Running Home to You (The Running Series) (25 page)

“And you’re worried?”

“Yes,” he states.

“About me?”

“Yes.”  He sits back in his chair and rubs his temple like he has a headache.  “We’re a celebrity couple now, Juliette.”  Images of gossip magazine headlines dubbing us
Evanette
flash in front of me.  “There are two major events coming up and if we are not together, the press will start speculating.  They may start asking questions.  I don’t want word of my temper tantrum getting out.”

“Temper tantrum?  Is that what we’re calling it now?”

“Juliette, please?”

“You’re right.  I’m sorry.  Go ahead, what were you saying?  What major events are coming up?”

“This Thursday is our Official Grand Opening at Rush.  Adam’s been distributing press releases and arranging for some news coverage.  I’ve been talking to Joey, and he’s going to try and make it, too.  We have to make it look like we’re still together.”

“So, let me get this straight – you want me to act like nothing’s wrong?  Pretend nothing has changed?  Just so you don’t get any bad press?  I’m not that good of an actress, Evan.”

“I need you to try, Juliette.  It’s just for one night.  Don’t do it for me, do it for our business.  You want it to be a success, right?”

“You know I do.”

“Then I need you to try.  Please.”

“Okay, fine.  What else?  You said there were two events.  What’s the other?”

“The ESPYs are next Tuesday in Manhattan at Radio City Music Hall.  They all expect us to be there together on the red carpet.  I’ve been asked to present the Best Male College Athlete Award.”

“No.”

“Excuse me?”

“I said no.  I’ll put on a happy face for the sake of Rush, but I won’t do it for some silly award show, Evan.  I can’t.”

“If I show up alone, there’s going to be questions that I can’t answer, Juliette.  Please?”

“I’m sorry, but the answer is still ‘no’.  Make up an excuse.  Have Adam release a statement that I’m home caring for a friend recovering from surgery.  It will work because it’s the truth.  Bring your sister.  You’ll be fine.”

“All right.  As long as Callie agrees, that should work well enough.”  Evan gets up to leave.  “Thank you, Juliette.  I guess I’ll see you Thursday.”  He turns and walks towards the door.

“Evan?  One more thing?”

He stops and turns, “Yes?”

“I have an appointment tomorrow to see Dr. Falkowski myself.  I’d like you to join me, if you don’t have practice or anything, I mean.”

“The team has a two week break.  But like I said, Adam and I have an appointment in Manhattan tomorrow.  Sorry.”

“But you didn’t even ask me what time the appointment is.  Maybe you could –”

“Good night, Juliette.”

And just like that, he’s gone. 

I
’ve never been to a therapist before, so I have no idea what to expect.  When I pull up to his office, it looks more like a private home than a place of business or a medical office.  Nestled between homes right along picturesque tree-lined West Lake Avenue, his office is a lovely Seashore Colonial with a wrap-around front porch complete with a matching pair of rocking chairs facing the lake.  There’s an engraved sign on the front door that says, “Offices of Dr. Walter Falkowski, Counselor, MS, LPC, NCC.”  At least I know I’m in the right place.

When I enter, I’m greeted by a lovely receptionist who offers me a hot or cold beverage and gives me several forms to fill out while I wait.  In no time at all, I’m ushered into Dr. Falkowski’s office. There’s a fireplace and a wide array of furniture – a couch, swivel chairs, and even a small table with matching chairs.  I sit in one of the leather chairs.  Dr. Falkowski is a middle-aged man in his late fifties with dark hair graying around his face.  He’s got a round face and a big smile.  I immediately feel at ease.

After we introduce ourselves, he gets right to business.  Before I go any further, I ask him if he’s familiar with our story.  “Well, Juliette – I’m sorry, may I call you Juliette?”

“Yes, of course.”

“I want you to be completely honest with me, and I promise to be totally honest with you.  I am very familiar with the events of last spring.  My son and I are season ticket holders for the Sentinels.  He just graduated from Syracuse with a degree in Sports Management.  We’ve had many discussions at the dinner table about how well Big Mac’s crises have been handled by his manager.”

“I thought so.  It’s hard to find anyone who’s not familiar with our situation.  Whatever we discuss here will be completely confidential, right?”

“Yes, I assure you.  No one will ever know that you are one of my clients and I will certainly not be making any public or private statements about our sessions or anything you reveal to me.  Now, how can I help you?”

It takes me nearly twenty minutes to tell Dr. Falkowski about everything.  I try not to leave out any details, including my concerns about Adam’s over-involvement.

“I have several concerns at this point, Juliette.  First, I think you’ve done the right thing by separating yourself from Mr. McGuire at this time.  His behavior is unpredictable and he’s shown a proclivity towards violence and aggression.  Until he is seen by a professional who can make assurances that he is not a danger towards you or others, I suggest you maintain this separation.”

“Thank you.  I agree.”

