Page 39 of Fierce-Zander

“Yes,” he said, smirking, his eyes taking in her face. The loose waves in her hair were flowing down her back. Her light blue eyes were like a clear spring day. “Aren’t you going to be upfront and admit the same?”

“Of course I am,” she said. “No reason to shy away from a fact. It’s human nature to be drawn to someone’s physical appearance first.”

Zander snorted over the clinical straight-faced way she’d delivered those words.

He pursed his lips and nodded his head and answered in the same dry tone. “Of course.”

Then they both burst out laughing.

“You’re funny,” she said.

“The same,” he said to her.

They ate their dessert in silence for a minute. He knew he had to work things out in his mind and she probably was doing the same.

Might not be a good thing that they both had that in common.

“I’ll be serious,” she said. “Or sort of. What is it that we have to talk about? We’ve had two dates. I like you. I think you like me.”

He winked at her. “I sure do. More so after this dinner.”

“Agreed,” she said. “Would I like another date? Absolutely. But we both have very busy careers that take up a lot of our time. I’m not someone that is going to hold a grudge if something is planned and has to be canceled.”

“That’s a good start,” he said, feeling relieved.

“I’m going to assume this is an issue with you? Or has been in the past?”

“About the same as it’s an issue that men think you are doing an assessment on a few dates.”

“If we want to be technical. Doesn’t everyone do a personal assessment on a date?”

“They absolutely do,” he said.

“Which makes it unfair of men to accuse me of something they were doing also. I think they were just jealous I have better assessment skills.”

He had to laugh at her comment with a massive grin. “I’d say we are evenly matched but in different aspects.”

“I’d agree with that,” she said. “You’re coming at it from a secret aspect. At least I think so. You are looking for what someone might be hiding or a hidden agenda. It’s your job to find things. Discover things.”

“Your job also,” he said. He might not have liked that she called him out on trying to find more of a negative light in people’s actions though it was true.

“It is,” she said. “My job oftentimes is to get people to admit their own strengths and weaknesses. I know it’s a misconception that a therapy session is about correcting behaviors. What people don’t realize is sometimes it’s what they think is positive is negative or vice versa. It could be just looking at life differently once you know that information.”

“I can see that,” he said. “I wouldn’t have until you said it. Meaning someone could come to you with OCD tendencies and you point out they are strengths that help them overcome ADHD?”

“Absolutely,” she said. “A negative to one person is actually a positive in that person’s life to help them cope. I seem to have a strong couples clientele, but that isn’t all I deal with and don’t advertise it that way.”

“What do you like to do more of?” he asked.

She shrugged. “I think I like it all. It’s good to have a wide range to keep me connected to everything going on. It’s rewarding to see couples working out their problems. Or couples coming to me without serious problems and just wanting to learn to communicate better or in a healthier way.”

“Unlike the woman I directed to Trent’s office.”

She smiled and winked right back at him. He didn’t expect her to give specifics and wouldn’t ask either. It was more of a comment.

“Speaking of that,” she said. “First, I came over to see if you wanted to have dinner with me tonight and not for this otherreason. I don’t want you to think that. It just happened on the same day.”

“What’s that?” he asked.

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