“What do you tangibly want to gain from your love life, Ash?” Kallie asked.
“You,” he said.
Kallie sighed as she reached over and stopped the recording.
“Two out of three goals isn’t bad, Kallie.”
“Two out of three goals isn’t what I strive for, Ash. You’re setting me up to fail just like you set yourself up to fail. This is a professional endeavor, remember?” she asked.
“And you asked me for honesty. So I gave it to you.”
“This isn’t happening between us. Either you can keep it professional or you can’t. In which case, you’ll have to seek help elsewhere,” she said.
“I’m sorry. Fine, yes. You’re right. I’m ... I’m sorry, Kallie.”
She sighed as she started up the recording again.
“We’ll come back to that third point,” she said. “Now, three goals for what you want out of your familial life.”
“There’s only one there,” he said.
“Then what is it?”
“I want them cut out of my life for good. I want no interaction with them whatsoever.”
“Is that what you really want?” she asked.
“No. What I wanted was for my parents to get along. To not use me as a pawn in their arguments. What I wanted was for my mother to value me more than money, and what I wanted was for my father to be present in my life instead of hopping around from woman to woman. But I’ll settle for never having to talk to them again, because I’m happier when they’re not around.”
It took everything Kallie had for her jaw not to hit her desk.
“Then only one goal for that one,” she said lightly.
“What do we do now?” Ash asked.
“Now, we put together a list of demands.”
“For someone who wants to keep this professional, you really are making it hard,” he said with a grin.
“I’m not sure how to take that comment, so I’ll keep pushing forward. A list of demands is essentially a list of things you’re not willing to compromise. It can be anything from what a woman looks like to how you want to cut off your family. It can also be a list of requirements for what’s around you when you settle down. It can even be as specific as what you want to eat every morning for the rest of your life. This list of demands is made to paint your picture-perfect life.”
“You aren’t going to like how that list pans out,” he said.
“As long as you understand that the list of demands is for a perfect life, and that all life falls short of that picture, I’m willing to suck up what you have to say in order to compose it.”
“So you want me to be truly honest?”
“It’s the only way we will get your life back on track, Ash.”
“Then let’s get to it,” he said with a grin.
Chapter 12
Kallie
“We’ll start with your new location. What are your demands for the place you eventually want to live?” Kallie asked.
“Good surfing,” Ash said.