Running Home to You (The Running Series) (28 page)

Since we are the first appointment of the day, there’s no one else in the office.  Dr. Falkowski comes out right away and invites us into his office.  “Juliette, it’s nice to see you again.  Who have you brought with you today?”

“Dr. Falkowski, this is Evan Thomas.  Evan, this is Dr. Falkowski.”  The men shake hands cordially. 

Dr. Falkowski takes a seat behind his desk, takes out a notepad and scribbles some precursory notes.  As he’s writing, he addressed Evan directly, “Mr.
Thomas
, it’s a pleasure to meet you.  Juliette has told me a lot about you.”

“I’m sure she has.  But before we continue, I’d like to ask you a few questions.  Do you record your sessions?” Evan asks.

“My notes are all hand written,” he responds, showing Evan the yellow notepad he has in front of him.  “I don’t do any audio or video recordings of my sessions.  If it becomes therapeutically necessary, I make sure to get the consent of the patient before beginning.  I don’t see the need for any such recordings at this point.”

“I’m glad to hear that.”  Evan visibly relaxes.  “Now, for the record, my full name is Evan Thomas McGuire, but in this setting, I prefer to use Evan Thomas.  Juliette tells me that you are familiar with my situation.  Is that correct?”  Evan is acting as if he is in control of this entire process.  I hope that’s not the case.

“Yes, I understand your situation as well as the circumstances that brought you here today.  Your privacy is very important to me, as well.  I want you to feel that you are in a safe place where you can speak freely.”  Dr. Falkowski stands up, walks to the front of his desk, and takes a seat in a chair near Evan and me.  “So tell me, Juliette, what would you like to discuss today?”

I look at Evan to see if he has any input.  He shakes his head and shrugs his shoulders, reminding me that he’s only here as a spectator.  “Um, well, I guess I’d like to discuss my behavior and choices last night.”

“I see.  What, specifically, concerns you the most?” he asks.

“Well, Evan and I agreed to act as a couple in front of the press at yesterday’s Grand Opening.  We want the news to be about the restaurant, not our personal problems.  But I’m afraid I may have taken things a little too far,” I confess.  I give Dr. Falkowski all the details about the entire night, starting with make-out session in front of the press, and ending with our flirting at the bar after closing.  He listens carefully without interrupting me, and takes notes throughout it all.

“Evan, do you agree with Juliette’s description of last night’s events?” he asks.

“Not exactly,” he responds.  “Juliette says she thinks things went too far, and I think they didn’t go far enough.”

“Ah, I see.”  The doctor sits back in his chair and appraises us both.  He doesn’t respond right away.  “It would appear to me that at this time, your goals are not exactly in synch with one another.”

Evan answers before I get a chance to.  “Oh, we’re in synch, all right.  We were in synch all night long.  It wasn’t until closing that she threw the brakes on.”

“That’s exactly what I’m talking about.  It was too easy for both of us to fall back into hold habits last night,” I try to explain.

“Well, I can’t say I’m surprised.  If you had come to me with this plan beforehand, I would have warned you about blurring the lines, Juliette.  Without clearly set boundaries, you’re likely to give mixed signals to one another again.”  Dr. Falkowski is making sense; he’s right.  “You’re creating a situation where you both can become frustrated with the other and disappointed in the outcome.  If you intend to reconcile, I suggest setting up ground rules you both can live with for now.  If things go well, then you can negotiate to change the rules.  Does that sound like something you both can agree to?”

Evan and I look at one another, nodding our heads in agreement.  Good!  We have a starting point.

“Dr. Falkowski, can I ask you a few more questions?” I ask.

“Of course.  What’s on your mind?”

“Well, last time we spoke, you said something I think Evan needs to hear.”

“We spoke about many things, Juliette.  Could you be more specific?”

“It had to do with Evan getting evaluated by someone, how did you put it?  Out of his circle or something like that?  And that if he were your patient, you’d start by running some medical tests.  Isn’t that right?”

