The Therapist (The Therapist #1)

by Ws Greer

  “It was my pleasure,” I say with a smile that goes much deeper than my face. It travels down my throat and connects to my heart, because moments like this are the reason I became a therapist. It’s always nice to help someone out.

  “I want to thank you, too,” Becky says before the two of them laugh together, because they’ve obviously talked about this before coming here. “You really helped Sean, which really helped us. He's so much more confident in himself and in bed. It’s made a huge difference to me, too. It’s part of the reason we’re both here today instead of just Sean.”

  I let myself chuckle a bit before saying, “You’re welcome.” Now, however, I sit up in my seat and pay attention, because I was curious as to why Becky would show up at the end of Sean’s treatment. Knowing couples the way I do, I knew it was either to say thank you the way she just did, or to engage in more therapy that will include the two of them.

  “Well, now that Sean seems to have accomplished the goal he set for himself when we first met, I have a question,” I say. I toss my notepad on the table between us and place my elbows on my knees. “What are you both really doing here? You're both busy medical professionals, and Sean could've thanked me on his own, but Becky decided to come along. What’s really going on?”

  Sean and Becky both chuckle and exchange a look between the two of them before Becky puts a hand over her mouth. It’s a nervous gesture, so I’m not surprised by what she says next.

  “Well, when Sean told me about how you helped him,” Becky says, still smiling. “I became curious. Sean said you're a relationship therapist who specializes in sex therapy as well, which is why he was able to make leaps and bounds in the bedroom after only a few weeks of talking to you. So, in a way, you're the reason our sex life has bloomed like it has. You’re the reason we’re communicating so well, and learning about each other. So, I figured if you were able to help Sean like that, maybe you could help us even more. We’re sort of in this phase where we’re kind of pushing the boundaries a bit more, and I’m anxious to see just how far we can go. I was wondering if you could help us through it since it sort of started with you.”

  I nod my head because now I get it. “I see. What you mean to say is that both of you have questions. You're curious about what it is you want, while also being completely fascinated by pleasing each other. You're not sure what you want or what you like, you just know you're open to try new things and learn more about yourself and your partner, and you want to know if you can tap into the sex therapy side of my job description.”

  “Wow,” Becky mumbles with a smile.

  “Told you he was good,” Sean says, nodding his head.

  “Umm, yeah, that pretty much sums it up,” Becky agrees, her face still holding an anxious smile. “So, how about it? Now that Sean is all good, can you take on the two of us together?”

  “Nothing would make me happier,” I admit, as I lean forward and pick up the yellow pad off the desk. I tear the front page completely off and toss it into the trash can next to my desk, so I can start with a blank page meant for the two of them. “This is the part of my job that I love the most. Let’s get to it.”

  26

  ~ Malcolm ~

  “As long as the two of you remember that the most important thing is open communication, you're going to be fine. It’s both of your jobs to communicate, but also to listen. Once your partner tells you what they like, it’s your job to remember it. You have to store that information, because you shouldn't have to ask ‘what do you like?’ every time you have sex. Eventually, you should know, and if there’s anything new, then it’s on your partner to tell you so that you can store that information with the rest. That’s all we’re going to start with for now. Communicate and listen, all right?”

  Becky and Sean both reveal smiles of satisfaction as they nod their heads before standing up. The couple seems happy with our first session together, and I expect we’ll enjoy our weekly meet-ups for a while. Their case will be an easy one because they don't seem to be having any more problems, which is usually what I’m called upon to deal with. Sean and Becky will be a fun session sitting in the middle of a schedule of hard ones. I look forward to seeing them again.

  “We’re on it, Dr. Colson,” Sean says as he shakes my hand. “We’ll see you next week.”

  “You got it,” I reply before shaking Becky’s hand and escorting the two of them out of the office.

