Nick Reynolds, a 27 year old author seeing a therapist

“So how have things been since our last meeting?”

Dr. Sylvia River leaned forward in her seat and studied Nick’s expression from behind her wide-rimmed glasses. At least, Nick assumed she was studying him. His therapist’s beautiful features were impossible to read.

That’s right, Nick had done the unthinkable. He’d fallen for his therapist. It was just the latest in a lifetime of bad decisions where women were concerned.

It wasn’t like he’d started seeing her because she was a curvy blonde with kissable lips and the deepest blue eyes he’d ever seen, or because of her predilection for wearing tight pencil skirts that showed off her long legs. Sure, he’d rarely seen her in a shirt that didn’t have a few buttons open to show a hint of cleavage, but he didn't know the going in! ...And okay, sure, that accent of hers was sexy as hell, even if he didn’t quite recognize it (it sounded vaguely European).

…

Yes, Nick found his therapist attractive. And as ashamed as he was of that fact, he knew that any red-blooded man would feel the same. He was lucky just being in the same room as her! While Nick didn't think he was outright ugly, he had let himself go since college; he only bothered to shower and shave before he went out, his brown hair was starting to grey prematurely, and he'd developed a slight bit of pudge in his stomach that stubbornly refused to go away.

For a shut-in, he could look worse. But if he’d known that Dr. Rivers was such a beauty, he never would have gone to that first meeting. He’d barely worked up the courage as it stood. The catalyst had been rather benign, in fact; he’d been stepping out of the shower when he caught a glimpse of himself in the mirror, and realized it had been two years since he’d left his house for anything other than buying groceries. It hadn’t been much, but it had been enough to give himself the kick in the pants he needed to schedule an appointment with a therapist and begin piecing the shattered remains of his life back together.

That had been a year ago. Things had gotten better… His nightmares had gone away, for one, and he wasn't as wracked with guilt as he used to be. He was slowly picking himself back up with her help. If only she wasn’t so hot. If only he wasn’t attracted to her. He felt pathetic, revealing so much of himself to such a gorgeous woman. But her gentle smile brought him back every time.

“It’s been rough, doctor,” he finally admitted. These past few weeks had felt like all the progress he’d made had crumbled away.

“Nick, we’ve discussed this. You can just call me Sylvia,” she giggled. It was their private joke. After their first meeting she’d suggested he use her first name in order to get used to interacting socially with women again. He referred to her as “doctor” at the beginning of their very next session, and she’d suggested it again.

It was a small moment of intimacy that, in his youth, would have led him to erroneously assume that she shared his feelings. From experience he knew she was probably just being nice.

Noticing he wasn't laughing, she turned serious again. "Are you still having nightmares?" She asked gently.

He shook his head. Those dreams hadn't come in some time, thank God.

She sighed in relief. “Well, that's good. Then is it related to what we were discussing last session? That check-out girl, Kim, right?"

Nick winced. “Y-Yeah. Her.”

“You two exchanged some small talk for a little, and you got the impression that she really liked you, not just as a customer, right?”

“Yeah, used to.” Kim worked at the grocery store right by his house, and her beautiful smile had brightened his day so many times. Whenever he went shopping, he made sure to use her aisle, and they’d chat while she filled up his bags. A tiny bit of kindness to warm up his otherwise frozen life.

“You said last time that you were going to try asking her out on a date, right? And I’m guessing it didn’t go well?” Her eyes gazed upon him with concern. But he didn’t see pity, and he was grateful for that. He nodded glumly.

“Now Nick, we talked about this, right? It doesn’t matter if she says no. What’s important is you building up your confidence, asking her out and not caring if she says no or not. I know rejection can sting, but-"

“That’s not what happened,” he cut her off, shaking his head.

The doctor blinked, adjusting her glasses. “…Then what did happen?”

“Well… after our last meeting, I worked up my courage, right? I was ready to tell her. I told myself every day for a week that this was the day. And then, when I finally worked up to it, when I was ready, she just… disappeared. I guess she quit or something.”

He’d kept going there afterwards, at all hours of the day, hoping that she’d just changed her shift time. But he saw no sign of the black-haired cashier. He’d missed his chance. And that hurt even more than getting rejected.

“…I see. That must have been tough on you,” Dr. River murmured. She walked over and sat next to him on the couch, placing her hand on his leg. Physical contact was a big thing for her treatment style, she’d explained to him. Something about intimacy and trust. Honestly, a beautiful woman touching him like this just made him uncomfortable.

“I just feel like there’s something wrong with me!” He groaned, pulling away and burying his face in his hands. “Every time it’s always the same! Either they say they just want to be friends and we eventually drift apart, or they reject me outright and never talk to me again, or they just leave and never come back!”

He was 27 years old and still a virgin. The furthest he’d gotten with a girl was a chaste kiss 15 years ago.

The worst day of my life…

A person’s first kiss should be a treasured memory. For Nick, it was a reminder of how his sins.

“Nick, you’re not cursed. I know you’ve had some trouble with women in the past, but-"

“It’s not just the past!” He protested. “Even now, I can’t get a date, I can’t even get a woman to look at me, I’m just pathetic!”

