Page 15 of Taming a Menace
“You better fix your tone. What are you doing in bed, Keywan? You were supposed to be in therapy this morning.”
“Ma, it’s not therapy. It’s anger management, and it’s not until nine,” I explained.
“It’s nine fifteen, boy. That’s why I’ve been calling you. I wanted to make sure you got up and out of the house on time.”
Her revelation made my eyes pop open.
“Shit,” I hissed after looking at my phone screen and verifying that it was in fact nine fifteen.
Jumping out of bed, I scrambled to find a shirt and a pair of shoes to put on so I could run out of the house.
“Stop all that cursing and get yourself up.”
“I am, Ma. Love you. I need to go.”
“Call me when you get out of class.”
“I will,” I said, hitting the end button before tossing my phone on the bed.
I grabbed my shoes and stuffed my feet in them without bothering to put on any socks. As I headed out of my room, I snatched my phone off the bed. I plucked my keys from the ring next to the front door as I rushed straight out of the house. The building where they held the sessions was only a ten-minute drive from me. With any luck I wouldn’t be too late.
Three
Iyla (Eye-la) Fisher
Breaking my number one rule had been my first mistake. For the past three years, I had been dating the man of my dreams. Doctor Wyatt Lowe was the most fascinating man I had ever had the privilege of meeting. He grew up in the projects across town from where I lived, and we had never crossed paths until I interviewed for a job at his practice.
After leaving a toxic ass job I’d taken on as a school counselor, working for Doctor Lowe was a welcomed reprieve. The long hours and high demands to diagnose kids with something treatable by medications rather than to figure out the root cause of their behaviors sent me running for the hills after a few school terms.
On my current job, more attention was paid to analyzing rather than medicating. Many of our patients easily found relief in treatment plans that included journaling, meditation, and getting to the bottom of their problems. Granted I had nothing against medication, but it was never my first instinct to shove a bunch of pills down someone’s throat.
Doctor Lowe believed in holistic treatments as well as pharmaceuticals. I felt at home as soon as I strolled into the lobby of Full Circle Wellness Center. Listening to Wyatt talk about how he wanted to revolutionize the way people saw mental health literally made me swoon. I never worked and played in the same place. It was a rule that I’d learned years ago working fast food and seeing the awkwardness that followed a coworker-on-coworker relationship once it went bad.
As far as I could tell, the best outcome from a situation like that resulted in one of them quitting or having to face each other every day once they started to hate each other’s guts. It only took Wyatt a few weeks to convince me to go on a date with him.
Since he owned the clinic and technically didn’t have a no fraternization policy in place, I felt comfortable entertaining him. One dinner invitation led to thirty-four months of bliss. He was a dream. I was used to guys trying to take advantage of me or use me for what I could do for them.
My boyfriend before Wyatt lived with me for four years, allowing me to put him through school while he worked part time. I didn’t mind carrying the weight for a while because we were a team. When he asked me to marry him, I was the happiest woman in the world. I couldn’t wait for him to finish school so we could get married. That was our plan, or at least I thought it was.
I didn’t mind waiting for him to get on his feet because after the wedding, I was going back to school for my doctorate. Well as soon as that nigga was standing up, he bounced on me like a kangaroo. I could count the number of users and abusers that I had dealt with over the years. Fuck waiting for someone to get on their feet; now I only dated men who were already standing.
Wyatt was a breath of fresh air. He wined and dined me. He showed me off to his friends. He took me on trips and dates. He allowed me to be soft and carefree. More than anything, though,Wyatt respected me as a professional. He valued my opinion and actually listened when I spoke. I loved how much he just took the time to pay attention.
Wyatt and I had been living together for the past two years. He’d been asking questions about my favorite places to visit and my ideal date for the past couple of weeks. I felt like an engagement was in the balance, but I refused to set myself up for disappointment by expecting a ring. Things were perfect just the way they were. The formalities would come in time.
Although it was Saturday, Wyatt had been at a conference all day. I was always invited, but I only made the mistake of attending one of those boring ass seminars once. It didn’t take long for me to realize that wasn’t my scene. I was as big of a mental health nerd as the next therapist, but I had to draw the line somewhere.
I checked my lipstick in the mirror and smoothed a stray hair before turning off the bathroom light and heading out. Wyatt and I had reservations at his favorite restaurant, Lou’s Steakhouse, at seven. The conference was supposed to let out at five thirty. Since it was an hour away, Wyatt was meeting me there. Just as he crossed my mind, my phone rang. I smiled as I turned it over in my hand and slid the icon to answer it.
“Hey, babe. I’m about twenty minutes out. Have you left the house yet?” he asked.
“I’m walking out the door right now.”
“OK, we should get there around the same time. I can’t wait to see you.”
“I was just thinking the same thing.” I smiled.
Wyatt had only been gone since last night, and I already missed him like crazy. It was always good to see that the feelings were mutual. I smiled as I thought about seeing my man in just a matter of minutes. When I stepped outside, I noticed a flyer or something on my car.
