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Parker stops in front of a high-rise, tips her head backward then turns to me. “Are you ready?”
“Not really,” I mutter.
“I’ve felt that before,” she says with a shrug before she takes a step forward. The doors open, and I follow behind her.
Together, we move through the building, step into the elevator car, and watch the numbers rise, and with each one, I start to sweat a little bit more. I thought I was okay with this… I am not.
I turn to look at Parker, and I notice she’s smiling as she watches the numbers as well. She doesn’t look nearly as nervous as I do, as if she’s done this before a dozen times, and when I begin to ask her about that, the door dings and opens.
She steps out into the hallway, and I follow behind her, although I’m sweating more with each and every step I take. And then I pause at the sight in front of me. It’s the sign on the door that Parker stands in front of.
Doctor Brenda Hamilton. Psychologist.
“She’s a therapist?” I ask.
Parker turns her head, her eyes finding mine, and she grins. “It’s how I met Wells. He saw me in the reception area waiting for my appointment.”
Without another word, she tugs the door open and slips into the room. I follow, wondering if this woman is going to figure me out completely just by looking at me. If she can see through me, I have a feeling it isn’t going to matter if I’m a virgin or not.
I’m about a million times more nervous than I was before I stepped into this building, and I feel like I might actually throw up all over the beautiful flooring.
As soon as we step into the reception area, the inner office door opens, and a woman steps out. She’s beautiful. Stunning, really, and she’s dressed to perfection. I would be afraid to touch her, worried I might wrinkle her.
Her gaze slides over Parker and then lands on me. I watch as her lips curve up in a smile and she takes a step toward me.
“You must be Claire,” Doctor Hamilton greets me, her voice a smooth, lyrical sound.
Nodding my head a couple of times, I stay where I am, sweating and afraid to move even an inch. She moves toward me, then reaches out and takes my hand in hers. Her eyes search mine, and I know she’s reading me. She’s judging me. She has to be.
There’s no other way around it. Soon, she’s going to have a full workup on me, and she’s not going to forgive my parents’ loan. They’re going to lose the casino, and they’re going to have to sell my sister or something like that.
My breathing begins to become labored, and I start to see little black spots in my vision. Then I wheeze. In the distance, I hear Parker shouting about something, and then my knees begin to give out.
“Inhale, exhale,” another voice says as I’m guided to the floor.
Sitting on my ass, I stare at nothingness because there is nothing except darkness in my gaze. I feel a hand rubbing circles against the middle of my back. It should calm me down, but it doesn’t. I don’t know what it does, but I hate it all. I want to stand up and run.
I’m not sure how long I sit there, but the soothing voice and the back rub somehow begin to not annoy me any longer. My vision begins to return, and I blink a few times, coming face to face with my new mother-in-law.
“I’m so sorry,” I exhale. “So sorry.”
She smiles, tilting her head to the side. “Never be sorry for feeling, Claire. Now, let’s go and have a chat. I’m so excited to meet the other girl joining our family.”
Slowly, I stand up. Parker looks at me, her eyes wide and her lips curved up into a grin. “I’m going to stay out here,” she says softly.
I open my mouth to beg her to come into the office, but she shakes her head once. She’s not going to join us. Traitor. Although, she’s already gone and talked with her alone. I suppose it’s just my turn.
Following behind Brenda Hamilton, I make my way into the room and sink down on the sofa, wondering what she’s thinking about me in this exact moment.
“I just want to begin by saying that I have zero preconceived notions about you. And I want to let you know that I was in a position similar to yours once upon a time.”
Frowning, I clear my throat and look down at my hands in my lap. I twist my fingers a few times, then lift my eyes to meet hers. “You were?”
She hums, nodding her head a couple of times. “All of the men in the family are awarded a prize.”
“A prize?” I whisper.
She nods her head. “A bride.”
