Free Two of a Mind by S M Stuart Page A

and take a deep, settling breath. The tension was mounting already. We hadn’t talked about what had happened the other night or about my lack of a PT. Did they think that by not saying anything it would go away? Maybe I was jumping the gun. Maybe they’ve been looking for the right opportunity to broach the subject. Maybe they were waiting for the outcome of my sessions with the hypnotherapist. But now I understood the phrase ‘an elephant in the room’ – something huge that nobody wants to acknowledge!
Ah, well, I’ll just take my elephant to bed, then.

    ***

    I woke early the next morning and, for once, was keen to get out of bed. I was ravenously hungry and desperate for a long, hot shower – the showers had been lukewarm and auto-restricted to three minutes in the clinic, hardly time to get wet never mind wash my hair! Even getting the shampoo in my eyes didn’t bother me this morning. I was home and the gorgeous Mr Grey – ahem, Alvin – was coming to sort me out.
Rephrase
– sort out my PT troubles.
Talk about schoolgirl crush!
How was I going to cope with his lusciousness when he got control over my brain?
Hang on the shower’s throwing a thermo wobbly – no it’s just me having a hot flush. Calm down Dez!
    As if being sixteen wasn’t hard enough with all the raging hormones, I now had a non-existent PT and a budding crush on the guy who was supposed to help me find myself. I turned the water to cold, both to close my pores and to cool my flirtatious thoughts. As I stepped out of the shower I knew it was stupid even to consider the therapist in those terms. It was never going to happen. Besides the ethical minefield of patient/practitioner relationship, he was way too old for me anyway! I grinned at my reflection in the
Stay-Clear
mirror and started to detangle my hair. Seth would find all this hilarious. He’d soon put me straight. But just the thought of him made me stop the hairbrush in mid-stroke. My juvenile fantasies about Alvin Grey/Denzel Washington evaporated and something rigid settled in my chest.
Now what? Oh, yeah.
Things were changing between Seth and me now. We had to deal with the serious stuff about his mum and his belief that she – and I – had wanted to die! Trivial, jokey stuff wasn’t likely to be on the agenda now. My good mood disappeared along with the fantasies and the resident lump in my chest gave a triumphant twist, choking a couple of dry sobs from me before I got it under control again.
    â€œDez, sweetheart. Are you all right?” Dad called, as he passed the bathroom door on his way downstairs.
    â€œYeah. I’m good. Be out in a min.”
    I quickly pulled my still-damp hair into a loose ponytail, picked up the used towels, hung them over the rail, and opened the window to dispel the lingering steam.
    â€œThe solar panels should manage more hot water in an hour or so!” Dad teased, as I hungrily started on my breakfast.
    â€œSorry,” I mumbled around a mouthful of granola. “Just needed to wash away the clinic.”
    â€œI was only joking, sweetheart.” His brows furrowed as though he was worried that I was going to go off on one again.
    Well, I suppose I’ll have to get used to that now.
I thought. “S’okay, Dad. I know.”
    His forehead relaxed with obvious relief.
    â€œWhat time are Ms Thorogood and Alvin coming?” I asked.
    â€œMr Grey, dear,” said Mum.
    â€œHe told me to call him Alvin.”
    â€œOh. Well, I suppose if he said so it must be all right then. But I must say it seems rather over-familiar to me.”
    â€œMum. You can be so old fashioned sometimes.” I surprised both of us by giving her shoulder a quick squeeze as I walked behind her towards the dishwasher.
    Sitting back at the kitchen table I asked again, “So what time are they coming then?”
    â€œWe settled on ten-thirty. Remember?” Dad