Deep Surrendering: Episode Ten by Chelsea M. Cameron Page A

pot and filled up in the sink.
    “Oh, thanks.” She sunk into the cushions with a sigh.
    “I’m sure he’s fine,” she said over the rush of the water. I turned it off and gave her what I hoped was a confident smile. Inside, I was shaking worse than Jell-o.
    “Yeah, I’m sure. He’s more than capable of taking care of himself.” Sapphire nodded in agreement. Strange how the two of us were so different, yet both of us were brought together by one man.
    “So, um, how’s work?” I cringed the second the words were out of my mouth. “Sorry, that was totally uncalled for and none of my business.”
    Sapphire laughed.
    “You’re such a prude sometimes. Work is exciting. As always. My clients never cease to surprise me.” She gave me a grin that made her look so much older. How could she do that? Go from looking like she was just barely, if not still, in her teens to looking like some sort of sex goddess come down to earth to instruct humans on the art of seduction.
    “Really? I’d think you would have seen it all. I’m sorry, I can’t seem to stop saying somewhat insulting things.” I got two cups for us and some spoons to stir in the creamer.
    Sapphire threw her head back and laughed again. It was such a sweet and delightful sound.
    “I like you,” she said meeting my eyes. “And no, I haven’t seen it all. I may have been doing this for years, but people still surprise me. I love that about my job.” She almost sounded like she could have been talking about being a teacher. Guess she was. Of a sort.
    I poured the coffee in both cups, leaving room for the creamer and carried them over to the couch with the bottle of creamer under my arm.
    “I wasn’t sure how much you liked, so you can add your own.”
    She kicked off her shoes and curled her feet up under her as she took the cup from me and added a few splashes of creamer before stirring it all together. I did the same and we stared into our cups for a few seconds.
    “So, Marisol, tell me about yourself,” Sapphire said, blowing on her cup and then taking a sip.
    “Oh, um, what do you want to know?” This was awkward, but at least it was something to occupy my mind so it didn’t go crazy worrying about Fin. My phone was on the coffee table between us. Just sitting there. Silent.
    “Whatever. Just start talking.” I didn’t really want to, but I didn’t want to sit here in silence either.
    “Okay, I’m in college still. I can’t seem to find the desire to graduate, so I just keep getting degrees.”
    “In what?” she asked and I sipped my coffee before I answered.
    “Education and business. I think I’d like to be a principal at a charter school or something like that. Something where I’m making a difference instead of being a slave to the messed-up system we currently use.” Don’t even get me started on Common Core. Don’t even.
    “You think? You’re not sure?” I sighed. Now we were getting into the complications of how my brain worked.
    I sighed. What was taking so long for someone to get back to us? I stared at the phone, but it was dark and silent.
    “Well… I don’t know. I guess I’m afraid that I’ll get into it and it won’t be like I thought it would be and then all of my hard work in school with be for nothing and I’ll end up making sandwiches, or something. Oh, and be in debt up to my eyeballs for the rest of my life.” I didn’t mean to open up to her like that, but there was something about Sapphire that made you trust her. Say things to her that you wouldn’t ordinarily to a stranger. That was probably why she was so good at her job. She could get people to let out their wildest fantasies and feel safe in doing so. I guess that was a sort of therapy.
    “Or maybe you’re just using that as an excuse to never graduate from school and get a big girl job.” Of course, that was really the reason. I was a coward. I blamed some of it on my parents for telling me that going to school was a waste of time, but