The Relationship Coach

by Sylvia McDaniel

  “But I have no intention of changing.”

  “That’s what they all say,” she said, turning to leave.

  “Wait, we need to set up a time to do a one-on-one interview with you.”

  She waved her hand at him. “You’ll have to check with Amanda. She keeps my schedule.”

  Chapter Seven

  Lacey lay beside Dean in the big queen-size bed, cuddling against his naked skin. The earthy smell of musk surrounded her, and she breathed deeply of the soothing scent. She ran her fingers over the strong width of his chest. Finally, they had managed to squeeze some time for each other into their busy schedules.

  When they lived together, this wouldn’t be such a problem. Yet, there were still so many decisions they needed to make before they could combine their households. “Whose furniture will we use in the new apartment?”

  He gazed at her and kissed the top of her head as he shifted in the bed and wrapped his arms around her. “Honey, I was going to talk to you about this. You know I love your apartment, but it’s girly.”

  “I’m a girl.”

  “I know; it’s one of the things I love about you,” he said, his lips soft against her forehead.

  “I’m open to change. Our new place should be a merger of our tastes,” Lacey said.

  “I agree.”

  Lacey wondered how they would combine their apartments, their furniture, including his ugly football chair. “While we’re talking about furniture, I have a problem with your recliner.”

  Beneath the sheet, she rubbed her foot against his leg and then entwined her leg with his, trying to make him feel loved, even though she hated that old chair.

  “What’s wrong with my recliner? It’s comfortable,” Dean asked, gazing at her like she’d halted world peace.

  “I’m sure in the 90s it was very comfortable, but blue is no longer a fashionable color,” she said, letting her fingers trail down his chest.

  “I don’t care if it’s avocado green as long as it fits my butt well. That’s my football-watching chair.”

  “And it’s butt ugly.”

  “I planned on putting it where guests couldn’t see it. I thought maybe the office,” he said, his expression hopeful.

  She smiled at him. “We’ll be sharing an office.”

  Dean was quiet for a moment, and a crease formed across his forehead. “This isn’t going to be easy.”

  “We could always sell our furniture and buy new,” she volunteered.

  “Yeah, but that’s such a huge expense, and I’d hoped we could save some money moving in together.”

  “Speaking of finances, we’ve not discussed how we’re going to pay for everything,” she said, gazing up at him.

  “I assumed we’d split the expenses.”

  “I agree, but living together, our credit could affect each other. Is your credit good?”

  A long pause interrupted the flow of conversation, and Lacey felt a trickle of unease skitter down her spine.

  “My credit isn’t bad; it’s just not great. During college, I ran up some bills, and when I graduated, I owed over twenty thousand dollars.”

  “Ouch! I hope you had a great time in college,” she said, her mind racing with this new insight into Dean. He was so meticulous she’d never imagined his credit could be a problem.

  He shrugged. “I wish I could say I did, but frankly I don’t know how the balance became so high.”

  “College was several years ago. How much do you still owe on the card?”

  A long silence was his response, and Lacey knew she’d just discovered something new about her soon-to-be fiancé. Could Dean be hiding his financial situation for a reason?

  Finally, he said, “I owe twenty-one thousand on my credit card.”

  Stunned, Lacey lay there, her mind reeling like a spin-top out of control, her breath freezing like she’d gotten locked in a cold storage unit. Twenty-one thousand dollars in debt? The cost of a new car and she’d had no idea. She remembered the expensive dinners they’d shared, the luxurious weekend getaways, the sleek car he drove, and the top of the line clothes he wore. Dean’s millionaire looks could grace the cover of GQ magazine. She’d known he wasn’t worth millions, but she had no idea he was so deeply in debt.

  He sighed, his face void of any expression as his eyes carefully studied her. “That’s why I thought moving in together would save us both some money.”

  “I thought we were moving in because we loved each other and wanted to be together,” she said. Discomfort squeezed her chest like a bra two sizes too small.

  “Of course,” he said, his voice satiny smooth and full of reassurance.

  “How much money do you have in savings?” she asked, needing to know if he was prepared for an emergency.

  “That’s kind of a personal question,” he said, his forehead drawn together, his eyes sparking with irritation.

  Lacey took a calming breath and ran her fingers across his chest. “Yes, it is. We’re about to start sharing our life together. I need to know what I’m getting myself into.”

  His body tensed. “A couple of thousand.”

  “So, if you’re in an automobile accident, you have just enough to purchase a new car. What about a job loss? Do you think that two thousand is going to get you to your next job?”

  He withdrew from her, sat up, and threw back the sheet. “It’s tough out on your own and paying all the bills. Sure, I make good money, but I work hard and a guy deserves to have some fun occasionally.”

  She shrugged and wondered at the way she could see him pulling away from her. “I’m not saying you don’t, but do you have the money for a down payment on the apartment?”

  “Don’t worry about it. I’ll have the money,” he said, his voice clipped as he crawled out of bed.

  She dropped the subject, seeing how tense and angry he was becoming.

  “We’re scheduled to meet two property managers on Saturday,” Lacey said, observing his retreat.

