Dreamer - Savannah Campbell (ready player one ebook txt) 📗

her designated hours as well as some when she’s not at the office but Irene sees it as a fulfilling busyness. She loves overseeing the graduate students from the neighboring cities’ colleges in their clinical internship duties. She remembers being their age only years ago and how eager she was to get any type of related experience in the field. Irene is in charge of helping rotate the students’ schedules around so that each of them gets equal experience working with the different counselors at the clinic, some of who are specialists in play therapy and others who work with families affected by substance abuse. Lately, Irene’s gotten to step more into the role of observer and evaluate some of the students’ mock sessions while sitting behind a one-way mirror.

                Late one morning, during a lull between filing observation reports, Irene uses her free time to research the regulations for becoming a licensed psychologist in her state. She realized recently that even though she’s qualified to do her current administrative job, she may need to fulfil other requirements for the clinical license. Based on the information Irene has just read, she is not qualified to serve as a substitute counselor within her own clinic.

                It wouldn’t take much time to get become an official psychologist though. I’ve got the educational requirements; all I really need is the work experience with a certified counselor and to pass the licensing exam. Irene thinks. The work experience isn’t even that long either; it’d take more or less a few years really. Maybe I can talk to Dr. Gerber about sitting in with next semester’s interns to start getting in my hours. I’d make sure my job took priority of my time though, it’ll stretch out how long I’ll be working to get the hours but I think I can manage.

                Irene continues to mull over her plan. She decides it’s not that unusual since the work experience hours and taking the licensing exam are things she would have done after graduating anyway. She instead chose to apply for the job she is very grateful to have now. She continues to makes notes on a pad beside her keyboard about what she wants to say to her boss about her plan. She’s so engrossed in writing and planning that she doesn’t hear a visitor arrive.

                Hester’s voice jokes from outside the door. “Wow, it’s images like that make me glad I don’t have a real job.”

                Irene looks up from her notes, startled at the sudden noise that interrupts her usually silent office. She smiles at Hester. Well this is a surprise, Hester von Ehrenberg on a college campus.

                “You don’t consider owning and operating your own art gallery a job?” Irene says as she replaces the notebook and pen in her top right desk drawer.

                “Irene, you know as well as I do that anything an artiste like me does in the art culture is not a job, it’s a lifestyle.” Hester responds, placing a fake dramatic emphasis on her last word. “Wanna go with me on a little journey?”

                “I was just about to head out for lunch, I don’t really have the time for an unscheduled field trip.” Irene says as she stands up and grabs her purse from the inside a cabinet on her way to the doorframe.

                “Oh trust me, this will be fun.”

                “Fine, where are we going, can you at least tell me that?”

                Hester shakes her head quickly before grabbing her friend’s wrist to literally drag her to her car. She stays silent as they drive to the western edge of town. Irene soon realizes they’re going to where Geoff works. The vice she felt around her heart weeks ago when he first mentioned keeping in contact with Hester has returned. She notices it has appeared quicker and with more pain than the first time. She composes herself enough to ask what they’re doing at the free clinic.

                “Pregnancy advice.” Hester says without missing a beat causing Irene’s eyes to go wide. “Hah I’m kidding Irene. You told me Geoff works here and I want to see Darrington’s own McFlirty in action. From what I hear he’s the best doctor the clinic’s had in years and the best looking one to boot.”

                “He always was really popular in high school. Some people just have that quality about them.” Irene imagines the vice’s grip is so strong now she’s almost bleeding internally as she makes her next comment. She doesn’t know why she says it or even more so, why it’s hurting so much to say it.

“You’ve always commented on Geoff’s looks since you first met him through me, why haven’t you ever done anything about it?”

                “What, you mean like ask him out? I hate flirty guys; I deal with them too much at the gallery when they try to get a deal on art pieces.”  Hester responds as she pulls her car into the parking lot. “Besides he’s not my type.”

                The women walk into the clinic. It’s not crowded for early afternoon. As they enter into the reception area, they see and hear Geoff right away. He’s arguing loudly with a blonde woman in a navy blue pantsuit.

                “I’m sorry Leandra but it’s my life and I have the right to work where ever I choose to. Why can’t you ever understand that?!”

                The woman yells back in response, disdain heavy in her tone. “I think I know what good career moves are Geoffrey Nathaniel! You could be at the best research hospital in the country and instead you’re in this town helping almost poverty level ingrates!”

                “Research is not what I want out of my medical degree! Besides, here I’m actually helping people directly, the smiles I get when I know I’ve helped them feel better in some way is worth months of data I would have had to compile at some big city hospital. Besides, this town hasn’t been too bad for you after all these years.” Geoff spits back.

