Chapter One

Flicking down her visor, Shae McPherson assessed her appearance. She needed a haircut, and her new base didn’t manage to hide the dark circles under her eyes. She winced and dug around her bag in search of something to remedy the situation. Unfortunately, her bag didn’t contain a good night’s rest, so she turned to the lip gloss, applying a thin layer. Pressing her lips together to distribute the gloss evenly, she rolled her eyes.

“Dr. Ramsey is probably bald and fat. What do I care?”

Stepping out of her car, she let out a sigh as she made her way to the heavy front door.

“Who in South Africa still has a knocker on their front door?” Shae mumbled under her breath.

Lifting the offending knocker, she shook her head as she banged it against the dark wood.

A stocky old woman with a smile as broad as her hips opened the door. She peered over her spectacles and held out a puffy hand.

“Good morning, Mrs. McPherson. Please come in.”

Shae couldn’t help but smile at the friendly receptionist.

“Morning. It’s Miss.”

“What’s that, dear?”

“I am Miss McPherson. Not married,” Shae said and displayed her naked ring finger as if she needed to prove it.

The receptionist made a disapproving noise and shuffled down a passage, beckoning Shae to follow her. The old house sported the most beautiful wooden floors and high chandeliered ceilings, and it could easily pass for a museum instead of a consulting room in Johannesburg. The smell of what could only be freshly baked scones permeated the air and made Shae’s stomach growl.

At the end of the passage, the door to a spacious room stood ajar.

“Dr. Ramsey, Miss McPherson just arrived,” the old lady announced.

The emphasis on her title didn’t escape Shae and she felt silly for having corrected the sweet old lady. There was some shuffling inside the room before a tall woman stood in the doorway. Her black hair was in a tight bun, accentuating her high cheekbones. She had piercing blue eyes and a sensual mouth resembling that of Cate Blanchett. Dr. Ramsey was a lucky man to have this beautiful creature on his couch, Shae thought to herself.

“Miss McPherson. Welcome. Please have a seat. Ella, could you please bring us a pot of tea and some of those fresh scones that have my mouth watering.”

Wait. What? This tall beauty was the therapist? Shae battled to hide her surprise.

“Yes, I am Dr. Ramsey. Don’t worry. I often get that look. The fact that my mother insisted on naming me Adrian keeps my life interesting at the best of times.”

Clearing her throat, Shae shook the outstretched hand of the goddess that she now assumed would start prodding and poking around her psyche soon. Suddenly, therapy didn’t seem like the worst idea ever. She stepped into the room and performed a quick scan. Wall-to-wall mahogany shelves were crammed full of books and a plush maroon rug covered most of the floor. In the middle of the room, a small coffee table stood surrounded by two leather recliners and a matching two-seater. The walls were decorated with abstracts in warm earthy colours. A Zen garden dominated the one side of the room, and a beautiful fireplace the other.

“This is not quite what I expected,” Shae said as she nervously clasped her hands in front of her stomach.

“What did you expect, Miss McPherson?”

“Can you please call me Shae? I am Miss McPherson at school all day,” Shae said as she shifted around on the stiff recliner.

Ella entered the room carrying a tray with a pot of tea and the most beautiful scones Shae had ever seen. Taking the tray from her, Dr. Ramsey instructed her to close the door behind her. Let the prodding begin, Shae thought.

“Help yourself to these scones, Shae. I guarantee it will be the best part of your day. So, what did you expect?”

“Not this.”

Adrian poured two cups of tea and slid one across the table before she meticulously buttered a scone like a skilled mason would smooth cement over a brick. She then layered it with strawberry jam and sunk her perfect teeth into it hungrily. Closing her eyes, Adrian made a satisfactory noise in the back of her throat while Shae sipped on her tea and stared at her own untouched scone.

“Go for it. You’ll be a changed woman,” Adrian said and dusted crumbs from her chest.

“I just had breakfast,” Shae lied.

Adrian slipped into doctor mode as she opened a folder and started scribbling in it. Shae sighed and placed her cup on the coffee table before she wrapped her arms across her chest protectively. The room was quiet for a few moments before Adrian suddenly looked up, crossed her legs, and shifted in her seat.

