Total pages in book: 96
Estimated words: 92377 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 462(@200wpm)___ 370(@250wpm)___ 308(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 92377 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 462(@200wpm)___ 370(@250wpm)___ 308(@300wpm)
“I want to take a trip down to South Carolina to see my best friend, Beth,” Sarah said.
I looked to Ben. “Okay. Tell me what Sarah just said.”
“Well, she wants to go to South Carolina to visit her single friend, Beth.”
“Yes. Well, Sarah hadn’t mentioned that Beth was single, but it sounds like you heard something important to you. Why is the fact that Beth is single significant?”
“She wants to get away. I get that, and she deserves a break. But she wants to go down and spend time with Beth to recapture what she had before we were together—the single, carefree life. Then she’ll come back and resent us.”
Sarah then told him the things she missed about not having her best friend near her anymore and how she would like to spend her time while visiting. It was clear that what she wanted and what he’d interpreted her trip to mean were very different. But after fifteen minutes of talking it out, she’d put his mind at ease. Communication and trust were getting better each week with these two, and at the end of our session, I suggested that we begin every-other-week sessions rather than weekly.
“You know what I just realized?” Sarah said as Ben helped her put on her coat.
“What’s that?”
“After our video conference sessions end, there’s always a cute little quote on your home page that I read—something that reminds me to do something nice for Ben. We’re not going to have those anymore.”
I smiled. “Actually, we are. The quotes are still updated on my website, but I’ll also be writing them on my door. It was open when you came in, so you probably didn’t notice it. But you should read today’s on your way out.”
Sarah stopped Ben, and together they read the whiteboard after they opened the door. Sarah looked back at me with an odd expression, while Ben smiled from ear to ear.
After they were gone, I grabbed my reading glasses and went to the door, wondering if perhaps I’d spelled something wrong.
I hadn’t, but apparently Drew thought it would be funny to adjust my quote. While I’d written:
Blowing out someone else’s candle doesn’t make you shine brighter.
Today I will make my spouse shine by ___________________.
The board on my door now read:
Blowing someone else makes his day shine brighter.
Today I will make my spouse shine by blowing him.
I’m going to kill Drew.
Chapter 16
Drew
“You are such an asshole!”
“Steve, let me call you back. I think there’s an argument that needs refereeing in the conference room next to me.” I hung up the phone just as Emerie marched into my office to continue her rant. “That type of stuff might be funny with your all-male clients who hire people to dig in their wives’ garbage, but it’s not to mine!”
“What the hell is up your ass?” She looked seriously pissed. But…she also had those glasses on while she was yelling at me. Something about those damn glasses. And I hadn’t noticed it this morning, but that skirt was a bit on the tight side. Red looked good on her.
She tilted her head. “What are you doing?”
“What? What am I doing?”
“You’re checking me out. I just watched you do it. I came in here to yell at you for being an asshole, and you’re checking me out.” She threw her hands up in the air.
“I was admiring your outfit. That’s different than checking you out.”
“Oh, really?” Her hands went to her hips. “How is it different?”
“How is it different?”
“Don’t repeat the question so you can stall for time to make up an answer. How are admiring my outfit and checking me out different?”
There was only one way out of this. “I like you in your glasses.”
“My glasses?”
“Yeah. Your glasses. Are they just for reading?”
She was quiet while she assessed my level of bullshit. Eventually she shook her head. “You think you can diffuse what you’ve done with a compliment, don’t you?”
I’m hoping. “I think you’re a little crazy.”
“I’m crazy?” Her voice rose.
I sat back in my chair, amused. She was fun to play with. Took my mind off other things. “I didn’t think redheads could pull off wearing red.”
She looked down at her skirt and back to me, momentarily perplexed, but then she squinted. “Stop that.”
“What?”
“Trying to soften me by saying nice things.”
“You don’t like compliments?”
“When they’re real, yes. I like them. But when they’re bullshit to distract me? No, I don’t like them at all.”
“I don’t give out bullshit compliments.”
She gave me a face that said she wasn’t buying it. “So you really like my reading glasses?”
“Gives you that sexy librarian look.”
She shook her head. “And my red skirt?”
“To be honest, I don’t give a shit about the color. But it’s tight. And hugs all the right places.”
Emerie’s cheeks started to pink. It made me wonder how her creamy skin would look after I sucked on it a bit.