The Girlfriend Game by Sierra Hill

Twenty-Five

Zeke

“Why the hell did I get a report from Dr. Rush’s office indicating you are no longer using her services?”

Marek’s anger-laced voice shouts at me with warning from the other end of the phone. And like the immature asshole that I am, I snicker like a twelve-year-old boy when he says, “using her services.”

Because, yeah, we are most definitely servicing one another as of late. A mutually beneficial arrangement of the highest degree.

“You think this is funny, Zeke? The potential end of your contract?” A long-suffering sigh gushes out of his mouth indicating he is indeed at the end of his rope with me.

It’s obvious I’ve hit a nerve with Marek. He’s been nothing but accommodating since my incident on the court and I know he doesn’t want to lose me from the team, but he also has a responsibility to the team owners and fans to ensure I am stable before the next season.

“Calm down, Marek. Everything’s fine. I do still see a therapist, but I switched it up. I decided to try out one of the other doctors on the list. Dr. Yu.”

There’s a moment of reflective silence as I can practically see Marek’s wheels turning. Then he huffs out the inevitable question.

“Why did you switch and not tell me? The team has developed a great working relationship with Dr. Rush over the years. Did you say or do something to ruin that?”

You mean by fucking her? That’s affirmative.

But I don’t tell Marek about Kendall and me because she asked that we keep things quiet for now to allow some distance between our final client-patient appointment and the public start of our relationship. It’s obviously necessary to shield her reputation more than mine, but I also don’t want or need the club to know I’m dating and fucking my former therapist. It could seem uncouth and improper. I understand that.

So, I offer up a lame excuse that even to my own ears makes me sound like a spoiled, entitled dickhead. “I wasn’t comfortable with her methods in that setting.”

All true. Her methods, of course, were amazing, but I also don’t want Marek to think Kendall wasn’t doing her job effectively, which is far from the truth.

“Don’t get me wrong, Marek. Kendall...I mean, Dr. Rush is a terrific psychologist. Through my sessions with her, I learned a lot about myself, my past, and how to manage my mental health in a healthier manner.”

“It sounds that way, based on her report and analysis. I’m glad she helped you sort through things, Zeke. But then… why leave?”

I suck air through my clenched teeth. “Honestly? She was distracting.”

Again, a very true statement. It’s difficult to bare your soul to the doctor when all you can think about is burying your dick inside her.

Marek snorts. “You mean you found her too attractive?”

“Pretty much,” I agree. “I mean, I’d have to be dead not to notice how beautiful Kendall is. Maybe others don’t have a problem with it, but my head wasn’t in the right space to reconcile her beauty from her work.”

There’s a thoughtful pause from Marek and he sniffs to indicate his reticence. “Mmm-hmm. So, what I hear you saying, Zeke, is that you left her practice before you tried making the moves on her?”

Oh, shit. He’s setting a trap. Abort. Abort. Abort.

I clear my throat. “I can control my dick. Dr. Rush was very good at helping me work through my impulse control, and now I’ve transferred that work to Dr. Yu. He should be sending you his monthly report soon.”

These are all true statements, with the exception of the one teeny, tiny lie of omission, but I can’t tell Marek the real reason Kendall can’t be my therapist. At least, not right now.

All he needs to know is that I’ll continue to work with a psychologist to make strides in my mental health and pick up exactly where Kendall and I left off.

I can tell Marek is still reluctant to believe me based on his silence.

“Seriously, boss. I’m doing great. I feel a thousand times better than I did a few months ago. I can’t tell you how much it means to me that you went out on a limb to help me out. I promise you, I will be ready to make a complete comeback in September.”

“If I find out you’re faking this, Zeke, there will be hell to pay. Do you understand me? I do not want to have to clean-up another media mess. You’ll forgive me for being less than enthusiastic over your decision to change practices, considering it was just a month ago that you had another public outburst.”

I scoff when he says this because it was not entirely my fault. But whatever. With all the enjoyment I’ve experienced being with Kendall the past month, I’d shoved all thoughts of that asshole from the coffee shop and his libelous and false accusations toward me to the back of my mind.

Marek continues boastfully, obviously having not forgotten about it. “Which, by the way, we cleaned up on your behalf, so you don’t have to worry about a lawsuit.”

After the initial video footage of the confrontation leaked, which made me look like the bad guy, Glen tracked down the full extent of the argument, which proved it was that guy who acted like a douchebag, not me, thereby squashing his claims I harassed and antagonized him.

“No lies, Marek. I swear. I’m living my best life.”

“Fine,” he mutters grudgingly. “And by the way, the club and team have scheduled an event in November to recognize some of the individuals instrumental in our team’s success over the past year. It hasn’t been announced yet, but one of the award recipients will be Dr. Rush. If you’re willing, I’d like you to share your story and the progress you’ve made with her support. How she inspired you to create your foundation.”

Words get lodged in my throat from the emotional left hook Marek throws out there. On one hand, I’m thrilled for Kendall, and she deserves this recognition more than anyone else I know. She works hard to help her patients with their struggles with mental health, as well as offering hope and service to the community. She’s truly the most inspiring person I’ve ever met.

But there’s a part of me that’s nervous about getting up on stage to expound on the many virtues of Dr. Kendall Rush because it will become clear to everyone how much I care for her, in more ways than just a therapist. My desire for Kendall will be written all over my face.

“Oh, wow. That’s great. Good for her. She absolutely deserves it.” I cough. “But I don’t know, Marek. Maybe you should pick someone else. I’m not the best public speaker.”

Marek laughs heartily. “You’re joking, right? Wasn’t it just a few weeks back when you were interviewed for that segment on GMA for your charity work with the new foundation? You had the audience eating out of the palm of your hand. You’re being ridiculous. And I won’t take no for an answer.”

Groaning inwardly, I realize I’m stuck between a rock and a hard place. Do I tell Marek the truth and expose that I’ve been secretly seeing Kendall?

My silence and reservation must trigger something for Marek because he suddenly lets out a curse of annoyance. “Goddammit, Forester. You slept with her, didn’t you? Jesus H. Christ. I should’ve known you couldn’t keep your dick in your pants.”

“Hey,” I snort. “I take exception to that, man. And it isn’t like that at all. Trust me. It didn’t happen the way you think it did.”

Marek scoffs out an irritated sound of disgust. “Right.”

I try quickly backpedaling, hoping he’ll believe me. For Kendall’s sake. “Seriously, Marek. It’s not what you think. Ansel told me about this blind dating app and I joined up. Without knowing anything about who the other was, Kendall and I began chatting together in May after we ended up matching. Anyway, when we did meet up in person and found out who the other was, Kendall immediately called things off.”

There’s a pause on the other end. “Okay, if that’s the case, then why are we discussing this if she sent you packing?”

I chuckle. “What can I say? I guess I’m too charming to resist.”