  “Yes,” he replied, as he pulled on his pants. “I’ve already blocked out time on my schedule for us to meet with them.”

  “I thought you’d come over Friday night, and we could spend Saturday together.”

  He glanced at his watch, not responding to her suggestion.

  “Is there someplace you have to go?” she asked, her irritation growing by the second. He couldn’t run away every time they got into a disagreement or hit a bump on the road of life. If he did, they would never make it as a couple.

  “No, I should get home. Tomorrow is a work day.”

  “Yes, I know. What about Friday night?”

  His face became a blank mask, his eyes cold and dark. “Let me see how the rest of the week goes. I may have to work late.”

  She rose from the bed, grabbed her robe, and pulled it around her naked body. Whenever they hit a subject that was sensitive, Dean shut her out and walked away. “If something is bothering you, we need to talk about it. As a couple, we’re going to have issues come up we’ll need to discuss.”

  He yanked his shirt on and buttoned it, averting his face from her. “I know. Tonight, when you mentioned getting rid of my favorite chair, it made me realize moving in with you will be different.”

  She softened her voice and said, “And when you mentioned your money problems, that reminded me I may not know everything about you I should.”

  He gazed at her, his lips turned up in a slight smile as he wrapped an arm around her waist. “Okay, so we’ve got some things we need to discuss. But not now. It’s late, and I’m tired.”

  She walked him to the door, knowing once again, he’d put her off. It was a concerning pattern of Dean’s and one she needed to think about. “Let’s talk about them Friday night.”

  “Sure.”

  At the door, he kissed her goodnight. “Later, Cupcake.”

  “Goodnight. Be careful going home.”

  She shut the door behind him and flipped the lock. Why did she feel like his reluctant admission of f
inancial issues was a dark cloud looming over their happy future? When they’d discussed moving in together, she’d never dreamed of this problem. What else did she not know about Dean?

  ***

  Reed watched Ty film the session in process. They were getting some great film, but he’d yet to find that one piece of footage that exposed this gig as a fraud. But he was a patient man and sooner or later, it would come through.

  A pleasant flowery smell tweaked his nose, and he couldn’t help but wonder where she’d put that drop of scent that intrigued him. He’d love to search that smell out on her body.

  “James, last week I gave you an assignment. Do you remember?”

  Sitting across from Lacey, the client, a thirtyish meek man, squirmed in his chair. “Yes, you told me to contact one girl online, one girl via the dating group, and one at the Friday night get-together. You told me to make at least one date.” James glanced away, unable to meet her gaze.

  “Did you do that?”

  The man sat tense and didn’t respond. Reed could see why the man had trouble getting dates. Extremely shy and unsure of himself, at the first sign of rejection, he probably ran.

  “If you don’t do the assignments I give you, then you’re wasting my time and yours. My job is to help you make a connection with a woman. We set a time limit on how long I was to help you with the promise that if you didn’t do your part, I could withdraw from the contract at any time. Do you remember that commitment contract I had you sign?” Lacey said like she was dealing with an errant school kid.

  “Yes.” His eyes traveled to the ceiling, then down to the floor.

  “Did you connect with at least three women?” Lacey asked her voice firm.

  “It was a busy week, and the first girl I asked told me no.”

  Yep, he’d run at that first rejection with his tail between his legs. Reed had been there in high school, and thank God, he’d overcome that fright. It was paralyzing.

  “How did that make you feel?” she asked.

  “Like hell,” he said, licking his lips nervously. “I mean I’m trying, but when I get turned down, I think no one likes me.”

  “It’s a numbers game, James. It’s all about reaching out to the right people. We discussed the fact you could get turned down, and you might even be rejected after a couple of dates.”

  “Yes, I know, but this one hurt,” he said, his voice soft.

  “Why was this one so different?”

  Who was he kidding? All rejection hurt, and until you learned to blow it off and walk on, it could demoralize you.

  With a frown, he glanced at the camera. “They’re taping all of this?”

  “Do you want me to tell them to go away?”

  James thought about it for a moment. “No.”

  “What made this rejection hurt more?”

  “Because I met her at your seminar. I thought she’d understand and say yes. I thought she was pretty.”

  Lacey leaned back and studied him for a moment. “There are no guarantees even at my seminars or the Friday night get-togethers. There are no guarantees anywhere.”

  He nodded. “I know, but I was disappointed.”

  When you were rejected, you had to learn not to take it personally. Sometimes you won, and sometimes you were shot down before you even got in the game. The cure was to move on until you found a yes.

  “You were rejected by one girl. What about the other two girls? Did you contact two others?”

  “Well, I went to the Friday night social, and I didn’t see anyone I wanted to meet.”

  “What did you do? At these socials, they play games, they talk and eat dinner. Did you participate in the games and speak with people over a meal?”

  “I…I went in and stood around and then I left.”

  He needed a few yeses under his belt, and then he would feel the confidence women loved and gravitated towards.

  “So, you left the social without speaking to anyone?” Lacey confirmed.

  “Yes.”

  “Did you contact anyone online?”

  “No, I looked around, but I didn’t contact anyone.”

