Brian could hear scurrying around on the other side of the door. The knob turned and Lara peeked out. “Dad?” she asked, half-awake.
“Hi, honey. Want to go get some pancakes?”
Lara groaned. She glanced over her shoulder at the clock on the wall, and then back to her dad. “It’s six in the morning.”
“I know,” Brian smiled. “And I want pancakes.”
Lara rolled her eyes.
“Come on. It’s Saturday. We could get a bite to eat, and then I’ll drop you off anywhere you want to go. Think about it. You won’t have to ride the trolley to go see your friends.”
Lara seemed to consider that before answering. “Fine, but give me a minute.” She shut the door.
Brian grinned. If there was one thing left to smile about, it was that young lady. After his nightmare last night, he figured it was time to put his energy somewhere that made sense. And she made sense.
Brian sat on the bottom stair and ran his hands through his hair. He started to close his eyes, when he heard her bound down the stairs behind him.
She wore a pale yellow dress, and a daisy in her hair.
“That’s pretty. Where’d you get it?”
“You bought it, don’t you remember?”
Brian shrugged. “Nope. Ready?”
“Yeah.” She nodded. “Did you say goodbye to Mom?”
Brian’s smile faded. “Yes, not that it did any good. Come on, let’s go.”
****
Brian sat across from Lara at Trucker’s Diner. She nibbled on pancakes, while he packed them in. He stopped mid-bite. “What?” he asked through his stuffed mouth.
“You’ve been acting weird since we got here.” She glanced around.
“Don’t be silly.” He grabbed his milk and swallowed.
“Stop smiling. It’s unnerving.”
He set down his fork and dabbed his mouth with a napkin. “I’m happy to be with you. What’s wrong with that?”
“For weeks you’ve been a mess, and now, you won’t stop baring your teeth for everyone to see.” She grimaced at a woman dressed in a Hawaiian dress who was sitting at the bar. “People are staring.”
“So, let them look,” Brian said, taking another forkful of maple-covered dough into his mouth. “I’m having a good time with my daughter. So what?”
“But dad, you’re acting like a nut. Who holds a smile that long? You look like a creepy Cheshire cat.”
“Don’t be ridiculous.” Brian waved his hand, and then pointed to her untouched plate of food. “Aren’t you going to eat?”
She shook her head. “Nah. I’m not hungry.”
Brian licked the last morsel from his dish and grabbed her plate. “Then I guess you won’t mind if I eat yours?”
Lara buried her head in her hands. “You can be so embarrassing.”
“So, how’s school?” he asked between bites.
“Great.”
“I haven’t heard anything from the school, so I just wondered, that’s all.”
“I’m fine.” Lara stared down at her hands, her sullen expression revealing anything but “fine.”
“Do you want to talk about it?”
“No, I just want to get out of here.”
He finished his coffee and grabbed the check from the corner of the table. “Are you ready?”
“Yes, please.”
He tossed a few bills under his plate. “Then let’s get out of here.”
“Finally,” she said.
He hugged her as they went to the exit, all eyes on them.
13
Danielle spent the entire weekend hoping Ray would call. So stupid. This wasn’t high school, and she wasn’t a pubescent teenager waiting for a boy to dial her digits.
Monday morning she went to work early and ducked in the staff restroom. Today, Ray couldn’t avoid her. Maybe, just maybe, he’d actually ask her out. She touched a smear of gloss at the corner of her lip and sighed. A girl can hope.
“Morning,” Sheila said behind her in the mirror.
Danielle smiled. “Hi.” The entire time Danielle had worked here, this had to be the first time Dr. Manifold’s secretary had actually talked to her. “You’re here early, too?”
“I have a few things to do before Dr. Dread arrives.” She stepped to the sink and washed her hands.
“Dr. Dread?”
The woman pinched her lips together, obviously having shared more than she meant to. “Sorry, things have been a bit tense, lately. I forgot you and Brian are, um, friends.” She cleared her throat.