  Once Becky and Sean leave, I go back over to my desk and take a seat. Firing up my computer, I create a new file with the couple’s names and input the notes from today’s impromptu session, along with a small outline of where I’d like to see them go during our time together. I detail a plan for them, while leaving room for adjustments and the possibility of having to change plans completely. If I’ve learned anything in this line of work, it’s to be fluid. Just as I’m finishing up, the intercom goes off with the sound of Keisha’s voice.

  “Dr. Colson, your last patient of the day just arrived,” she says.

  I click the tiny red X at the top right corner of the screen and pick up my notepad again, flipping through the pages until I find the one I’m looking for. When I find it, I take in a deep breath and push it out.

  “Thanks, Keisha, go ahead and send them in,” I answer.

  After only a few seconds, I hear the sound of the door handle being turned, just before Keisha pushes open the door and allows my next client to walk over the threshold.

  Keisha gives us the same dissatisfied look she always does before closing the door, leaving the two of us in the room alone. We make eye contact and I feel my lungs holding in air as I give her a once over.

  She's adorned in my favorite color tonight—a red blouse with black pants and red high heels. I’m usually not a fan of red lipstick, but it fits her face to perfection, as do the silver hoop earrings and the dark, sultry expression on her face. Her hair is shiny brown and her porcelain skin calls to me, making it hard for me to ignore the urge, but I do.

  “Good evening, Dr. Colson,” she says with a raised eyebrow, a seductive expression that she has mastered—one that makes me want to drop her to her knees right now.

  “Good evening, Ava,” I reply behind another breath. “It’s nice to see you again. Let’s take a seat and get started, shall we?”

  27

  ~ Malcolm ~

  I’m not sure where to begin. Ava and I haven't spoken since the last time we had sex, and I have no idea what her state of mind is right now. Is she mad at me for not saying I love you, too? Is she mad I haven’t called? Has anything changed at all? She’s here now, so I guess I’m about to find out one way or another.

  Ava sits across from me with one leg crossed over the other, showcasing the lustful thickness in her thighs, stretching the fabric of her black pants and forcing me to have to pull my eyes away. It’s not her fault she’s ridiculously sexy, so it’s me who has to control myself and pull it together. This is where I’ve always gone wrong with Ava. She’s gorgeous and enchanting, and my desire to see her on her knees in front of me has always been my undoing. Now that she's here, this feels like a game of cat and mouse, but the roles of each character haven't been assigned.

  We look at each other, both of us staring into the other’s eyes before releasing breaths at the same time. Ava waits for me to begin the way a patient usually does in a therapist's office, but it’s also the way I’d want her to wait if we were in my bedroom. She’s doing what she’s supposed to as well as what I want.

  “How are you this evening, Ava?” I decide to ask first. The question seems perfect for the scenario.

  Ava shifts her head before answering, “I’m good, Dr. Colson. It’s nice to see you. Been a few days. How have you been?”

  “I’ve been good. Work, as usual,” I answer. “But, you know this isn't about me or how I'm doing. I’m curious about where your head is at lately. Have you been having any unhealthy thoughts—the types of thoughts we've discussed in the past?”

  She s
hakes her head and lifts her eyebrows matter-of-factly. “No, I've been fine. I mean, if you're referring to what I think you're referring to, then the answer is no. As I told you in our last session, I feel like I’ve moved on from that. You remember? That was the night you wouldn’t let me come over after our session together.”

  “Yes, how could I forget?” After that session with Ava, her car was outside my house. I sigh and push the thought away. “Now, what do you think I'm referring to?”

  “You know.”

  “I do, but I'd like you to say it. It’s always good to communicate, remember?”

  Ava smiles devilishly, sending me a direct signal to where her thoughts went with that statement. “I do remember. You’re referring to Lucas, and like I said last time, I’ve moved on from that. There’s been something new introduced to my life, and I’m finally in a place where I feel like I can let all of that go.”

  She’s referring to me now. I’m the “something new” that has been introduced to her life. Me and my cock.

