by Kailin Gow
“Auntie and Uncle, here you are,” she said. “Talking with the infamous Dr. Sessions. I can only imagine about what.” She started laughing and they started to giggle.
“So you know what he does,” Mrs. Franklin said.
I stood there, listening to the exchange and I couldn’t even think of anything to say, my mind scrambled and my tongue feeling like a lead balloon.
“Simon, this is our niece, Lina,” Mr. Franklin said merrily.
“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Dr. Sessions,” she said.
“It’s my pleasure, too,” I finally said, “but please call me Simon.”
“Okay, Simon.”
“Would you like to join us, dear?” Mrs. Franklin asked, looking from Lina to me.
“No, I think I’ll give you a moment to finish up your conversation privately. I have a feeling that it isn’t for my ears,” Lina said playfully.
“Simon, Lina just got engaged to Ralph Bixby. I believe you know him from your school, right?”
“Oh yes, Ralph. I haven’t seen him for a spell because of our schedules,” I said. I couldn’t stand the prick. That was what I really wanted to say. “Congratulations,” is what I chose to say next.
“Thank you,” Lina said, smiling at me. “It was nice to meet you, Simon.” She extended her hand and I extended mine, feeling the soft warmth of her delicate hand in mine as we shook. I wanted to keep holding her hand so I put my other hand over hers in a casual, familiar way. Something about her made me just want to pull her into me and hold her, but I just held her hand and was surprised at how disappointed I was when it was time to let her go.
Chapter 3
Sundays were my designated day of rest and relaxation, doing the things I wanted to do and getting ready for a busy week of helping my many clients. Part of my ritual was hanging out with Matt at his flagship club. He owned the finest health clubs and spas on the west coast and I wouldn’t entertain belonging to any other one aside from his Seattle location. It was the best. The two of us had met in college, both pledging to the same frat that year, and we ended up dating some steamy, twin sisters who were from Venezuela and tropical beauties with crazy sex moves that we always referred to as ‘the voodoo.’
Matt Tonkins was like me. Successful family, loved being single, and loved to enjoy the company of beautiful, needy women who were okay only being needed for a night or occasional tryst. It was our greatest bond but we were actually able to discuss other things, too, which made us friends. I’ll admit, I also owed him a great debt of gratitude, too, because when Phoebe had died, he helped me get my act back together again. No one else bothered, not knowing me well enough to realize the pain I was in.
We were playing some one-on-one down at the club and I was in an odd situation of reminiscing on the feelings that I’d had last night. A spark of jealousy, a bit of longing. First it was Camilla, a beauty who was happy and in love. Then it was Lina, someone truly amazing and unlike any other women—or so it seemed from my first glance at her and brief conversation.
“Hey, you remember Ralph Bixby?” I asked.
“Yeah, we run into each other often enough.”
“For what?” I wasn’t the only one who’d tended to ignore Ralph as much as possible during our university years. His family’s name was on many of the buildings and no matter what the situation, he was treated with kid gloves and they still kept the proverbial silver spoon in his mouth all the time. To us rich kids, he was the uber-rich.
“Charity events and a few business ventures,” Matt said, running by me and delivering a lay-up. “Why?”
“I met his fiancé at Bernard Vanderhoort’s wedding last night.”
“Another one bites the dust,” Matt said. “Does that have you thinking?”
I knew he was referring to Phoebe and admittedly, she’d crossed my mind but she wasn’t the main focus of my thoughts.
“Not about her so much,” I said. “What do you know about him?”
Matt grew suspicious and stopped dribbling the ball and tucked it under his right arm. “Well, I know that his grandfather just passed away and Ralph is the sole heir to his fortune. They’d always been close, especially since his father had some demons.”
“I did see that, youngest person to ever become a billionaire,” I said. I didn’t want to admit that I knew, though, and had no other explanation other than my disdain for the guy was that intense.
“The interesting thing is that there’s a stipulation in his grandfather’s will. He has to get married before he can get the money. Explains the fiancé, I guess. Probably a gold digger, a damn lucky one, at that.”
“When I met her she didn’t seem that way,” I said, feeling the need to defend Lina. After all, she was the niece of a very wealthy couple, not uber-wealthy but pretty well off.
“You gained an impression of her?” Matt looked at me more closely and he knew me too well. “The great Simon Sessions was actually affected by a woman. Holy shit.”
“Well, I don’t know if she is a gold digger, I don’t think so.”
“Why not?”
“Her family clearly has money.”
“Her aunt and uncle do according to you but what about her family?”
“I don’t know. It’s irrelevant anyway.”
“And why is that?”