“You never leave your house,” she reminded him. “You don’t even work. Do you think the perfect girl is just going to fall out of the sky? Do you expect you’ll be magically whisked away to some tropical paradise where a harem of beautiful women fight over the right to be with you? Those are fantasies, Nick.” Her voice got harsher. “If you want to fall in love, you can’t just rest on the money from your book. You have to actually try.”

She smiled and patted his hand.

“You’re a catch. And someone’s going to see it someday. But if you don’t take the opportunity to meet her, how will she know?”

Nick sighed and massaged his temples. She was right, of course. Ever since Holly broke his heart he’d retreated to his old patterns, refusing to leave his shell and getting close to people. Just talking to Kim had taken everything he had. If not for his money from the book he’d published in college, he might have ended up on the street when it all came crashing down. But he couldn’t call what he had right now a life. Not a meaningful one.

“You’re right, doc,” he agreed. “I have to get out and meet people. Even I know that. And I’m trying, really I am, but I just…”

He sighed.

“I just don’t feel like I’m ready.”

Dr. River stroked her chin thoughtfully, lounging back on the couch. She didn’t look like a doctor anymore (not that she usually did, unless doctors in pornos counted) but more like a peer. A friend, even.

She smiled.

“Well, we’ve been trying to gradually get you back into the world,” she mused, “stuff like making small talk with the cashier, eating out more often instead of getting takeout, but these small steps don't seem to be working.”

“Then what should I do?” At this point, he’d be willing to try anything.

“I think we need to do the opposite,” Dr River gave him a playful wink. She got up off the couch and leaned forward, getting right up into his face. He was so lost in her eyes he barely heard what she said next.

“Sorry, I didn’t hear that, what did you…?”

“I said,” she repeated, “maybe the best thing for you right now is to just dive right in! Instead of wading into the water, do a big cannonball!”

He had no idea what that meant. “Doc, what are you talking about?”

“I’m talking about you going on a holiday,” she said, walking over to her desk. She came back with a pamphlet. Two fancy “H”s in swirly letters danced on the front page, above a picture of a large hotel. The building was fancy, decorated with letters he couldn't quite read, and towered over the whitest sand and bluest water Nick had ever seen.

“What, uh… huh?”

“Holiday, it’s a holiday,” she explained. She sounded more excited than Nick had ever heard her. “A vacation from yourself. I’ve seen hundreds of cases like yours, Nick. You’re too afraid to leave your safe space, so you never do, you just let the days pass by because you’re afraid to step out into the world. So the solution is to jump out of your comfort zone! Go to a place where no one knows your name, where you don’t have to worry about all that baggage tying you down. Just look!”

Nick stared at the pamphlet. He could practically see the ocean’s gentle waves, and the leaves on the trees blowing in the wind. He rubbed his eyes to make sure he wasn’t going crazy. No, they weren’t moving, it just looked incredibly convincing.

…Right?

“H.H.” The cover read. “The Place Where Your Fantasies Come True.”

“A pamphlet wouldn’t lie,” Dr. River laughed.

“This, um… this just seems a little too much for me,” Nick shook his head. He went to go set the pamphlet down, but he just couldn’t bring himself to let go. Like something in him was clinging to it with every bit of strength he had.

“That’s exactly the point!” She urged him. “It’s too much for you, that’s why you have to go!”

She was still standing over him, and her imposing (and alluring) figure made it hard to resist. Still, Nick couldn’t imagine just… what was she even suggesting? That he get over his issues with women by going to some tropical resort for a few days and banging a bunch of strangers?

Oh god… she was suggesting that, wasn’t she?

Nick couldn’t deny that the idea appealed to him. It spoke to some deep, primal need inside of him, the same that was probably keeping him from tossing the flyer away and shutting her down completely.

What was left was just a meager resistance.

“I-I can’t afford this. I have some money still saved up, but it’s not a lot, and I need to make it last, so-"

“Oh, you don’t have to worry about money!” She laughed. “I work very closely with the management of this little resort hotel, everything will be on the house! You’ll get V.I.P. service as part of your treatment plan, I guarantee it!”

It sounded insane. Nick didn’t believe in a million years that his insurance could cover something like this.

“I-I still don’t know…”

“Shh, shh, just nod,” she whispered, leaning forward and placing a dainty finger over his lips. His eyes widened. Had her shirt always had that many buttons undone? It looked like her boobs were going to come bursting out of there any second now!

Completely at a loss for words, he did what he always did when around a beautiful woman. Whatever he thought she wanted. Dr. River had never steered him wrong before.

He nodded.

Her eyes widened with glee and she leaned back, looking like she was the one who’d just won an all-expenses-paid trip to an island resort.

“So, um… I guess… I guess I should get home and start packing?” He asked, not sure what the next step was. “How does this work? When am I leaving?”

He had a thousand questions but the doctor didn’t seem interested in answering any of them. In fact, ever since he nodded, her face had taken on an expression that seemed to be a mixture of boredom and impatience.

“When are you leaving?” She asked, raising her hand, fingers prepared to snap. Her gentle smile slid away, replaced with an expression that he had never seen before. It was still a smile, but there was no warmth in it, none of her usual kindness. It was a smile filled with wickedness and it froze him cold.

“Right now.”

She snapped her fingers and Nick’s world went white.