Stripped - By Brenda Rothert Page 0,20
at the club, and you’re completely normal. So I didn’t give him mine, but I did take his.”
There was silence at the other end of the line.
“Chris? Are you still there?”
“Yeah, I’m here.”
“What’s wrong?”
“I just don’t think that was a good idea.”
“Why not?”
“What kind of a guy picks up dancers at a strip club?”
“I just thought I’d talk to him.”
“I’ve got to go, I’ll catch you later.”
“Okay.”
Abby stared at the phone in confusion as she hung up. Was it possible Chris was jealous? That made no sense, because he didn’t want to date her. But then, they had both been full of mixed signals from the beginning. She shook her head and rolled over to sleep for a few more minutes before getting up.
Chris sighed deeply as he rapped on the dark wood office door. He’d never imagined himself making such a visit.
“Hey, Reneau,” Charlotte said with a quizzical look as she opened the door. “What’s up?”
She was just over five feet tall, with pale blond hair and a young face. But Dr. Charlotte Stern, a psychiatrist, was one of the oldest, wisest souls Chris knew. His best friend had fallen in love with her at first sight.
“Can I talk to you?” he asked, shifting uncomfortably.
“Of course. Come in.” She cleared a pile of papers and books from a recliner and sat down across from him.
“Are you about out of here for the day? It’s almost six. I don’t want to take up the only time you and Reed have to see each other before his shift.”
“I’ll be here a while yet, let’s talk. What’s on your mind, Chris?”
“I met someone.”
Charlotte gave him a slight, encouraging smile.
“Even though we can’t be together, she’s on my mind constantly,” he continued.
“Why can’t you be together?”
“Because I don’t want to be in a relationship. And even if I did, Abby’s…she’s a stripper. Please don’t judge, though, Charlotte, she’s not what you might think.”
“Tell me more. Why does her being a stripper mean you can’t be together?”
Chris looked at her incredulously, as if it was obvious.
“I can’t stand the thought of other men getting hard looking at her and jerking off thinking about her. When I picture her doing a lap dance on some guy, it makes my stomach clench. If we were together, I wouldn’t be willing to share her.”
“Let’s back up. Tell me more about her.”
There was a light knock on the door before it swung open and Reed stuck his head in.
“Hey, babe, let’s get dinner,” he said. “Oh, hey, Chris, what are you doing here?”
“We’re talking,” Charlotte said.
“Everything okay?” Reed asked.
“You guys get dinner together,” Chris said, rising. “You hardly see each other.”
“No, sit.” Charlotte’s small voice was commanding.
“It’s fine, I’ve got paperwork anyway,” Reed said. “Come say bye to me before you leave, Char.”
Chris sighed as Reed closed the door. He wasn’t sure he wanted to go down this path; to say out loud what he was feeling for Abby. But Charlotte looked at him expectantly, so he continued.
“Abby’s…like a breath of fresh air. She’s beautiful, but I’ve known plenty of women I could say that about. I’m very attracted to her, but it’s not just because of her looks, and I’ve never experienced that. She’s this confounding mix of fragile and strong. I don’t think she’s ever been treated well, and I want to show her what it can be like. But I’m afraid to, because I don’t want to hurt her. I’m averse to commitment, so how far could it ever go?”
Charlotte just looked at him, waiting for him to continue. He shifted in the chair and took a deep breath.
“I gave her a massage the other day, and I didn’t mean to, but I kissed her afterwards. I wish I wouldn’t have, because now I want more. And then…when I called her from Vegas last weekend, she told me some asshole asked her out, and it really pissed me off.”
“What about just giving things some time? Seeing what develops?” Charlotte suggested.
“I don’t know. My voice of reason tells me I need to stop this now, before anything happens. Abby’s not someone I’m willing to hurt.”
“Why do you assume it will end with hurt?”
“It always does, Charlotte. Otherwise, why would it be ending?”
As she lifted her head from the pillow, Abby was confused by the cloudy grogginess that surrounded her. Had something woken her up? Ringing. She inhaled sharply, about to jump from her bed and run to her mother’s room, when she realized it was her