Tessa's Escape to Athena's Ground(8)

                “Oh no,” she’d said. “I’m not qualified. But stay with me, girl. I will find you the right person.”

                “Half mother and half drill sergeant,” Tessa had told her. “I need tough love. Someone like you.”

                Shawntay had promised to explore “less traditional” therapy, if that’s what Tessa wanted.

                As Tessa stared at David’s invitation to meet, she wished she had a therapist. She needed that combination of insight and tough love to get her head straight. And she desperately wanted her head straight before she screwed things up with David.

                David,

                I’d love to meet you. Unfortunately, I’ll be out of town most of next week, she lied. Please, please say you’ll give me a rain check.



                             Tessa

                PS: pressure for a rain check : - )





                ***

                Tessa was finishing a sketch when the call from Shawntay came.

                “Sorry to bother you during work hours. Can you talk?”

                “Just a minute.”

                Tessa shut her office door and took a seat behind the smooth, mahogany desk she and Mark had picked out five years ago. She pushed aside fabric swatches and design images that had consumed her only moments ago. She shifted her focus to the phone in her hand. Shawntay respected Tessa’s concern about privacy at work. She wouldn’t have called the office if it wasn’t important. “Okay. What’s up?”

                “Can you meet with me after work tonight? I have a resource you might want to consider, but it’ll take some explaining.”

                Tessa bit her lip. A referral that requires explanation? Trying for lightness she didn’t feel, Tessa said, “I suppose Season Seven of NCIS can wait.”

                “Seven?” Slight pause. “Tony faces the screwed up relationship he has with Senior, Gibbs faces his former mother-in-law and the rift between them over the death of Shannon and Kelly, and Vance faces the strange relationship he has with an old nemesis, who happens to be an assassin.” Shawntay took a breath, then added, “See, Tessa, even fictional people have relationship issues. We need to get together to talk about addressing yours.”

                Tessa couldn’t help herself. Despite the knot that was forming in her stomach, she smiled. They agreed to meet at Poppy’s, a mom and pop diner seven or eight blocks from Tessa’s office. It served tall, thick milkshakes to customers seated in tall, thickly upholstered booths, which made it a great place for private conversation and a bad place to diet.

                Tessa hung up and refocused on sketches and swatches. At 5:00, she turned off her computer and slid her sketch pad into her top desk drawer. It looked exactly the same as it had before Shawntay’s phone call.

                Shawntay was waiting in a back booth by the time Tessa arrived. “I took the liberty,” she said, pointing to the milkshakes in the center of the table. “They just got here, so your timing is perfect.”

                Tessa smiled. “Which one is mine?”

                “I only ordered flavors I like, so either one is fine by me.”

                Tessa slid onto the booth bench and pulled the chocolate shake in front of her. Shawntay smiled and reached for the Oreo Cookies and Cream. “Ah, a traditionalist, you are. One of these days you’ll have to step outside the box.” Shawntay took a long sip, and then another.