“That’s correct.”  Dr. Falkowski turns in his swivel chair to address Evan directly.  “What Juliette is referring to is our discussion about getting an outside opinion about your medical and mental state.  It’s important that everyone develop an inner circle of individuals to provide support and friendship throughout their lives.  No man is an island, as they say.  But when those same individuals are also entrusted to make business decisions that will affect their own professional livelihoods, their personal interests might supersede your own.”

“Wait a minute.  I completely trust Adam.  He’s my closest friend and an amazing business manager,” Evan contended.  I just knew he would react like this.

“I’m sure he is, Evan.  The fact is, he might think that his advice is what’s best for you.  His intentions might be completely honorable.  However, you can’t deny the fact that if what was best for you conflicted with what was best for his career as your manager, he might not see that as a viable option.”

“I don’t know.  Maybe,” Evan concedes.  “So, if you were advising me, what would you tell me to do?” he questions.

“Well, considering your profession, I would begin by ruling out a medical cause for your personality shifts.  I’d order MRI’s to check for the lingering effects of any previous head trauma.  I would also order a complete blood panel to rule out a chemical imbalance that might be caused by dietary intake or pharmaceutical consumption.”

I watch closely as Evan considers the doctor’s proposal.  Evan fought hard to avoid therapy that included revisiting the kidnapping.  Dr. Falkowski is suggesting a scientific approach to finding a diagnosis.  I’m hopeful that Evan might be onboard with this particular methodology.

“The NFL takes brain trauma very seriously.  They monitor the players closely.  I’ve had a few MRI’s over the years, and nothing has ever showed up.  Besides, there is no way I could just walk into some hospital or medical center to get an MRI or CT scan without word getting out.  The team and the league would have no choice but get involved.  That’s the last thing I need right now.  Things are just starting to turn around for me.”

“Fair enough.  I can, however, get a nurse to come to my office immediately to draw blood.  We can send it to the lab with a fictitious name in order to protect your privacy.  Is that something you would consider?”

“You could get a nurse here right now?” Evan asks suspiciously.

“I could.”  Dr. Falkowski walks to his desk, picks up the phone, and speaks to his receptionist.  “Michelle, could you call my wife and ask her to come downstairs right away?  Tell her I need her to draw some blood for a patient.”  He hangs up his phone and responds to Evan’s concern.  “My wife is a licensed RN.  Occasionally, she assists me when needed.”

Evan was not expecting to be put on the spot like that.  I can tell by the way he’s shifting around in his seat and running his hand wildly through his hair.  “How can a counselor order blood work?”

“I started my career as a Doctor of Internal Medicine.  My wife was one of the nurses in my private practice.  After practicing medicine for ten years, I decided I needed a change and I got my certification in counseling.  I sold my share of the practice and never looked back.  I’ve maintained my medical license and from time to time, I find it to be useful in cases like this.” 

As he finishes sharing his professional history with us, there’s a knock at the door.  Dr. Falkowski rises and walks to the door, steps out, and closes the door behind him so we cannot hear what is being discussed.

I turn to Evan, curious to know if he will concede.  “Evan, I think you should do it.  What have you got to lose?  No one has to know and maybe we’ll get some answers.”

“Do you really think I should, Juliette?” he asks earnestly.

“I do.  Don’t you want to know what’s going on, Evan?  Unless we figure this out, there won’t be a future for us.  You know that, don’t you?” I caution.

“I guess I really don’t have a choice then.”  He starts to roll up his sleeve.  “Bring her in.”

Mrs. Falkowski comes in and takes several vials of blood, labels them each carefully, then slips out of the office.  The entire procedure takes less than five minutes.  She’s very professional and considerate.  She’s obviously done this before.  Dr. Falkowski must have told her about Evan’s need for privacy, because she didn’t seem the least bit fazed by our situation.

“What now?” Evan inquires.

Dr. Falkowski takes a seat and rejoins Evan and me.  “Well, I’ll put a rush on the tests, but it could take up to a week to get the results. Meanwhile, I’d like to speak with you both about putting some healthy boundaries in place until we know more.”