                “You know I’m here out of loyalty and love for what your father put into his business that he left me. It’s not like there’s another MBA holder around who could run it better.” She sneers.

                “Do not bring dad into this. Just because you were married to the guy before his death does not make you my last remaining parent.”

                Upon hearing the last comment Hester turns Irene with raised eyebrows, “So he doesn’t call his mother her actual name when they argue like this?”

                Irene whispers and feels a surge of internal pride and gloating. “She’s his stepmother. His mom died when he was about fourteen.” I know something Hester doesn’t know about Geoff. She pushes away the thought quickly, not wanting to fixate on it.

                “Now, Leandra, if you’ll excuse me, I need to double check my list of appointments for the afternoon and see if anyone’s cancelled.” Geoff says calmly. “I’m sorry you feel so strongly about my work choices. Maybe we can discuss this some other time, and more quietly then too?”

                The woman nods hastily. She gives her stepson a one-armed hug before seeing herself out. The two younger women walk forward to the receptionist’s desk and greet Geoff.

                “So that’s your stepmonster. She certainly doesn’t look her stereotype.” Irene jokes.

                “Oh you mean the hair. Yeah, don’t let the platinum color fool you, she’s brilliant at all things business and driving me crazy.” Geoff replies after a moment, not getting the reference at first. “What are you two doing here?”

                Irene answers first, wanting to keep Hester from making her same comment from the car. “We’re going to lunch and thought you’d like to come with us.”

                “Sure just let me check the appointment roster. Believe it or not, I sometimes do tell the truth to get rid of you know who.” He answers and smiles at Irene. She returns the grin, nervously.

                “You’re free until 2, doctor.” The receptionist tells him.

                “Thanks Hattie, you’re beautiful when you’re efficient.” He teases before putting his lab coat on the rack and walking out with Hester and Irene.

                The drive to the diner along with the walk into the restaurant is silent. The three patrons don’t really start talking until after they’ve ordered. Geoff orders a spicy chicken strip sandwich plate and root beer to drink; Hester gets a fiesta salad with iced tea and Irene gets a BLT with mayonnaise, a side of cheese fries with ranch and water, no lemon.

                Geoff squirts ketchup on his fries and stabs his first bite of them with his fork. “So I see the colors of spring are finally starting to show and we may be through with winter for another year.”

                “Yeah, it’s great painting weather. Oh! Speaking of painting and colors, I don’t know why those reminded me of this but Irene, you were in a dream I had a few weeks ago.” Hester says excitedly.

                Irene keeps her face and voice calm. “Really? What happened in it?”

                “Well I was painting fast and furious like I was trying to meet a deadline or something but seriously when have I ever set a deadline for myself in anything? Anyway, it pretty normal stuff at first and then all of the sudden the colors I was using swirled around me like some sort of storm. That’s where you came in; you just appeared out of nowhere.” Hester says, pointing to Irene.

                “Wow, cool dream Hes.” Irene interrupts, hoping Hester doesn’t remember anymore of the dream.

                “I’m not done. You were there and all of the sudden, the colors disappear into boring drab black and white shades. I change too, I’m no longer in my fave artist’s smock and instead I’m in a suit. Yuck!” She shudders at the mention of it. “I ask you for help and without hesitation you calm me down and before I can thank you much, well you disappear again. It was odd but cool. It’s like even in my subconscious you’re still the psychologist I can go to help me through my issues.”

Irene looks at both of the people sitting with her. She deliberates how to respond in a way that doesn’t reveal how intentional it was that she was with Hester in her dream. “That is odd, I mean I’m glad I helped. Unfortunately, technically, I’m not a psychologist you can go to, conscious or not.”

                Hester is confused. “What do you mean? I thought after all those years that you went to college, that title is pretty much a gimmie once you get your diploma.”

                “She still has to get in work experience with a trained and licensed psychologist and then take a licensing exam.” Geoff responds before Irene can.

                Irene tries not to blush. “Geoff’s right, it’s like when he had to do residency after passing his medical boards. That’s what I was working on when you came by my office earlier. I was researching what I needed to be a certified psychologist. I would have started work on those hours right out of getting my doctorate but this job came along and I jumped on it. I’ve decided to bring up the idea of slowly earning my hours to my boss though. I want to be prepared for later, in case I want to work on my own or something.”

                “And so you can officially diagnose strangers from far away when we people watch right?” Hester kids her.

                Irene laughs. “Sure, if you want to focus on the fun. It’ll take a lot of time though to clock all those hours, I have to get in about 2500.”

                “2500?! That’s more hours than I think my whole family’s worked in decades.” Hester gasps. “Well, it’s definitely more than I’ll ever work in a lifetime.”

                “That’s the truth if I ever heard it.” Geoff smirks before he bites into his sandwich. The three diners continue eating in mostly silence before