Las Vegas, Nevada
The office of Gail Delacore; LMHC - NCC
The first thing that Miles Kasey noticed about the waiting room just outside of the office of Carter’s therapist was the minimalist decor. The room itself was dominated by soft, neutral tones with the walls a very light beige with a minimum of three paintings spaced carefully, hanging from the walls. It would seem that the good doctor’s preferences in decor were natural as she had more than one potted plant or fern in the corners of the room, on small accent tables and even hanging from the walls. But perhaps the thing Miles noticed most was that nowhere was there a single newspaper or magazine for those waiting to leaf through, nor a television to keep one’s attention occupied.
The latter was by professional design by the doctor herself. While some patients might welcome the distractions, especially from the TV, others might not and that could lead to one imposing one’s own comforts over another. But there was more to it than that, a more professional reason. Doctor Delacore didn’t want her patients to be distracted by some random magazine articles or episodes of Keeping Up With the Kardashians. She wanted them to be focused on themselves, their thoughts calm and private for when they were about to talk.
Beside him, Carter sat idly in the seat next to Miles’s own, his one hand holding up his phone and idly scrolling through some random website when he found the fingers of his free hand suddenly interwoven by Miles’s. This drew Carter’s attention away from his phone and he turned to Miles who did not look directly at him, but his stare was elsewhere, his thoughts his own. But you know how it feels when you can sense that someone is watching you? Staring? That was how both men felt when they turned their eyes to find an older woman on the other side of the room, watching them intently and showing no shame in her staring. Another one of the doctor’s patients, most likely.
Carter turned away, preferring not to give his attention to this woman but Miles continued to stare her down, noting her eyes continued to flicker toward their joined hands and maybe even the engagement ring on Carter’s hand.
Ahhh! So that was it! Miles smiled suddenly and leaned forward in his chair, saying, “Hey I’ll tell you what’s wrong with me if you tell me what’s wrong with you.” Prompting the woman to suddenly avert her gaze and pretend as if the two men weren’t there. Miles smiled, despite himself, and leaned back in the chair when he felt a reassuring squeeze on his hand, turning his focus onto his fiance.
“Are you okay?” Carter asked, his calm masking concern.
“I’m fine, love.” Miles replied, but he fidgeted which indicated that he wasn’t being entirely truthful. He then sighed and admitted, “Maybe I am a bit nervous. I’ve never been to a doctor like this.”
“You mean a therapist?” Carter asked, to which Miles nodded. “Never?”
“Never.” Miles shook his head. “Had offers and even a suggestion or two that I should, but just never followed through.”
Carter nodded, assuring Miles, “It’ll be alright. Doctor Delacore is great. A bit of a ball buster - but great.”
At hearing the term ‘ball buster,’ Miles turned to Carter and snorted, “You’re not exactly selling me on this babe.” Causing Carter to smile but before either could speak further, there was a buzz on the desk of the secretary stationed on the far side of the waiting room, distracting them all. The secretary picked up the phone and had a quiet exchange before hanging up and she looked in their direction, “Mister McKinney? Mister Kasey? Doctor Delacore is ready to see you.”
“Fan-tastic.” Miles half muttered before he allowed the already standing Carter to draw him to his feet and escort him toward the closed door of the doctor’s official office. Once opened, Miles realized that the office was decorated much like the waiting room, save for a large and fully stocked book shelf along the wall and a mini fridge in the corner behind the doctor’s desk. But the doctor herself? She was a woman Miles immediately read as being both heartfelt in her career and patients, as well as simply formidable. Someone whose respect was commanded inside of this room, and would brook no less.
She was older, in her middle years but dressed professionally in a tasteful brown pant suit, hair done but wearing very little makeup. She stood up the moment the two men entered and shut the door behind them.
“Carter…” The doctor spoke amicably as she extended a hand toward him and he readily accepted with the genuine familiarity between the two of them.
“Doctor Delacore.” Carter smiled, shaking her hand and once their hands were no longer joined, Carter turned at the waist and held a hand toward Miles, presenting him and saying, “Doctor Delacore? This is Miles Kasey. My fiance.”
“Miles.” Doctor Delacore nodded, extending a hand likewise to him to which he accepted before she gestured toward the two chairs opposite her desk. Only then did she sit down once the two men were settled.
Observing Miles’s curious eyes roaming albeit discreetly (he had hoped), she nodded and said, “Not what you expected?”
