Savvy interrupted. “Um. Kolby. Slow down. I don’t know what happened with your ex-wife and her boss. This isn’t anything like what may have been going on with them.” She couldn’t understand why she had to explain anything to him. He didn’t act like he heard anything she said.
“I know how women are. My ex tried to play like he was her brother. What’s a woman doin’ in a hotel room with her brother? Huh? He ‘bout had his clothes off when I busted through the door. Gonna try to make it seem like they weren’t about to get it on.” Kolby continued his rant. “I knocked out his teeth and left him with a broken nose. Gonna try to be on and in my lady. He’s lucky I didn’t kill him.”
“Kolby. Kolby,” Savvy yelled.
“What?” Kolby snapped.
Savvy reeled back and stared at the dashboard as if Kolby could see her. “You know what? It sounds like you have some unresolved issues with your ex-wife. I suggest you handle this with her and not me.”
“Aww, sweetie. I’m sorry I brought up my past. I hope I didn’t scare you away.” Kolby’s voice lowered in what seemed
to be his way of calming down. “I only had to spend a small amount of time locked up. A simple assault and battery case. It’s all good.”
“Is this the reason you said you were in jail before?”
“Naw, sweetie. Different situation.”
“Oh,” Savvy said. “How many times have you been arrested?”
“Ain’t nobody countin’. It doesn’t matter anyway. I’m a changed man. Nothing for you to worry your pretty head about,” Kolby said.
“I remember you said you get into fights. You seem to have a lot of anger issues. Have you ever considered seeing a therapist to help you?”
“A head doctor? Now you’re acting like a white girl. Black people don’t need to be tellin’ their business and paying money to a whacko. That’s the problem these days. You think you can’t handle your own situations and run to a doctor to fix you up with drugs.” Kolby’s voice began to get louder. “I can’t believe you’re asking me if I get help for anger issues. You think you’re Dr. Phil or somethin’?”
“Kolby. The need for therapy has nothing to do with being Black, white, or any race. I’m making a suggestion based on what you’ve shared with me when we met. Don’t you get tired of getting into fights and landing in jail?”
“Oh. You think since you have a college education, you can analyze me? I opened my heart to you and now you’re judging me?” Kolby launched into another rant.
Savvy exited off on Walters and headed toward St. Philips College to get to the restaurant. She exhaled in exasperation.
“Not at all. I don’t know how our conversation even got to this point. Look. You’re upset and everything makes you mad.
I’m going to end this call and suggest we not talk anymore.”
“Oh? It’s like that? You gonna end this call and you don’t want to speak to me anymore?” Kolby’s anger elevated with each word. “I should’ve known you ain’t any different from the rest of them.”
Savvy wasn’t in the mood for an argument. It took everything in her to stay calm. Kolby launched into a warpath against women. She drove in front of the restaurant and parked the car. “If you would like to be the one to end this conversation, you are welcome to do so. Either way, I must go. What is your pleasure?”
“See. A man works hard and tries to treat a woman out to dinner. I don’t know why you are disrespecting me. Is this how you should treat your man?”
Savvy whipped her head in shock. “My man? Kolby, I don’t even know you. Why would you think you’re my man?”
“Ha. Now you want to play games. I’m gonna let you go and hang out with your boss. I’ll call you later and you better answer your phone,” Kolby snapped.
“Kolby. Don’t ca…” The phone died before Savvy could finish her sentence. She leaned her head on her steering wheel in frustration, kicking herself for leaving the gate open for the wrong man. Again.
TWENTY-SIX
Olivia
“Dr. Fluellen, I mean, Blair. Something is still wrong with me,” Olivia blurted once he entered the office.
Blair settled into the chair next to the sofa before picking up a file folder from the top of his desk. “Let me review the notes I took from the message you left for me the other day.” He read through several pages before making eye contact with her.
“I’m a hot mess. Believe me.” Olivia sat on the edge of the sofa. She bounced her right leg in nervousness and pinched her right index finger from the base to the tip again. “My fuse is short twenty-four hours a day and I can’t filter my emotions. Give me another day or two and I’ll be able to add a slew of other issues to the list. Am I losing my mind?”
Blair removed his glasses to set them on the desk and folded his hands. His eyes had a gentle, softness about them which soothed Olivia for the moment. “No. You aren’t losing your mind. These are all part of your reality and should not be ignored. From what you’ve shared with me, you’re popping off and we can’t have you still displaying bad behavior.”
“I don’t want to make snap decisions regarding the way I act. People have a way of pushing my buttons.”
“I know you want to behave in a different way. What I need from you is action.” Blair paused and waited for Olivia to nod in agreement. “Are you familiar with a publication that covers creative counseling techniques to help with anger? I believe you spoke on this subject at a conference a few years ago.”
“I covered that material in one of my best
