An unexpected question

Dr. Schultz shuffled her papers again and looked up, an understanding smile on her face. "Jersey, we've spoken about the difficulty you experience when trying to make friends. It's hard for you to open up and trust people, is that correct?"

"Yes Ma'am." Jersey said quietly. She couldn't bring herself to use the therapist's first name. In truth, she didn't even like that she was being addressed with her first name. But Dr. Schultz was convinced that the personal touch would help her patient, and Jersey had reluctantly agreed.

The therapist nodded. "May I ask if you've ever interacted with a petgirl? Or perhaps a petboy?"

Huh? Why would she want to know that? "Um, no. I mean not really, no. Maybe a passing 'hello' while walking down the street, but that's it. There aren't very many pets around here for me to interact with. Why?"

"Well, I was thinking. Maybe it would be easier for you to open up to someone who is herself less closed off than most people. Pets are stereotyped as friendly and approachable for a reason. Their driving desire is to find a good owner, a desire they're usually very direct about."

Jersey had to think about it. The suggestion came out of the blue, but it had an appeal she couldn't deny. Petgirls were so cute! The ones she had seen at least, but the pictures online made it seem like it was true for all of them. Some were women dressed up in more or less elaborate costumes, others had combined cosmetic surgery and gene therapy to alter their bodies. They could have irises modified to appear animalistic, incisor and canine teeth shaped into little fangs (their tips rounded for love-bites that wouldn't hopsitalise their companions!), and lab-grown animal ears attached to their heads. A recent advancement had even produced a treatment that could transform body hair into a soft fuzz not much thicker than a sphynx cat's fur (very pettable!). Jersey hadn't seen that in person yet, but the petgirls she had seen all struck her as easygoing and cuddly.

Even someone as **** to talk to people as Jersey was tempted to approach them. But accompanied by their owners, that became a daunting idea. Asking strangers for the time was one thing, asking if you can pet the girl they're with was another!

But if Dr. Schultz was suggesting what Jersey thought she was suggesting...