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“That’s great news.”
Her smile faltered. “It is, but…”
“But what?”
She grimaced. “I have a quandary.”
Of course she did.I’m going to kill you, Cal Reese. This had to be his doing to continue keeping her busy while Ian was gone.
What could she do about it? She’d already decided she wasn’t going to live in fear, yet today, that stupid emotion had tugged her around like a dog on a leash.
She’d just given Cal and Beatrice a lecture—one she had to turn on herself as well.Ian is fine. He knew what he was doing. It was only a scouting expedition.
Vivi opened her notebook to a fresh page and adjusted her glasses. “Why don’t you start at the beginning?”
Twenty minutes later, she’d helped the physical therapist understand that her attraction to her patient was healthy and normal and not unethical. Vivi had advised her to talk to Beatrice if she felt her feelings for Rory overshadowed her work, but assured her Beatrice was thrilled that she’d given him a new lease on life.
Afterwards, Vivi picked up her cell and saw there were no texts from Ian. She typed a message, deleted it, tried another. Then she set the phone down before sending it.
She was obsessing again, stuck in a fear state, rather than a confident one. Putting her notebook away, she locked up her desk and was about to head to her room when Parker arrived.
“I hear you want to train me to hypnotize you.” The woman offered a friendly smile. “Moe told me you’d have me turn him into a chicken.”
Blaming Cal and Beatrice for these constant interruptions was tempting, but Amelia definitely hadn’t been recruited to search her out and discuss Rory. Maybe Parker was here on her own accord, too. “He seems like a handful.”
She loitered in the doorway, eyeing the new green wall. “Do you offer couples counseling?”
The day’s events had exhausted her, especially her worry over Ian. Leaning on the edge of her desk, she rubbed the back of her neck. “You and he…?”
“Yep, and we’re a hot mess. He throws up a lot of walls because of his childhood. Likes to piss people off and typically runs on sarcasm. I know it’s all subconscious, but I want more. I want him to trust me and open up to me.”
“He’ll never come to counseling.”
“Is that your professional opinion?”
Sure was. “I know the type. You’re in for a long haul.”
“Would you be willing to give me some ideas for breaking down his walls?”
“You want to see me as a patient?”
She nodded. “I could really use someone to talk to.”
Vivi stifled her sigh. What would it hurt? “I’m no expert on love, but we can explore a few ideas. Reverse psychology comes to mind.”
Parker grinned and then glanced over her shoulder, as if making sure he wasn’t eavesdropping. “I’ve had training in hypnosis, by the way. I had access to your training videos when I was head of Project 24.”
“Training videos?”
“The ones you made to demonstrate the results of Trident.” Parker seemed slightly abash. “C&C wanted me to try similar things on the soldiers in the program.”
“Those assholes.” She shook her head. “Those videos weren’t meant for that purpose.”
“I wish we’d known each other back then,” Parker said.
“What exactly do you do here?”
“I’m head of the spy division.”