Danielle held up her hand. “We’re not friends.”
Sheila raised an eyebrow.
Great. Even his secretary thought the horrid rumor was true. “I barely know the man. Whatever you’ve heard is incorrect. I promise.”
She snatched a paper towel from the silver holder on the wall. “Be glad. It can’t be easy to be his friend. I feel bad for Dr. Jensen.”
Danielle’s heart fluttered at Ray’s name. “Why do you say that? Because Dr. Manifold has been drunk a few times on the job?”
“Ha!” Sheila huffed. “If only it was that simple. That is only the icing, my dear. Being that man’s friend must be exhausting. I can’t even imagine.”
Now Danielle was curious. She’d noticed some odd behavior from Brian, but this sounded worse. “Why? What else has he done?”
The door opened.
“I’ve got to get back.” Sheila turned away quickly, tossed her trash in the can, and exited.
How was Brian’s behavior affecting Ray, beyond what she already knew? Curiosity would eat away at her until she had an answer. Sheila wasn’t the kind of woman to openly approach Danielle again. And they didn’t exactly run in the same circles.
She walked to the bathroom door, hoping maybe her boss or someone else knew something. But how would she find out, without gossiping? She tossed the trash and made her way back to her desk.
“Good morning,” Ray said.
Danielle blinked and composed a smile. “Oh, hello, doctor.”
“I’m sorry about leaving so soon the other night,” he whispered.
She shrugged. “I’m sure it comes with the job.”
“Yes.” He scratched at a pen mark on the counter, not looking her in the eye. “Maybe we can try again sometime.”
“I’d like that.”
“How about—”
The elevator door opened and Dr. Manifold exited.
Ray frowned. “If you’ll excuse me.”
“Sure,” she said, disappointed.
Ray walked across the lobby and said something to his friend. Whatever it was, Brian didn’t seem happy and stormed away. Hot on his heels, Ray followed. They disappeared down the hall, out of sight.
“I’m glad you’re here early. Can you file these?” Merle asked, stacking a pile of folders on the counter.
Danielle exhaled slowly. Time to put her heart and curiosity away and get to work.
****
After finally getting rid of Ray, Brian decided he needed a drink. He served himself a cup of half coffee, half bourbon, downed it, and then poured another. By the fourth cup, he’d dismissed the coffee.
Sheila poked her head in the door.
“Ah, Sheila,” Brian slurred. “What can I do for you?”
She eyed him suspiciously. “Do you want to go over your calendar for the week?”
Brian smiled lazily and waved her over to the couch as he meandered to his chair. Crossing his legs, he beckoned her. “Go ahead.”
With a furrowed brow, she sat and opened the calendar. She started to address the schedule, but stopped and peered back at him. “Aren’t you going to get your calendar?”
Brian glanced back at his desk and chuckled. “Yeah, I guess that would make sense, wouldn’t it?” He finished off his drink and grabbed his planner. “OK, I guess I’m ready now.”
“Are you sure? Because I can always come back later.”
Brian shook his head and ignored her s
arcasm. “No, you go right ahead.”
Sheila sighed and turned to her calendar. “Tuesday you have 9:00 AM with Tony Ashcroft; 10:30 with Myra Briggs; 3:00 PM with… “
Brian closed his eyes, and plastered a goofy grin on his face.
She sighed dramatically. “Dr. Manifold, are you even listening to me?”
He knew she was irritated, but he didn’t care.
The leather on the sofa exhaled as she shifted her weight.
He peeked out through his eyelashes and giggled.
“Unbelievable!” She got up and stormed out of his office.
Brian opened his eyes and started to laugh uncontrollably. The hilarity took over his body, causing tears to spill down his face. Sheila could probably hear him at her desk, and for that reason alone, he knew he should stop. But the more he tried to get control, the harder he laughed.
****
It was barely eight o’clock in the morning, and Ray sat in a room filled with employees from all different status levels. The custodian shared a couch with the head of administration. Everybody had a complaint. Some were worried, others angry. The subject of their concern? Dr. Brian Manifold.
