Chapter 9
After leaving Steph in bed, I came into the office early because I needed space. The dream left me so unsettled that I either had to distract myself or figure out my feelings.
When I arrived at work, Ty was already standing inside my office updating my calendar, and it seemed like the best option was to address my stress.
“Will you close the door?” I asked Ty, and he happily did.
“What’s the goss?” He was as bad as a schoolgirl at a slumber party.
“There’s no goss. I just needed to talk to you for a minute.”
He pouted as he sat down. “Work stuff?”
I should have toyed with him a little longer since he was being a baby, but I had other things to do.
“No. Something weird happened last night, and I need to figure out how to handle it.”
“I love weird. Okay, go.” He propped his elbows on his knees with his face in his hands.
I blurted out the dream before I thought better of it.
When I finished, he was leaning covering his mouth in shock. “So, who was it? Was it Steph? I bet it wasn’t Steph.”
I didn’t like him knowing it wasn’t Steph before I even said it. I wondered if he thought that because of our conversation yesterday or if he didn’t think Steph and I belonged together, either. That would be something I would have to ask a different day.
“She probably wasn’t a real person. I mean, it was just a dream? But you’re right, it wasn’t Steph, that much I’m sure of. This person had light-brownish hair, and it was shorter. Nothing like Steph’s strawberry-blonde mane. But it doesn’t matter. It didn’t mean anything, right?” I wasn’t sure why I needed his two cents, but I did.
The longing for the person was so real, and it was as if I ached to be with them. The guilt of knowing I didn’t feel that way about Steph was gnawing at me.
He stroked his chin as if he were thinking, and I fought the urge to tell him just to say it. “I’ve heard about this before. They’re called something like ‘vivid dreams.’ And from the sounds of it, they are sparked by real events. So maybe it does mean something. Maybe you’re dreaming about someone you’re supposed to be with.”
His words did nothing to absolve me from my fears.
“That’s ridiculous. I haven’t even met anyone new to dream about. Unless this person was my sixty-year-old client in disguise.” I was confident there was no way this was Mrs. Harris.
“No one said it had to be a person you recognize. Maybe it’s someone your subconscious knows.” He was getting oddly philosophical, and I worked under logical reasoning.
“Nope. I think after our conversation yesterday, I was so in my head about my relationship, and after I had sex with Steph last night, my mind went a little off the rails.”
He scrunched his face as if disgusted. “For the record, I don’t need to hear how you bumped uglies. That’s something I’ll have to bleach from my brain.”
“That’s your own fault for picking that piece of information to focus on. But like I said, my mind was playing tricks on me, and now I’m feeling bad about it.”
“Whatever you think. You asked my opinion, and I told you, but you do you, boo boo.”
I swallowed my annoyance and pushed out a smile. Zen, Zen, Zen. “Thank you for listening, Ty. You’ve been a big help. Can you please pull the files I need for today?”
“Okay. I see how it is. I’m not wearing my friend hat anymore. It’s back to ‘yes, boss, I’ll get right on it, boss.’” He half curtsied, half bowed.
“You’re ridiculous.” I laughed at him as he walked out of my office.
Once he was gone, I reclined in my chair and picked up my stress ball, one of about twenty I’d gone through this year alone. As I was thinking about my day and what I needed to accomplish, my mind kept wandering back to last night.
The sex with Steph was pretty amazing and also a stress reliever, but I couldn’t stop thinking about that dream. That intense sensation… What was it? Desire? Surely not. I mean, if Steph didn’t float my boat, I had to be straight. She was gorgeous.
And this person in my dream, I had no clue what she looked like. It couldn’t mean anything… could it? No. This was stupid. Ty put these crazy thoughts in my head, and now I was questioning things that didn’t even matter. I needed to focus on work. Then, tonight, I would concentrate on Steph.
I turned on my computer and organized the documents for my clients today. Ty had scheduled two consultations that would take place later this afternoon. Right now, I would draft a prenup and power of attorney for review. Hopefully, it would be a pretty light day, and I’d get home at a decent hour because Steph and I could use some more quality time. I was afraid to think about what would happen if I?—
“Knock, knock,” Greg announced as he tapped on the door.
