Page 95 of Fierce-Zander

“Sometimes people who send things this way are afraid of confrontations. I give them a chance to talk to me in an open environment. No judgment or anything. If they don’t like the way things are going, they have the right to end sessions with me or voice concerns and we can try another direction. I don’t hold it against anyone if they don’t agree with me. And sometimes people don’t feel comfortable saying that to me. This could be their expression, however unorthodox.”

He took a deep breath. It made some sense. No, fuck it, it didn’t. Not to his girlfriend. At least in his mind. But he would tone it down. Maybe.

“Has anyone disagreed with you lately? Enough that they’d do this and not admit it at some point?”

“They have, but I’m not going to tell you who they are. I can’t.”

“Regan.”

“No,” she said firmly. “You know I can’t. It’s a piece of paper with hurtful things. Things that could scare me, but I don’t want to jump to conclusions that is their goal. I’ll deal with those when I think it might be.”

“How is that?” he asked. “Just bringing up this letter and asking them what their problem is? Are you going to ask every client since you don’t even know who sent it?”

“Not as simple as that,” she said. “I’ve got a little bit more tact than you do coming in here. Miles and Betsy know us well enough that you ruined it.”

“Ruined what?” he asked, throwing his hands in the air. He was having a hard enough time trying to figure this all out.

“The way we were going to tell them. After the holiday too.”

“What’s a week?” he asked.

“They might tell the Fierces,” she said.

“Which we want them to and I don’t care,” he said. “That is nothing compared to this.”

He had the paper in his fingers and was waving it around.

She stood up and took it out of his hand and laid it on the desk. “Relax,” she said.

Her voice was calm and she took his hand and led him to the couch. She sat next to him and not across from him. If she’d done that he might have stood up and walked out the door.

“It’s hard to do that when I’m worried.”

Her hand was rubbing his leg up and down. “There is nothing to be worried about. Do you trust me?”

“You’re playing me,” he said.

“I’m using my professional training to calm you down so that we can talk about this rationally. I’d think it’s better than my screaming back at you.”

“Do you want to scream at me?” he asked. He would welcome that right now. At least she admitted that she wasn’t as laid back about this as he’d thought and was only putting on a front for Miles and Betsy.

“I believe I did,” she said. “Which is what caused Miles to jump on the same bandwagon as Betsy.”

“I don’t ever lose my cool,” he said. “I’m the one that gave it away.”

“We both did,” she said. “I don’t get snarky like I was.”

“You do it all the time with me,” he said.

“But not where anyone can see. Keeping this secret hasn’t been easy.”

“No reason to continue then,” he said. “But if we tell them both to keep it quiet, Betsy will.”

“Miles will too, but I guess I don’t care anymore. It’s not about them. It’s about us.”

He took a few deep breaths and let them out again. Her hand was still soothing him and it was working.

“It is,” he said. “I’m serious, Regan. I don’t like this.”