“I’ve had it!” Sheila snapped. “It’s not right! He shouldn’t be allowed to go on working as a licensed psychologist. If you don’t do something soon, I’ll quit. I won’t have a drunk doctor’s behavior on my conscience.”
Ray nodded. What more could he do? He loved Brian, but they were right. Something had to be done. “I understand your concerns. Trust me, I’m looking into it. I suggest you jot down some of your experiences with Dr. Manifold and I’ll put them in my report.” Ray paced toward the door. “Now, if you’ll all excuse me, I have a meeting with Dr. Jai in a few minutes to discuss this.”
The group stood in unison and muttered their way out the door and down the hall.
Ray sighed.
The bonfire had just inflamed into an inferno.
****
Brian stood in line at the hospital cafeteria, uneasy.
The staff he’d encountered greeted him with plastic smiles and hurried hellos. Has everyone gone mad?
“Tuna on rye,” he said to the woman behind the counter.
Danielle grabbed a tray behind him. Happy to see a friend, Brian turned to her and smiled. “Danielle, how have you been?”
She looked up, startled. “Oh, Dr. Manifold. I didn’t see you there.”
“Brian,” he said correcting her.
“Right.” She grabbed a salad from the case. “Oh, um…I’ve been fine. How are you?”
Brian peered around the room at the spectators. “I’ve been better.” He leaned closer to her and lowered his voice. “Is it just me, or is everyone acting weird?”
She laughed nervously and followed his gaze. “Um…if you’ll excuse me. I need to…I forgot to…I’ve got to go.” She returned the salad to the case and retreated.
Baffled, Brian watched her white heels click hastily down the hallway. “Has everyone gone nuts?”
“That’s all in how you look at it,” Ray said from behind. He turned to the lady behind the counter. “Turkey sandwich on whole wheat, hold the mayo.” Then to Brian, he added, “Mom is making me watch my cholesterol. I guess my last check up scared her.”
Brian handed the cashier a five. “Don’t you think you’re a little old to care what Mommy thinks?”
The woman reached out to hand him a quarter.
“Keep it.” Brian made a beeline to a booth by the window away from the majority of onlookers.
A moment later, Ray joined him.
“You can’t resist, can you?” Brian asked.
“Resist what?” Ray set his tray down.
“Torturing me.”
Ray grinned. “Look, I won’t bother you long. I just have to ask you something.”
Brian rolled his eyes. “What?”
“Have you been drinking on the job?”
Heat flooded Brian’s face. He slammed his hand on the table, and a saltshaker toppled over. “I’m on my lunch break, Ray. Give it a rest, OK?”
Ray sighed. “Fine. But do you see all these people staring at you?”
Brian quickly glanced over his shoulder, and then back at Ray. “Yeah, what’s their deal, anyway?”
“They’ve all registered complaints against you.”
Heat rose up Brian’s spine, and his heart accelerated. “Complaints about me? Why?”
“They claim you drink on the job, yell at clients, miss and cancel appointments, are constantly late, snap at your fellow workers for no reason, talk to…”
“Enough!” Brian yelled, bounding out of his seat. He grabbed his tray and tossed his untouched sandwich in the trash. “Thanks for a stimulating lunch break, Ray.” Then he turned to the open room and fanned out his arms. “Sign them all up, Doc. Your staff is obviously in need of some serious therapy.”
****
Brian plodded off down the hall.
Ray had pushed Brian in hopes that it would help, not hurt. He needed Brian to see the reality of his actions. But he now realized that Brian existed in a world of denial.
The people in the room stared at Ray, all with the same “I told you so” expressions exhibited across their faces. He nodded, head bowed. He didn’t really feel like eating, either. He would turn in his report, and Brian would be fired. If only Ray could help him. But it was too late now.
“Are you OK?”
He looked up into the most gorgeous and welcoming eyes. “Danielle.”
