Page 38 of Not You Again
She snorts and waves it off. “Not all my clothes.”
I give her a stern look. Everything in her life is streamlined as an arrow, pointing straight at her goals. Making her own clothes must be another cost-saving measure.
She rolls her eyes at me and stuffs some shirts in a dresser drawer. “I like dresses and skirts with pockets. They’re harder to find than you think. I don’t make anything special.”
Fucking pockets. I’ve never seen anyone deny their own genius with the excuse of pockets before. Does she not understand how special she is? Before I can argue my point, there’s a knock at our door. Cassidy suggests I answer it, which means she knows who’s on the other side.
I open the door for Dr. Kenneth Leon, one of the show’s hosts and therapists. He’s in a sharp suit with a polka dot bow tie, and his smile is blinding. “Hi, Kit.” He shakes my hand firmly and comes into the apartment. Cassidy has wrangled Andie from the bedroom and asks us both to sit on the couch in the living room.
Dr. Leon takes the uncomfortable-looking chair by the window. He tugs on his lapels before saying, “It’s good to see you both. It’s been a while, hasn’t it?”
“Since our interviews, I think.” Andie nods, folding her hands in her lap. Both Dr. Leon and Dr. Shaw had interviewed us individually, almost a month ago now, before they made their final picks for the show.
Dr. Leon leans his elbow on the arm of the chair and gives us both a curious look. Sunlight glints on the lenses of his gold wire-rimmed glasses. Finally, he says, “Before I ask about the honeymoon, I heard that you two aren’t strangers at all.”
“It’s been ten years since I saw him,” Andie says with a sweet smile. “We might as well be strangers. Right?” She looks at me for confirmation.
I shrug. Despite the way I told her our past was ancient history, all our moments together keep flooding back. It’s a tidal wave I can’t outrun.
“But you dated each other; is that right?” Dr. Leon frowns.
“We did,” I confirm it. “For a few months.”
“Why did it end the first time?” He rests his chin on his fist, ready to wait us out.
I look at Andie, and surprise flashes in her eyes. I clear my throat and tell Dr. Leon, “A lot of things happened at once.”
Andie adds, “We were twenty-one. Kids. How often do those relationships work out, you know?”
Dr. Leon nods sagely. “That’s true, but for you to form a lasting, deep connection now, you’re going to need to make peace with your past together.”
“Ten years apart isn’t peaceful?” Andie asks, her voice teasing. She’s trying to keep things light, but I don’t miss her pulse pounding in her throat.
“You are here for the right reasons, aren’t you?” Dr. Leon won’t let her get away with it.
“I don’t understand.” I lean forward with my elbows on my knees. “Are you suggesting that we … planned this?”
“People have done wilder things to be on TV, son.” Dr. Leon shrugs.
I can’t help but let out a puff of laughter.
“What’s so funny?” Andie asks, her brows drawing together.
“I’m here because my mom asked me to give it a shot.” I shake my head and press my thumb against my lip. I watch Andie to gauge her reaction. She frowns. “She was diagnosed with breast cancer and knew I would do anything to make her happy. She said she wanted to see me settled and gave me the application for the show.”
“That’s sweet, I guess.” Andie wrinkles her nose. “You must be really close with her.”
“I am.” I nod.
“Andie, why are you here?” Dr. Leon asks.
She looks at her hands in her lap and stays quiet. I know why she’s here, because she told me. But she’s not about to tell Dr. Leon that she’s here for the divorce money that’s hidden in the show’s contract. Someone’s phone buzzes in their pocket, but it’s ignored.
“Andie?”
“I think”—she spins her wedding ring around her finger—“despite everything I’ve experienced, I do want to believe that love exists. The forever kind.”
I swallow. I want to believe she means that.