Quick Note: Since posting the 'non-chapter' last night about the poll for the Halloween costumes seemed to be a tease, a little bit of inspiration came to me today to write this for you guys as a treat as you wait for even bigger things! Enjoy!
And don't forget to go vote on the Halloween Costumes!! The poll link is below!
http://www.misterpoll.com/polls/586327
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Evan’s POV
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Damn that boss of hers!
What gave him the right to make Sonja do anything? I knew he just wanted to parade her around like a piece of property. The unprofessionalism of the whole situation disgusted me.
Then I feel guilty because I wasn’t being very professional myself. I justified it by thinking at least I kept it out of therapy and business. I hoped I did anyway.
Once I got home after dropping her and Boxer off I tossed and turned all the rest of the night, fuming over this new development. One thing that made it easier to stand is the fact I knew Sonja was not interested in her boss at all.
Lying in my bed I couldn’t get her off my mind. How much she cared about her pet was heartwarming to watch. Holding her as she slept felt amazing. I listened to her shallow breathing and the beat of her heart as she laid against my chest.
I risked running my hands through her hair. I had wanted to touch her hair ever since I met her and it was just as I imagined. Smooth, silky and scented something…sweet like cherry blossom. I caressed her cheek and longed to kiss her, but didn’t want to wake her up. She fit against me so perfectly…
How wrong I knew this was logically, but in my heart it screamed this was right. I was afraid to even talk about it with her. What if that ruined everything?
Then the news of the Halloween party soured my mood completely. I was angry that this man had the balls to use her like that for his own benefit. I couldn’t be that cavalier with her. Sonja knew what he was doing and I had no doubt she could handle him. I didn’t have to like it though.
So this morning in my office I kept yawning trying to cover it from my patients seeing my tiredness. I wouldn’t see her for therapy until next Tuesday…that is four days from now. The Halloween party I assumed would be in a little less than two weeks if that, as I am sure it wouldn’t be on the actual holiday.
I began to think about costumes on my lunch when my phone rang.
“Dr. Jacobs,” I answered.
“Hello Evan, how are you?”
“Hi there…Joanne. I’m doing well. How are the surgeries coming along?”
There would only be a few reasons why Dr. Mayweather would be calling me.
“Slow, but I’m healing nicely. I should be able to start physical therapy in a few months.”
“That’s good. So what do I owe the pleasure of your phone call?”
I only needed one guess.
“Kyle came to visit and told me something interesting…”
Bingo.
“Yes…”
“Are you engaged in other business ventures with a patient?” She asked so calmly, but I could tell she was concerned and possibly angry she had to hear it from her ex-husband. The fact she left out names on purpose did not get past me.
“Yes with a Ms. Sonja Winters. I had no idea she would end up being the web designer for our new endeavor,” it was best not to lie.
“Didn’t you read her file? It has all her information in it,” Joanne sounded annoyed now. Her tone took on that ‘hen who rules the roost’ formality that always came out when she felt she wasn’t in control of something.
“Joanne I didn’t get a chance to read it completely at first. Everything is fine though, you don’t have anything to worry about,” I explained.
Either way if I had read and knew where she worked before meeting her at that meeting, there was no way I could have predicted she would have been the chosen web designer, there are plenty of them that work in her office.
“You know I’m only concerned because of Elissa.”
“I know.” I can’t believe she uttered that name, my teeth grinded together and my jaw tightened.
“I thought you’d be the best option on such short notice from Kyle’s suggestion Evan, but you can’t have anything extra circulative…you know this,” she spat at me angrily.
They have been divorced for two years and she still wanted to control everything.
“I am grateful for the opportunity Joanne in regards to my past, but you really have no more say in the matter now that the buck has been passed to me.”
If there was one person who didn’t cater to her every whim it was me. Patients never see this side of us. They aren’t supposed to. It could possibly change the direction of the therapeutic process. As far as I knew Joanne had been a great therapist to Sonja if her stubbornness from the beginning said anything about it.
“You know what can happen, do I have to remind you again…”
“No you don’t," I interrupted her. "And thanks for bringing her up, I am trying to get past it and almost there. You think I would jeopardize that?” I felt guilty. Technically, I was putting my career at risk if I let Sonja in.
