Mistress Therapy

Thirteen - Friends

"Thank you for inviting us," Jacqueline said graciously to Calvin as she stood by the car.

"Thank you for coming," he replied with a friendly smile, nodding at both her and Nathan.

"It was nice talking with you two," I added, though my voice felt strained. Jacqueline made her way to the car, and Calvin turned to Nathan.

"See you later, man," Calvin said, giving Nathan a quick man-hug before heading toward the driver's seat.

I stayed a moment longer, feeling Nathan's eyes on me.

"I'm leaving," I muttered, trying to keep my composure.

"Heidi!" he called my name, his voice soft, almost pleading, but I didn’t turn back. Instead, I got into Calvin's car, and he started the engine.

As we pulled away, a knot of emotions twisted in my chest. My mind was spinning, the memory of Nathan's gaze making it difficult to breathe.

"Please drive slowly. My stomach hurts," I whispered, pressing a hand to my abdomen.

"Was the food bad? Should I stop by a pharmacy?" Calvin asked, concern lacing his voice.

"No, it's okay. I'm just tired," I reassured him, forcing a weak smile.

"Okay," he responded simply, and the car fell into a heavy silence. The hum of the engine was the only sound as we drove the quiet streets back to my house.

When we finally pulled up in front of my home, I unbuckled my seatbelt and turned to him. "Thank you for today," I said softly, grateful for the escape the evening had provided, even if it was more complicated than I'd anticipated.

"Thank you for coming out, too," Calvin replied, smiling at me in that familiar way.

"Do you have something to say?" I asked, sensing his hesitation.

"Uh... yeah, I do," he admitted, his voice suddenly earnest. He took a breath, his hands gripping the steering wheel tightly before letting go to turn toward me.

"Heidi, I’m just going to be honest with you," he started, his voice low, almost vulnerable.

"I like you. Ever since the first day I saw you, there’s been something about you. I’m not a perfect man, but you make me want to be better. You make me want to do things I never thought I would."

He paused, his eyes searching mine, and I felt my heart race in response, my thoughts scattered between the past evening and the future I couldn’t quite picture.

"I want you to be someone special to me, Heidi," he continued. "I really like you."

His voice was sincere, but as much as I wanted to respond, something inside me was pulling me away—pulling me toward someone I couldn’t have, someone I shouldn’t even be thinking about. My feelings were conflicted, a mess of confusion and guilt, tangled with desires I couldn’t untangle.

"Calvin," I whispered.  He took it as a sign, leaning in slowly as if to kiss me. But at the last moment, I turned my face away, feeling my heart clench with sadness.

"Calvin, I... I don’t feel the same.”

He pulled back, his face falling into a sad smile as he let out a soft sigh. "I understand," he said quietly, the disappointment clear in his voice.

"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have done that. You only see me as a friend, right?" he asked, and I nodded slowly.

"That's fine," he said with a gentle smile. "I won't push you to feel differently. Let's just stay as we are."

I smiled and kissed him on the cheek. "Goodnight, Calvin," I said, and he waved as I left.

Leanna had already gone back to her house, about an hour away, so I was home alone and exhausted by the time I got inside.

Just as I was about to go to bed, my phone rang from an unknown number.

"Hello?" I answered, but there was silence.

"Hello?" I repeated.

"Heidi," a longing whisper said, and I swallowed hard. Goosebumps formed on my arms as my heart started racing.

"N-Nathan?" I stammered, hearing him chuckle deeply on the other end. How did you get my number?" I asked carefully.
"Connections," he responded wittily, and I rolled my eyes.

"Why are you calling me at ten at night?"

"I don't know," he replied.

"You don't know?" I asked again.

"Mm-hmm," he said, and I sighed.

"Clearly, you have nothing to say, so I'm ending this call," I said, though I hesitated, waiting for him to respond.

"Are you mad at me, Heidi?" he asked, and I blinked in surprise.

"No, I'm not," I replied.

"Really? Then why didn't you look at me today?"

"I have nothing to say to you, Mr. Hendrix. Goodnight!" I snapped and dropped my phone on the nightstand, trying to fall asleep and forget the events of the day. But his voice echoed in my dreams, calling my name softly.

I really need to stop.

A few days later, I had my final session with Calvin. He had made great progress since we started. Although things felt a bit awkward between us, he seemed unaffected.

"Thanks to you, my life has gotten much better," he said when we finished.

"You did all the work," I replied with a smile.

"Hope to see you soon, Heidi. Thanks for everything," he said, standing up, and I hugged him.

"What's with the hug?" he asked, amused.

"Just enjoy it," I told him, and he laughed, hugging me tightly and patting my head.

Suddenly, the door opened, and we quickly pulled apart.

Nathan stepped in. "Oh, sorry, am I interrupting something?" he asked sarcastically, but Calvin didn’t seem to notice.

"You don’t have an appointment today, Mr. Hendrix," I said.

"Sup?" Calvin greeted Nathan and gave him a handshake.

"I'm here for individual therapy," Nathan said.

"I see," I responded, returning to my desk.

"Well, I’ve gotta go. See you, Heidi," Calvin said, waving before leaving.

Nathan folded his arms and stared at me. I sighed.