Page 8 of Trial Run

Nell’s expression had been so bright as she’d handed him the flowers. If he hadn’t heard her bleak description of her morning a few minutes before, he’d almost have believed her smile was real.

The huge tip had probably been a mistake. She might not want a stranger offering her money. But he couldn’t do nothing, not after what she’d told him about being evicted and her son being sick.

She’d seen him at his worst, and hadn’t judged him. She was, in fact, the only person who knew the state of him right now. Her eyes appeared in his mind throughout the day, distracting him from work.

The obvious way to ease his conscience and get her out of his head was to help her out. Then he wouldn’t feel this nagging sense of worry that she wasn’t okay. He’d never see her again, anyway.

In a few short minutes, she’d changed his situation, though. He’d sat with her on his porch and told her the ridiculous truth.

I seem to be having problems,he’d said. And saying it aloud made it that much more real.

His laptop chirped with a video call a few minutes after he’d settled at his desk upstairs, and Vanessa’s face appeared on the screen when he clicked the answer button.

“Ben, it’s been forever.” Her voice was cheerful and upbeat, but her brows lowered with worry. As the co-founder of the clinic and his long-time friend, she’d seen all his moods, and her current level of concern was not comforting. She leaned in closer to her screen, as if she could examine him through it, her auburn waves filling the entire screen. Her cat-eye reading glasses made her green eyes look comically large.

“It has been awhile.” Ben tried to project confidence in his tone, keeping his arms relaxed on the armrests of the desk chair.

“And how are things going there? Work’s not too fast-paced?” Now she was using her therapist’s voice on him, never a good sign. It was the kind of question you’d ask a pleasant stranger, and Vanessa had known him forever.

“Good. I’ve had a couple of new clients come on board this month.”

“Good. That’s good. And … working from home is still your preference right now?”

“Quit beating around the bush and ask what you really want to ask,” he snapped. If she wanted to pry, she should go ahead and try it, rather than treating him like one of her patients.

“Fine.” She flopped back in her pink velvet wingback chair and gave a dramatic sigh. “Damn it, Ben. I wish you’d talk to me about what’s going on.”

At least she sounded more like herself now.

Ben cleared his throat and prepared his usual excuses. Oh, but they were getting harder to spit out.

“I’ve told you. I have a few extra things on my plate right now, and working from home is more flexible. But I’d like to come in one day soon to make sure everything’s in order at the clinic. I’ll schedule a time with Cameron.”

“Only one day, though?” She cocked her head to the side.

“I’ll start with one and see how it goes.” Most likely, it wouldn’t go. At all.

Vanessa drew in a breath, started to say something else, then closed her mouth. A minute later, she tried again.

“Ben. How you run your practice is your business. And I don’t want to pry into your private life. Even though we’ve been friends for … How long was it?” She tapped her chin with a finger, pretending to think. “Ten years?”

“So don’t. Don’t pry. Trust that I know what I’m doing.” He had no idea what he was doing.

“Okay.” She drew in a breath, focusing on the camera. “And what about the conference in Chicago next month? Are you still planning on going to accept the award?”

The Well Space had been nominated for a national award, recognizing their innovations in therapy and the patient experience. But getting on a plane to attend the conference would be about as easy as getting to the moon.

“I don’t have the plane tickets yet, but I’ll get them booked soon.” He swallowed. “But it wouldn’t be a bad idea to have a backup person, in case—”

“A backup person?” Her voice rose sharply. “That’s not a good idea, and you know it. People come to those conferences to see you. If we win the award, you have to be the one to accept it.”

“I know I’m the one who wrote the books—”

“You put The Well Space on the map.”

“But you and I came up with the concept for the space together. We started it as partners. It’s your place as much as mine, and you know it.”

“It is, but I’m not the one people want to see. You’ve always been the face of the clinic. If you can’t go, we’ll need to cancel the clinic’s attendance altogether.” Vanessa made a slashing gesture across the camera.

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