Page 226 of Love in Riverbend
That makes me grin. “She said she had a date with a bath.”
“Yeah, you fucked up, because when a woman turns to her tub, she’s pissed off.”
“What can I do?”
“I guess you have two options.”
“Two options for what?” Max asks as he steps into the kitchen. His hair is wet, and he’s wearing black pants and a shirt with the shoe store’s moniker on his chest.
“Rich pissed off his girlfriend,” Kyla says.
“Wait.” My roommate stops and lifts his arms. “Since when do you have a girlfriend?”
“She’s not my girlfriend. She’s a girl and a friend.”
“Does she know that she’s not a girlfriend?” Kyla asks.
“Yes. I mean, she does. We’ve never put labels on things. No strings.”
Kyla looks at Max, and they both nod knowingly.
“What?” I ask, ready to take the rest of my coffee and muffin back to the safety and serenity of my room.
Kyla hops down from the stool, goes to Max, pushes up on her tiptoes, and, lifting her hand, ruffles Max’s wet curls. “Thanks for a place to stay.”
His expression when he looks down at her is somehow different from any expression I’ve ever before witnessed. “Anytime.”
Maybe there is something between these two.
When Kyla turns back to me, she has one fist on her hip. “Let me share a secret with you, Rich. A woman doesn’t soak in a long, hot bath over a friend.” She shakes her head. “Nope. It doesn’t happen. Maybe the real issue is that she wants more than you want.”
“I’m one hundred percent certain that isn’t true. She wants nothing to do with me.”
“Listen, I’m not saying that she’s lying to you. I’m saying that she’s probably trying to convince both you and her that she wants nothing to do with you.”
I’m wondering if a woman I just met in my kitchen is really that insightful about someone she’s never met. “How do you know this, other than being a woman?”
“Being a woman is in itself a criterion.”
Max grins. “I’m not sure who you think Kyla is.” Before I can answer without upsetting everyone, he goes on. “Her professional title is Doctor Kyla.” He grins. “Dr. Brenner.”
“As in your last name?” I ask.
“I’m his sister, and when I’m not staying at my brother’s apartment, I work as a psychotherapist. My specialty is relationship counseling.”
“Well, shit,” I stutter. “You’re a real doctor?”
“I have a PhD, so yes, a real doctor. I can’t heal your broken arm, but I can help with broken hearts. By the way, that session will be $300. I’ll have my receptionist bill you.”
With my lips together, I move my eyes between Max and Kyla, wondering if she’s serious, and also, how one sibling can have her doctorate while the other is a professional mall worker.
“I’m teasing about the bill,” Kyla says, making me smile.
“How the hell are you two siblings?”
Max goes to the microwave and takes the last muffin. “I know. It’s uncanny. What can I say? I’m fortunate to have the happy-go-lucky genes. Kyla got stuck with our dad’s overachieving DNA.”
I turn to Kyla. “Dr. Brenner, where is the line between trying to make it right and stalking? Right now, I want to go to her workplace with a dozen roses and beg for forgiveness.”
