A Day at the Dentist
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NOTE: The following story is my first attempt at anything remotely erotic. This was written by request and is based on a small amount of information. As such, it likely does not truly represent the experiences of the individual that requested it. Regardless, I wish to share it.
Also, the ending feels too abrupt. I think I got tired near the end, so I kind of wanted it to be over. I can always fix this later.
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As human beings in times of both great distress and great excitement, we become entangled in a web of attractive and repulsive forces that seem out of our control. We note that a stranger has an alluring quality to them and, following these feelings, we allow ourselves to learn more about someone else and about ourselves. What better way to learn about the world than through the electric sensations brought about by a chance encounter?
On a calm morning, as the last leaves of autumn began to slowly drift down to make way for the chilling embrace of winter, a young woman sat by a window, her hands clasping a freshly brewed cup of tea. The world around her was changing at its own pace, and, in the reflection, a confused visage stared back at her. Its eyes were full of wonder for the world, but its heart held a deep-seated coldness. Like the world outside her window, she was somewhere in between states of being. Part of her wanted to continue watching the leaves outside, but another part of her continued to notice that reflection staring back at her. In the midst of this introspection, her phone reminded her that she had a dentist appointment in a couple of hours. Quickly finishing the rest of her tea, a sharp pain hit her mouth.
There were no reflections in her shower, aside from a distorted one on her shower handle. A flat white set of tiles and a flowery plastic shower sheet filled her field of vision. Part of her felt safer in here, and this part of her urged her to stay inside:
"Don't go to the appointment," it called out, "stay in the warm water! It's more comfortable here!"
She ignored this and continued to shower. The warm water rushed over her body, stealing the thoughts away into the drain below. A scent of vanilla, lavender and a slight touch of both eucalyptus and menthol filled the steamy air. The water flowing around her feet felt like ocean waves begging her to stay home. It was as if the world outside the window was no longer real, and all the problems of the world were erased by the simple act of cleaning oneself. Eventually the water was turned off and, with the sounds of water dripping filling the room, she dried herself off and donned a bathrobe and a towel for her hair.
Her plan was simple: minimize the time spent brushing her teeth until about 2 weeks before her dental visit. Since the appointment was that day, she was already brushing and flossing for a second time, and it wasn't even the afternoon yet. The slightly burning minty sensation spread through her mouth, a sensation she enjoyed. Looking in the mirror, she saw a clearer reflection than before: the feeling of being "in between" was replaced by a deeper sense of a lack of meaning, and her light blue eyes gave it all away: on some deeper level, this woman was alone. She had friends, more than most people, but she didn't really feel alive with any of them. She recalled going to social functions and saying all the right words at the right time, occasionally ending up with her spending the night with someone; yet she felt that there was more to life than this. Was she missing something? She pondered this, and then spit out the toothpaste and rinsed. These unwelcome thoughts had a bit of trouble going down the drain this time.
She walked to her bedroom and stared in her closet. It was chilly that day, so the new coat was certainly a necessity. It was a long, tan coat with a lot of extra pockets (making up for the severe lack of pockets on all of her pants). Grabbing items that best matched this, she placed them on her bed and disrobed. The soft texture of the cotton ran down her skin, exposing it to the slightly humid, yet sharply cold, air in her room. She again thought about simply skipping the appointment, sat on her bed and fell backwards, her feet still planted firmly on the ground. Turning her head to her nightstand, she spotted her "special drawer" with a couple toys inside hidden behind some socks. A puzzled look appeared on her face as she questioned why they were hidden; after all, no one lived with her. She wondered if anyone would ever want to. As if to ignore the thought, she quickly sat up and began to get dressed so she could head to the appointment.
The trip was not too bad. The traffic was minimal, and the weather was clear, so she managed to get to the dentist's office early. Entering the building, the telltale signs of dentistry were clear: out of date magazines, a "Make sure to floss!" poster, various photos of people smiling, and even a television tuned to a public broadcasting network. Of course, the sound was off. The receptionist was kind enough to give a working pen with the paperwork, but he seemed to be preoccupied when it came to a simple question about the lack of a clipboard. The woman, ever so slightly annoyed, walked to a seat and began to fill in the paper with a bunch of insurance and medical history drivel. Once it was filled in, she approached the receptionist and gave him the paperwork. For a brief moment, she spotted someone new walking in the back. It was a tall man, with curly black hair and broad shoulders. He was in a slight rush, so she couldn't see much of him, but she knew that this man was not there during her last visit. Returning to her seat, she let her mind wander.
It felt a little silly to her that a mere glimpse of someone could distract her mind-- on the other hand, the man was incredibly attractive. Many thoughts began to appear:
"What if this man is my new dentist? My last one did mention retiring soon, so it could be possible. What would that feel like? Having an attractive dentist is new to me. Would it be uncomfortable? Wouldn't he be inside of my mouth--" She closed her eyes and tried to quell her mind with more realistic thoughts.
"It was a glance. I know nothing about this person. What if he's an awful person? What if he's the type of dentist that likes making his patients miserable? Even if he is my dentist, the relationship has to remain professional." she thought to herself.
Feeling flustered, she opened up her phone and started browsing the internet. Funny images usually made for good distractions, and this time was no different. It was so effective, that the receptionist had to call her name out a few times to get her attention. Slightly embarrassed, she was escorted to the correct room and was told to wait for the hygienist to arrive. As she walked back, a familiar sensation of eagerness bloomed in her chest as she imagined that dentist. In the slightly confusing set of hallways, she spotted other patients in their rooms, all of which inexplicably lacked doors. Eventually, they arrived at their destination. The young woman removed her coat and placed it neatly on a small table on the other side of the room next to a small window, sat in the big chair and waited patiently.
A fluorescent light buzzed above and covered the room in a blanket of eye-searing artificiality. Outside of the window was a small tree, similar to the one outside her own window. It too had almost lost all of its leaves, but this window lacked a reflection to stare back at the woman. A more pressing observation, however, was the fact that her phone was still in her coat pocket. In an effort to distract herself from her surroundings, she began to sit up to grab it when the hygienist arrived. She was a stout woman dressed in a blue gown with the logo of the dentist office embroidered on it. A mask and a plastic face shield covered her head, and her brown eyes peered through as she spoke:
"Hello! Let me pull up your files so I can see what we have scheduled for you today." The hygienist grabbed one of two office chairs and sat down in front of an ancient looking computer. After clicking and typing for a minute or so, the sound of a chair rolling filled the room. "Alright," the hygienist began, "it looks like you're just due for a cleaning and a checkup. You have a few areas we need to make sure haven't developed into cavities, and so we'll need to..."
