Chapter 12
Harlow
“Mr. and Mrs. Clyde, I’m so glad you guys could come in today. I know I’m not your regular therapist, but I’ve been reading over your file and I have to say, I’m very impressed.”
“Thank you,” Mrs. Clyde said. “That means a lot.”
“Mr. Clyde-”
“Please, call me Dave.”
“Dave,” I said. “How is your recuperation coming along. Doctor Fasano has in her notes that you had a doctor’s appointment yesterday. How did that go?”
“It went well. Cancer’s still in remission, thank the Lord. But I’m still weak. Struggling in… some areas.”
“Dave, here you can be very open with me,” I said.
“He’s still struggling sexually,” Mrs. Clyde said.
“What is it you’re struggling with?” I asked.
“He’s having problems-”
“Mrs. Clyde-”
“Karen, please,” she said.
“Karen, it’s very important that Dave be able to acknowledge some of these things on his own. Let me do a bit of one-on-one with him to see if I can get him talking. Okay?” I asked.
“Oh, oh yeah. Sure. I’m sorry. Go ahead,” Karen said.
“Dave, what is it you feel you’re struggling with?” I asked.
“My stamina. My… libido is kicking back in, finally. After months. But I’m having problems keeping up with my wife’s…”
“It’s okay. You can describe it however you want,” I said.
“Fetishes. And attitudes. And paces,” Dave said.
I grinned as Karen blushed furiously on the couch.
“Well, biologically your wife is at a stage where her sex drive is going to peak again. She’ll go through two more of them before menopause,” I said.
“Oh fuck,” Dave said.
“I didn’t think I’d ever hear a man complain about something like that,” Karen said.
“I’m not complaining. I just… don’t know what I can do to make this… better for her,” Dave said.
“Your cancer has only been in remission for seven months, Dave. And this is your second time battling it. The chemo is going to make you weak for a while. It chiseled away at your strength, and it’s gonna take time to get that back. Have you ever thought about getting more creative in bed?”
“What do you mean?” Dave asked.
“Do you mind if I talk with your wife for a second?” I asked.
“Sure, sure. Go ahead.”
“Karen,” I said as I sat back and crossed my legs. “What do you enjoy in bed?”
“Lots of things,” she said.
“What do you enjoy specifically? That your husband isn’t fulfilling for you?” I asked.
“I don’t want to make him feel bad,” she said.
“I can’t help you unless you explain to me what’s going on,” I said.
Every once in a while, in my line of work, I had to delve into stuff like this. It was why sex didn’t make me squeamish. If my father ever knew I talked like this with some of my clients, he would have a fit. He would want me to quit or open my own practice. Hell, he’d probably build me my own practice with a sign that said ‘no sex talk allowed’ on the front door.
It was refreshing to find people willing to be open and honest about all facets of their marriage. Most people I counseled were angry with one another and unwilling to open up without a fight. Being in front of two people really willing to work on things was a great break during my day.
“He just can’t stay on top for very long. So that means no doggie style or anything against the wall,” Karen said.
“Have you ever thought about getting on top?” I asked.
“Oh, I’m a pretty big woman…”
“I’d be willing to try it,” Dave said.
“See? A willing participant,” I said with a grin.
“I don’t think I’d look very good from that angle,” Karen said. “And plus, Dave puts in a lot of work… you know… orally, too. I wouldn’t want to hurt him after something like that.”
“Well, if you hurt him, then find a position with you on top that suits you both. You could turn around and face the opposite direction. Or you could straddle him in a chair. There are plenty of positions that give you control and take the brunt of the activity off your husband,” I said.
I watched Karen blush bright red as her husband looked over at her and smiled. They were so cute. Embarrassed when it came to talking about sex. And I couldn’t blame them. Talking about it on a personal level was just as embarrassing for me. Here, it was professional. It was about someone else, and it was purely logical. There was a problem to be fixed, and I had a way to fix it.
But when someone was questioning me on my own sexual preferences, I clammed up like Karen was now.
