I look at him, trying to recall his face. He is Latino and tall, although everyone seems tall to me, and I’m 5’6”.
“I was sitting in the front passenger seat but never took my mask off, so you’re off the hook for not remembering me.” He grins playfully.
I look down at my wine. I take a sip, letting it swirl around my tongue. Oh my, it tastes divine.
Logan quietly sits across from us on the stone ledge in front of the fire. He looks tired, and it appears he is nursing a glass of something strong.Something strong?Those words bring me back to the restaurant that night with Joe Might. I feel tears coming; my old life seems so far away. Joe probably thought I was a flake for never getting his samples to him.
“Hey,” Logan says softly, “you all right?” His sincerity makes me feel a flicker of warmth deep inside.
I quickly nod, not wanting to draw attention to myself.
“Lopez, could you give us a moment?” he asks.
“Sure thing.” Mark rises to his feet. “Talk to you later, Savannah.” He grins like we are good friends
It makes me feel good. Wow, that’s a strange sensation. I really didn’t think that feeling was inside of me anymore.
Logan shifts to Mark’s spot beside me on the floor. “I see you made friends with the moodiest one in the place.” He leans over and fingers Scoot’s ear.
The cat purrs into his palm, and his smile grows. I know the two of them have probably spent some quality time together. I take another sip of my wine, not sure what to do.
He is almost painful to look at, he is so attractive. His eyes are so dark they match his black hair, and his shirt stretches over his broad chest, showing just how fit he is.
I run my hand through my hair, not wanting to gawk and needing something to do. “So, tomorrow marks one week since we last spoke. I hear you haven’t made any progress with Dr. Roberts. That’s disappointing.”
My eyes shift away from his.
“You really need to talk to someone, Savannah. Dr. Roberts has done wonders for people in the past. I’m sure if you give him a chance, you’ll feel a lot better. That is, if you decide to stay.” He pauses and takes a sip of his drink. “It’s all right to let people in. You’re safe now.”
Safe. That’s what everyone keeps telling me.
He suddenly turns his head, looking over my shoulder. “Please excuse me.” He sighs and hops to his feet.
I sit and think about what Logan said, still keeping up my required efforts with the demanding Scoot. My thoughts are soon interrupted by a conversation between two guys sitting near the window. They are talking about the one named Cole again and how he “popped this rat in the face.” The other guy begins to describe another Cole story with so much detail I actually have to get up and walk out of the room. I’ve decided it’s time for bed anyway, and I have heard quite enough.
Dr. Roberts glances at me over his glasses. We are forty minutes into our potentially last session. I am having an internal battle with myself, and a side finally wins. I breathe in deeply and decide to take a leap of faith. At this point, I have nothing to lose and maybe something to gain.
“Purple,” I whisper. His gaze snaps up from his tablet, his eyes narrowing at me.
“Pardon?”
“My favorite color is purple.” My hands twist together; I am feeling uneasy with my decision.
“Well, that’s a pretty color.” He takes a moment to think. “If you could use three words to describe how you’re feeling today, what would they be?”
Only three? I think about it carefully before choosing the words and clear my throat.
“Scared, confused, overwhelmed.”
“All normal to be feeling after what you’ve been through.” He nods. “How do you like it here so far?”
I shrug. “Fine.”
“What do you like most?”
That’s a hard question to answer; there are surprisingly a lot of things. I mean, who wouldn’t love the view, the horses, the lake, the air?
“Lots.”