Miles turned back to her as if a naughty child caught off guard and he shook his head but didn’t speak up directly. Doctor Delacore motioned with her head toward her surroundings and said as more of a statement, “This isn’t what you were expecting?”
“Maybe a little.” Miles flushed a charming shade as if he had just been caught with his hand in the proverbial cookie jar. “I was expecting a couch…”
“And your doctor being some short little man with a sharp beard and glasses with a notepad?” She half jested, but Miles answered, “Well yeah - NO! I mean… no.” He sighed and shook his head in the negative, eyes closed.
“It’s alright, Miles.” She said. “It’s natural. Even in these modern times, any form of medicine, even mental, is still observed as something of a man’s world.” She picked up a pen to write something down on the pad in front of her, “So if it makes you feel any better, I used to be a man.”
You could have practically heard the record screech to a halt as Miles stared at her and she just looked up from her brow and he then heard Carter snort back a laugh. Miles turned to him and only then did he realize the doctor had uncharacteristically been teasing him, somewhat to help put his mind at ease. Miles closed his eyes and chuckled, and only then did Carter release his hand and run his fingers along his forearm before sitting back.
Doctor Delacore sat up straight and placed both hands on her desktop, lacing her fingers together.
“Miles,” She begun, addressing him directly. “I am sure Carter has told you about me and my policies, but I would like to tell you myself so that you understand with no room for misunderstandings.”
Miles nodded silently and she continued, “I am not a marriage counselor. That is no longer my area of expertise. Too much drama for my tastes. But I agreed to delve back into this field for Carter and yourself as both a favor - as well as my way of thanking you for the invitation to your wedding.”
Carter and Miles both smiled, and Miles added for reassurance, “You’re coming?”
“I have already accepted the invitation.” She answered with a slight nod. “But this is not about me. It’s about the both of you. Even the most ‘perfect’ of couples have to go through premarital counseling to get anything off their chests in order to build a solid foundation for a long term commitment. As the first session…”
“First?” Miles questioned. “As in more than one?”
“Typically the usual number is between five and seven sessions.” Doctor Delacore answered. “So yes, the first. The goal is to identify and address any potential conflicts early on before they become more serious concerns. I will not speak of what goes on in these sessions with anyone, and neither will you. Those are my rules, and if you dislike this, the door is there.”
“I understand.” Miles nodded after a moment’s pause, to which Carter looked from him to the doctor who now seemed satisfied, stating, “Good. Now, I am going to tell you the same little secret that I told Carter during his journey with me. Be yourself, above all else, in this office. If you get angry, so be it. If you think you need to yell or cry or to curse, I want you to do so. And despite what some therapists and counselors who like to take full credit, I am not one of them. It’s as with Carter during the hard periods of his life, the journey was his. The path already laid out in front of him. I just helped to guide him along.”
MIles turned to Carter and smiled lovingly into his eyes before he looked at Doctor Delacore and he said, “Well, all due respect doctor, I still have to thank you for everything that you’ve done for him. For us. If it wasn’t for your help …”
“It was my pleasure.” She said, interrupting what he might have said as being something close to the truth. She had helped heal Carter’s mind and soul during the hardest times of his life. During both the loss of his father as well as the hell he went through with his ex Lazarus. And the healing that helped Carter feel strong and confident enough to acknowledge that he did deserve to be happy – and to have Miles in his life.
Doctor Delacore then said, “But it’s something that has come to my attention which is why we’re here for our first session. Something concerning – to Carter here - that he felt it best addressed so that you might be able to work things out.”
Miles’s brow creased into a confused frown. Something … concerning? This was news to him because as far as he knew or was aware, everything between them was about as perfect as could be. Miles turned to Carter and now it was Carter who looked down, almost ashamed or hesitant to speak up now that he had the opportunity to do so.
“Babe?” Miles started to say. “What’s wrong?”
“Tell him.” Doctor Delacore prompted Carter, but said no more as she watched and observed and would speak up only when and if needed.
“Are you having second thoughts?” Miles finally broke the silence between them, causing Carter’s head to snap upright to look at him, almost aghast, “Second th… no! How could you think…?”
“Then what is it?” Miles pressed. “Love, what’s wr-”
“I don’t trust Lyle, okay!?” Carter blurted out, his eyes clenched shut tightly. The words hung between them and to say Miles was shocked, would have been a vast understatement. He wouldn’t have been more so had Carter slapped him right across the face. Carter said in a coarse voice as if he were struggling to say the words, “I don’t trust him.”
