42. Got It Covered

42

GOT IT COVERED

A t the end of the week, Regan was glad her last appointment of the day had been canceled and she could get out early.

She told Miles he could pack up and leave too. Zander said he’d be working until at least five. He had a call at four thirty to take and could be on it for up to an hour.

It didn’t matter, they’d meet up at her place later and have a weekend to themselves to relax as long as Zander didn’t get too many calls.

And if he did, she’d go with him because it was just too much fun not to at times.

She was wiping down the coffee bar in her front office when her door opened.

“Hi, Colin,” she said.

“Hi, Dr. Philes,” Colin said. “I know I shouldn’t drop in like this, but I was in the area and thought maybe I could see if you had time to meet. I could have called, but, as I said, I was close by and maybe I’ve been nervous about calling.” He was dipping his head down and wincing as he admitted that.

She frowned. Not sure why he was nervous but then realized that Maria was always the one that set up the appointments.

If she remembered correctly, Maria was the one who had the idea to come here in the first place and Colin went along with it.

They were still a cute couple. The sunshine couple Miles had called them.

“You shouldn’t be nervous about calling. Are you alone?” she asked. “Or is this an appointment with Maria?”

“Alone,” Colin said. He was smiling, but she could see it was forced. Something was going on and there was hurt in his eyes.

“I had a cancellation if you want to meet now,” she said. “If not, we can schedule for next week when I have an opening.”

“Really?” Colin asked. “I couldn’t ask you that on a Friday afternoon.”

“It’s not a problem,” she said.

“So much for leaving early,” Miles whispered when Colin moved into her office.

“You can go,” she said.

“No way,” Miles said. “Zander will have my head if I leave you in there alone.”

She sighed but didn’t want to argue.

“Thirty minutes,” she said. “And I’ll make it up to you next week. I promise.”

“You better,” Miles said and sat back down at his desk.

She went into her office and closed the door but went to sit behind her desk rather than her normal chair for a session.

“Do you mind if I pull up my notes from our last visit? I just want to refresh my memory for a minute.”

“Sure,” Colin said, sitting at the chair in front of her desk.

She was moving around the files on her computer and reading her notes, then glanced up and noticed Colin was fidgeting.

“Everything okay?”

“No,” Colin said. “You ruined it.”

Her hands froze on the laptop, her eyes staying locked on his.

“Ruined what?” she asked calmly. It was the choice of words.

“Maria and me. She wanted to come here to work on communication better before our marriage. She wanted to try to explore things sexually more than I was comfortable with.”

“Did you tell her those things?” she asked.

“I tried. But I didn’t want to lose her. She told me that she was attracted to women just as much as me. She wanted to try to get it out of her system. She found you attractive and it gave her the push to tell me that.”

“Did Maria send me flowers?” she asked. The card said something about thanking her but ended up finding her beautiful. The whole thing was odd to her, but nothing ever came about it.

“She did,” Colin said. “I found out after the fact. She didn’t sign her name. She didn’t want you to know and feel uncomfortable, but she said it empowered her to learn to voice her desires.”

“It sounds as if she was just expressing herself,” she said. “I’ve never led her on and didn’t know it was her that sent the flowers until just now.”

“I know,” Colin said. “She told me that. And the next time we met it didn’t come up.”

“You mentioned things were ruined.” She was trying to stall. She solved the flowers but wasn’t sure if it was just his choice of words or if he had sent her the threatening notes. “Are you and Maria not getting along?”

“She broke off the engagement,” Colin said. “I wasn’t willing to share her with a woman right now while she explored her feelings. So she said she needed time alone. I had it all planned out. We were perfect for each other. But you said we should talk more and she felt she could express her wants and needs. It’s your fault.”

Regan pushed back in her chair and hit the wall on purpose behind her when his voice rose.

“Sorry about that,” she said. “We need to take it down a bit. I know you’re emotional over this. I can understand that. You have to ask yourself if you would have rather found out about this information years later than now.”

“My mother told me that too. That it was better to know now. But I don’t believe it. I would have rather never found out.”

There wasn’t anything she could say to that.

People couldn’t live their lives in a bubble or with their heads in the sand and hope the truth didn’t come out.

“I’m sorry this happened and you are hurt,” she said. “But when you come here for therapy, there is always going to be the risk that we hear things we’d rather not. That is part of it. To help us move past it.”

“She moved past it alright!” Colin shouted. “She wants it both and I don’t.”

Colin stood up as he yelled those words at her. She wondered if Miles could hear it or not. Sometimes he put music on or earbuds in while he worked. The walls had more insulation here also.

She stood up when Colin did, her chair sliding back and hitting the wall again. She knew beyond a doubt Zander would hear and come running. He’d know. They’d talked about this before, if she ever needed help or was in danger, let him know through the wall.

Colin started to pace around her office and she came out from behind her desk to not be trapped there.

“Why don’t you take a seat and try to calm down some,” she said.