“So, Shae. You say that this is all unexpected?”

Time to measure my words carefully, Shae thought.

“I don’t think I had any expectations, actually.”

“We always have expectations, Shae. Even when we don’t realise it. Most people expect to crash on my couch.”

Shae pointed to the two-seater and shook her head.

“That is not comfortable enough to crash on. Now that you mention it, if I had any expectations, it would have been to sit comfortably,” Shae said as she squeezed the stiff armrests.

Adrian chuckled softly.

“I find that people don’t really challenge themselves when they are too comfortable. Also, these are new. I renovated a short while ago.”

Shae nodded slowly, picked up her cup of tea, and sipped carefully.

“That’s not why I’m here, though. I don’t need to challenge myself.”

Adrian started to chew on the back of her pen and momentarily stared out the window at the vast gardens outside. From what Shae could see, the scene outside was just about as pretty as they get in the City of Gold. In the absence of picturesque mountain ranges or the unmatched beauty of the ocean, Gauteng residents with an appreciation for all things beautiful tended to grow luscious gardens. Shae deduced that Doctor Adrian Ramsey had to be one of those residents, making the best of what Johannesburg, the commercial hub that it was, had to offer.

“Why are you here, Shae?”

“My boss didn’t tell you?” Shae asked.

Adrian refocused her attention on Shae.

“Mr. Foster is not my patient. The instruction was to assess whether you needed professional support. He mentioned that there had been an incident at school that might have left you traumatised. I’m afraid that’s the extent of my knowledge.”

Shae crossed her legs and shifted deeper into the recliner. She pictured Mr. Foster trying to articulate while staring at Dr. Ramsey’s assets. It was no secret that beautiful women made him uncomfortable. Shae’s good friend, Fiona, took great pleasure in making their principal blush whenever she had the opportunity—usually in front of the students’ parents.

“I am here to humour Mr. Foster. The incident that he referred to happened almost a year ago, and I am completely fine. I guess I need you to set his mind at ease,” Shae said and drained her cup.

Adrian nodded a few times and scribbled in the file.

“Seems the topic of the day is expectations. You expect me to set his mind at ease. He expects me to assess your mental health.”

Shae’s arms were crossed over her chest again.

“What do you expect, Doctor?”

Adrian smiled brightly and dropped her pen in the folder on her lap.

“I thought you’d never ask. It’s actually very simple, Shae. I don’t expect you to bare your soul to me, but I do expect you to give this a shot,” Adrian said.

Nodding slowly, Shae started chipping nail polish off her thumb, tapping her foot against the leg of the coffee table. She inwardly cursed herself for committing to this nonsense, but Mr. Foster had made it quite clear that she had run out of options. She still felt that these drastic measures were unnecessary. Mr. Foster had a way of overdramatising everything and she certainly did not agree with him about her performance at work. Was she traumatised? At first, she definitely had been, but by no means was she neglecting her students. Mr. Foster was being neurotic.

“Look at it like a first date,” Adrian said.

Shae cocked her brow at that.

“You can start by telling me a little bit about yourself,” Adrian continued.

Shae rested her elbow on the armrest and her chin on her closed fist.

“You probably wouldn’t have said that if Mr. Foster had given you the heads-up. I’m a lesbian,” Shae said defiantly.

Shae studied the doctor’s face intently, but she didn’t register anything. Dr. Ramsey didn’t seem affected in the least. She closed the folder on her lap and dumped it on the coffee table as if she’d lost all interest in recording any facts about Shae McPherson.

“I don’t happen to think that one’s sexual preference defines you. Either way, you should still treat this like a first date. Just talk about yourself, and after our time together you can decide whether you’d like to see me again.”

Shae uncrossed her legs and wiped her palms on her thighs. Why she was suddenly anxious, she had no clue. She stared at Dr. Ramsey, but her words simply refused to form sentences. Adrian smiled at her and started rolling her ring around her finger.

“What’s it like teaching at Willowmore?”

“It’s very rewarding. Do you know much about Willowmore?” Shae asked, feeling a little more relaxed.

“I don’t, actually.”

