The Relationship Coach

by Sylvia McDaniel

  “What if Matt is an imposter?”

  “Do you think he’s a phony?”

  “No, I can’t imagine my life without him.”

  “Do you feel passionate about him?’

  “When he walks into the room and I see him, I get goose bumps,” she admitted.

  “I think you’re afraid. Until tonight, you were defending your decision to marry.”

  “I don’t want to make a mistake.”

  “None of us do. But we make the best decision we can at the time with the knowledge that we have. It’s all we can do.”

  Isn’t that what Lacey was doing with Reed? She knew he didn’t believe in forever after. She knew he didn’t want to get married. Yet, the two of them had spent two glorious nights together, enjoying each other. What the hell was she doing? For once in her life, she was experiencing passion.

  There was a moment of silence on the phone.

  “Do you think I should marry him?”

  “If you love him, you’re passionate about him, can’t live without him, then marry him.”

  Her sister sighed on the other end of the phone. “I knew that in my heart, but my mind questioned everything. I knew you would help me,” her sister said, sounding relieved.

  “I want you to have a great life with Matt. I want you to become a doctor, but more than anything, I want you to be happy. If you love him as much as you say you do, marry him.”

  “Oh, Lacey, thank you. I needed to hear that. Someday I hope you find someone who will make you as happy as Matt makes me.”

  “Me too,” Lacey said. “Tell me about the wedding?”

  “Everything is ready. All we lack is the bachelorette party, and you’re in charge of that.”

  “Do you have any requests?”

  “Yes. No strippers. No comedy clubs and no sex toys.” She laughed. “I know it sounds boring, but isn’t that what everyone does and I don’t want the usual. I want a day at a spa with my girl friends and then a nice dinner with a lot of good wine.”

  “Sounds great and perfectly boring. Something I can handle.”

  “But that’s what I want.”

  “Then that’s what we’ll do. Give me a list of friends to invite, and I’ll take care of the rest.”

  “Oh, and one more thing.”

  “Yes?”

  “You’ll have to invite Mom, or she’ll get her feelings hurt,” Kerri said.

  “Are you okay with that?”

  “It doesn’t bother me.”

  “I’m okay with it. Just be prepared for her to say you need a stripper.”

  “No strippers.”

  Lacey laughed at her sister. “You know, in some ways we’re very lucky. We have a mother who knows how difficult it is to find the right man.”

  “Yes, and we’ve seen real life lessons on why it’s important to find a man who fits in with your family and your life.”

  Lacey yawned. “Yes we have. Are you going to be okay now?”

  “Yes, I know I’m making the right decision,” Kerri said, her voice once again sure and determined.

  “I’m going to miss you when you move to Tennessee.”

  “I know. You’ll have to come visit me.”

  “When you have time off,” Lacey said.

  “Yes, life will be crazy for a while.”

  “Dr. Kerri Stevens.”

  “Has a nice sound to it, doesn’t it?”

  “Yes.”

  There was a pause. “So, how is Reed Hunter?”

  Lacey didn’t say anything for a moment. She took a deep breath, not wanting to reveal how confused she felt about him. “Too good. I think I’m falling in love with him.”

  “Oh, Lacey, that’s wonderful.”

  “I hope so, Kerri. I truly do. I’ve never felt so drawn to a man, yet so fearful. He doesn’t want a relationship, and I feel the need to be with him. I’m in way too deep, and I’m scared.”

  Chapter Eighteen

  Lacey gazed around the Gridiron bar, waiting for Reed. He’d called this afternoon and said he had news about the documentary and couldn’t wait to see her. They’d agreed to meet here and then go to dinner.

  Men sat in groups, watching the big screen television, playing pool or air hockey, drinking a beer and socializing. Few women graced the bar, and most of them were young, single, and on the hunt.

  Testosterone seemed to hang in the air, like an invisible smoke screen. This was not the kind of place she liked to hang out at, but she sat, waiting for Reed and studying the male species.

