Day three.
He really… really missed his apartment.
Granted, he hadn't expected the Chief to spring for a condo or anything… but the place didn't even have a pool out back. And this was California- even doghouses came with pools! Whatever… at least his bed was moderately comfortable… not that he slept in it much. Personally, he was going to treat this as much like a vacation as possible. Last night, he'd stayed out till about three; cruising around town in the little brown rental car. He realized he missed his bike too. He wanted nothing more than to test its handling down Lombard street...
"Shawn?"
He looked up quizzically, realizing he'd drifted off again. What was it about this office? Usually he was quite comfortable chatting enthusiastically… what his mom called 'topic gymnastics'… and Gus simply labeled 'monkey on meth'. But in this hushed room…
He purposely kept his eyes off the clock- a feat for which he was quite proud- and absently picked up one of the figurines sitting on the coffee table. Rolling it between his palms, he found his eyes dragged back to the greenery outside. It was less vibrant than the previous days here, due to the overcast sky above. Though, it could pour down rain and it wouldn't affect his mood in the slightest. Rain could have some definite advantages… especially considering how a lot of the women in this state tended to dress…
"Shawn, you were telling me about when you were eighteen… when you were arrested by your father…"
He set the figure down again, dropping heavily into the chair.
"Yeah…"
He scratched at his cheek, realizing the stubble there was longer than he normally liked it. Time for a light trim… he wasn't a savage after all…
Catching the eyes of Dr. Kroger, he dropped his hand. "Well, dad… You could say he has a slightly, unhealthy, obsession with procedure…"
The doctor listened mildly while he shared his tale. Even with a liberal sprinkling of humor and charming wit, he couldn't hide the humiliation he'd felt when his own father slapped on the cuffs… right in front of the girl he'd been trying to impress. Oh, and heaven forbid his father pass up the opportunity to lecture the girl about accepting rides from people with questionable motives. His ears still burned at the memory of the impromptu sex education lesson in the parking lot of "Mabel's Olde Home Chow".
When he finished, he found he'd been unconsciously rubbing at his side. He pulled his hand away self-consciously. "Mom actually ended up posting my bail. Boy did she lay into him for that…" He smiled at the memory. "She almost always took my side… which was a good balance."
He pivoted in the chair so that his legs dangled over the arm. "Anyway, it was about then that I decided to do some traveling. I'd seen a few ads on TV about the cruise industry…"
He managed to use up the rest of the time talking about some of the jobs he'd had. He got as far as the Weinermobile before noting, gratefully, that his time was up. Considering he'd only gotten through about a quarter of his work history, he figured he could burn up two more sessions easy just talking about employment.
Slipping quickly from the chair, waving nonchalantly, he hit the door… and almost ran over the man on the other side.
"Oh, sorry… Addy-man!!!" He declared happily.
Adrian Monk glared at him, shifting his shoulders. "Actually, my name is Adrian… Adrian Monk. It's been that my whole life… you can ask anyone." He looked over his shoulder at his assistant. "Natalie will back me up won't you Natalie?"
When she tilted her head wearily, Adrian leaned towards her with a harsh whisper. "Come on, back me up!"
She looked at Shawn, forcing a bright smile. "He's right- I've never heard him called anything else."
Adrian, smiling in vindication, turned back to Shawn and spread his arms. "See?"
Shawn stuffed his hands in his pockets. "How about Ads?"
Adrian blinked, processing the name. "What… is that like, a nick name?" He held his arms stiffly at his sides, his fingers twitching. "I think I already have a nick name."
Shawn raised his brows. "Yeah?"
Adrian nodded. "Yes, yes it's Adrian. Adrian Monk."
Shawn grinned, finally having mercy and allowing the other man to brush past him into the office.
Once the door shut behind him, he looked up to see Natalie pulling out her cell phone and heading for the door. Jogging to catch up, he fell in step beside her as she started to dial. "You have lunch yet?" He asked as she put the phone against her ear.
"What… no, no…. hang on…" She held up one finger distractedly. Shawn nudged the outside door open with his shoulder, holding it while Natalie walked through. Letting the door close, he followed her down the sidewalk. She placed a hand over the phone briefly to whisper "My daughter", before continuing on.
As they walked, Shawn noticed her purse was open slightly. Unable to resist snooping, he saw a set of keys, slightly worn and scratched…old. Her billfold was also old, but well maintained. A tube of chapstick, two packages of hand-wipes, and a detailed grocery list with several items underlined rounded out the contents. He smiled.
Natalie groaned wearily. "No, I don't have time… well because I need to run some errands and I only have an hour before I have to be back to pick up Mr. Monk…" Her face was agitated, and she closed her eyes briefly, placing her free hand on the back of her head. Shawn gave her a little space as she stopped by her car. "I know… I know I promised… Look, I'll make it up to you, just let me…" her face suddenly fell, and she pulled the phone away from her ear to stare at it accusingly. "She hung up on me!"
Shawn looked on with practiced compassion. Suddenly, he inhaled sharply, placing two fingers against his temple while holding out a shaking left hand. "Teenage girl… she… today's her birthday… she thinks you forgot… But you've been planning this… you're giving her a surprise party… balloons, streamers…" he wiggled his fingers, squeezing his eyes tight, "…aaaaaA COPY OF PRIDE AND PREJUDICE!" He opened his eyes and blinked, confused. "She wants a book for her birthday?"
Natalie gaped, "She's going through a classic phase… how did you…?"