“What else do you enjoy?” I asked.
“Me… or my wife?” Dave asked.
“Either one of you. As long as we’re on this train, we can solve as many issues as you want,” I said.
The three of us talked the entire hour about ways to make their sex life work for Mr. Clyde. This was a common thing in men who had just gone through chemotherapy. It affected their sex life for months on end. Women were ready to celebrate remission with their husbands, but they couldn’t keep up with the demand for the celebration. Some couldn’t keep it up and others, like Dave, didn’t have the stamina to keep going.
There were always things they could do to work around it if they could cast aside their embarrassment for a little while.
I finished up my session with them, and they both gave me a hug. I jotted down a few things for Charlene to see when she got back into her office and slid the file underneath her door. I went back to my office and pulled out my lunch, ready to sit back and scroll through my phone for a bit.
But I noticed I had a missed call and a voice message from a number I didn’t recognize.
“Hey there, beautiful. It’s Fox. I was just giving you a call, seeing if you were free anytime this week. Figured we could get a drink. Maybe some wings. Or something else, if you want. Gimme a call back whenever you can.”
Short, sweet, and to the point. And oh, how his voice warmed my neck. I listened to the message again, just to close my eyes and imagine him here. I was so excited that he’d actually called. I went all day yesterday without hearing from him and figured my luck had passed. But he called. He called, and he wanted me to call him back.
I opened up my sandwich container as I hit the redial button, listening to the dial tone ringing in my ear.
“I recognize this number,” Fox said.
“Figured you would,” I said with a grin.
“I take it you got my message.”
“I did, yes. I’m on my lunch break now.”
“Had an interesting day doing whatever it is you do?” he asked.
“Helping people with their sex life? Yes.”
A comfortable silence descended onto the conversation as I heard him draw in a deep breath.
“You’re a sex counselor?” Fox asked.
“Don’t worry. I can’t remember if we talked about it or not at the bar that night. I’m a marriage and family counselor. And sometimes, counseling a married couple means unpacking more intimate moments in their lives.”
“That sounds… very interesting,” he said.
“It is. I enjoy helping others, and usually, I can give some good advice on how to spice things up or switch things around, so both parties are satiated.”
“You’re intentionally doing this to me, aren’t you?” he asked.
“Doing what?” I asked.
“Talking dirty like this.”
“Is that what I’m doing? I thought you asked me about my day.”
I furrowed my brow in confusion as his chuckle reverberated through my ear. The sound was relaxing, and I leaned back in my chair, closing my eyes and taking in the sound.
Then, I replayed the conversation we’d just had in my mind.
“Oh! Oh, shit. Fox, I’m so sorry. I was just talking about the couple that walked out before my lunch break. I didn’t stop to think about how that would come off.”
“Trust me, you’ve got no worries on his end,” Fox said. “But, following that train of thought… I’d love for us to get together and, you know, pick up where we left off.”
I eyed the clock and checked my schedule, clicking around on my computer as the heat began to trickle up my legs. I had an hour for lunch, but my next appointment wasn’t until three o’clock.
I was free for the next three solid hours.
“I’ve got some free time if you’d like to meet at my place,” I said. “You know, since you already know where it is.”
“I’ve got my bike keys in my hand,” he said.
“I’m heading back to my place now. I’m only five minutes away from it, so I’ll leave the front door open.”
“And I’ll make sure to lock it when I come in.”
The tone of his voice had dropped to a core-shivering octave. I drew in a deep breath as I hung up the phone, throwing my lunch back into my mini-fridge in my office. I gathered up my things and took a look at myself in the mirror, then dashed out of my office and locked the door behind me.
I could feel the wetness of my body brewing between my legs as I dashed to my car and cranked it up.
I was excited to see Fox. To experience him again in the comfort of my apartment. My room was put together, and the bed was spacious. It would give us a lot of room to roll around and explore. But more than that, I was ready to experience yet another first.
I was ready to give myself over to a true, unadulterated bad boy.