This was not what I needed today. I let out an exhale as I said, “Woosa” under my breath.
“Greg, please come in.” I motioned toward the wingback chair but hoped he didn’t take that as an invitation to stay awhile.
He walked in and sat down. Then he proceeded to pick up a picture of Steph that was on the small end table next to him. “So, I dropped by to see what your schedule was like today.” He gave me a forced smile as he put the photo back.
I wanted to tell him to stop checking out my girlfriend, but it didn’t matter. Let him be jealous.
“I have a couple of consults this afternoon. Did you need something?” Why did I open that door?
“Actually, yes. I have a client coming in around six o’clock tonight, but something came up, and I have to leave early today. Personal issue. I’m going to need you to cover it. It’s a basic trust. This is the initial intake, so you have to get their asset information and who the grantor and beneficiaries will be. You’re aware of what info to get, right?” His condescending tone was enough to cause a fire inside me, but I managed to tamp it down before exploding.
“Of course. That’s what I get paid for.” I hoped he couldn’t hear the contempt in my voice.
“Great. I’ll draw up the document for them and see it through; you won’t have to worry about that. I’m sorry to spring this on you, but since you are the newest partner… you understand.” He sat there with a smug grin as if waiting for me to argue.
“I get it. And I’m more than happy to cover for you tonight. I hope you’re able to handle your personal matter.” I stood up as if to signify this little chat was over. He seemed to get my drift and followed suit.
“Since I’ll be working late tonight, I should probably grab some food. So, if there isn’t anything else…” I let that hang there, hoping he would take the hint to leave.
He headed toward the door while I leaned against my desk, arms folded across my chest. “No. That’s all. I should be back tomorrow, and we can discuss it then. I’ll have my assistant contact yours to schedule a time that will work for both of us.”
With that, he exited my office, and I let out a sigh mixed with “Woosa” again, but it wasn’t helping.
I went to find Ty sitting at his desk, talking on the phone. “Yeah, okay. Yes, I’ll check her schedule, certainly. Okay. I’ll put you down for Thursday the 24th. Toodles.”
“Toodles? Are you a ten-year-old girl? Who in God’s name says ‘toodles’? What was that even for?”
“Don’t hate me.” He held up his hands, and I realized my day was about to get worse.
“Don’t make me hate you, and I won’t.” I had lost all patience after holding back so much with Greg.
“I’m sorry. It was your mom again, and you have a lunch date set up with her in a couple of weeks. Maybe you should call her more. She said she misses you.” He let out a manic laugh, and I wanted nothing more than to scream “fuck my life.”
“Whatever. That isn’t even worth a response. You can figure some excuse out later to cancel.”
“Blake. If you cancel, she’ll just call back. Why don’t you bite the bullet and get it over with? At least that should hold her off for a few months.” He was right, but that didn’t make it easier for me.
Seeing her every quarter was overkill. Once a year would do, and I could throw in a couple of cards.
“I don’t have time to get into my issues with Mommy Dearest. Don’t worry, I’ll figure out how to handle it.” Even though Ty was aware of some of the stuff my mom had said to me, I never let him see how much she actually wounded me. I was good at saving face and wouldn’t change that now.
“But let’s get out of here. It’s lunchtime, and since you’re my best friend, you’re coming with me.” I waved him on, and he hesitated. “Don’t worry, I’m buying.”
A huge smile crossed his face as he jumped up. “Okay, sounds good. I’m starving.”
“Well, you better eat a lot because Greg has us covering a late meeting while he takes care of a ‘personal issue.’”
“Personal issue, my ass,” Ty mumbled, and I pulled him out of the office so we could speak freely.
“What does that mean?” I asked once we were a safe distance from listening ears.
“Shelia told me he has a poker game tonight. And since he couldn’t bill much for the initial meeting, he wanted to dump it on someone. I didn’t realize that someone was you, but I should have. He doesn’t seem to like you much.” He shrugged. “But what can you do? So, where are we headed for lunch?”
