Author's Note: This story was inspired by a writing prompt from the Author's Hangout. Thank you, Nightscream89. Hope you enjoy it. The couple is working on spicing up their sex life, so the stories will get spicier as the series continues.
Prologue
"Good afternoon, Gloria, Dan, welcome. Have a seat and tell me what brought you here."
A couple in their early thirties came in to the ferny, wood-paneled office of Dr. Cheryl Coleman, her forty-five years betrayed only by a few white hairs, black, beautiful, and buxom, and author of "Get the Spice Back In Your Marriage". Dr Coleman held a PhD from Stanford in psychology, specializing in couples therapy.
They sat on the couch, about forty centimeters apart but holding hands. It was a very plain Scandinavian style couch, with a firm foam slab cushion. Dr. Coleman had selected it because it was an unbroken rectangle, with no seams, buttons, or loose cushions to give a suggestion of boundaries. It allowed couples to sit at their comfortable distance, which was valuable information. Three-quarters of spouses who sat at the opposite ends of the sofa divorced within a year.
Gloria, a fit Hispanic-looking woman with her chestnut-brown hair in a wavy ponytail, answered first. "Dan and I have been married for ten years, ever since we graduated from Adamson. We love each other and are committed to staying married. But our sex life is humdrum."
"When Gloria gave me a copy of your book, I realized that once-a-month missionary wasn't enough for her, either." Dan was a hair over six feet tall, a little portly in the ex-athlete way, but still handsome. His white-blond Brillo pad of hair looked like that on some action movie semi-star who was in two films and then was never heard from again.
"So, you want to improve things? I assume you have tried just having sex more often, or you wouldn't have made this appointment."
"We did, and to use your metaphor it moved us from skim milk to mayonnaise, not even vanilla."
"Well, maybe vanilla once." Gloria smiled at Dan and winked. Dan squeezed her hand back.
"I'm sure you know from my appointment fee that I'm expensive. But as a successful couple told me, it's still cheaper than a divorce lawyer, much less two of them."
"I know. And we're not rich. But we want to grow old together, always have, and we decided that avoiding fifty years of bedroom boredom was worth it." Gloria nodded her agreement.
"I am working on another book. If you give me permission to use some of your story as source material, names changed of course, I can cut you a break. My publisher has budgeted for that, and I think you two might really benefit. If you do, and you let me quote you, they will pass on a very small portion of their sales revenue to me to rebate the fees. They were very good to me with the advance, and so I am able to give you base level access for free and a 50% break on office visits."
They looked at each other and nodded. "Let's do it," said Gloria.
"You're willing to write up intimate details, knowing that I and, hopefully, lots of other people will read them?"
"I think so. I was an English major, I can type and mostly make okay sentences."
"Umm, Gloria, I think Dr. Coleman meant about the content part. Yeah, I am okay with that," said Dan.
"Oh, sure, right. Yes, no problem there, I hope we get to make some 'intimate details'." She wiggled her eyebrows suggestively, making Dan blush.
Dr Coleman smiled at them. "I think you'll be very successful following this plan." She gave them each a folder outlining the plan. Each week, they'd get an email with a particular challenge. They had to complete the challenge and journal about their experiences. Sometimes, especially early on, the challenges might be things they already were doing. As they progressed, new challenges would stretch them, sometimes inspiring them and sometimes being way outside their comfort zone.
Dan and Gloria each signed their email agreements, their pledge to be open and honest in their journaling, and their release forms for use of their stories. Dr. Coleman took the forms and documents, shook their hands again, and said, "You'll get the first email as soon as my receptionist gets you into the system. One last thing, though. I want you to kiss each other, right now, right here."
They did, embracing and at first with just a peck until Dr. Coleman's "kiss each other like you mean it" They transitioned to a nice, long open-mouth kiss and tight hug. "Fine. First challenge begins today. And remember, take it seriously but mostly, have fun. That's what sex is supposed to be." She ushered them out in time for them to blend in with the other patrons of the suburban office building.
As Gloria was driving home with Dan, they discussed the visit. "I hope this works out. I read her book from the library, a few months back, and liked it enough to share."
"She was really encouraging in person, too. What do you think, Gloria, will she be on TV in the next year or two?"
"If her plan works. And I had the idea that being told what to do will be just what we need. I do know that we haven't kissed like that for a long time."