  A tall blonde walked up to her table. “Aren’t you, Lacey Morgan, the relationship coach?” she asked.

  “Yes, I am.”

  “Hey, I’m Blair Roberts. I took your seminar. It changed my life,” she said. The woman didn’t look like the type to have any trouble getting dates. But everyone had trouble with relationships at some time in their life.

  “For the better?” Lacey asked, always curious how she affected someone’s life.

  “Yes. I ended a dead end relationship,” she said with a shrug. “It was for the best.”

  Lacey studied the beautiful woman, wondering at the man who’d let her get away. “Are you doing okay?”

  “Yes, I am. Tell me what’s new with Mate Incorporated. Are you doing more seminars?”

  Lacey smiled, pleased that people wanted more information about her business. “Thanks for asking. We’ve been working with a filmmaker doing a documentary on our company. In fact, I’m meeting him here now.”

  “Oh, really. A documentary. The man I used to date was a documentary filmmaker.”

  A warning tingle zipped down Lacey’s spine from her head to toes. How many filmmakers lived in this area? “That’s interesting. Reed Hunter is who I’m working with.”

  The girl’s face went white, and she sank down onto a chair across from Lacey. “Reed is the man I broke up with.” Blair frowned and shook her head, her brows raised in horror. “Oh, my God. He doesn’t believe in relationship coaches or even permanent relationships. Are you sure Reed is filming your documentary?”

  “Yes,” Lacey said, feeling the floor tilt like a ride at the fair, sending her stomach dropping to her feet, her equilibrium so off balance, nausea gripped her. “It’s true he didn’t believe in relationship coaches when he started filming, but I’m certain after everything, he believes in them now.”

  When had he told her he believed in what she was doing? Had he ever said anything about what she did that conveyed his belief? No.

  Blair shook her head. “Not the Reed Hunter I know. Juliet and I attended your seminar together, and she left her boyfriend, as well. In fact, Reed works for Juliet’s boyfriend.”

  “Graham Productions?”

  “Yes. When I came home from your seminar and started working the step program, he freaked. He told me I was listening to a woman who wasn’t a therapist. After your program, I realized he liked having sex with me, but there would never be a future for us. Reed is a serial dater who expects fringe benefits. He doesn’t believe in marriage.”

  Lacey took a sip of her iced tea and tried to calm her nerves. It was true. She’d forced the fact that Reed didn’t believe in marriage from her mind. Hoping like a naïve schoolgirl, she could change him. The exact thing she warned her clients against. “He told you he didn’t believe in relationship coaches.”

  Blair’s eyes widened, and she nodded. “Oh, yes. But I never thought he’d do a documentary on you. Juliet told me Graham promised her he’d get even, and I think this is how they’re doing it. They’re filming a documentary to prove us wrong. To show you as a fake.”

  Did she believe this woman or was this some awful prank she was playing on her ex? After all, she claimed to have a past with Reed. What did Lacey do now? Her television show depended on the documentary Reed was producing, and yet now, she was uncertain he’d ever meant this documentary to be about the people she helped, but rather an attempt to do an exposé.

  And worst of all, she was falling
in love with him. Now, he would strip away her dreams, leave her heart damaged possibly beyond repair, and she had no one to blame but herself.

  “He’s meeting me here.” Lacey glanced at her watch. “Any moment now.” She should never have abandoned her own advice.

  Blair sat across from her, staring at her in shock. “Oh dear, this could be a cozy reunion.” She gazed at Lacey and then reached out and touched her on the arm. “Watch out for Reed Hunter. He’s a smooth talking devil who will string you along while sucking the life right out of you.”

  Lacey couldn’t say anything. She knew suddenly the woman was right. With Reed, she’d experienced passion for the first time.

  “He’s got a good heart, beautiful smile, and he’s a very talented filmmaker,” Blair added. “But if anyone can make your business look bad, it would be Reed. And if you let him, he will break your heart. I know. I’ve been there.” She slid off the chair and stood.

