Around 4 that afternoon, near the end of her shift, Emma was feeling really depressed. The Minister of the Inferior posed a serious threat to her career. And she thought of how Alex pulled away from her. Was he just using her, playing mind games? Emma knew that she would soon analyze his every movement and drive him away by driving him crazy with her insecurities. She sighed and whacked her desk with a paperweight. She decided to reach out to her coworker and only friend, Dr. Taylor, a psychiatrist.
Emma tapped Dr. Taylor's door. "Hey Kate, feel like getting wasted tonight?"
"What a pleasant surprise, darling! Come to my flat straight away!" Kate answered in her typical bubbly voice. She frowned. "It's not like you to drink on a work night. You all right? You've been distant all week."
"I know. I was hoping we could talk about it."
"Well darling, you know my hourly rate. I take checks." Kate grinned and Emma sighed. "I'm joking, love! Let's head out."
It wasn't until much later in the evening, after a take-out dinner and a few shots of vodka that Emma began to loosen up. She sprawled on Kate's avocado couch with one shoe on and one off, with her dark hair sprayed over her face when Kate decided to broach the subject.
"So what is it darling? It must really be something big." Kate sipped her water, trying to stay reasonably straight to dispense good advice.
Emma blurted, "I fucked one of my patients."
Kate burst into a flurry of high-pitched giggles. "Of course you did, love! And I stole a car!"
Emma stared into her glass for an eternity before Kate finally started in: "Oh my God, you're serious! You were always so proper! You think you know someone—"
"He got to me, OK?" Emma cut in. "He needed me. Little shit knew just what to say, and I fell for it. Thing is, I think he actually meant it." She finished her drink.
"Well who is it?"
"Kate, I'm in enough trouble already."
"Oh come on, darling, I evaluate all the long-term patients, especially if they wind up with you. Just tell me." Her dark eyes sparkled with mischief.
Emma sighed then clearly uttered, "Alex DeLarge."
Kate stared, then stated, "You mean the reformed Alex DeLarge who killed your godmother?" Emma nodded reluctantly.
Kate guffawed. "He seemed a most excellent pervert according to the test I ran on him. Very cute, but I don't sleep with my patients."
Emma looked daggers at her friend.
Kate reached over and patted her clasped hands. "I'm sorry, darling. I just can't believe it. For how much longer is he your patient?"
"After tomorrow he's being discharged."
"Well, relationship beginnings can be fuzzy. If this does turn into something, you could fudge the dates a bit so it's like you connected after his treatment. It's not like anyone would know, anyway. I'd never tell."
"You wouldn't. But Frederick would."
"Minister of the Interior Frederick? How would he know?"
Then Emma spilled the whole blackmail scheme. How she fooled around with his wife, refused to sleep with him, then he threatened to report against her unless she took Alex's case.
After Kate listened, she said, "From what I can see, he has nothing on you unless Alex says you slept together. His wife was never your patient, he was just pissed he didn't have you, too. What are you going to do about it?"
Emma looked up with cold eyes. "I'm gonna flaunt it. Who I'm with is none of his goddamn business. And if Alex really wants me, the public outcry would be huge if he tries to keep us apart."
Kate smiled and refilled Emma's glass. "I think you have a good plan. Um, why don't you sleep over tonight? I'll make us a nice breakfast in the morning."
"Whatever you say, Dr." Emma swallowed her shot in one large gulp. She smiled at her friend, then fell back on the couch, passed out.