“Matt, she’s just too good for Bixby. Everything about her shows she’s too good for him.”
Matt started to dribble the ball again and I swiped it away from him, throwing a perfect shot that swooshed into the net from the three point line.
“As I was saying, she’s better than him. I just know it.”
“For you to take note says something, Simon.”
“She’s exquisite,” I said, flashing a dreamy image of her in my mind.
“And taken,” Matt added. “Which, if I’m to be perfectly honest, makes her perfect for you.”
“Why?”
“You don’t have to commit,” Matt said, dribbling the ball and staring at me, sweat dripping down his face.
“Okay, that’s harsh…but true.”
“What do you think is going on? Unlikely couples pop up all the time, some make it and some don’t.”
“I know. It seems really suspicious, though. I wonder if the two made some kind of arrangement. Otherwise it’s hard to explain how Bixby landed a fiancé like her…and right around the time his grandfather kicked the bucket.”
“It’ll be interesting to see how it unfolds,” Matt said. “Even if it’s arranged, what benefit is it to you to sleep with this one?”
“I haven’t even thought about that,” I said.
Matt’s hand twitched and he missed the shot he was just starting to make. “I never thought I’d hear you say that. You’ve defined the exact type of woman you like to sleep with and this one is exempt from that?”
“Yes,” I said.
“I’ll believe it when I see it.”
“Well, if I do crumble, your sorry ass sure isn’t going to see it,” I said with a cocky laugh.
“Talk tough but you’ve got something brewing inside of you about a woman you barely know. She’s probably less atypical than you’ve allowed your imagination to believe. Just wait, she’ll be like the others if you give her time.”
“I don’t think so. It threw me off my game, seeing her,” I said. “It’s never happened before and maybe I was just having an off day.”
“I’m taking back what I just said. I think you may have had one of those sparks that people ramble on about, Simon.”
“Don’t get into that hype with me,” I said laughing. I grabbed the ball away from Matt and began to run down the court, saying, “I doubt it’ll happen again.” I didn’t want him to see my face, though, because I wasn’t so certain that was true.
I shot and it bounced off the rim. Matt rebounded it and ran the other way, talking while he dribbled. “We shall see. In two weeks is our annual University of Seattle Alumni fundraising event. I’m going, Bixby is going
, and maybe you can go, too, if you’re really curious about this Lina. Find out what’s happening firsthand.”
“I detest events like that, but in this case my curiosity is besting me. I’ll be there.”
Chapter 4
I didn’t mean to sound unsociable but I really didn’t do well with settings where I was forced to be a certain way, say certain things, and more so than anything else, act like I cared what these people were up to. Aside from Matt and a select few others, I really didn’t any more than they cared what I was up to. But I played the role, doing everything that was expected and going in with one piece of knowledge that really felt good. I knew how to make people respond to me and hands down, aside from Matt, I had the best sex life any viral, young guy could ask for.
Walking into the Washington Banquet Hall on campus, I followed the sign to the event that I’d be attending. As I walked down the hall I had my hand in my pocket casually and saw the direct and indirect glances my way that I’d been used to my entire life. Now that I was a celebrity they were amped up. People gawked at me and that’s why I always had to be aware, in the moment and prepared for anyone to enter my space. Since I dealt with sex they often thought they could easily approach me with intimate questions although I didn’t know who they were.
I walked over to the table to pick up my packet of information and the woman working there, a sorority girl I faintly remembered, said, “Name tag.” She handed it to me and I took it.
“Thank you…Missy,” I said, reading her tag.
“You’re welcome,” she said, smiling at me in a perky, I’m acting like a good girl but I want to be a bad girl, way.
I walked away and tossed the name tag into the first garbage can I saw. I was not about to wear a name tag but I was grateful others did, just to remind me of their names when it was necessary. If they weren’t a patient I had a hard time remembering.
There was Matt. He saw me and waved me over.
“You made it,” he said. Matt turned to everyone and said, “You all know Dr. Sessions, I believe.”
“I sure do,” one woman said. I looked at her and saw the name Sandra written in a dark blue font, which indicated she was a spouse.
“That’s kind of you,” I said.
“Everyone with a pulse knows who you are,” she continued. Women were so bold today and boldness like this wasn’t really appealing to me, especially since I liked some mystery in a woman. It was nice to have fans, They built my business, but still.
Another woman next to her said, “Matt, I’ve got to tell you. I just love my membership at your club. It’s such a wonderful place. It would be great to take a behind the scenes tour sometime, if you didn’t mind.”
Matt smiled at the woman, named Jenna, also a spouse, and said, “I’d love to give you and Andy a tour. You just name the time.”
“Oh, Andy and I, certainly,” she said.