“Second, I know you’re looking for me to diagnose Evan and tell you why he’s behaving this way, but it would be unprofessional and inappropriate for me to even attempt to do so.  There could be lots of things causing his behavior.  Anxiety brought on by stress or trauma, a chemical imbalance, drug use, lots of possible explanations.  In order to properly diagnose him, I’d be inclined to start with a battery of tests in order to rule out medical or chemical causes.”

“I understand.”

“But while you’re here, I think it’s best we not dwell on those things we cannot control.  We need to concentrate on finding a way for you to continue a relationship with Mr. McGuire moving forward.  I get the impression that he will continue to be a business partner in your life and that you both maintain common friendships, am I correct?”

“Yes, that’s true.”

“All right then, we have a plan for moving forward.  I’d like to see you in three or four day’s time, then once a week after that.  It’s a good idea for Mr. McGuire to seek counsel outside of his inner circle, Juliette.  In the world of professional athletes and celebrities, individuals will often sacrifice the best interest of the talent, in this case, Mr. McGuire, to further their own interests.  If keeping him in this state will benefit the team or the managers in some way, then there’s no incentive for them to push too hard.  It’s important that you both understand that.”

“Thank you.  I don’t know what good it will do, but I will certainly share your concerns with Evan.  It was nice meeting you.”

Before leaving, I make an appointment to return on Friday, and head straight home.  Auggie is coming home today, and I have to finish getting his room ready.

A
uggie’s first three days at home go by in a flash.  The restaurant’s not open during the week, so he gets all kinds of visitors, both day and night.  He still needs help moving around, getting out of bed, putting on shoes, and things like that, but it’s great to have him home.  During their visits, I get updates from Emmy, Marcus, Derek, and Reese, so I know that everything is moving along smoothly.  The menus are finished, the staff is prepped, and we’re ready to go.

Thursday morning arrives and I’m up at the crack of dawn.  I wish I could go for a beach run to calm my nerves, but I can’t leave Auggie unattended.  If he realizes I’m not here, he’ll try to get himself up and out of bed unaided.  He could wind up hurting himself and slowing down his own recovery.

At three o’clock, Auggie’s parents arrive to take over.  I look through my closet, trying to decide what to wear. Our uniforms are a chocolate brown with red embroidery, so I decide to slip on a sexy brown pencil skirt with a red belt and white button-down shirt open enough to show just the right amount of cleavage.  A nice pair of my favorite FMPs, and I think I’ve found the right combination of professional and sexy.  I dry my hair, leaving it down with just a hint of curly waves, and step into the living room for inspection.  Auggie insists on performing wardrobe checks before all major events.

“Oh, my God!  Jette, my Pet, you look friggin’ amazing.  I love the sexy secretary look.  You’re going to be fighting off the boys like crazy.  You’ll have Big Mac eating out of your hand tonight.”  I apply a little mascara, slip on my killer heels, and I’m all set.  I kiss Auggie good-bye, hop into my car, and head straight to Rush.  There are Grand Opening signs covering the front of the restaurant, and it looks like we’re ready.

Since there is no lunch service today, the entire staff is here tonight to help with dinner service.  I take a quick head count, and once I’m certain that everyone’s here, I call the entire staff into the dining room for a meeting.  I remind them that this is a well-publicized event that will probably garner lots of attention from the press.  We know that certain media outlets will be here, along with who-knows how many others.  I give very specific directives about how to answer personal questions about Evan, me, and our relationship.  We won’t know all the patrons, and it’s quite possible that some reporters might sneak in as customers in order to get a birds-eye view of what’s going in inside our restaurant.

Then the hard part – talking about my relationship with Evan.  “I know many of you have seen or heard about some of the fights Evan and I have been having lately.”  I pause to look around, and everyone is shifting around uncomfortably, not sure how to reply.  “We are currently living in separate residences.  Evan will be here tonight, and I don’t want anyone to feel awkward.  I promise that tonight, it will be just like old times.  Evan and I have come to an agreement, and we are looking forward to supporting one another and cooperating with each other in order to have an amazing Grand Opening.  And we’re both counting on all of you to help us make that happen.”

As soon as the words leave my mouth, the door opens, and in walks Evan, looking as gorgeous as ever.  Everyone turns to look at him, and mouths drop open.  He’s wearing a pair of dark wash jeans that hang low on his waist and hug his ass in just the right way, along with a white shirt, no tie, and a brown jacket.  There’s a red handkerchief in his pocket that match our colors perfectly.  He hasn’t shaved and the result is a rugged but handsome look that gives me butterflies in all the right places. 

The girls, clearly noticing his muscular biceps that stretch the fabric of his suit to its limits, along with the jeans that accent the sharp cut of his waist, sit mouths agape at this beautiful specimen of masculinity.

Our eyes lock, and I cannot look away.  He smiles at me, presenting me with the most beautiful smile I’ve ever seen in my life.  He walks directly towards me, and I’m frozen to this exact spot, unable to will my feet to move.  As he gets closer, I notice in his hand is a tiny gift box wrapped with a big red bow.  Auggie was wrong, I will not have Evan feeding out of my hand tonight.  He’s already got me wrapped around his little finger and we haven’t even spoken a word yet.

Change of Heart