It wouldn’t do her any good to tell him to leave and work him up. She could see it now. He was emotional and emotional people couldn’t always be reasoned with.

“I loved her,” Colin said, moving faster around her office.

She was moving in the other direction and closer to the door to get out.

But right before she could get to the door, he turned and moved toward her.

Everything Zander had been saying went into her brain and before she could think, she reacted and flipped Colin fast and had him on the ground, whipped the door open at the same time Zander was rushing in, then stood over Colin with his gun pointed.

Colin lay coiled in a ball sobbing. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to do it. Don’t hurt me. I just want Maria back.”

The man was like a child cowering from what was going on.

Zander put his gun in his holster and yanked Colin up. “Did you send those threatening letters to Regan?”

“I did,” Colin said. “I was upset. Dr. Philes told us that sometimes writing is the best way to let our feelings out if we don’t have the courage to say it. That is all I was doing.”

Regan felt her shoulders slump.

She was wrong that she wouldn’t have figured it was Colin who wrote the letters, but she was right that none of her clients had any tendency toward violence.

“Let him go, Zander.”

“No,” he said. “I’m calling the police.”

“Stop,” she said, putting her hand on her boyfriend’s arm. “He’s not going to harm me, are you, Colin?”

The guy was bawling his eyes out worse than a toddler who had a toy taken away. He was cringing from Zander who had a hold on the front of his shirt. “No. I just wanted to talk. I just wanted help. I was afraid to come alone and drove by and worked up the courage to see if I could make an appointment.”

“We can talk,” she said.

“Not alone,” Zander said. “Not until I’m comfortable.”

She was going to argue with him, but all things considered, maybe it wasn’t smart. “Colin. You have to understand your behavior with the threatening letters.”

“I was expressing myself,” Colin argued, wiping his eyes on his sleeve. “Poorly. I know. But...I’m sorry.”

The crying was getting even louder.

She nodded her head for Zander to go into the waiting room. “We’ll give you a minute to pull yourself together.”

Colin nodded and cringed when Zander patted him down looking for a weapon. She didn’t say a word and actually hadn’t even thought of that, but it was a comfort that he had.

“I heard thumping on the wall,” he said after they walked from the office, giving Colin some space. “I panicked when the second one happened.”

She smiled. “Good to know that worked.”

“You did it on purpose?” he asked.

“Of course. I knew you were here. But I also had it under control. Though honestly, I don’t think he was going to attack me. He was pacing and I was trying to get to the door.”

“Good,” he said. “I’m glad to know you were thinking that way.”

“As I told you, I’ve got it covered. But when he turned I just reacted.”

He pulled her into his arms. “Not a bad thing.”

“No, but I think he pissed himself when you pulled the gun on him.”

“I think it’s more when you flipped him on his back. I know what that feels like. I probably should call this in. At least to get a report filed on record for the future.”

She sighed. She was on the fence about this. But it was the right thing to do.

“Dr. Philes,” Colin yelled.

She moved back into the doorway. “Yes.”

“Please don’t call the police on me. I’m so sorry. I don’t mean any harm. I don’t want my life ruined over this. I was wrong. I know it. I shouldn’t have done it. I’m really, really sorry.”

“Colin, I don’t want to call the police, but you have to understand. The actions you took...”

“Were wrong. Oh my God, my parents are going to kill me. Do I need an attorney? They will pay for it. I know they will.”

Her heart bled for this man who seemed more like a child who let a woman make decisions for him.

She didn’t feel he was a threat. “Zander?”

“I want it on record,” he said firmly. “You have to be smart. Let someone else make that decision.”

“I can decide to press charges?” she asked. “Not that I know what to even do.”

“Let me call my father and he’ll call someone in. We’ll keep it quiet for now.”

“Thanks,” she said. “Miles, why don’t you leave.”

“My heart can’t take this,” Miles said, fanning his face. “I’m glad it’s done. Are you sure I can leave?”

“You can. Zander is here.”

Miles grabbed his jacket. “As long as he is here, you’re safe. Maybe I need some self-defense courses too. I heard the thump on the floor. Figured it must be his body hitting the ground, but I thought someone passed out and was getting ready to open the door when Zander rushed by me.”

“Glad to know so many men have my back.”

Zander hung his phone up where he’d been talking to his father. “My Dad is on the way down with one of the detectives he knows. It will probably scare Colin enough. Listen, Regan. I don’t think it’s a good idea for you to still see him as a client even if you don’t file a report.”

“I know. And I agree.”

“Really?”

“Yes. Why don’t we go in there together and talk to him? We can help him through it, but he’d crossed the lines and I’ll be clear that I don’t feel comfortable having him as a client.”

Zander pulled her in for a hug. “Thanks for that.”

“See, I’m reasonable. And smart enough to alert my boyfriend when I need him.”

“I just need to talk to you, I know. Talking is what you do best.”

“And throwing men to the floor.”

“Drop kicking them,” he said.

“Huh?”

“I’ll explain later,” he said, kissing her on the forehead.