the clock.
“Well, I think that’s good for today, don’t you?”
We both rose, but as she opened the door, I
heard a buzzing across the room and saw her cell phone dancing
across the table.
“Tasmyn, I need to take this. Can you go out
to reception and wait for me?” I nodded and closed the door behind
me.
I wandered down the hallway and was startled
to see a man in one of the waiting room chairs. He was taller than
me, with longish wavy light brown hair. He looked vaguely
familiar.
“Hi,” he greeted me, laying down the magazine
that he’d been flipping thorugh.
I nodded in return and stood awkwardly for a
moment. Aline usually made me her last appointment of the day, so I
was surprised that this guy seemed to think he belonged here. I
probed gently into his mind and came up with the answer.
“Aline had to take a phone call,” I offered.
“She should be here in a minute.”
“Oh, that’s cool.” He stood and offered me a
hand. “I’m Seth Phillips. A friend of Aline’s.”
I concentrated on not raising my eyebrows and
smirking at him. From what I’d picked up, he was a little more than
her friend.
“I’m Tasmyn,” I answered, shaking his hand.
“I’m a patient.”
Seth grinned. “Yeah, I figured.” He cocked
his head, studying me. “Hey, do you go to Perriman by any chance? I
feel like I’ve seen you.”
I smiled. Aline took her patient
confidentiality seriously; Seth really had no idea who I was. I
hadn’t picked up even the slightest blip in his mind, and I’d been
listening.
“Yes, I’m a freshman,” I answered. “Do you
work there?”
He stuck a thumb at his chest. “History
professor.”
I smiled, an involuntary reflex. “That’s my
major! Or at least I hope it will be. It’s my favorite
subject.”
Seth leaned back, sticking his hands in his
back pockets. “Yeah? We’ve got a great department at Perriman. Are
you taking the 101 now?”
I shook my head. “I tested out of them, so
I’m doing a junior level course this semester. The
Reformation.”
Seth pursed his lips in a silent whistle.
“Impressive. Well, listen, when you’re ready to declare, come see
me. I’m a pretty decent advisor.” He fished a card out of his
pocket and handed it to me.
I glanced down at it and frowned. “You said
you were history. This says student ministries.”
“Oh, sorry.” He dug into the other pocket and
pulled out another card, glanced at it and passed it over. This one
had his number at the history department. “I’m in the history
department, but I double majored in religious studies and then went
to seminary while I was a TA. I lead a group on campus.”
I remembered now why he seemed familiar, and
it wasn’t his face—it was his mind. “Do you have Bible study on the
green on Saturdays? I was there with my parents last weekend and I
think I heard you—I mean, saw you.”
“Yeah, that was us. Good group of kids.” A
door opened and closed behind me, and Aline came down the hall,
heels clicking. Her smile encompassed us both.
“Seth, hello. I’m sorry I was held up.” She
held his eye for a moment longer and then turned to me. “Tasmyn,
are we set for Friday in two weeks, same time? And you’ll call me
if anything comes up before that?”
I nodded. These were Aline’s typical parting
words, meant, I knew, to remind me that I was not alone and that I
should not be afraid to reach out for help. Her mind was veiled to
me as it always was, but I was picking up little spikes in her
feelings. She didn’t want to rush me out the door, but she was
anxious to be alone with Seth. I didn’t blame her.
“Sure, see you then.” I turned to leave and
then realize I still had both of Seth’s cards in my hand. I stopped
and held it out to him. “Sorry. I don’t need this one.”
He made no move to accept it. “Hey, hold onto
it. You never know.”
After the stress of the previous weekend with
my parents, I was looking forward to spending a quiet few
“Well, I think that’s good for today, don’t you?”
We both rose, but as she opened the door, I
heard a buzzing across the room and saw her cell phone dancing
across the table.
“Tasmyn, I need to take this. Can you go out
to reception and wait for me?” I nodded and closed the door behind
me.
I wandered down the hallway and was startled
to see a man in one of the waiting room chairs. He was taller than
me, with longish wavy light brown hair. He looked vaguely
familiar.
“Hi,” he greeted me, laying down the magazine
that he’d been flipping thorugh.
I nodded in return and stood awkwardly for a
moment. Aline usually made me her last appointment of the day, so I
was surprised that this guy seemed to think he belonged here. I
probed gently into his mind and came up with the answer.
“Aline had to take a phone call,” I offered.
“She should be here in a minute.”
“Oh, that’s cool.” He stood and offered me a
hand. “I’m Seth Phillips. A friend of Aline’s.”
I concentrated on not raising my eyebrows and
smirking at him. From what I’d picked up, he was a little more than
her friend.
“I’m Tasmyn,” I answered, shaking his hand.
“I’m a patient.”
Seth grinned. “Yeah, I figured.” He cocked
his head, studying me. “Hey, do you go to Perriman by any chance? I
feel like I’ve seen you.”
I smiled. Aline took her patient
confidentiality seriously; Seth really had no idea who I was. I
hadn’t picked up even the slightest blip in his mind, and I’d been
listening.
“Yes, I’m a freshman,” I answered. “Do you
work there?”
He stuck a thumb at his chest. “History
professor.”
I smiled, an involuntary reflex. “That’s my
major! Or at least I hope it will be. It’s my favorite
subject.”
Seth leaned back, sticking his hands in his
back pockets. “Yeah? We’ve got a great department at Perriman. Are
you taking the 101 now?”
I shook my head. “I tested out of them, so
I’m doing a junior level course this semester. The
Reformation.”
Seth pursed his lips in a silent whistle.
“Impressive. Well, listen, when you’re ready to declare, come see
me. I’m a pretty decent advisor.” He fished a card out of his
pocket and handed it to me.
I glanced down at it and frowned. “You said
you were history. This says student ministries.”
“Oh, sorry.” He dug into the other pocket and
pulled out another card, glanced at it and passed it over. This one
had his number at the history department. “I’m in the history
department, but I double majored in religious studies and then went
to seminary while I was a TA. I lead a group on campus.”
I remembered now why he seemed familiar, and
it wasn’t his face—it was his mind. “Do you have Bible study on the
green on Saturdays? I was there with my parents last weekend and I
think I heard you—I mean, saw you.”
“Yeah, that was us. Good group of kids.” A
door opened and closed behind me, and Aline came down the hall,
heels clicking. Her smile encompassed us both.
“Seth, hello. I’m sorry I was held up.” She
held his eye for a moment longer and then turned to me. “Tasmyn,
are we set for Friday in two weeks, same time? And you’ll call me
if anything comes up before that?”
I nodded. These were Aline’s typical parting
words, meant, I knew, to remind me that I was not alone and that I
should not be afraid to reach out for help. Her mind was veiled to
me as it always was, but I was picking up little spikes in her
feelings. She didn’t want to rush me out the door, but she was
anxious to be alone with Seth. I didn’t blame her.
“Sure, see you then.” I turned to leave and
then realize I still had both of Seth’s cards in my hand. I stopped
and held it out to him. “Sorry. I don’t need this one.”
He made no move to accept it. “Hey, hold onto
it. You never know.”
After the stress of the previous weekend with
my parents, I was looking forward to spending a quiet few
Similar Books