“I can’t believe that guy. If I had known?—”
“I’m gonna stop you right there. If you’d known, you wouldn’t have done anything differently. You pretty much have to make nice because you’re still the low man on the totem pole. So, buck up, buttercup, and let’s grab some food. Something expensive to lessen our pain.”
I rolled my eyes. He had no shame whatsoever.
The sun was bright in the sky as we continued walking toward downtown. There were people everywhere fighting to get to their destination. An array of scents mingled together: street food mixed with exhaust and the occasional hint of blooming flowers.
“Do you ever want to leave New York?” I had no idea where that came from, but I had a thought of being somewhere less hectic—like a cabin in the woods.
“Not really. I mean, our entire life is here.” He looked at me questioningly.
“Yeah, but wouldn’t being out in the middle?—”
I was suddenly motionless, and the world was fading around me. Birds were chirping, and a cool breeze was blowing off a body of water… a lake. I looked around, and I was in the wilderness, alone, but she was present—the girl from my dream. I tried to speak, but my voice caught in my throat. I turned to see where she was. Who she was. But nothing.
Then firm hands were gripping my shoulders, shaking me. Someone was trying to get my attention. And as quickly as the sensation started, it stopped.
“Blake!” Ty’s voice brought everything into focus.
I was back on the sidewalk, and everything was right in the world, except for the curse words thrown at me for being in the way.
“What are you doing?” Ty kept shaking me. “Why did you stop in the middle of the crowd? People had to dodge you, and the words spewing out of their mouths weren’t ‘excuse me.’” He chuckled as he guided me away from everyone. “Were you possessed?” he joked, but I wasn’t sure he was wrong.
“Ty, you’ll never believe me. I don’t even believe me.”
“Let’s go inside here and talk.” He opened the door to a little shop called Tea-Riffic to get us away from the lunch rush.
I scanned the place, and seeing that it was empty, I appeared safe from eavesdroppers.
“You can tell me anything, Blake. I’ll always believe you. Even if I laugh at you first.” He could never be serious, but that had always been our friendship.
“It’s hard to describe. This weird sensation came over me like I wanted to get out of the city and go off-grid. Then, the next thing I knew, I was in the woods by a lake with a cabin.”
“That’s it? You just went into a daydream about the great outdoors?” He seemed skeptical, and I needed to tell him the rest of it or it wouldn’t make sense.
“That’s not only it. She was there.”
His eyes widened. “She as in not Steph she?”
I sighed. “Can you please stop bringing that fact up? We don’t know if she is real, but I can always tell when it’s her because the same sensation comes over me. It’s like I’m frozen, but everything inside me is alive, buzzing with excitement.”
“That’s bizarre. Do you think something triggered it?”
“Honestly, I have no clue. But I need to figure it out to ensure it doesn’t happen again. It was like I had no control over my body, which would be horrible if it happened while I was with a client.”
He ran a hand through his wavy hair. “There has to be a reason for it, so I doubt it would randomly happen when you were with a client. Maybe we should do some research. Maybe it’s like astral projection or something.”
“That sounds like fake news, and I don’t believe in that. I’m guessing it’s more from a lack of sleep and possibly low blood sugar, which is why I need sustenance now. Let’s leave this weird little shop and get some food and drinks.”
“All right, but now I’m in the mood for a steak dinner!”He cheered, and I laughed.
“How about steak tacos?”
He groaned. “Well, that sucked the wind from my sail, and not in a good way, either. But I guess I’ll settle for that… now. But you can buy me some margars after. Besides, drinking might help trigger an ‘episode,’ and we can figure out who or what is messing with your subconscious,” he said with a shit-eating grin on his face as if my predicament was his entertainment.
“As much fun as it sounds to have you analyze me, with absolutely no experience dealing with something like this, I will have to take a hard pass. I’m already afraid Steph will be pissed I’m working late, and I don’t want to make it worse by coming home shithammered. So, you’ll have to fly solo tonight. Let’s grab our food and get back to the office before anything else odd can happen.”
We ordered our tacos and then headed back to strap in for what I imagined would be an utterly uneventful night that Greg weaseled out of just to flex his seniority.