Page 86 of His Temptation
There’s also the fact that I don’t want anyone asking why I do this. That’s personal and not something that’s on the table to discuss.
“I guess I have a couple of minutes before my next client. I’ll walk out with you.”
We walk toward the door, and I open it, letting him lead the way out to the waiting area. I pull out my phone and check my emails as I hear him talking to who I assume is his sister.
“Scott,” Ben’s voice says as he gets closer, “this is my sister, Kylie.”
I look up from my phone when I hear the name. There she is. Standing in her work clothes, like me, just coming from the office. Her eyes open wide with astonishment. Her mouth is slack as she just stares at me, frozen in place.
A cold, hard jolt of shock runs through me. This is Ben’s sister. This is the Ben she’s been talking about for months. I can’t even process the information. Beyond the shock comes something much worse—fear.
Not the kind I am used to, the kind I can control—calculated risks, business gambles, high-stakes negotiations. No, this is different. This ispersonal.
If she finds out—if shelearnsabout my struggles—it won’t just be another piece of information. It will be a crack in the armor I’ve spent years perfecting. A glimpse into the parts of me I’ve kept buried. Once she sees, once sheunderstands… there would be no taking it back.
“Kylie,” I say through the fear and extend my hand, “nice to meet you.”
She looks down at her brother, then back up at me. “What are you doing here?”
Ben’s face scrunches. “Do you know him?”
“Oh, um”—she hesitates—“yeah. He is actually, um, my boss.”
Ben’s face lights up. “My sister works for you. Cool!”
Despite how much I hate this, I smile at him. “Yes, she does.”
“I’m confused.” She waves her hands in the air. “I thought your name was Scott.”
I sigh. “That’s my middle name. I use it for anonymity.”
“Oh, I see.” She falls silent for a moment.
Ben looks between us warily. “Welllll, is it okay if he comes to my basketball game on Saturday?”
“Sure,” she says delicately. “If that’s what you want.”
Her attention comes back to me. “Lincoln, I just … I don’t know what to say.”
I tuck my hands into my pockets. I can’t have this conversation with her out here, in front of her brother and out in the open, where anybody can hear.
“What are you doing here? How are you a therapist?” she asks, lowering her voice. “You never mentioned this to me in all the times I set up your schedule.”
The blood begins to pound in my temples. I feel unwelcome redness creep up on my cheeks. It reminds me of how I used to feel when my parents would tell me to go to my room if they were having guests over or told me to hang back from going on a family outing where others would be.
Embarrassment is not something I’m used to. Once I kicked my stutter, I inserted myself into situations where I knew I would have the upper hand. Where I knew I’d control the room and nobody was going to make me feel like this.
“Look, Kylie, I can’t do this here. Now. It’s not an appropriate place. Thank you for giving me permission to come to Ben’s game on Saturday. I look forward to being there.” I look down at Ben, who has turned noticeably wary of our exchange. “Good luck on Saturday. I’ll be there, rooting for you.”
Ben smiles softly, his usually bright demeanor gone. “Thanks, Sc-Sc-Scott. Uhhh … do … do I still call you Scott?”
My shoulders fall when I see how much our energy is affecting him. His stutter makes it obvious that he’s not comfortable. It makes me feel like a total dick.
I rest my hand on his shoulder. “We’ll talk about that together next Thursday. I don’t want you worrying about that or any of this. Okay? None of this has any effect on the fact that I’m your therapist and I’m here for you, no matter what.”
“Okay,” he replies quietly.
“Bye, Kylie,” I say quickly.
