Page 27 of Smoke N' Stroke

“Well, it was good…”

“It was great. “

Our voices collided with each other in an awkwardness that neither of us was able to hide from the woman now seated in front of us. Dr. Patton viewed us from beneath her spectacles before pulling them away from her face and setting them down on the desk in front of her.

She lifted her blue and white sorority mug from off her desk and brought it to her lips before taking a slow sip of the steaming liquid. After a while, she closed her eyes before releasing the cup from herlips and setting the mug back down. Her focus on the both of us was unnerving but I focused on giving nothing away especially not how many times I had swallowed Dr. Booker’s dick while at the conference.

“You know. I chose you two for this conference for a reason.”

I nodded. “Yes, and you were right. I did gain a lot from going. “

Zaire said nothing. He was getting on my nerves. How could he remain so calm?

“I’m glad you did but that was only part of me sending you and Dr. Booker. I’ve been watching the two of you retreat from the obvious.”

We looked at each other for a moment, his eyes communicating with me to play it cool.

Now he chose to speak up. “What’s the obvious?”

“That you two love each other.”

I started choking. Dr. Patton handed me a bottle of water from her desk drawer and looked at Zaire, who for the first time, looked uncomfortable.

After a sip of the water, I was able to find my voice so I thought I would help him out. “Well, I wouldn’t say that Dr. Patton—I.”

“It’s not necessary to deny anything, Dr. Jackson. These things happen.”

“What things happen?”

She laughed and I looked over to Zaire who now seemed to be wondering what the heck was going on just like I was.

“I’ve been working in this field for nearly forty years. I’ve not only helped my patients come to realizations of their own but helped my employees as well. There’s no taking this hat off when the patient leaves my presence. I’m always me.”

I nodded because I understood that.

“So, seeing the two of you do everything in your power to deny how you were feeling for each other has been interesting, to say the least, and at times painful.”

Whew chile, didn’t I know itwas my thought?

“That is why I thought it necessary for you both to go to the conference together.”

Dr. Patton had pimped us out?

“You can close your mouth now, Dr. Jackson. You too, Dr. Booker.”

She got up from her desk came around it and leaned against it to look down upon us. “Like I said, it’s been painful to watch this all go down and I needed to help the best way I knew how and that was to make sure you had space and closeness to figure it out.”

I swallowed hard and wondered about the angelsin my life. When people thought of angels they often were talking about the girl of money, or jobs, or safety. Never about finding the love of your life.

“Did you figure it out?”

“We did.”

Zaire’s sure voice got my attention, and he looked over at me slowly.

“She’s exactly what I needed, Dr. Patton.”

“Please call me Carla. It’s time that we stop standing on ceremony. At least until you head back out there to work.”

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