“What kind of boundaries are you talking about?” Evan demands.  “We have plans,” he points out.

“See, I agreed to go out on a date with Evan if he agreed to come here with me today, Dr. Falkowski,” I explain.

“Did you say exactly
when
that date would take place, Juliette?” he probes.

Evan’s eyes grow larger.  He’s not going to like where this conversation goes.  “No,” I despondently admit.

“Based on what you’ve shared with me about your recent interactions, I’d say it’s easy to predict how a date night with the two of you might end.  Would I be correct?”

“A man can dream, can’t he?” Evan acknowledges.  I simply nod my head because I know they’re right.

“All I can do is offer you my opinion.  It’s up to the two of you to make the decision, but I would not suggest initiating any intimate encounters at this time.”  Dr. Falkowski looks first at Evan, then to me.  The disappointment in both our faces must be apparent.

Evan sits back in his chair, shaking his head.  This is not going the way he planned.

“If not now, then when?” I ask, trying to focus on the positive.

“Let’s wait until we get the test results back so we know a little more about what we’re dealing with,” he offers.

“Let me get this straight,” Evan interrupts.  “Today is Friday.  You’re telling me it could take a week to get the test results back and I cannot see my girlfriend until then?  Seriously?”

“Tell you what, I can call in a few favors.  The last thing I want is for this to cause you more stress, Evan.  I might be able to get the results by,” he consults a calendar on his desk, “Tuesday.  Wednesday the latest.”

“Evan, you have the ESPYs on Tuesday.  We can wait until Wednesday.  That’s not too bad.”  I turn to Dr. Falkowski for more guidance.  “Besides, Auggie really needs me.  He’s going to be almost completely helpless for another week, at least.”

Dr. Falkowski gives Evan and me some pointers on intentional conversation and something called the speaker-listener technique.  Before leaving, we make an appointment to come back in five days.  It’s going to be the longest five days of my life.

A
fter Evan drops me off at home, I immediately change and go to work.  Our Grand Opening was yesterday, and we got great reviews.  Marcus called while Evan and I were in the car to tell us the good news.  I’m expecting to get slammed for lunch and dinner.  It’s Fourth of July weekend at the Shore, and a large portion of our seasonal profits will be made in this one weekend.  It’s going to take the entire crew working their asses off in order to continue our success.

Everyone at Rush has lots of questions for me about last night.  They all want to know if Evan and I are back together again.  I tell them the truth, which is that we are trying to work things out. 

Despite their volatile relationship, Derek remains one of Evan’s biggest champions.  “You know, Jette, Mac has really been through a lot in the last few months.  It can’t be easy for someone like him to feel like so many things are out of his control.  His cuckoo for Cocoa Puffs ex-girlfriend, his recovery, he’s on a new team, and he’s starting a new business.  You really shouldn’t be surprised that he snapped.  Now that he let off a little steam and got it out of his system, I’ll bet he’s as good as new.  He sure seems like his old self.”

“Hear that crap, Jette?  That’s the Bro Code you’re hearing,” Ryker goads as he enters the bar, carrying with him today’s citrus supply for drink garnishes. 

“What’s that supposed to mean?” I snap.

“Oh, that’s right, you have no brothers.  Let me explain,” Ryker offers.  “Rule number one of the Bro Code is to always have your bro’s back, no exceptions.”  Ryker completely ignores Derek as he explains.  “Rule number two, when your bro screws up, if he makes amends, all must be forgiven.  And let’s not forget McGuire is the alpha male in this little pack, so his boys are expected to roll with the punches at all times, no pun intended.”

Derek’s not having any of this.  “You’re full of shit, dude.  Go climb back under whatever slimy rock you crawled out of and stop trying to mess with her head.”  Derek pours me a big glass of ice water and hands it to me.  “Don’t listen to that jackass, Jette.  Hell, don’t listen to me, either.  Do what you have to do and we’ll take care of things here, like always.”