needed source of strength. Dr. Arthurs had been hard on her in the early days of her therapy. But now she was always there for her, quick to offer a reminder of how far she’d come since her father’s tragic death.
“So you’re saying I’d better be prepared for another smackdown,” she said with resignation.
Dr. Arthurs sat back and shook her head, her gentle smile conveying reassurance. “Think about it this way, Torrey. You’re already prepared. All our hard work together has prepared you. You can face whatever life throws your way and still be fine. That’s the truth, not a platitude.”
“Thanks, Dr. Arthurs.” Torrey reached for the tissue dispenser she’d learned was standard issue in a psychologist’s office. Tears welled up at the empathy and confidence in her therapist’s voice. Torrey’s own confidence had been shattered for such a long time that it had taken all her strength, and a lot of patient help, to get this far. “It’s meant a lot to know that you believe in me.”
Crumpling the damp tissue in her fist, she decided to go ahead and say what had been on her mind since last night. “I’m afraid I’m in a bit of a pickle. I got myself into it, and I’m not sure how to get out.”
“Tell me about it.”
“Well, I’m caddying for a new client this week. He’s the president of a big electronic games company. As soon as he contacted me, I started to think his company might be a possible sponsor. I thought I could work on him over the four days we’d be together on the golf course and see if by the end of the week he’d be willing to go to bat for me and get a sponsorship from his company.”
“And it’s turned into a pickle, to use your word?”
“Unfortunately, yes—and after only one day. The problem is that for some reason he seems really interested in me. Sexually. Last night he…um, made a move.”
Dr. Arthurs’s eyebrows arched a fraction. “And how did you respond?”
“That’s just it. I kind of led him on and then ended up pushing him away. God, I’m embarrassed to even talk about it.” She groaned, rubbing her forehead. “When we said good night it was tense, and I think I probably offended him. I tossed and turned the rest of the night. One minute I was mad at him, the next minute I was kicking myself for how I acted. I’m worried about seeing him again this afternoon. It’s going to be awkward.”
“If he’s a gentleman, he’ll understand your reluctance to jump into bed with someone you just met.”
“I guess you’re right. Julian seems to genuinely like me. Sure, he could just be out for an easy one-nighter, but it didn’t feel like that. And he’s incredibly sexy. I’m sure he figured I was hot for him too.”
“And you weren’t?”
Torrey tucked her hands under her thighs as she hunched forward. “Oh, no. I mean yes. I was totally into him.”
“But then you pushed him away.”
“Uh-huh.”
“Because he was too aggressive?”
“No. I guess I stopped it because I don’t think it would be smart to sleep with him and then turn right around and ask him to sponsor me. That would just scream out that I was using him just to get what I want.”
“So, when he pressed the issue last night, it threw a monkey wrench into your plans.”
“Exactly. I had no idea he’d come on to me like that. Not so soon, anyway.” She shook her head, remembering the heat of Julian’s kiss. “Can you imagine how overwhelming it was for someone like me to be swept off her feet by a man like Julian Grant?”
Dr. Arthurs looked surprised. “Julian Grant? I read a story about him in Vanity Fair a few months ago. One of the country’s youngest Fortune 500 CEOs, if I remember correctly.”
She nodded. “I’d never heard of him before, though I was familiar with the company, of course. Everybody knows OverTheEdge Games.”
“Perhaps everyone your age, dear.” Her therapist gave her a wry smile.
Torrey responded with an apologetic grimace. She
“So you’re saying I’d better be prepared for another smackdown,” she said with resignation.
Dr. Arthurs sat back and shook her head, her gentle smile conveying reassurance. “Think about it this way, Torrey. You’re already prepared. All our hard work together has prepared you. You can face whatever life throws your way and still be fine. That’s the truth, not a platitude.”
“Thanks, Dr. Arthurs.” Torrey reached for the tissue dispenser she’d learned was standard issue in a psychologist’s office. Tears welled up at the empathy and confidence in her therapist’s voice. Torrey’s own confidence had been shattered for such a long time that it had taken all her strength, and a lot of patient help, to get this far. “It’s meant a lot to know that you believe in me.”
Crumpling the damp tissue in her fist, she decided to go ahead and say what had been on her mind since last night. “I’m afraid I’m in a bit of a pickle. I got myself into it, and I’m not sure how to get out.”
“Tell me about it.”
“Well, I’m caddying for a new client this week. He’s the president of a big electronic games company. As soon as he contacted me, I started to think his company might be a possible sponsor. I thought I could work on him over the four days we’d be together on the golf course and see if by the end of the week he’d be willing to go to bat for me and get a sponsorship from his company.”
“And it’s turned into a pickle, to use your word?”
“Unfortunately, yes—and after only one day. The problem is that for some reason he seems really interested in me. Sexually. Last night he…um, made a move.”
Dr. Arthurs’s eyebrows arched a fraction. “And how did you respond?”
“That’s just it. I kind of led him on and then ended up pushing him away. God, I’m embarrassed to even talk about it.” She groaned, rubbing her forehead. “When we said good night it was tense, and I think I probably offended him. I tossed and turned the rest of the night. One minute I was mad at him, the next minute I was kicking myself for how I acted. I’m worried about seeing him again this afternoon. It’s going to be awkward.”
“If he’s a gentleman, he’ll understand your reluctance to jump into bed with someone you just met.”
“I guess you’re right. Julian seems to genuinely like me. Sure, he could just be out for an easy one-nighter, but it didn’t feel like that. And he’s incredibly sexy. I’m sure he figured I was hot for him too.”
“And you weren’t?”
Torrey tucked her hands under her thighs as she hunched forward. “Oh, no. I mean yes. I was totally into him.”
“But then you pushed him away.”
“Uh-huh.”
“Because he was too aggressive?”
“No. I guess I stopped it because I don’t think it would be smart to sleep with him and then turn right around and ask him to sponsor me. That would just scream out that I was using him just to get what I want.”
“So, when he pressed the issue last night, it threw a monkey wrench into your plans.”
“Exactly. I had no idea he’d come on to me like that. Not so soon, anyway.” She shook her head, remembering the heat of Julian’s kiss. “Can you imagine how overwhelming it was for someone like me to be swept off her feet by a man like Julian Grant?”
Dr. Arthurs looked surprised. “Julian Grant? I read a story about him in Vanity Fair a few months ago. One of the country’s youngest Fortune 500 CEOs, if I remember correctly.”
She nodded. “I’d never heard of him before, though I was familiar with the company, of course. Everybody knows OverTheEdge Games.”
“Perhaps everyone your age, dear.” Her therapist gave her a wry smile.
Torrey responded with an apologetic grimace. She
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