  The hum of the camera filled the room. Tension gripped Reed and he hoped his future film audience, as he waited to see how Lacey would deal with her client.

  “James,” she said softly, her voice firm. “I’m not here to do the work for you. This is the second time I’ve given you an assignment I don’t think you’ve put your full effort into. You’re paying me a lot of money to help you get into the dating pool, and you’re not making much of an effort to help yourself.”

  “It’s hard,” he whined.

  Damn straight it was hard, but this was a life lesson the man should have learned in high school…at the latest college. Grow a spine, man.

  “I understand it’s difficult. But, I don’t have time to waste on someone who is not serious about what we’re doing. You fail another assignment, and we’re done. Do you understand?”

  “Yes. I want to date, but I don’t know how.”

  “I’m trying to teach you, but I can’t do the work for you.” She paused a moment and stared at him like a mother reprimanding a child. “Are we clear?”

  “Okay. What is my next assignment?”

  “You are to go to the Friday night special and meet three women. When I say meet them, I need to know their names. Out of the three, I want you to ask one on for a date. You are to play the games and dine with the group. I also want you to bring me emails showing you’ve contacted two women online.”

  He took a deep breath. “Women aren’t attracted to me.”

  Women were attracted to men who were in control and were confident. This poor soul didn’t have the confidence, and Reed wanted to grab him by the shirt collar and say, “Buck up man. You can do this.”

  Lacey gazed at James and shook her head, her voice turned consoling. “James, you’re an attractive man. But you’re shy. Women like a man who is confident and has a take-charge kind of attitude. I want you to go into that social Friday night tall, with your shoulders pulled back. Smile at every woman you meet and say hello. A smile will get a woman’s attention almost every time. I know this isn’t easy for you, but you came to me wanting to change.”

  “Okay,” he said and started to rise.

  “James?”

  “Yes,” he asked, standing before her.

  “How are you going into that room Friday night?

  He pulled his shoulders back and smiled at her.

  “Perfect. You’re a good-looking man, and a woman would be lucky to be with you. Now go out there and conquer the world. I know you can do it.”

  Reed drew his shoulders back, smiled and resisted the urge to beat on his chest. He wanted to go out and conquer the world, and he knew what a crock this business was.

  Lacey stood. “You worked hard today. Give me a hug.”

  James gave her a quick hug and walked out the door, giving the camera a quick, shy glance.

  Lacey sank into a chair and seemed to melt. She made some quick notes in the computer and turned to Reed.

  She was good, damn good, and this man did need some confidence to meet women. Reed wanted to go to a bar, smile at all the women he met, and try out her techniques. And he knew he’d be successful because he’d used those techniques before.

  “Did you get what you needed?”

  Reed sat down across from her and gave her his best come-and-get-it-smile. “That was great. I’m ready to go trolling and try your techniques.”

  She shot him an exasperated glance, clearly not affected by his moves. “Please, promise me you will not make him look like a fool. He’s a sweet, shy man who needs confidence and some help in learning how to date.”

  Reed shook his head. “I’m not here to make your clients look like fools. I’m here to show how your business works. But that was good, and you were right.”

  A twinge of guilt poked him at the lie he’d just told. He reminded himself he was doing it to help people see how
relationship coaches were not legitimate. Yet, what she’d done with James didn’t really show that. In fact, nothing he’d filmed so far showed her doing anything, but being helpful.

  “My next client does not want to be filmed, so you guys need to disappear.”

  He sighed, still searching for that one piece of evidence that would show her as a fraud. “Our next shoot with a client is not until tomorrow. I think I’ll hang around and talk to some of your staff.”

  God, she looked gorgeous sitting there. A frown creased her forehead, and he had the most insistent urge to reach over and kiss her full on the lips. He wondered what she’d taste like. He wondered how she’d feel in his arms.

  “All right, but don’t film any of my clients that come in the door. I don’t need anyone to sue me because they were filmed when they didn’t sign a release,” she warned.

  “You worry too much. People love to be on camera.”

  “No, not everyone loves to be on camera,” she said. “And make sure my staff has signed a written release to appear in your documentary.”

  “Okay.”

  He shook his head to clear his mind and his body of the image of the two of them wrapped in each other’s arms, breathing heavy, bodies glistening with sweat. She was dating someone, and he was making a documentary about her business that would be less than flattering and expose her as a fraud.

  Naked thoughts of the two of them didn’t belong in his brain, even if his body did like the idea and the reaction.

  ***

  Amanda gazed at the cameraman Ty. He was kind of cute, with his jeans, sandals and t-shirt. He wasn’t the kind of guy she was normally attracted to, but then again, the men she seemed to date never worked out, except for Jason. And even with him, there were times she wondered what she was doing.

  Ty pointed the camera, and Reed took a seat across from her. She flipped her hair off her shoulder and tried to calm her nerves.

  “Action,” Ty called.

  “Amanda, how long have you known and worked for Lacey Morgan?” Reed asked, his expression all business.

  “We went to college together. Five years ago she decided to form Mate Incorporated and asked me to join her as the marketing director.” Those had been the days they struggled to make enough money to pay their salaries.