2 CHAPTER TWO

 

 

The next week Olivia sat in the waiting room with her heart hammering in her chest. She felt almost sick with a mixture of anticipation, desire – and fear. She was impatient, yet filled with dread to see him.  The first time they’d met she felt such a powerful surge of attraction it had almost overwhelmed her. What was going to happen when she saw him today? She was just another patient to him and he had to keep – what was it – a professional distance? She had to remember that.

 

The door opened and she jumped, and then tried to compose herself as the patient before her exited his office. The woman was smiling and looking slightly bemused, but Dr. Nick probably had that effect on almost every woman. He looked around and smiled at her, and the beam of those ice blue eyes made her heart beat even faster. 

 

“Olivia?” He extended a hand to welcome her into the room and she followed him in.

 

She was wearing the same clothes that she’d been wearing the week before. She had no others, and it embarrassed her. A man like him would surely have noticed. He sat next to her on the sofa that day, and she could smell his scent, the fragrance of a men’s cologne underlined by that special body musk unique to him. She could see the blue-black shadow of stubble on his jaw and skin, and suddenly she was sitting in her own puddle. Just looking at him made her flood with desire.

 

“Have you remembered anything?” He asked, in his deep gravelly voice.

 

The blue eyes had her mesmerized. She gazed into them for a moment before answering.

 

“I had a dream,” she said, frowning.

 

She was beginning to wring her hands together and when he put one of his on top of them to stop her. She jumped. He tried to draw back but she held on. It was a big hand, lean and strong. He could caress her to ecstasy with those hands; she just knew it. She began to describe the dream and he listened silently.

 

When she’d finished he sat back and gently disengaged his hand, then scribbled something on a notepad.

 

“Anything else? Feelings? Impressions?”

 

“Feelings. I saw some guys playing cards in the park last week and I almost remembered something, but it went before I could catch it.”

 

“How did it make you feel?”

 

"Scared," she admitted, "I knew it had something to do with the dream.”

 

He sat back and thought for a minute. She watched him.

 

“You look tired,” she observed, then put a hand over her mouth. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to be personal.”

 

He smiled.

 

“Don’t worry,” he replied, “I am. It’s been a long week.”

 

“Maybe I should go.” She half stood up but he put a hand on her forearm and stopped her.

 

“Don’t go,” he said huskily. “Your – your time’s not up yet.” He stuttered slightly.

 

Reacting to his own emotions, he stood up abruptly. “Can we try hypnosis?”

 

She looked at him doubtfully. “You won’t make me do chicken impersonations?” She asked, laughing.

 

He laughed too.

 

“I can’t make you do a thing you don’t want to do,” he replied. “Hypnosis is a natural state, it’s just an extra-focused state of consciousness. You will remain in control.”

 

She nodded. “OK. Let’s do it. Anything’s better than this – nothingness.”

 

As she lay back on the couch Olivia was aware of how vulnerable she was, but she wasn’t afraid. There was something very gentle about Nick but in spite of his very masculine appearance she knew that something or someone had hurt him badly.

 

“I’m going to describe something to you. You’re in a wood, walking on a quiet path. All around you are trees and flowers. Breathe in and inhale the scent of the flowers you see. Breathe out and leaves drift down from the trees. As you sit down on the mossy bank, you feel very relaxed. A pleasant, drowsy feeling comes over you. You’re sleepy. You can’t lift your arms and your eyelids are heavy. Breathe in the scent of flowers. Breathe out butterflies. In, out, in out. You’re so sleepy...” His voice is deep and gentle.

 

Olivia falls into a hypnotic sleep.

 

When she wakes, it feels like time stood still. Had it passed at all? It didn’t seem so.

 

"Well done," he smiled at her. "Your name is Becky, and you're twenty-six years old. You told me that your parents were drug addicts and you all lived on the streets for a while. Afterwards I encountered a block in your mind, something you’re not ready to discuss or think about. But you’ve done well for today. How do you feel?”

 

“I feel – I feel wonderful!” She laughed and stretched out her arms, straining her t-shirt over her breasts.

 

He tried not to look at her, tried to will away the erection that just would not go away. Then he did something unforgivable. He leaned over and kissed her, pulling her across the sofa so that their thighs were touching. His lips were firm, and as he passed his tongue round the inside of her lips she wished the moment would go on forever, but it ended, and they gazed at each other, both of them breathless.

 

“I’m so sorry,’’ he pushed a hand through his hair in a distracted gesture. “Please forgive me. Would you like me to refer you to another therapist?”

 

“No,” she replied softly. She cupped his cheek with her hand and smiled at him. “Definitely not.”

 

He stood up.

 

“We’ll have to stop here,” he looked down at her, but he was frowning.

 

Something in his eyes told her he was reliving something unpleasant, but she was the patient, not the therapist, so she said nothing and tried to calm down.

 

“I’m sorry too,” she whispered. "This isn't helping, is it?"

 

He shook his head, and then abruptly became business-like. She could have cried at his rejection.

 

“I have something to show you.” His eyes couldn’t stop starring at her.

 

She almost threw herself at him again. His eyes...they simply held her breath.

 

Nick grabbed his car keys from his desk and pointed to the door. Olivia nodded and followed him with intrigue and curiosity.

 

Nick approached a red Chevy pickup truck. It was a 1972 vintage vehicle that fitted him like a glove, Olivia thought. Big macho car, big macho man... Yet, there was a gentle vulnerability about Nick that was at odds with his stature. Nick opened the passenger door and Olivia stepped inside.

 

Nick pulled up and stopped at a four-story apartment building.

 

It wasn’t in the best neighborhood in town, but it wasn’t the worst either. Inside the place, there was a tiny one-bedroom with a toilet, shower, and a kitchen. It was furnished with plain, thrift store furniture, an old TV probably made in the 90’s, and a double bed covered with a bright patchwork comforter.

 

“I’m sorry about the furniture,” he said, embarrassed. “I’ll replace it when I can.”

 

“This is for me?” She asked incredulously. She looked right into his face, her eyes were filled with tears. "The rent-"

 

“--is my business,” he replied firmly. “I bought this place as an investment last year. I was going to sell it again when the value went up, so you’re doing me a favor by looking after it in the meantime.” He smiled and handed her the keys. “I got you a job, working part-time in a friend’s bookstore. It’s only three days a week but it should cover your expenses for now.”