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“Embarrassment? Danielle, I’m not embarrassed by you. I…I care about you, but—”
She holds a hand up as she brushes past me. “Save it for the next woman, okay? I’ve got to go before I miss breakfast.”
Without waiting for a response, she shoves both hands into the pockets of her jean shorts. I stand on her front porch, gaping at her back and wondering where it all went wrong.
All I can think is that Danielle has a lot of emotional baggage that she needs to unload. It's not fair that she's making assumptions about me. I hope her therapy sessions take care of it for her.
She can't be like this, especially now that I'm falling in love with her.
Then I snap my mouth shut and run a hand over my face. Heat shimmers and rises up from the ground. I use the back of my hand to wipe beads of sweat off of my face.
Why does everyone seem to be against me these days? Nothing is working and everything is falling apart. It started with my brother and now it’s happening with Danielle.
Exhaling, I climb down the stairs and take the back route to my office.
As soon as I get there, I get a message from Brian to go to his room.
When I reach his room, Brian is sitting there with one leg crossed over the other, and a phone in his hand. My earlier frustration grows. “What is it? How're you feeling?”
Brian lowers the phone and sits up straighter. “We need to talk.”
I let the door click shut behind me and I'm thinking… Oh boy. “Look. No offense, but now really isn’t a good time. I’ve got a lot of shit to deal with.”
Including trying to decipher Danielle’s actions. Because I’m getting the feeling that a verbal apology just isn’t going to cut it.
Not this time.
Brian takes off his glasses and polishes them. “This is important shit, okay? I can't do this anymore. I wanna leave.”
I sit down behind my desk and pull my chair closer. “What do you mean? You know you can't do that.”
Brian shakes his head and leans forward. “I don't know if this is working. I'm frustrated, I feel like I'm cut off the world. I just can't take it anymore. You don't even let me go out. I went out for a bit. Don't worry. I was all covered up. But I got too scared and came back. I don't even enjoy being outside. I feel like I'm in prison, Adrian."
I press two fingers to my temples and rub in slow, circular motions. “Not now Brian, please. Can you give me some time to figure out how I can fix that for you?”
“I don’t know. I'm clean now. You know that. Why can't I just go? What do you need to figure out?”
My hand falls in front of me. “I’m sorry, but I have to talk to your psychiatrist, Doctor Masterson.”
Brian looks unsatisfied with my answer. “What can she do for me? The medication she has me on is making me feel sick. I don't need her nor want to see her again. I'm fine. Can't you see that already?” Brian is starting to raise his voice at this point.
Throwing his arms in the air as he looks around. Trying to convince me that he's fine and needs to leave.
I make a low noise in the back of my throat. "Not now, please, Brian," I almost beg.
He stands up and brushes the lint off of his collar. “Anyway, I need an answer soon. Have them change my room again at least. This is like the smallest room so far. I'm far from everything and everyone, like if I have a disease. Give me a bigger, better room, Adrian. You're fucking rich and you have plenty of big rooms.”
I exhale. “Is that going to make you feel better? I have given you a big room. This is one of our bigger rooms. Why do you need a whole suite? We have guests who request those suites and they pay for them too. We have limited quantities and I can't give you one.”
“I can’t stand this room anymore. All I want right now is to go back home to Vanessa and beg her to take me back.”
I scrub a hand over my face. “Alright, fine. If it’ll make you feel better, I’ll make sure Maureen takes care of all of the details right away and gives you another room. But I can't promise that it will be bigger.”
Brian flashes me a forced smile, and I open the door and leave his room.
I close it behind me and stand in the hallway, close my eyes and take a few deep breath to calm my pounding heart.
Back in my office, I pick up the landline and dial the front desk. A short while later, Maureen materializes in her pressed suit, her hair pulled into a high ponytail, her bright smile in place.
