7. Wonderful Advice

7

WONDERFUL ADVICE

“ I t sounds as if we have a good start,” Regan said three days later. “You have your homework.”

“I like homework,” Maria said, giggling.

Colin leaned into his fiancée and put his head on her shoulder. “You always had to be the teacher’s pet, but that is what I found so adorable about you in college.”

“That’s where we met,” Maria said.

“You told me that,” Regan said. “It was a sweet story.”

“I always wanted to be college sweethearts with someone,” Colin said. “It was my lucky day that Maria’s phone fell out of her pocket when she sat down in front of me.”

“He was so chivalrous,” Maria said. “He got up and grabbed my phone and handed it to me. I hadn’t even known it’d fallen out. It was the first day of class and I was so nervous that I was getting in over my head in chemistry.”

Regan smiled listening to the two of them adding to their story as if it was a rehearsed dialogue. You could tell they’d told the history of how they met multiple times and could probably do it in their sleep.

“As I was saying,” she said, “you’ve got your homework before I see you again next week. Do you want to meet at the same time?”

“This works for us,” Maria said. “I get out of work earlier than Colin.”

“I can flex my time so if it’s good for Maria then it is for me too. We are going to dinner now to talk about things. Maybe it can be our date night.”

“Oh,” Maria said. “Even more fun.”

She got up with the two lovebirds and followed them out of the room. “Miles will set up your next appointment and I’ll see you then.”

Regan went back to her office and started to type her notes. It was her last appointment of the day, but she was going to stay a bit and get everything done so that she could go home and have a glass of wine and not think about work for the night.

She was trying to have a few nights of brain haze and disconnect with something frivolous on TV.

Pretty pathetic that was what her life had turned into and the only thing she was looking forward to.

“Okay,” Miles said, coming into her office. “They are too sickly sweet and adorable. I don’t normally want to gag, but I almost lost my lunch and I had it hours ago. Tacos aren’t so great coming up the second time. I’ve learned my lesson there and don’t mix them with margaritas.”

She laughed. Miles had the ability to bring the giggles out of her though she suppressed them so she didn’t sound childish.

“They were a cute couple,” she said.

“I can’t imagine why they are here,” Miles said. “Why would they spend that much money when everything seems to be great with them?”

“Not everyone has problems,” she said. She could say something to Miles since he had access to files anyway. “They just want to strengthen their communication prior to getting married. I think it’s wonderful.”

She wouldn’t add that Maria and Colin also wanted to expand their sex life. She wasn’t a sex therapist and could refer them on, but for now, it was simple enough and more about talking through what they were each looking for.

“I guess,” Miles said. “Sometimes I think it’s better to work things out as you go.”

“How is that?’ she asked.

Miles came in and sat on the couch. She got up from her desk and went to the chair she sat in for sessions. Not that Miles would get a session, but she did enjoy talking and sparring with him.

“I’ve had relationships where you try to plan it all out or have these expectations and when things don’t work out you’re hurt. Both of you. But when you are muddling your way through, you can both learn. Sometimes how you muddle your way through is more important than the end results.”

“Interesting,” she said, grinning.

“You’re pacifying me,” Miles said, batting his eyes.

“Someone really smart must have given you that advice,” she said.

“Who could that be?” Miles asked, pouting and putting one hand on his hip.

“This great doctor I’ve heard of,” she said.

“One that counsels couples but isn’t part of one herself,” Miles said.

She snorted. “I have to be available to give all this wonderful advice out.”

Miles laughed. “How is it possible you are so good at helping others and sometimes can’t seem to help yourself?”

She wouldn’t take exception to that question.

“It’s not through lack of trying,” she said.

“Are you looking for someone to spend time with?” Miles asked.

His eyes moved to the wall that separated hers and Zander’s. Maybe she’d been thinking of that a bit more now that she knew there were times he might be sitting in there just like her.

“Aren’t we always open to the possibility?”

“I know I am,” Miles said. “But I don’t always need a relationship. Sometimes I just want to get laid.”

There might have been times in her life she wouldn’t mind some kind of action like that, but she’d never do it.

It wasn’t her. She’d always been the good girl.

Maybe to a fault and that would be another reason she was single.

“We each have to find what we are looking for and then make peace with those decisions.”

“Come on, Regan,” Miles said. “Make peace. That is kind of dramatic. Don’t you ever just want to let loose and be someone else?”

Sometimes she did, but she wouldn’t admit that.

“I have a reputation and a career to uphold,” she said. “I won’t be a hypocrite.”

“Wanting to get laid isn’t being a hypocrite,” Miles said. “It says you’re human and want to feel another’s touch. That’s normal. You’re not someone who beats herself up over sex, are you?”

She grinned. “Of course not,” she said. “Maybe I’m too hard on myself.”

“Maybe?” Miles said.

“I am,” she admitted. It was not the first Miles or anyone else had said that to her. “So is Kellen.”

“I know. Because you felt so blindsided by your parents. But that was out of your control. You were kids. You went one path, Kellen another, but look, seems like you landed in the same place.”

“What place is that?” she asked.

“Both single and alone and going home to eat some microwave dinner and watch a silly sitcom to give you some laughs.”

It was sad that her life was just summed up that quickly by her employee. Accurately too.

“I’ll have you know I’m not watching a sitcom tonight,” she said. “And I’ll make a salad.”

Miles laughed and stood up. “My point. You need to get some action. Even if it’s just a date. Talk to the opposite sex some, not in a work capacity.”

“I’m talking to you,” she said smartly.

“And we know I’d be hunting the same guy you are, so I don’t count.”

She laughed again. “You just made my day,” she said. “Thanks for that.”

He took another one of his bows. “Always at your service. I’m going to lock up. Unless you are going to leave with me?”

“I planned on getting caught up on my notes before I go home so that I can disconnect there.”

“To watch that...drama?”

“Nope,” she said.

“Tell me what,” Miles said.

“Fine,” she said. “ Survivor .”

“Gurlllll, I could totally see you on Survivor .”

“No,” she said. “Never. I like the comforts of home way too much.”

“Then The Amazing Race . You and Kellen. Get out there and see the world. Just let it all go for a few weeks. Or better yet, with some hot guy that is good in a stressful situation.”

Miles’s eyes went back to the wall toward Zander’s office.

“Are there magnets in my walls and on your eyeballs?” she asked. “I’m waiting for your head to whip around and your face to be sucked against the wall.”

“If there were magnets in the wall and my eyes, I’d pop them out and put them in your hand so that you would be pushed through it. Maybe your hand would land somewhere special and you could reach out and grab a piece of...ass.”

“Go,” she said, pointing to the door as she laughed. “Leave me to my notes. You’re not obvious at all.”

“Who said I was trying not to be?” Miles said, letting out an exaggerated huff. “I’ve been obvious since the day I got into my mother’s makeup at age five. Or maybe it was at age six and I was saying how cute the boy bands were and not listening to their music.”

“You’ve got some great parents by the sounds of it,” she said. “You’re very lucky.”

“I am,” Miles said. “In more ways than one.”

“Meeting me,” she said. “I know.”

“You don’t lack any self-awareness,” Miles said. “Go put it to some real use.”

She shook her head as her employee left and locked the door. She must be good at fooling people for him to think she didn’t lack self-awareness. She might know who she was, but it wasn’t always the confident person she portrayed.

Was he right? Should she loosen up some?

She didn’t think she was uptight, but maybe she was a tad bit...boring.

Yep, that was it.

She internally criticized her parents for having an image and yet maybe she was doing the same thing without knowing.