Her friend Amy had recommended the counselor. She'd been through a similar thing and said this woman had completely turned things around for them. So Anna had taken the plunge and booked a session without consulting Pete first. She knew he'd say no: easier to spring it on him the day before. Funnily, Amy didn't want to go into exactly what had happened at the sessions...seemed shy, but then this WAS marriage guidance. Not exactly the stuff of the water cooler.
He'd taken cajoling but that was only to be expected. He'd acquiesced when she'd given him an ultimatum: we go to this or no? After a little sulking he came round. Dragging his size 9's of course...it was going to be hard for him to talk about sex, especially to a woman and ESPECIALLY as he was the one doing the cock-blocking.
So. Here they were. In the slightly musty room adorned with mid-20th century expressionist paintings and African folk art. A library that Anna scanned and didn't recognise a single title ("Anal Sex For The Over 65's"? Jesus!"). The curt secretary had ushered them in told them to wait.
Pete was playing some dumb game on his phone...sheesh...what an overgrown teenager. It was just his way of coping with the stress, so she cut him some slack. She looked at his cropped blonde hair and big, soulful blue eyes. She really still totally dug him in that way: 35 and he still made her squirm to look at. Just knowing he didn't seem interested in her killed it though. She tried to stop thinking about it.
The door creaked and in walked The Doc. She was about 45, 5ft4, slim and very toned...looked like she ran. She wore a tweed skirt and jacket over a white blouse. Bright green eyes, and a deep brunette Bob framed her pale white face. The overall look was a little fusty...what you'd expect from someone with counselor in their job title. But those eyes...and the little puckered lips that never sat still, always playing with the idea of a smile suggested there were hidden depths.
"Well." Doc beamed a warm smile at the couple. Pete shuffled like a naughty schoolboy in his chair; Anna sat perfectly still. "You've already made the hardest step...admitting something is wrong. And now, together we're going to try and fix this, yes? But I need one thing and one thing only...trust." Her eyes moved from Anna to Pete and back again. They demanded agreement. Anna nodded her head. "Pete? We are a threesome now, in this room here. We can't have slackers, we can't carry anyone. Do you trust me?" Pete wasn't absolutely sure he did but he wasn't good at facing up to pressure from authority...he smiles a thin smile and nodded too.
"Excellent..." her cut glass accent cuts through all the dark wood and dusty books surrounding them. "Well Anna, thank you for the questionnaire. Its brought me up to speed." Anna had had to complete it with the aid of a bottle of wine. No WAY could she answer those straight. "And using that as starting point, let us begin..." There followed 45 minutes of questioning, reminiscing, opening up, confessing and all round baring of souls. The Doc even joined in, extolling the virtues of her third marriage, the most open and honest one yet "well...it would have to be" she said from there side of her mouth mischievously.
And her style worked for them. They both found her engaging, sympathetic and able to illicit things from them they would normally keep closed off to each other. "And so...we've had the theory. Let's try a little practical" the doc said cheerfully if a little cryptically for the couple. "Anna: up please...yes you, up." Doc beamed that smile and Anna had no choice. Breathing exercises? Poetry recital? Primal scream therapy? Could be any or all as far as Anna could tell. "Remember: trust!" Anna's cheeks reddened at being caught out worried. She liked this woman and wanted to be a good student. Mustering her most cheerful smile she clasped her hands in front of her and waited instruction.
"Now...Anna, your wildest fantasy was for Pete to watch you with another woman, no?" Pete coughed...he didn't expect THAT to have been on the questionnaire. Anna bit her lip and went redder, almost matching her long auburn hair. She had told him about when she was younger...but he didn't seem interested. And she didn't want to push. She'd never been with another woman but the thought excited her. It was surprising she wanted to talk about this with me stood up, thought Anna..."And so...let us..(taking Anna's wrists) see what happens when...' And the Doc leans forward and kisses Anna. She instinctively pulls away, eyes like saucers. "Trust...I know what I am doing dear..." So confused...but she" a doctor...she must know what she's doing. She leans in again and this time Anna closes her eyes and let's it happen.