“May I?” She pointed to the seat across from him.
“Of course.”
She slid in and reached out to touch his hand. A shot of electricity went up his arm. He worked to block it out. Now was not the time. He slowly withdrew his hand and glanced around the room.
She looked, too, obviously realizing how inappropriate that would appear in here. “I saw what happened, and I’m sorry.”
“He’s my friend.”
“I know.” She sighed. “How can I help you?”
Defeat hung heavy on his shoulders. He allowed his gaze to meet hers. The concern there was genuine. “Thank you.”
“For what?”
“For being a friend to me.”
Her gaze dropped to the table.
“Did I say something wrong?”
She shook her head. “No, I’d just like to be more than a friend to you.”
He swallowed, not sure what to say. Of course, he wanted that too, but now?
She raised her head slowly.
A force he hadn’t felt in years drew him to her. Chemistry held them like a blanket. He licked his lips, unable to pull his stare from hers. This was stupid. Really dumb. The cafeteria was filled with gossipers. He inched closer. The smell of vanilla filtered to his nose.
“Excuse me, sir,” his secretary, Elena said.
He jumped back and cleared his throat. “Yes, Elena?”
She glanced from him to Danielle, and then back to him. “I’m sorry to disturb you on your break, but you have that important call you asked for.”
He understood. It was she.
****
The minute Ray was out of sight, Danielle buried her head in her arms. Oh my goodness. If she could scream this second, she would. It was as if some invisible force kept pulling them apart. Lord, is this You? Because if it is, then I need You to take this ache in my heart away. I like him too much.
But part of her knew this wasn’t the ideal time for Ray to be starting a relationship. Maybe God was protecting them. A relationship started under these circumstances would end badly. Right now what Ray needed was a friend, someone to help him walk through everything with Brian.
She frowned. This had been her chance to get Ray to open up about Brian’s behavior, and instead she was baring her soul.
“You eating?”
Danielle sat up and sighed. “Yeah, Merle, I suppose I should grab something.”
“You look tired. Maybe you should clock out early tonight
.”
Maybe she should. “I’ll think about it.”
“Good.” Merle slid across from her and opened a bagged lunch. “I don’t trust the food here. You want some of my homemade chicken bake?”
Danielle stared at the red plastic dish and smiled. Anything to get her mind off where it had been. “Sure. I’d love some.”
****
Brian had gone to three bars before heading home. At least in the company of the inebriated, he was free from death stares.
Driving home now, he mulled over his day, and honestly couldn’t come up with a sound reason why the staff had turned on him. Especially Danielle. They had flirted on several occasions, and she’d always been nice to him.
Work was Brian’s safe place, the one place where he felt normal. Now it was turning into another prison.
He pulled into his driveway and stumbled out of the car. From the corner of his eye, he caught something glimmer. He squinted in the dark, barely making out the silhouette of a car at the end of the cul-de-sac. His house was the last house, and usually didn’t have any traffic. Maybe it was nothing. He shrugged and swaggered up the steps.
Brian’s hand shook. He worked to get the key in the door. The car down the street turned on its lights and Brian stopped. He shaded his eyes, but the car didn’t move. Brian staggered backwards to the lawn. His foot hit a sprinkler head and he fell to the ground. When he stood up, the car was gone.
I must be seeing things. He moved back to the door. He fumbled with his keys, and managed to unlock the door and step inside. The house sat serenely still. He closed the door and crossed to his bedroom, slipped off his shoes and fell into bed. He pulled the covers to his chin and edged his eyes closed. The room spun like the teacups ride at a carnival. Breathing deep, he labored to relax.
His stomach turned over. Brian lunged out of bed and made a dash for the toilet, just in time to be rid of the drink in his system. He lay back at the edge of the porcelain throne and tried to recall happier times.
His mind drifted to when he met Rhonda. It was the first day of the spring semester and she was working part-time at the campus coffee shop at San Diego Christian College.
Dark Cognitions Page 8