He tipped back his head, clasping his hands in front of him and speaking airily. "I… sense things. I'm actually a psychic… I can't always control where I'll be led, but sometimes, the spirits lead me to souls that are… calling…"
She snorted. "Right… okay. Well, while you and the spirits chat, I need to get going."
Shawn held out his hand as she attempted to brush past him. "Wait… I feel you… you are rushed… you feel the ticking clock weighing you down like… a ticking clock…"
She held up her phone, rocking it back and forth in her fingers. "Perceptive. Listen, I know you possibly might mean well- and granted, you've got a good act, but I work with a guy that does this all the time. Just not so dramatic… more like… strange actually…" She shook her head. "Anyway, I don't mean to brush you off, you're cute, but I'm going to be late getting back here as it is, and Mr. Monk does not handle waiting well."
She pulled out her keys and unlocked her door. Pulling it open, she tossed in her purse. Just before she slid in, Shawn jerked like someone had grabbed his shoulders.
"Wait… what's, what's happening… something's happening…" His right arm twisted behind his back as he threw his body against her car. "Spirits, what do you want…! Aaaaahhgggghhh!!" Pulling his arm free, he slammed his back against the car, panting heavily. Finally, he pulled himself back around and gulped. "The spirits… they want me to help you out… they told me to… to drive Mr. Monk home for you…"
This time, her face showed real shock. "They told you to what?"
He shook his head. "I know… they can be so demanding sometimes." He pulled down his shirt, which had become twisted during his 'episode'.
Natalie stared at him, conflicted. "I don't know… I don't really know you… and you also seem a little psychotic…"
Shawn smiled. "No worries… I have credentials!" He reached into his pocket and grabbed his billfold. He flipped past his video rental card, Grubers Polish Sausage frequent diner's coupon, and a single souvenir paper baht, until he found a small stack of business cards. Pulling one free from the collection, he passed it over.
"Shawn Spencer, Psych. We put the normal in paranormal." She raised her brows. "And this is supposed to make me feel comfortable around you?"
He held out another business card. "I also work regularly with the Santa Barbara police department. That's Chief Vick, a close personal friend. She can totally vouch for me!"
She studied the second card. "How do I know you didn't just steal this?"
He let his arms fall, dropping his head to the side. "Yes, I stole it, because there's such a high demand for business cards on the black market. Look, just give her a call!"
If asked why he was being so adamant about this, he'd have said it was because he wanted to impress what he thought was a very pretty woman. But in reality… he was lonely. And so far, these were the only two people, besides the shrink, that he'd seen on a regular basis. Sure, they were odd… but really, that was sorta what drew him to them to begin with. Besides, if she said no, he could always go hang out by the pier.
"Okay."
He looked up sharply. "I'm sorry- what?"
She held up his card. "I said okay. I'll call you later with directions. Is this number your cell?"
Still blinking in surprise, he nodded. "Uh, the second one is."
She slid into the car. "I'm still calling this Chief Vick too though- so if she doesn't check out…"
Still a little dumbfounded at what he'd just agreed to, he waved. "Not a problem, the Chief loves me!"
She gave him one more glance, then started the car and pulled away from the curb. Shawn let his arm drop as she merged into traffic. Sticking his hands back in his pockets, he bounced a little on his heels. It was a little after eleven fifteen… plenty of time to grab some lunch before heading back to the office. He was pretty sure he'd seen a taco place down the other block, so, turning around, he pointed himself towards the call of quesadillas.
0o0o0o0
Thirty seven minutes later, Shawn stepped back into the therapist's waiting room. He took a large sip from the soda cup in his hand, grabbed a magazine from the tall shelf against the wall, and settled himself comfortably in one of the padded chairs in the corner.
Four seconds later, thoroughly bored with the two-month old issue of Popular Mechanics, he tossed the publication on a short table and stood.
Walking around the room, straw wedged in his teeth, he abruptly grabbed his phone. Hitting speed dial one, he waited through eight rings before a distracted voice answered. "What do you want Shawn."
"Gus!"
"Shawn, I'm in a lunch meeting, can I call you back later?"
Shawn frowned. "But I might not be bored later. Seriously, this is level five dullness."
"I sympathize, but unfortunately the marketing reps don't."
"Oooo- you've got marketing reps? Dude, put me on speaker phone!"
There was a short pause. "I'm going to hang up now."
"Gus…"
click.
Pouting, Shawn closed his cell and jammed it back in his pocket. Sticking the straw back in his mouth, he took another sip. Behind him, the door to Kroger's office opened. Adrian was standing in the door, facing the other way, and talking to the therapist inside.
"I know it's him! They were always perfectly arranged until he started coming in here!"
Kroger's voice answered just beyond the door. "Adrian, we discussed this. Remember? It's my office, and if I don't mind having my things moved around, you shouldn't mind either. Okay?"
Adrian's head dropped a little as he nodded. "Okay."
"Now I'll see you tomorrow… unless you're ready to move back to your regular schedule again."
Adrian looked up, and even from the back, Shawn could see he was excited. "You mean, the morning slot?"
"No… Adrian, I mean back to three days a week."
Adrian lowered his shoulders again. "Oh. No… I think, I think I still need to keep coming every day. Maybe, after a month…"
Shawn heard Kroger's sigh, and smiled around his straw. "Very well Adrian. Now, if you don't mind, I need to get some lunch before my next client."
"Okay."
Backing slowly, Adrian let the door shut with a soft click. Twitching he head, he turned around… and stared.
Shawn wiggled his fingers. "Yo!"