My smile grew wider as I listened to the exchanges. Between Matt and I, we’d been offered partnerships in opportunities, asked if we had any internship programs for the nieces and nephews of the attendees, and were hit on both blatantly and indirectly by the married and single alike. It was our life and the way it usually played out at any social event. We were used to being the center of attention and knew how to play it well, we were the conductors and the people were our orchestra, waiting in the pits for our direction and guidance.
Finally I’d had enough of the frivolities and wanted to get onto what I’d came to the god-forsaken event for, to see Bixby and get a read on him. “If you’ll excuse us, I have something to discuss with Matt confidentially,” I said.
“I’ll be right back,” Matt said. He handled the madness considerably better than me. For him, being surrounded by people was success. For me, intimate settings for two were how I made my living.
“These people are getting to me,” I said, feeling quite annoyed. “Where’s Bixby? That’s who I want to see.”
“So impatient,” Matt said. He scanned the room and pointed to a small, quiet corner in the back, where there was a group of five or six talking. “He’s over there.”
I stared and noticed two things immediately. Number one, he was with Lina and she looked as breathtakingly beautiful as I’d recalled at the wedding, and number two, I had to give Bixby credit for staying away from the chaos of the alumni event, out of sight and out of the crowds. Of course, he’d never know I gave him credit of any sort.
The method was yet to be determined but I was going to find a way to talk to Bixby and stomach that, as well as talk with Lina a bit again. I wanted a real conversation this time, not just social frivolities.
“Well, I’m needed over there,” Matt said, walking away from me and patting my shoulder. “Have fun.”
I glanced at Matt and saw his snarky grin. The rat. He was too amused by my predicament, and it aggravated me.
Right then, I found my space being invaded by a woman who came right up to me and flung her arms around me, trying to kiss my cheek. I smelled wine on her breath and it was a repulsive mixture when combined with her perfume. I got my hands in between us just in time and they pressed into large, soft breasts. Natural, I thought.
“Oh my,” I said, not sure what else to say.
“I just love you, Dr. Sessions. I’ve never missed a television appearance of yours,” she said, gushing all over me, her words also slightly slurred.
“It’s always nice to meet a fan,” I said curtly. I had the smile but once again, I didn’t have any sincerity behind it.
“Do you know what I wish?” she asked, putting her finger to her lip in a pouty way, which gave me the chance to remove her other hand from my shoulder, where it had landed with an aggressive thud only seconds before.
“And what is that?” I asked.
“I wish I could have a private one-on-one session with you…to help me work through some things.”
“Well, you can certainly call the office and my secretary will share some information with you and get your details,” I said.
“Okay, I’ll do that,” she said. Then she leaned in and tried to kiss me. I don’t know who this woman thought she was but I was completely annoyed by her and it was starting to show.
I put my hand out again, making it so she couldn’t put those coral pink lips on me anywhere, and said, “Excuse me please. I have someone I need to talk to.”
I turned around and standing right there, with a bemused smile on her face, was Lina. “You are quite popular everywhere you go, aren’t you?”
“Admittedly so. It’s nice because it’s a compliment but at times it can be a bit too much,” I said.
“What are her odds of actually calling your office for an appointment, if you don’t mind my asking?”
“I don’t mind at all,” I said. I wasn’t going to tell her the truth, though, that the woman probably couldn’t afford it. I could tell by her clothes. “She’ll wake up and begin thinking with her sober mind and the idea of visiting will seem less appealing.”
“Doesn’t she have a sexual problem, though?”
“Probably not other than that she’s bored, needs a pick me up. You learn to read into people rather well, rather quickly, with my work.”
“Really?” Lina asked.
I gave her my first genuine smile of the evening, “Really.”
“There you are,” someone said behind Lina. I looked and saw Ralph walking up. He looked at me. “Simon Sessions, it’s nice to see you.”
“You too, it’s been awhile, hasn’t it?”
“It sure has. You know Lina?” he asked me. Yes, he was getting ready to defend his territory and I couldn’t blame the guy, either. I wanted her. It was as simple as that.
“Yes, we had the pleasure of meeting at Bernard and Camilla Vanderhoort’s wedding. Her aunt and uncle are work associates of my parents,” I said.
Ralph looked at Lina and she smiled, talking softly. “That’s when you had the business trip to Venice, dear.”
“Oh righ
t,” he said. Then Ralph looked at me, “I don’t mean to be rude but I have someone that I want Lina to meet.”
“Don’t let me keep you,” I said. Truthfully, I only wanted to keep Lina. Ralph could go and keep on walking—off the pier.
“Well, it was nice seeing you, Simon.”