  Lacey tried to remain detached and think logically, but her mind was whirling faster than film in a camera recording every nuance of what this woman told her. “Thanks for telling me, Blair. I appreciate your honesty.”

  Was this just a bitter old girlfriend or could everything she’d just said be true?

  “I better go before he shows up.” Blair scribbled on a napkin and handed it to Lacey. “Here’s my phone number. If I can help you with anything, you call me.”

  Lacey nodded. “Thanks.”

  Blair glanced around the bar. “Oh crap, he just walked in.”

  Lacey watched Reed walk between the tables. His gaze met hers and the smile that had been on his face as he searched for her was suddenly replaced with his eyes drawing together in a frown that went from his mouth to his forehead.

  Just that change of expression was enough to confirm her suspicions.

  Her stomach clenched; her blood seemed to freeze in her veins. Suddenly, she feared Reed Hunter had intended to make her business look bad all along. Everything she’d worked so hard for hung in the balance.

  He reached the table. “Hi, Blair. Lacey.”

  “Hi, Reed,” Blair said.

  Lacey didn’t say a word; her mouth felt frozen.

  “She knows everything, Reed.”

  “What did you tell her, Blair? Your side? Or mine?” he asked, his eyes darkened into a burning emerald.

  “She knows you’re making this documentary to show how relationship coaches are frauds.”

  “Who said I was going to make Lacey look bad? Documentaries show the public what is going on and let them make the decision as to whether or not this subject is harmful or helpful,” he said, his voice low and controlled.

  “Drop the bullshit,” Blair told him. “You were mad when I left.”

  “Blair, it was over between us before you left.”

  “You didn’t want me to leave, and you were mad I let someone convince me that you would never marry me. You were mad you lost. You were mad we weren’t going to have sex any longer.”

  “You think a lot of yourself.”

  Lacey couldn’t take it anymore. She didn’t want to listen to the two of them argue over who was right or wrong. She didn’t want to listen to how this beautiful blonde bimbo had crawled out of Reed’s bed before he’d crawled into Lacey’s. With a flash of Reed’s beautiful smile, she’d forgotten all of her teachings and had sex with him. Now she was getting a lesson in heartache.

  The reality was he’d deceived her, and she’d let him.

  Sliding off the chair, she grabbed her purse. They both turned to look at her.

  “Where are you going?” Reed asked.

  “I’m out of here.”

  “Lacey! Wait!”

  The distance from the table to the door seemed longer than a football field but was shorter than a first down. The sounds of the TV pounded inside her head, reminding her of all the reasons she didn’t like sports bars.

  Pushing open the front door, she walked out into the twilight and took a deep cleansing breath, hoping it would clear her mind. But instead, her chest tightened. It was over. He’d deceived her. He’d played her for a fool.

  And she’d slept with him.

  With her eyes focused forward, she all but ran to her car.

  Suddenly, Reed grabbed her arm from behind. “Lacey, please stop. Let me explain.”

  She whirled around. He was alone. “Explain what?”

  “Explain that it was over between me and Blair before I started filming the documentary.”

  “But isn’t it true you decided to film my company because of your break-up with Blair? That my seminar helped her to decide not to wait for you any longer?”

  He stood there biting his lip, shuffling nervously, not saying anything.

  “Is it true that you don’t believe in relationship coaches because I don’t have a counseling degree? That we’re just soothsayers spouting bullshit?”

  Again he only stared at her. He opened his mouth to speak, and nothing came out.

  “Is it true that after Blair attended my seminar, she realized you were not what she wanted in a relationship and decided to move on? You didn’t want her to leave. You wanted her to stay and continue on as before, but she wanted more.”

  ***

  Reed felt his stomach clench as he stood there, unable to say anything because everything she’d just said was true. He didn’t know how to respond to her without lying even more, so he just stared, watching the hurt blossom on her face and knowing he’d caused her pain.

