Free To Be With You by Opal Mellon

not feel the warm feeling at all?”
    “I feel the warm feeling, but I just don’t. It must be my olive coloring.”
    She turned to watch Justin and the group at the pool table and let out a little sigh that made him jealous.
    “Would you like to rejoin the game?” Sean didn’t want the moment to end. He’d been feeling like it was their own little world again, like a bubble surrounded them.
    “No,” she said. “Not really in the mood tonight.” She slumped back a bit on her chair.
    “Is everything okay?”
    “Yeah,” she said. “Sometimes I just have bad days. Today Melanie brought up the subject of shrinks because she’s a psych major and it sort of threw me off.”
    “We all have bad days,” he said. “But aren’t therapists supposed to make you feel better?”
    “So now you’re an expert on therapists?”
    “You’re dodging,” he said.
    “I guess they should make you feel better,” she said. “But they really dig in, make you think of things you’d rather forget. I guess it’s a lot like lancing a boil. The poison gets out but it hurts like heck.” She tapped her foot on the ground. “I guess talking today just brought memories back that I didn’t really want.”
    “Really,” he said. “What do you mean?”
    “Haven’t you ever had a time of your life you just want to forget, and so everything that reminds you of it puts you into a funk?”
    “I can’t say that I have,” he said. “But I’ve known people who have. Very close friends who have been through some tough stuff.” Again he felt like patting her knee, to sympathize, but didn’t. “I’m sorry you’ve been through something like that.”
    “I guess it’s made me who I am.” She put her arms around herself. “I just wish someone could give me answers. Every time I go to therapy, they try to help me fix myself. Sometimes I feel how I did as a kid. I didn’t cause the trouble, and I don’t know how to fix it.”
    “I wish I had an answer,” he said, wanting to somehow reach out and bridge the gap between them. Hold her in his arms like he hadn’t been able to as a child. Cry with her, laugh with her. But he was lying to her. He was doing what she hated most, and right now he just had to watch her struggle and pretend he was okay with it.
    “I know,” she said. “I’m being so depressing. I think I’m just going to go for the night.”
    “Are you sure?” He stood. “I’m sorry if I’ve upset you.”
    “Not at all. I was flattered you were so interested,” she said. “I hope we can talk again sometime. I’d like to schedule another date.”
    “Really?” he said. Then he remembered, a host date. She wasn’t asking him to court her. Just escort her. “I’d like that.”
    “Me too,” Nicole smiled. “I’ll talk to Hope, you seem busy.”
    “Great. I look forward to it.” But that wasn’t true. Another date would be just another lie. “This time, if we see your ex, can I rough him up a little?”
    “I’d rather you didn’t.” She hiked her purse up on her shoulder and waved goodbye to Justin and motioned for Melanie to join her. “I can take care of myself.”
    “Alright,” he said. “I’ll try to squash all chivalrous impulses.” He shrugged. “Speaking of which, would I be fired if I told you to drive safely and have a good night?”
    “No, that’s fine.” She smiled.
    “Good. Drive safe. Make sure one of the guards walks you out.”
    “Will do,” she said. She turned to give him one last half smile, put her arm around her cousin’s shoulder, and disappeared through the double doors.
    ~ ~ ~
    At the end of the shift, Sean entered the dressing room. Hope leaned against the wall with her date book in her hand.
    “So Nicole just scheduled a second date with you.”
    “Great,” Sean said, folding a shirt. “It’s kind of awkward having you in the dressing room.”
    “No one else is changing.”
    Sean shrugged. “Did you need something?”
    “Did you want to know the date