Page 94 of The Lessons

“Honest.”

“So, you wouldn’t mind ending it with her?”

I paused. End it? Like, not see her again?Hell, no.I was planning on dragging out these lessons as long as I could. Or at least until I could figure out a way to transition ourwhatever we were doingto something in the real world.

“That wouldn’t be fair to the client, Lisa, and you know that.”

“You said you’d achieved penetration,” Lisa countered.

“Right, but you know as well as anyone that there is more to intimacy than merely sex.” I sat back, trying to seem nonchalant. “She’s still extremely tentative, hesitant. There are a lot of issues there that we need to work through.”

Lisa eyed me, analyzing my little speech in her mind. “Okay, you know what? I don’t believe you for a minute. But in the interest of professionalism, I’ll letwhatever is going on thereslide.Ifyou help me with something.”

I gritted my teeth. “There is nothinggoing on there,Dr. Lerner, so why should I help you?”

“I don’t know about that,Mr. Andrews. If I remember correctly, you are due to graduate in a few weeks. You wouldn’t wantthe deanto find out about this, after all your years of hard work, correct?”

I sighed. She was using her one gun. The singular reason I’d stay in this room and tolerate this nonsense. “What the fuck do you want, Lisa?”

“I’m pregnant,” she said, patting her belly.

I squinted at her stomach, which was as flat as ever. “And this affects me how, exactly? Hate to break it to you, Lis, but I’m a sex therapist—I know how the birds and the bees work. Besides, it’s been almost eight years, so if you are thinking about...”

“Yeah, thanks. I almost forgot,” she said, her sarcasm obvious.

I frowned.

“No, I mean, I think I can ignore this little transgression of yours, if you’re able to help me with something…”

I looked at her. She looked very respectable and professional, sitting there in her navy trousers with her hair up in a bun. So why did I have the distinct feeling I was about to make a deal with the devil?

“Why would I help you with anything? I haven’t done anything wrong.”

“Yet.” She raised one eyebrow at me. “You haven’t done anything wrong, yet. Ry, a few weeks ago you came to me, asking for Natalie to be transferred, and now, well… Let’s just say I could understand why you’d want to keep this off my dad’s radar. Besides, I just need a little favor. Tiny, really.”

I sighed. This was one of the reasons we had broken up so quickly years ago. The second things would go wrong, she’d wave the threat of her dad—my department chair—over my head. “What, Lisa?”

“Well, Mr. Baby Daddy is getting divorced.”

“So?”

“And the knowledge he cheated on his wife could tilt the settlement in her favor.”

“I don’t understand,” I started.

“I need you to be my cover,” she said, very matter-of-factly.

It took a minute for the request to sink in, but when it did, I drew back. “You want me to pretend to bethe father of your child?” I wasn’t merely incredulous, I was disgusted. “No. Absolutely not.”

She leaned forward and moved her hands back and forth in the air. “Not forever. Just until Mrs. Baby Daddy is convinced you knocked me up. Then we can ‘break up,’ and you’d be free to go.”

“I’m busy, Lisa. I graduate in a month. Why can’t we just ‘break up’right now?”

“Because I’m friends with them both, and the wife is already suspicious of me.”

I glanced down at Lisa’s stomach. “For good reason, it seems.”

“Those in glass houses, Mr. Therapist-who-has-a-crush-on-his-client,” she spat.

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