Proving My Point

BROOKE

Oh God! Oh God! I’ve messed up. I’ve messed up big time! I can’t be going down this road again; it always leads to heartbreak. Have I learned nothing? I mentally slap myself hard in the face.

This can’t happen! I start pacing, giving myself a mental pep talk. He’s a football player! That should be reason enough to not let this happen, but apparently I’m fucking stupid.

Secondly, he’s younger than me! Younger guys never work, right? They are immature and…so sexy…NO! Just too young. I need a man Sydney can rely on, a father figure. Not some immature boy!

And oh yeah, Brooke, you dumb shit. He has a girlfriend. Let’s not forget that one: he has A GIRLFRIEND!

You kissed a younger man, who has a girlfriend AND is a football player! The same football player who John DESPISES! CAN YOU BE ANY MORE STUPID??? I mentally slap myself again, but this time, my face really burns.

“Did I actually just slap myself?” I say, looking down at my hands.

“Yup, you did,” Syd answers. She’s sitting with Luna in the corner of my office with her iPad.

I spent the whole weekend like this, yelling at myself inside my head.

Now, it’s Monday, Thanksgiving break is starting, and I can never find a sitter for Syd during school holidays, so we’re having an impromptu bring-your-kid-to-work day.

“Oh God, I’m really going crazy,” I mumble to myself, and walk out of the office, needing more air.

I’m supposed to have my next appointment with Colin today. But I can’t possibly work with him now! How can I maintain strict professional boundaries with him after a kiss like that?

Dammit, Brooke! Why did you have to kiss him? What the hell is the matter with you?

“Brooke?”

“Huh?” I’m startled out of my thoughts by Julie’s voice.

“You’ve been standing here for a few minutes now in a daze…” She says the words slowly, looking at me like I’ve grown four heads. “Are you okay?”

“Yup, fine! Totally fine!” I force a smile in the world’s worst attempt at trying to play things cool and not look crazy.

“So! How did your date go with Davis?”

“Ummm, fine,” I say, throwing my hands in the air, still looking completely insane.

“Really?” Julie’s eyes pop in excitement. “What did you guys talk about? Where did he take you for dinner? Are you two going out again? Did you guys kiiissss? Or…maybe more?!”

Nope. I ended up kissing someone else. There I go again, a deer in headlights.

“Brooke?” Julie looks at me, but I can’t find the words to explain what actually happened the night of my date.

“Ummm…we…ummmmm…I…”

“Hi, Brooke.” Colin’s voice echoes in my ear. He’s suddenly standing next to me at the reception desk, looking pleasantly happy. I didn’t even notice him come in, I’m in such a fog.

“Brooke?” Colin asks after a moment, this time sounding just as concerned as Julie.

Yup. My brain has apparently short-circuited. “Ummmmm….”

“She’s been like this all weekend,” Syd chimes in while walking behind the desk to grab the charger for her iPad.

“Really,” Colin says with an amused smile on his face.

“I…ummmm…j-just a sec.” I slowly back away from the reception desk like I’m walking away from an alligator, trying not to spook it.

I rush back to my office, closing the door and sitting down at my desk, wanting to hide from Colin and the rest of the world.

Oh, God! I can’t do this! I just can’t! It would be impossible to touch Colin anywhere on his body and not trigger the stupid fire inside me that is screaming for him right now!

A light knock on the door startles me before it creeps open enough to allow Colin to poke his head in. “Brooke? Are you okay?”

“Yup!” I answer, sounding like a chipmunk. My high-pitched, nervous voice betrays me.

“Are you ready?” he asks, looking amused. He knows I’m a terrible liar.

“Yup!” I say again, still sounding like a chipmunk. I let out the breath I’ve unknowingly been holding ever since he opened the door, and we get started with his appointment.

“You’re quiet today,” Colin says, halfway through his massage.

“I am?” I ask, holding my breath and trying to focus on his heel.

I’m planning to use the Graston tool on Colin at the beginning of each session going forward, since the swelling is down enough for him to start gradually putting some weight on his foot again.

The Graston Technique is an effective method for identifying and treating soft tissue dysfunction while increasing blood flow in ligaments. This has the potential to increase the injury’s rate of healing, and also to help stimulate collagen growth.

I may not know how to talk to Colin, but I’m relieved to find I’m still good at my job.

“Are we going to talk about it?” he asks. Oh no! Here comes the elephant in the room.

“Talk about what?” I ask, my high-pitched voice betraying me yet again.

“You kis—!”

“Nope!” I squeak again, interrupting.

Colin laughs at how flustered I am, and props himself up on his elbows on the table for a better look at me. I avoid his gaze like the plague. “Can you look at me?” he asks, taking my hand and stopping me from massaging his foot.

“No,” I say, trying to break from his grasp so I can focus on working.

“Brooke—” he starts, but I interrupt him, frantically.

“I shouldn’t have kissed you, okay? It was a mistake and very unprofessional of me and like I already said, I won’t be involved with football players anymore!” I shout nervously, beginning to pace the room like a raging lunatic.

“Brooke—” Colin tries again, but I continue my rant, throwing my arms up and spilling everything from my mouth.

“AND you have a girlfriend, Colin! Let’s not forget that!”

“Brooke!” Colin says a little louder, getting me to halt in place.

“WHAT?”

He grabs my hand and pulls me toward the exam table where he’s sitting. “You’re just trying to protect yourself. I understand that, and I’ll respect that. But I like you...and I’m willing to bet you feel something for me too.”

“N-no, I don’t,” I whisper.

His lips twitch into a grin as he pushes a loose hair behind my ear and pulls me even closer to the table.

“W-what are you doing?” I stutter, trying to ignore my body tingling into numbness from his touch.

“Kissing you,” he says with a confident smirk.

“W-why?” I whisper. I press my hands firmly against his chest to prevent him from bringing me any closer; but the feeling of his heart beating rapidly and his muscles flexing into my palm only suck me in more.

“I’m proving my point.” Colin cups both my cheeks with his hands and pulls my head into his. The moment his lips crash onto mine, I’m breathless, weightless, completely lost in his taste once more.

I can’t tell if I moan in my head or if it escapes my lips. My fingers curl into his chest while Colin's hand tangles in my hair, still pulling me closer.

I’m practically hovering on top of Colin when I jump back, startled, hearing the door open without a courtesy knock.

“MOM! Luna ran away!” Syd stands in the doorway, crying.

“WHAT?” My heart is pounding erratically as I frantically brush my fingers through my hair to fix it and pull myself together.

“I went to take her for a walk and...and she ran after something!”

“We’ll find her,” Colin says, getting off the exam table and reaching to put his boot back on his foot.