Mistress Therapy

Ten - Embrace

"After you," I said, my voice carrying a note of awkwardness as I gestured for Heidi to go ahead. She walked forward, her back straight and her expression focused.

My father greeted her warmly when she knocked, and I followed her inside. The room was filled with a mix of familiar faces and new ones. I greeted the two other men present, both of whom were involved in the meeting.

As soon as our eyes met, Heidi and I exchanged a brief, uncomfortable glance before looking away. I took a seat beside Mr. Emmanuel, while Heidi settled a few inches away from my father.

He praised her for her excellent work and offered her a complimentary stay at our hotel, which made Heidi's smile widen with genuine pleasure.

"Son, how has the session with Ms. Wang been going?" My father asked, his eyes shifting between Heidi and me. Heidi kept her gaze averted.

"Good, great," I said almost too quickly. "Jacqueline and I are better than before."

"Well, I might need to bring my wife soon. She keeps forgetting important occasions!" Mr. Michael added with a chuckle, and the room erupted in laughter.

Afterward, my father instructed me to escort Heidi to the elevator. The elevator ride was quiet until we reached the ninth floor. Just as the doors were about to close, Heidi spoke up.

"You really should talk to Calvin," she said, her tone more serious than before. I paused, caught off guard by her words.

Talk to Calvin? Why should I? He made it clear he never wanted to see me again.

Calvin could go to hell, as far as I was concerned.

Despite my reluctance, three days later, I found myself at a college get-together I had been dreading. It had been ten years since we’d last seen each other, and I had reluctantly decided to attend. As I walked into the restaurant, I spotted Calvin sitting with four of our mutual friends. When he saw me, a smirk spread across his face.

"Nate!" he called out, his voice laced with a mock familiarity.

"Sup, man?" Darryl greeted me with a handshake.

"Hey, Nate, looking good, man," Ross added with a nod.

"Come sit down," Andrew said, gesturing to the seat opposite Calvin.

Reluctantly, I took the seat. Calvin leaned in slightly, his smirk never wavering.

"You don’t look happy to see me," he whispered.

I opened a can of soda and took a long gulp, trying to steady my nerves. "I really am not," I replied honestly.

"Here, man," Chris said, handing me a bowl of nachos with a dip that looked unappealingly green.
I was about to take a bite when Calvin suddenly spoke up. "Is that dip made of avocado?" he asked, a note of alarm in his voice.

"Yeah, it's guacamole," Andrew confirmed.

"Nate is allergic to avocados!" Calvin exclaimed, grabbing the bowl from my hand. "Have you all forgotten?" He plopped a bowl of cheese dip in front of me. "Have some cheese dip instead."

The mood shifted as our friends began teasing. "Ooh, are the lovers back?"

"My heart skipped a beat just now."

"Kiss! Kiss!" they cheered, making Calvin and me exchange awkward glances.

"Quiet down," I said firmly, trying to deflect the attention. The crowd soon lost interest and returned to their conversations.

After bidding farewell to our friends, I stepped outside the restaurant and found Calvin leaning against my car with a smug expression.

"What do you want?" I asked, approaching him.