Joanne was silent for a moment and I stabbed at my salad waiting for her to respond.
“No I don’t think you would.”
“I don’t need you ‘mother henning’ me anymore,” I snapped at her. She has no right anymore to complain about what Kyle or I do. We weren’t her protégé’s…that was during college and how she and Kyle fell in love.
“Fair enough by the way Kyle might be in a mood.”
This meant they argued, I rolled my eyes.
“I have to get back to work Joanne.”
“No problem, have a good day.”
“Good bye.” I hung up before she could try and lecture me further.
I absolutely hated that a split second lapse in judgment had gotten me in so much trouble. The very thought of Elissa made my stomach turn. How she had manipulated and forced her way in using her trauma to make me feel sympathetic to her.
Then Elissa had gotten what she wanted…
I promised myself never again and why I refused to let Sonja in though that is rapidly deteriorating. Sonja wasn’t looking for trouble that much I could read from her.
I pushed my salad away, my appetite lost. I didn’t want to think about it anymore. The whole incident was painful and I didn’t come out all that heroic in the end. Today, I am grateful that I hadn’t lost my license to practice therapy completely.
My mood soured now and the conversation put me on edge about Sonja all over again. No matter how wonderful she made me feel, I couldn’t let those feelings trickle over, not right now. But they have already, haven’t they?
I sighed and pulled out the next patient appointments file for the day. I still had thirty minutes of lunch to kill, so I decided to go for a walk and get a coffee at the café on the corner and read over this file.
The cool fresh air was welcoming to my lungs. Just what I needed. My head swam with all the stresses and worries I have accumulated over the past two months. I wanted to be around Sonja and everything in me told me she was a good person and not someone like Elissa. Do we ever really know though? I quickly tossed aside that assumption about Sonja.
I thought about what costume I might want to wear. I was positive her boss would pick something that might make her be scantily clad and that alone made me fume.
Maybe I should dress as one of those old school tough guys in a subtle show that he doesn’t intimidate me and that I am better for her with a bit of humor as well. The characters of John Dillinger and Al Capone came to mind, maybe even Elliot Ness. I snorted when the big bad wolf came to mind and I pictured myself eating that jerk of a boss as I waited for my coffee.
“Excuse me,” I turned around from where I stood reading my file to see a pretty red head smiling at me. She looked vaguely familiar. “Hi, sorry to bother you, but I thought I recognized you. Your one of Sonja’s clients?” She extended her hand.
“Yes,” I shook it. “I apologize I don’t quite remember…”
“Oh I’m Brandy. We met briefly at the cove with all us girls out for drinks a few weeks ago.”
Oh yes now I recalled her familiarity. She was the one winking at me that had Sonja all jealous. I smiled pleasantly from the memory.
“Of course I remember now, how are you?” Her green eyes sparkled with interest.
“Just working, has Sonja told you about the Halloween party the office is having?”
“Yes she has, I’ll be going,” there was no doubt about that for me.
“Do you have a date?” She asked smiling at me flirtatiously. I raised an eyebrow. Brandy is a pretty woman, but I just was not interested. I did admire her bold confidence. But my heart was beginning to belong to another.
“I assumed I would be going with my partner as we are clients.”
This did not seem to deter her. “Well if you change your mind or would like a lady on your arm,” she took out a pen and scribbled something on a napkin. “Give me a call.”
She placed the napkin suggestively in my hand and winked at me walking away sipping her coffee.
I chuckled to myself. I suppose that meant not one of her friends knew she or I had an interest in the other, except maybe Stacy. Wasn’t Kyle seeing that brunette he talked to at that bar? What was her name…Melanie? At least I believe they have been on a date or two.
My name was called for my coffee and I leisurely walked back to the office.
Soon, I would have to figure out a way to talk to Sonja about this. Too much is building to be silent anymore. I wanted so badly to wait until her therapy is officially completed. There was no way to speed it up, even though her recovery seems complete as it is court ordered.
Maybe one date wouldn’t be so bad. It was only six more weeks of therapy. Being a business client of hers doesn’t have the same consequences as a patient.
I sighed feeling like this was just too complicated, but I wanted more of her no matter what the situation is.
I pulled out the napkin Brandy had written her phone number on and tossed it in the trash.