  He was a moron. A complete idiotic moron.

  “You had no intention of showing the business I’ve created helping couples find the right love and make the best decisions. No, it’s going to show I’m someone without a Ph.D., offering advice and leading them down a pathway littered with platitudes and misguided advice. Kind of like how you presented this project to me.”

  For the first time since he was a child, Reed felt shame for what he’d done. Her words made him sound evil and narrow-minded. He didn’t like seeing Lacey almost hysterical, yet quietly getting her point across like the slide of a cold blade into his heart. He hated hurting her.

  “Graham Productions hired me to film your company, Lacey. I’m just showing your profession and letting the viewer see what you do,” he said, knowing it was a lie.

  A car pulled into the parking lot, its headlights flashing across his face.

  “Do you believe in relationship coaches?”

  He stared at her. What could he say? Whatever he said, Blair had obviously told her the truth. No, he had never believed in relationship coaches, but then he’d met Lacey, and she was different. “I believe in you.”

  “Bullshit!” she said, with such vehemence he took a step back. A lone tear made its way down her cheek. “I made such a mistake with you, and now, it’s going to cost me everything. My business, my career, even my heart. Because you see, after the other night, I realized I was falling in love with you. You made me love you, damn it. Now, I don’t know what to do.”

  Her words slammed him, leaving a giddy sickness. She loved him. She admitted to loving him, and with a sudden realization, he knew he didn’t want to lose her.

  Another tear trickled down her cheek. She yanked opened the door to her Prius and climbed in. “In case you haven’t figured it out, we’re done. I’m going to my attorney to see if there is any way I can stop this film. Get your cameras, your equipment out of my office by tomorrow, or so help me God, I will trash them.”

  “Lacey, don’t go! Let’s talk about this.”

  “There’s nothing left to say. You lied to me. And I’m going to lose everything as a result of your deceit. Don’t come near me again.”

  “Wait! We need to talk.”

  She started the car and put it in reverse. He jumped back, as she almost ran over his foot when he tried to stop her.

  He wanted to smash something. This was not how it was supposed to end. This was not how they were supposed to spend the evening.

  This was
not what he wanted.

  And yet, everything she’d said was true. She loved him. She’d given him her heart, and he’d treated it badly.

  He felt like a creep for lying to her the way he had. Ty tried to warn him this was going to end badly, but he hadn’t thought it would end this way. He hadn’t thought it would end so soon.

  He glanced at the bar and knew he couldn’t go back in there and see Blair again. He hated that woman.

  She’d managed to get her revenge. In a sudden flash, he knew she’d managed to ruin his life. She’d told Lacey the truth, and now she wanted nothing to do with him.

  A cold loneliness washed over him as he watched Lacey’s Prius drive into the distance. What did he do now?

  ***

  Lacey drove straight to Amanda’s house, needing her friend, needing her comfort. They had to somehow come up with a plan to save the business. But Amanda couldn’t save Lacey from the heartache that threatened to overwhelm her.

  In a mindless daze, she drove until she found herself sitting in front of Amanda’s apartment, letting the tears she’d held at bay stream down her face.

  She’d fallen in love with him. She’d ignored her own advice, skipped the steps, slept with him, and given him her heart, only to have him break the fragile organ.

  Unable to move, she leaned her head on the steering wheel and let the tears spill down her cheeks, sobbing for the love she’d given to a man who wouldn’t return the emotion. Knowing in the process, she’d endangered everything she loved in her life.

  Passion was a reckless emotion that only wreaked havoc on you and did nothing to help in choosing an appropriate mate. Sure, her mother lived for passion, but not Lacey. Never again, would she let passion control her. Never again, would she choose a passionate relationship over the safe twelve step program she had created for her clients.

  She knew better.

  Now, she had to face Amanda and tell her the business was doomed. Somehow, they had to figure out a plan to save this business she loved. She had to figure out a way to stay sane the next few months, while her business was dissected on film and her reputation slayed in front of the masses.