"I'm sorry, say that...again?"
Doctor Khatri cleared her throat and began again, uncrossing and re-crossing her legs in her low-slung Eames chair. She adjusted her black pant suit, which had gotten caught at the ankle on her grey suede boots. "After 6 months of talk therapy, we haven't yet hit the breakthrough moment that I would expect. Given that the reaction you're having seems to be related to intercourse, I think what might be most helpful is a special observational session in which we can simulate and control a scenario here in the office. I understand that may be... uncomfortable to think about, but at this point I recommend we consider this to properly diagnose what's causing the reaction."
Allegra furrowed her brow, jaw gaped and in disbelief. "I just... I mean... how would we even do that?"
"Well... we have a few options. Can I assume you've used a sex toy before?"
"I mean, yes...?" Allegra felt embarrassed and exposed at the question.
"So you can bring a certain kind of toy to our next session, or I can perhaps supply one for you."
"Okayyyyyy...so..." Allegra closed her eyes as she exhaled, "what kind of toy...?"
"We need it to be similar to the penis in shape and stimulation."
"So, a... dildo...?"
"Well a dildo would work, yes. The problem is, it seems this reaction doesn't seem to happen when you self-stimulate, am I correct about that?"
Allegra pursed her lips and nodded, looking down at her thighs, fixating on the frays in her high-waisted light wash jean shorts.
"Right, so following that fact, we need it to be non-auto stimulation. In other words, if you are doing it to yourself, it probably will not reproduce the reaction in our session. It's likely a psychosomatic reaction, but the only way to understand this is to witness your arousal stages and pinpoint when the reaction begins. Do you understand?"
Allegra laughed, but more of a nervous laugh. Her therapist was telling her she needed to have someone fuck her while being watched. This was a *medical* professional telling her this. "So," she began skeptically, "you're telling me that I need to come in here and have someone else do it to me? While you...watch?"
"Well I like to use the word 'observe.' I want you to take some time to think about this, but given the intensity of your reaction, I do think this is the only way we will be able to diagnose your condition."
"So if it's not me using the dildo, who would do it? Like, who is going to do that to me?" There was annoyance in her voice.
"Well that would be up to you. I do have a colleague...she's female also, don't worry...she could perform the procedure, or you can bring a trusted person. As I understand it you are unattached at the moment, is that right?"
"Yep." Thanks for making me feel worse about that, Allegra thought bitterly.
"Well is there anyone you'd feel comfortable with, who can be trusted to come in to the office and assist you with this?" Doctor Khatri said this tenderly, trying to be gentle.
Allegra's mind went blank. She thought of her ex, who had a new girlfriend. Waves of anger poured over her body as the thought came to her. She thought of all of the men in her instagram DMs who would *love* to do this for her. This disgusted her. She thought of her running partner, but they had more of a platonic thing. She thought of her mom, strangely. Amy *would* help her with this because she has absolutely no boundaries and would probably judge the hell out of her in the process.
"Nope, I can't think of anyone right now..." Allegra seethed as she said this.
Doctor Khatri could tell her patient was upset and knew not to push. "Okay, why don't you take some time to think this over, and call my office to make an appointment if you decide you're comfortable with this? Just tell Gina you're making a special procedural appointment and she'll set everything up for you. Okay?" She rose to signal an end to the appointment.
Allegra stared blankly ahead of her. "Fine."
She got up, grabbed her tote bag and phone, and looked straight ahead of her as she walked out, avoiding her doctor's gaze. As she walked out into the hallway and waited for the elevator, she put a hand on her crotch, and squeezed in frustration. Why couldn't she just enjoy sex? Why did this have to happen to her? It was embarrassing, painful, and made her not want to fuck anyone.
As she walked out of the building she pulled out her phone. No texts. She checked her Instagram and found 14 responses to her recent story, a video of her naked in bed covered by a sheet, smiling at the camera with the caption "good morning :)".
Just then a text came in from Amaro. "Got a min?"
Allegra tapped back: "NO" then "kinda upset"
"Oh no what's wrong?"
Allegra knew he would care. He was always thoughtful and there for her, like, always. "Can't tell u over txt"
Her phone buzzed immediately "Amaro Calling." She sighed and hesitated to answer. Would she tell him about her situation? They usually shared most intimate details. She knew everything about him; what he liked and hated in bed, and the time he got chlamydia from a Brazilian sex worker. She had even seen him naked one summer at a beach. She remembered wanting to feel his balls; they just looked so compact and round, and oddly smooth. She decided to answer the phone. "I knew you were going to call..." she tried not to smile as she said this.
"Well, yeah, I called! Duh!" He was reassuring and warm. "What's wrong? What happened?"
Allegra sighed deeply. "Ugh I just... I mean... this is kind of hard to say, ya know?"
"Right, yeah. You don't have to tell me anything, but it sounds like you need to talk, so I'm here."
Allegra felt touched by this. "Okay... I mean this is really embarrassing. No one knows about this so you can't tell ANYone, okay?"
"Um, obviously. Tell me."
"Okay," Allegra swallowed hard, waited til the couple on the street near her walked out of earshot. "So, I just came from my therapist, and.. she says I have to do something kind of intense."
"Okayyyy... like what?"
"I mean... so she wants me to uhhhhhh...." She dropped her voice to a whisper and held her iPhone close to her mouth. "I need to basically get fucked in front of her."
Silence on the other end.
"Hello..."
"Uhhhh...." Amaro tried not to smirk, knowing this was upsetting to her. "What do you mean? Is that a thing?"
"Um, I did not THINK it was a thing!" She felt relieved and validated by his surprise.
"So... tell me more then. What do you mean *fucked*?"
"Like, fucked. Like she said I need to have someone use a dildo or something on me until I come basically. And she needs to watch."
"Whoooooa." Amaro was in quiet delight and disbelief. He'd had a decade-long crush on her and the very idea of this made his heart pound. "Why is this happening? I've never heard of anything like this."
"Uh, neither have I!" There was acidic sarcasm in her voice.
"Wait wait wait. Okay. So.... why is this happening? I don't understand."
Allegra groaned audibly. "Becaaaaause. I mean.... remember how the last five guys I've hooked up with left like right in the middle?"
"Yyyyyyeah...?"
"Well!"
Silence as Amaro waited for her to continue. "Well...what?"
"Okay this is fucking embarrassing. I don't even really want to say it out loud."
"Allegra, it's me, come on. I'm not going to laugh or anything. Just tell me."
"Fine... So... lately if I'm having sex with someone, something kind of happens to my body. I don't know why but when I get really turned on while a guy is inside me, I lose control a bit and kind of...like...." she dropped her voice again. "Like I just sort of, have to shit and then it just kind of comes out. And it's gross and I feel pretty terrible and it's making me feel so icky."
Amaro didn't say anything, and Allegra grew increasingly anxious.
"Well what do you think...?"
"Oh, I mean.... that's crazy. Yeah."
"You don't sound.. I mean don't you think that's fucking disgusting?" Allegra cocked her head in disbelief.
"Honestly..." Amaro paused and considered, "I personally think that's a little hot."
"Okay, no you don't. You're just saying that to be nice or...you're gross as fuck," she laughed.
"No I mean, I'm into this actually. Like you telling me that story kind of... got me going." He laughed.