Sugar Rush (Friend-Zoned 3)

Nina: Soon…ish. I’ll visit soon. Love you too. X

I still have twenty minutes before the next session, and I’m up to date with all my file entries, so I pick up my phone and dial.

He answers almost immediately, sounding happy to hear from me. “Cupcake, why are you reading my mind? I was just thinking about you.”

I smile into the receiver. “Oh yeah, well guess what?”

“What?”

I quell down my excitement and singsong, “I managed to get Ceecee a place in a wheelchair basketball game.” As I chuckle at my triumph, I explain, “The kids are just like Ceecee. They’ve all struggled with being different, and they have a really positive feedback system. It’s a social media network where the kids can talk to each other about whatever’s bothering them, but don’t worry. Parents are encouraged to go on there too. Nothing it private or hidden, so she won’t be talking to any creepers. I made sure of that. But what it is, really, is a support network for Ceecee with kids her own age. What do you think?”

Silence. Then, “I think you put a lot of thought into this, into helping Ceecee.”

I admit, “I have. I really have, and I think I know why she ended up rebelling. I think it was because she started to feel lonely in her own family. And before you say anything, it happens. So many of my clients feel like they can’t talk to their family about their problems, because able-bodied people can listen, but they can never truly understand how they’re feeling, you know?”

He responds thoughtfully, “Yeah, I guess I never thought about it like that.”

“Well, that’s kind of the point, honey. You wouldn’t. So the game is this Saturday at ten am. It’s not far from the house either. I’ll send you the address and I’ll meet you there.”

He hesitates. “This Saturday?”

My face falls. “Yeah, this Saturday. Is that going to be a problem?”

“I sort of…” he pauses, “…had something planned for you. A surprise.”

I smile. “A surprise? For me? Max, you don’t need to give me surprises.” I lower my voice and utter, “I’m a sure thing.”

He chuckles, then utters, “I know I don’t need to, but I wanted to. But if Ceecee’s game is Saturday, then we can’t do it.”

I shrug to no one in particular. “That’s okay. I think it’s really important for Ceecee to meet people with similar injuries that are her own age.”

He pauses. “So you’d just put your own surprise on hold for Ceecee? Just like that?”

My brows rise. Why the hell does he sound panicked? “Uh, yeah. Yes, I would.”

He covers the phone for a second, and although it’s not very clear, I hear him utter a pained, “Damn you, Nik. Damn you.”

I ask cautiously, “Everything okay?”

Rustling, then he’s back. “Yep. Everything’s peachy. Okay, surprise is on hold. Ceecee has basketball Saturday. And you and I are going on a date Friday night. Dinner, movie, the whole shebang. No excuses.”

I grin. “We are?”

He states adamantly, “No exceptions.”

My smile turns soft. Max wants to take me out. Out where people will see us together as a couple. Warmth blooms in my middle. “Okay. It’s a date.”

He utters confidently, “Damn right it is.” He kisses the phone then hangs up, leaving me smiling like a loon.

***

Helena

The week passed slowly, but with my session times filling up, at least the workdays will be moving along at a quicker pace as the weeks pass. Felicity and I exchanged knowing smiles with Willa, and even talked her into having lunch with us on Thursday. As soon as we sat down to eat, I asked gingerly, “So how long have you been in love with Whit?”

James Whittaker was one manly man. He was also stupidly sexy. But he was our boss, and he claimed that employer/employee relationships were a no-go at the center. This confused me, because I checked the office intranet. There was absolutely nothing in there about interoffice relationships or the banning of them.

Willa went ghost white and licked at her lips. She looked like she was about to deny having any such feelings for him, but as she lifted her sandwich to her lips, she muttered, “Since forever,” before she took a bite.