Splitting Our Odds Into Evens

Just friends.

THE NEXT DAY...

Bonnie was sitting at her desk, going through her binder, when suddenly, someone knocked on her door. The sound caught her by surprise, and her eyes darted up. With everything going on in the French Quarter, she felt she had to be extra careful with her surroundings, even in her own workspace. Instead of saying a simple come in, Bonnie stood up and walked to the door. She took a deep breath before turning the knob and opening it. There stood Joshua, his usual ear-to-ear smile worn on his face.

Bonnie waved at him. "Hey, Joshua."

"Hey, Bonnie. Mind if I come in?"

"No, of course not," Bonnie said. She stepped aside, and he walked in. "I have a new client coming in soon, so I won't be able to talk for long."

"I just have one question to ask, then I'll be out of your hair," he said.

"Okay, I'm listening."

"Will you go to the town fest with me...as my date?"

Bonnie could almost choke on her spit. They had just met a couple of weeks ago. Plus, her breakup with Kol was still fresh. "D-Date? As friends or...?"

Joshua could hear the uncertainty in her voice. "I mean, y-yeah, we could go as friends if that's what you want. I was hoping it'd be more of a one-on-one thing, getting to know each other. But if you want to go as just friends, that's fine too."

Bonnie narrowed her eyes and tilted her head. Friends? Coworkers? Maybe even both? She wasn't sure. "I mean, aren't we just friends, though? I'm confused..."

Joshua could feel the hairs on his skin rising and the beads of sweat dripping from his forehead. Did Bonnie have this effect on all men even when she wasn't doing anything to make them feel the way they felt? "Yeah, you're right. We're just friends. So, do you wanna go with me or are you going with someone else? I know you and your boyfriend broke up, so-"

Bonnie couldn't remember telling him that she and Kol had broken up; it wasn't any of his business. "How'd you-" Bonnie decided to let it go. The last thing she wanted was to make things awkward with her coworker. "Nevermind," she said. "My friends from Virginia came yesterday, so I must check with them first to see if they're going. I'll get back to you before the day is out."

"Oh, okay. Good luck with your new client," Joshua said.

"Thanks."

With that, Joshua left the room.

***

"I want to welcome you to your first session. Creating a relationship with someone you have never met can feel overwhelming, especially when sharing your feelings with a stranger. But I am here to listen to and support you on your journey," Bonnie said. She opened her binder and grabbed her pen, preparing to write. "So, to start, what brought you here today?"

The man mustered a hard swallow, fidgeting with his fingers before talking. "I get knocked down, but I get up again."

"Wow. That must be difficult. What goes through your head when you feel like you're getting knocked down, Landon?"

Yup, it was him: Landon. He looked different than when she last saw him; he was frail and delicate like whatever trauma he'd been dealing with was showing through his body. Bonnie acted like she was meeting him for the first time only because she knew Marcel had compelled him to forget most of his life. And to be honest, Bonnie felt terrible for him. He didn't deserve it. No matter what, Bonnie knew her job was to help people, and that's what she wanted to do. So, whether Landon remembered anything or not, she would make it her priority to help him get back on track with his mental health.