavor of my southern accent.
She twirled her head my way so fast it almost went all the way around. “Well, since you asked. I like your accent, by the way. You know he’s a good guy, right?” One more member for Team Tobin coming up. He might need them when dealing with Malaysia.
I dropped an elbow down on the window frame, cupping my chin in my hand. “Yeah, I know. I think I always knew. I also have to worry about him as my patient, Athena.” Did I really want him seeing anybody else for therapy? No. I didn’t want him seeing anyone else in the biblical sense, either. Tobin and I shouldn’t just put any relationship we formed out there for the world to see neither. He still had his future to think about, which meant it was my concern as well. Athena couldn’t know about us. “That means I can’t date him, Athena.” Out in the open anyway.
Now that I spouted all the right things to my employee, it rang as utter nonsense in my head. My conscience wouldn’t let me lie to myself. If my stars were aligned, the bus would come sooner. I’d hate to have to start deflecting her nosiness. That took mental skills. My mind was absorbed with other things presently. It didn’t want to be distracted. Thinking about Tobin was pleasurable. Athena was distracting.
She grabbed the edge of both seats, hurling herself forward. “You can date him after therapy, right? A blind woman could see that man is into you.” She was practically breathing down my neck.
Into him too, I slid sideways to eyeball her. “Yes, I could date him afterwards.” God knew I wanted to, and she wasn’t going to let it go. “But is therapy ever really done, Athena?”
For a moment, there was peace and quiet in the car. It didn’t last long enough. “That’s one of those deep questions followed by more deep questions that therapists ask with no right or wrong answers, isn’t it?”
Dragging out my professional persona, I tilted my head. “I don’t know. Is it?”
Athena tooted up one side of her lips in frustration. “Answering a question with a question is just mean, Dr. Johnston. Since my bus is coming, we’ll talk about it at our next session. Thanks for the ride.”
“You’re welcome.”
She jogged away in black combat boots, joining the cache at the bus stop. I reversed out to go home with Tobin sticking close behind me. Several times, I almost rear-ended other cars. I was drawn to the rearview mirror where he was. I was drawn to him. Knowing that didn’t put the brakes on m
y growing attraction.
“That is not going to turn out well, Cherise,” I admitted to myself.
In spite of that revelation, I wanted to go wherever it led almost at any cost.
Tobin
Highly alert and ready for World War 3, I took my turn going through a four-way intersection behind Cherise. A chime resonated from the speaker system. Andre’s name and number swam across my radio’s screen. Keeping an eye on Cherise and the passing vehicles, I took his call.
