Barely Associated

14

Amari

"What history might that be?" Jessica asked.

"She dated him a while back." Justin answered. "And he recently hired her to redo his entire hotel before he opens it to the public."

"And how did that make you feel when you first heard about it?" Jessica asked.

"I didn't feel anything because I didn't know about their past." Justin said. "I just thought he was someone she went to high school with."

"So you didn't know about them dating when you first met him?"

"Correct." Justin nodded.

"Amari, why didn't you tell him?" She asked turning her attention to me.

"I didn't think it was necessary." I shrugged. "I mean, he's married and I'm in a relationship. I didn't think there would've been more than business involved."

"So, how did you find out about their past, Justin?" She looked back to him.

"Amari told me." He gestured in my direction. "He called her one night to complain about how he purposely ruined the hotel and I made a joke about him liking her or used to like her. The rest just came pouring out."

"And after that?" Jessica asked. "How did you handle the news?"

"I separated myself from her. I needed time because to me, in my head, there were a lot of things that started to make sense." He said.

"What were those things?" She asked preparing to write them down.

"How she was putting in the extra time on his Hotel." He started. "How he had brought her lunch from her favorite place. How often he'd call and how she was always so quick to answer the phone whenever he called."

"That seems like normal tendencies to me." Jessica said glancing between the two of us. "I mean, if I had her working on my building that I needed opened by a set date, I'd want her at my every beck and call."

"I get that, but you need to understand that this isn't Amari's first time working on a building this big. She's had less time to get done with a project." Justin shook his head. "This feels different."

"Do you think it could feel different because you know about their past? Do you think you could be over exaggerating the details a bit in your head?"

"Honestly? No." Justin said. "I saw the way she looked at him at that restaurant. That's not something I could come up with myself."

His words lingered in the air as Jessica wrote down what he had said.

"Amari?"

"Yes?" I asked looking over at Jessica who was already staring at me.

"Do you have anything you'd like to add before we wrap up this session?" She asked.

"I don't." I shook my head.

Her gaze lingered on me before she nodded her head.

"Very well then." She sighed closing her notebook. "Same time next week?"

"Yes." I said grabbing my bag and standing up.

Justin was already on his way out of the door.

"Amari..." Jessica said softly once Justin left. "Next session I'll be focusing more on you. He's not the only one with issues that have been bottled up and put away."

"Okay. That's fine." I nodded.

"I want you to think about what it is Justin does that makes you tick. That makes you want to run to someone else. Tyler, perhaps." She said. "Even if it is as small as the way he looks at his watch. I want to hear it all. Alright?"

"Okay." I sighed.

"Bye."

"Bye."

I left her office to see Justin staring out the glass doors like a child.

"What'd she want?" He asked.

"Nothing." I shook my head. "She wants you to look over that contract, though."

"I'll do it Tonight." He said. "But right now, I'm just ready to go get some food."

"Alright, but you're driving." I stuffed the keys in his pocket before he could argue and left.

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Short Chapter, I know.

But I'm working on these bigger details that are coming soon and I just knew I needed to get this out there so I could move on to what y'all are all waiting for!

Honey, y'all are going to hate me after this....

Bye!