Shae pictured the smiling faces of her students. Over the years, she had formed profound relationships with each of them. She had been privileged enough to see some of her students grow from awkward children into remarkable teenagers. Forming deep connections with her students was a natural result of spending the majority of her waking hours with them.

“It’s the best public school in the province,” Shae said.

Adrian nodded slowly but didn’t say a word. It was in these silent moments that Shae felt like she was under a microscope and assumed that Dr. Ramsey was dissecting every word she uttered, which made her shift around uncomfortably.

“I suppose every mother thinks her kid is the brightest. I mean, I don’t have statistics to back up what I just said.”

Adrian studied her carefully and sighed when Shae visibly started squirming.

“Look, Shae. I know that this is uncomfortable. Nobody sits in that chair completely at ease. There’s a reason people avoid seeing therapists.”

Standing up, Adrian crossed the room, opened a window, and watered a succulent that was the centrepiece of the windowsill. By the time she took up her seat again, Shae was somewhat more relaxed.

“I don’t mentally record every word you say, Shae. Not everything has hidden meaning, so please relax. I can assure you my purpose is not to expose you to anyone.”

Shae stared at her for a long time before she picked up her untouched scone. She broke bite-sized pieces off and almost groaned as her taste buds exploded. Dr. Ramsey was paying close attention. She might not weigh every word, but Shae was not ignorant. She knew that any good therapist must have perfected the art of observation. If she was going to retain any semblance of control, it was crucial that Adrian realised that Shae was no amateur when it came to the science of human behaviour.

“You’re thinking that I’m very controlled because I didn’t groan in satisfaction. Do you have your receptionist bake these as part of your assessments?” Shae asked.

Dr. Ramsey chuckled at that.

“I wish I could be that calculated. Ella bakes because she doesn’t like having idle time. It’s a perk. She gets therapy for free!”

Damn. That chuckle seemed so sincere. Shae felt a little silly for trying to challenge Adrian. From what she could tell, Adrian was kind, and she probably didn’t deserve her antagonism. She sighed quietly before she started talking.

“I don’t love my job despite what happened, I love it because of what happened. It just reaffirmed the importance of the role that educators play in the lives of troubled teens. It’s why I was drawn to this profession.”

Adrian still wore a poker face. Shae understood perfectly; having studied some psychology, Shae knew the importance of maintaining the delicate balance between seeming detached and engrossed. She often used the same technique on her students to lure them into speaking more freely.

“It takes a village, as they say,” Adrian said, nodding. “What do you do for fun?” she asked.

She clearly didn’t want Shae to dwell or take a step backward, hence the change in direction of the conversation. Shae felt somewhat comforted by the knowledge that this Dr. Ramsey was no fool. She obviously already realised that it was too soon for them to rip off the Band-Aid. Shae smiled and cocked a brow.

“Nice diversion, Doctor.”

Adrian mimicked a bow as far as was possible in a seated position.

“It depends on my mood, really. Sometimes I build architectural models in the quiet of my den. Sometimes I play beer pong with a bunch of unruly friends,” Shae said.

Shae pointed to the folder as she leaned forward in her seat.

“Come on, Dr. Ramsey. We both know you are dying to scribble a few notes in that folder.”

Adrian wiped some lipstick residue off the rim of her cup and captured some strawberry-speckled crumbs on the tip of her index finger. She stuck her finger in her mouth and sucked lightly, an innocent action that had Shae slightly aroused. She blushed inwardly—she hoped.

“What do you reckon I would want to note, Shae?”

Shae perceived it as a challenge. She sat back in the recliner and crossed her legs. Linking her fingers, she cupped her joined hands around her right knee.

“Patient displays signs of manic behaviour. Possibly trained in psychology to some extent. Defiant behaviour at times—investigate occurrence of Oppositional Defiant Disorder as a child.”

This time Dr. Ramsey made a show of being impressed. She pursed her lips, raised her perfectly shaped eyebrows, and nodded slowly.

“Noted, Doctor McPherson.” Adrian smiled, making air quotes around the title.

It was now Shae’s turn to mimic a bow, which she performed with gusto and a big smile. Therapy, it seemed, was going to be much more interesting than Shae had expected.