  “So, you're still certain about that?” I go on, wanting to dig deeper into Ava’s feelings about her past. It’s the entire reason she's here to begin with. “Let’s go back for a moment. You dated Lucas for a year before things ended with you two, but when you broke up…”

  “He left me for another woman,” Ava interrupts with fire in her voice.

  “Right, he left you for another woman,” I repeat, but calmer, hoping to douse her flame a bit. “And after that happened, you had a hard time coping with the fact that he’d left. In our last session, we were able to break through and learn about some of those things. You were finally ready to admit that you’d done some things you weren't proud of, and you were scared you might do something else that could get you into trouble, which we learned is the reason you sought therapy regarding your relationship with Lucas in the first place. So, I just want to make sure you’re not having more of those unhealthy thoughts.”

  “You always manage to bring out things in me that I didn't know were there,” Ava says with a sly grin.

  “That's not what I’m talking about, Ava. You know that.”

  “Mmm, but it’s all I’m thinking about, Dr. Colson,” Ava fires back. She closes her eyes and wriggles her body, enjoying whatever movie is playing inside her head.

  “Ava, please,” I call to her, begging her to stop for the sake of the therapy, but also for me. Watching her is too much of a turn on.

  “What?” Ava suddenly snips, opening her eyes. “I don't know why we continue playing this game. Yes, I did some things I regret after Lucas dumped me for that slut. Maybe I acted out a bit when I slashed the tires on his car. Maybe I was a little upset when I keyed his Mercedes. As far as the fire that was set on his doorstep that burned up his porch and nearly set his house on fire, well, I already told the cops I don't know anything about that, and my story won't change. None of that matters now, though. I’m over all of it. I don't care if I ever see Lucas again. He’s dead to me. You know I’ve moved on, and you know who I’ve moved onto. So, why do we sit here and act like it’s not you I’m talking about?”

  “Ava.”

  “Because of your secretary, or receptionist, or whatever she is? I can tell from the way she looks at me, her eyes filled with jealousy, that she knows about us. She knows what you do to me, and she wishes it was her, doesn't she?”

  “Ava, Keisha has nothing to do with this, and her and I have never discussed what goes on in my personal life, especially regarding you. You can rest assured of that.”

  Ava lets out a soft giggle. “Oh I'm sure she knows, Dr. Colson. But that doesn't matter either. She doesn't matter, Lucas doesn't matter. All that matters is that you and I fit together. Just admit it.”

  I toss my notepad on the table and exhale. The notepad is useless at this point. I’ve crossed a line with Ava that I can’t document, because if it got out that I’ve been sleeping with a patient, I could lose my license.

  “Keep your voice down,” I snip, and Ava gasps before replying.

  “Yes, sir.”

  I swallow hard. “What is all this about us fitting together? We’ve only been sleeping together a couple of months. We don't go out on dates. We don't really know each other.”

  “That’s bullshit,” Ava says. “We know enough. I know I was struggling to move on from Lucas before I met you.”

  “I’m your therapist, Ava. It’s my job to help you move on.”

  “I wasn't moving on until you fucked me,” Ava whispers, but it’s as loud as a thunderclap. “You remember how it started, Dr. Colson? I do.”

  “Ava.”

  “I sat right here with that blue and white skirt on,” Ava says, barreling over me. “We’d been talking about Lucas a lot, and I told you how I wasn't satisfied by him sexually, even when things were going great between us. I told you how I wanted more than what he could give, but I didn't know how to tell him because I loved his personality so much. He was so sweet, but I didn't want sweet in the bedroom. I wanted to be fucked. I wanted it hard.”

  “Ava, stop.”

  “I remember getting ready for that session with you. I knew we’d been doing some low key flirting, so I decided not to wear panties under that skirt, and when I switched my legs from one side to the other, I did it slowly. I made sure you could see it, and I recognized it in your eyes when you saw my pussy. You wanted it—to taste it, to touch it, to fuck it.”

  “Ava.”

