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 shakes 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.