“Don’t trust…” Miles was clearly struggling to process that his fiance did not trust his newly discovered half-brother. He shook his head and asked, “What do you mean you don’t… I mean, why? What has he done…?”
“Directly, nothing.” Carter admitted. “But ever since he showed up, everything put together just makes me feel… paranoid, I guess. Like waiting for the shoe to drop.”
“Everything?” Miles frowned. “Like what?”
“Miles, come on.” Carter finally turned in his chair and forced himself to look at the man he loved so dearly and prayed that he would understand. “Do I have to spell it out? Let’s start with how you found out about him when that bitch Wendy of all people dropped the bombshell that you had a brother you never knew about?”
“Wendy?” Doctor Delacore prodded in question.
Miles answered, “My sister’s mother-in-law.”
“Is the very definition of a bigot monster-in-law.” Carter added. He then went on to continue his explanation to Miles, “Then by sheer coincidence he ends up getting cross-trained at the GO Gym, the very same Gym and practically at the same time, as when you were allowed to start going there? Then when you pretty much let the cat out of the bag, he approached you and chose to do so right before you had a big match that deserved your full attention? He couldn’t have waited until the end of the night or the next day? No, he approached you before. And ever since then, it’s been as if he had always been a part of your life from the very start. No feeling out process. No real getting to know each other or taking your time drawing him into your circle. He’s just … there.”
Carter took a deep breath as if a weight had been lifted from his shoulders. He then shook his head and added, “And don’t even get me started on him and Ally.”
“Ally?” Doctor Delacore asked once again so she could maintain tabs between them.
Miles answered, “A close friend of mine.” To which the doctor nodded. Miles almost scoffed in his disbelief on what he was hearing. “What is so wrong with what’s going on between Lyle and Alexandra? Is it their age difference?”
“No it’s more so like they were all over each other and flirting the moment she found out about him.” Carter stressed.
“You mean like how you were flirting with me when we first met?” Miles only half jested, but Carter looked straight at him and said, “The big difference here is I didn’t flirt with your brother before I met you.”
“Carter…” Doctor Delacore began. “Do you not like this Alexandra?”
“I like Alexandra just fine.” Carter stressed. “What I dislike is her insistence that I don’t like her.”
“Babe,” Miles spoke up. “Ally did not have feelings for me. All she did was a little harmless flirting.”
“Really?” Carter answered back. “Then why the moment she found out about Lyle did she shift her attention from you to him?”
For a moment, Miles was at a loss for words, but to help him, Doctor Delacore stated, “Transference is not an uncommon trait, Miles. It happens when one person transfers feelings from one person to an entirely different individual.”
“Like my brother.” Miles muttered.
Doctor Delacore nodded and then asked, “Miles, how does all of this make you feel?”
And to find that out, I highly suggest that you take a gander at Miles Kasey’s RP for this very same match.
“I don’t know what to even begin to think about this situation that Miles and I have been put in thanks to that delusional bitch who fancies herself a Queen, namely Victoria Lyons. I am sorry but this goes out to her flesh and blood Eddie – dude? You have seriously got my sympathies for having to call that lunatic your family. I’ve sat back and watched everything she’s been saying on Twitter in regards to pretty much every match that she had a hand in booking, and trying to justify them in one way or another, but you know what I was also made aware of during this entire time?”
“She has yet to really have the guts to speak up to me directly. She’s had her say with Miles and Harper and everyone else that’s attracted her attention for one reason or another but when I started in? When I spoke out against her putting me in a match this damn serious against the man I love more than life itself??? She either just couldn’t be bothered or she knew she that if she said anything to me in response, and I mean anything – that she would come to a very serious understanding that I have always lived by; and that is the simple truth that you will never find a bigger bitch than a pissed off gay man!”
“And guess what Queenie!? I am pissed off! I am angry and hurt and I literally do not know how the hell to go about a match where neither participant wants to be a part of! Miles and I met once before… one time, and it was far more uncomfortable than you can imagine - both physically as well as emotionally. And in recent times? When Miles was walking around as the Internet Champion, once or twice the powers that be offered me a chance at the championship and I just could not do it. Not because I was afraid of losing but I was afraid of winning. I was afraid of having to fight my man for something that he worked so hard for. I was afraid that I might actually take it away from him. But more so, I was afraid of what it would take for either one of us to walk away from an actual match as a winner. I don’t know how happily married couples like Roxi and Keira or Crystal and Seleana did it. I just … can’t. I won’t.”
“And newsflash; you can’t make me.”
