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“Why haven’t you returned my calls?” she demands. “Why are you treating me like this?”
I remain silent. I have nothing to say in my defense.
“What you did was pretty low,” she continues coldly. “Did you really have to get Tara involved to do your dirty work? What did you tell her? That I’m some kind of crazy stalker?”
“I admit I could have handled things better,” I say quietly.
“That’s the understatement of the century! I want an explanation, Nick. I need to know why you’re treating me like this. What have I done wrong?”
I close my eyes and release a heavy sigh. “All I can say is I’m sorry. You’re right. I’ve behaved like a coward and what I’ve done is completely reprehensible, but you’ve got to believe, I didn’t mean to hurt you.”
Carly laughs bitterly. “Last Saturday was the best night of my life. To me, it wasn’t just making love; it was like we had a real connection: something deep, something spiritual. Since that night, all I can think about is you. Talking to you, being near you, holding you…”
My throat gets tight and I’m finding it hard to breathe. This is getting too much.
She stares at me for a long time. “What I’m trying to say is, I don’t want this to be over between us.”
I turn my head and focus on the rain-speckled windscreen; I can’t look at her right now. I’m feeling too emotional. “I enjoyed Saturday, too,” I admit finally. “We had a lot of fun and I found it very entertaining, but I’ve taken this as far as I want it to go.”
Carly is now close to tears. “You planned this from the start, didn’t you? You must get a sick thrill out of tormenting people. Is it just me, or do you sleep with all of your patients?”
“Now don’t go too far, I’m warning you. Remember, it was you who asked me out. I didn’t exactly put a gun to your head.”
“And it was you who badgered me to take part in your bloody case study,” she hisses. “You offered me free treatment. You booked us a hotel room. What was I supposed to think?”
There’s a long, seething silence. I’m in a terrible position. For the first time ever, I don’t know what to do. Then she starts to cry, and once she’s started, she can’t stop. My heart breaks. I’m dying to put my arms around her to comfort her but something prevents me. It’s like I’m frozen.
“Why don’t you want me?” she sobs. “Wasn’t I—wasn’t I good?”
“It’s not that,” I reply.
“Then what is it?”
I look at the dashboard. “I just don’t think it would be a good idea. We’re simply not compatible, and it would only end in tears.”
“Is there someone else?”
“No.”
“Are you married?”
“No.”
“Then what?”
I stare at her for a long time. “This is insane,” I whisper. “We barely know each other.”
“How can you say that after what we did at the hotel?” Carly shouts. “Sex isn’t a handshake, Nick. It isn’t something impersonal you can just erase like... like it never happened. People have feelings you know. I opened up to you, I gave you everything, we did the most intimate thing two people can do, and still you treat me like a stranger. What have I done to deserve this?” She pauses and wipes mascara from her eyes. “I guess I only have myself to blame. I should have known this would happen. I won’t bore you with the details, but let’s just say my life up to this point hasn’t been great. It’s one big disappointment after another. But you know what’s funny? Even after all that’s happened, I always clung to the hope of a happy ending. I deluded myself that one day a person’s luck can change for the better. Well, let me tell you something; you’ve completely destroyed even that one last shred of hope.”
I start to tremble.
Fuck Carly, don’t do this to me.
Silently, I look straight ahead. Words have deserted me.
Carly leans forward and forces a smile. “Listen, Nick, I understand if you don’t want anything serious, but what about something casual?”
“What? You mean just sex?”