  “Face it, Dr. Colson, we fit together because we both have what the other person needs. You crave control, and it turns you on more than anything to have it. You love when I do what you tell me to do. It just so happens that I love being told what to do. Nobody has ever come close to fucking me the way you do, and I can't get enough of it.

  “I told you I loved you the last time we were together, and maybe that was a bit much. Because the truth is, I think I might be in love with your cock and the way you fuck me. I love the way you control me. You command my attention and respect. You make me listen to you, when other men can't handle me. Lucas left because he couldn't handle me, and I didn't realize that until you showed me. I see it now, and I’m not ready to let that go, Dr. Colson. You’ve branded me, and I’m not sure I’ll ever be the same again, because a brand is permanent, and you love that.

  “So, why fight it? Why act like we don't fit? I want to be controlled, and you want to control me. It’s perfect. So, maybe it’s you who still needs to work out the kinks in your head. Me? I’m fine. I’m ready to be what you need me to be. You wanna go out on dates? I’m fine with that. You just wanna fuck me silly four or five nights a week? I’m definitely ready for that. You just tell me what you want, Dr. Colson. I’m ready to be commanded… sir.”

  Ava places both of her feet on the floor, lowers her head, and raises her eyes up to meet mine. She looks like she’s ready to fuck me right here in the office, Keisha’s presence be damned. It takes everything in me to fight back the urge, because the truth is that she’s right.

  I know I never should've crossed the line with a patient. I never should've let myself get caught up in this mess, and I know she has a tendency to do things that are illegal and downright psycho, but I’m drawn to her. If I wasn't, I would've ended it at the first sign of trouble. Why keep seeing her after I know she was outside my house? It’s because she’s right. She fulfills a need I have, and she does it better than anyone else has.

  I can't help but think about the facts that brought Ava to my office. She did damage her ex’s property on multiple occasions, including setting fire to his front porch, although I’ve never been able to get her to admit it. Her ex, Lucas, moved from Dover to Christiana recently just to get away from her. She showcases clear signs of obsession and fixation, and I know I’m probably opening the door to a lot of drama, but there’s just something about her that I crave. Something in me likes her disobedience, because I have an excuse to punish her, and I fucking love punishing her.

  Maybe it’s me who s
howcases signs of obsession. Maybe I’m obsessed with watching the way her face changes when she comes. Maybe I’m fixated on the way she says “Yes, sir.” Maybe it’s me who can’t get enough. Maybe Ava is exactly right about me, the same way I’m right about her.

  I know this is a risk. If anybody finds out about us, it’s going to be hell, and that doesn't leave me many options. There’s only one, really, and I’m going to exercise it. It’s crazy, but it’s what I want to do.

  I exhale, and Ava keeps her sultry brown eyes glued to me. “Okay,” I say, letting my eyes fall to the floor.

  “Okay what?” Ava asks, and I feel like we’ve suddenly switched roles. Am I the patient now?

  “You're right, Ava,” I begin, although I can't believe what I'm about to say. “I crossed a line with you that I shouldn't have, but I can't go back now. You're right that I want you all the time, including right now. You’re right that I love fucking you, and you're right that your desire to have me control you turns me on. However, I love my job, and I can't lose it because of you. This job is everything to me. So, this is over.”

  Ava doesn't move. Her body remains perfectly still, but I see something shift in her eyes before she asks, “What’s over?”

  I let out a long sigh. “Our relationship as therapist and patient. I can't be your therapist if we’re going to continue sleeping together, and we are going to continue sleeping together. This will be our last session, and the next time I see you, it’ll be in my bedroom. You’ll be on your knees with your hair in a ponytail, and you'll be waiting for me. You'll be waiting to give me complete control over you, and I’ll be ready to take it.

  “This is the end of our professional relationship, and the beginning of a personal one. I’m not saying we’re dating, or that we’re boyfriend and girlfriend. I’m just saying we’re going to fulfill each other's needs, because it’s taking every ounce of my strength not to make you bend over that couch and spread your ass apart for me, and I’m tired of fighting urges.”