"You're coming home with me?"
"Yes."
"To the United States?"
"We're both American, so yes."
"On the same flight?"
"Yes, Andrew, if that's okay since it's my parent's private jet, but only if you'd like me to. I've assumed that you want me to be with you, to be honest. I hope not to have misunderstood."
"I can't ever remember being happier."
I felt overjoyed and hugged Katie like a bear might, lifting her off the ground. Her surprise was very welcome, but in the back of my mind, a nagging feeling around imagined conflicts of love interest itched away.
While she toured her replacement around the surgery, re-familiarizing him with his old job and taking inventory for a handover, I sat alone at my girlfriend's dining table agonizing over how to deal with a new, very welcome but frightening development.
I kicked up my phone, joined the satellite bubble network, and messaged the only person who could help me, thankful she was readily available.
Katie is coming home with me, Celia.
Jesus... fuck, that's a bit awkward. What will you do?
I hope you can help.
Ella's expecting an all-night fucking in your bedroom tomorrow. She wants the whole girlfriend experience.
I know.
Does Katie know about Ella and your date with her tomorrow?
Yes.
Okay... what's she saying about that?
Nothing yet. This all happened moments ago. Katie found a replacement doctor and surprised me with the whole thing.
Do you love her?
One hundred percent, yes.
Has that love been tested for its resilience to your romantic problem?
Not fully.
Then you need to discuss everything with her. Don't leave any feeling or truth hidden, or it will bite you in the ass.
I know.
Take care, Andrew. I'll see you later tonight.
Yeah... you too, Celia.
I felt mildly queasy because this situation had played out in my mind several times, but a sense of reality was missing in each scenario. With the real-world looming problem of Ella's forthcoming lesson in love and Katie being in the same house while I fucked the young girl for money, the whole situation overwhelmed me.
I'd ignored the nightmare scenario of my romantic test, having stuffed it into my mind's dark recesses of future deniability. Now, the problem was very real and needed to be dealt with.
I felt scared of losing Katie and falling back in love with Ella.
I watched my girlfriend excitedly dragging her replacement from room to room, checking alarm systems, insect repellent, and the radio comms system used in an emergency. She frequently glanced at me with a satisfied frown, furrowing her brow or smiling at the man she loved.
When both doctors sat at the dining table with a stack of patient files, discussing ongoing treatments, I melted into the background, sitting comfortably on a sofa, cradling a triple espresso.
Katie was businesslike, even to the extent that she called me over when explaining our recent sexual activities with the local village women. That discussion shocked me a bit, particularly in the details requested by her replacement about my cock size and whether I came inside the girls.
Once an inventory and all patient notes for the medical station were agreed upon, my girlfriend escorted her replacement back into the surgery, declaring it was now his before joining me in her Chalet, where we had time and privacy to pack and talk.
"All sexual encounters between the doctor here and any village girls must be reported. Their sexual health and pregnancies are crucial medical issues."
"Pregnancies?"
"It's prudent reporting. The girls we fucked are all taking birth control, so we have nothing to worry about."
Katie saw my concern and sidled closer, gripping me tightly around the waist with one arm while the other stroked my chest.
"Don't worry about anything, Andrew. You can sleep with Ella all night as planned and fuck her as much as she needs. I'll sleep alone, then we'll pick things up afterward."
"It just feels wrong."
"I can imagine how you feel right now, but we agreed to live with the consequences of your job, right?"
"Yeah, but now it's real, I'm not sure I want to."
"What's the alternative, Andrew?"
"I could quit. I'm sure Celia would understand."
"And what if we broke up after living together for a month? Where would you go, and what career prospects would you have? You left a job in banking to become a sex worker, right?"
I stared at her, shocked that she was being so practical and by how brutal that sounded. My mouth made motions like a goldfish with a weird popping sound that seemed comical to my girlfriend, who laughed, but I suddenly felt icy cold.
"I hadn't considered that aspect of our relationship, to be honest. Any thoughts of us not being together hadn't crossed my mind even in the slightest."
"Clearly not, and that's very sweet. I don't wish to alarm you, but relationship statistics aren't in our favor. Celia wouldn't take you back on as a hooker if you let her down with Ella, and those satisfied customers you already have would go elsewhere."
"Fucking hell, Katie."
"No, Andrew. We have been very grown up about this so far, and I propose we continue doing that."
Katie left me alone in the living area so she could pack belongings from the bathroom. Her temporary departure felt like a convenient ploy to allow our reality to crystalize in my mind. I sat heavily on a sofa and then realized how sorry I felt for myself, something I hate.
I shouted through to the bathroom.
"I won't do any overnight gigs in the future."
"It's up to you, Andrew. You'll feel no pressure from me, as we've already discussed. Now... forget about tomorrow's problems, and let's pack for today."
She leaped onto my lap, flinging both arms around my neck, kissing me, and my world brightened up immediately. My real fear wasn't whether Katie would accept my lifestyle in practice, as she already did in theory. Something else nagged at me.
What if my feelings for Ella re-emerge?
The last thing Katie handed over to her relief was the keys to the doctor's truck. A VIP car and driver from the airport turned up in a large SUV, and I carried our luggage out, helping him load it.
While he sat inside his vehicle, wafted by air-conditioning, I waited outside, wanting to be the man Katie would continue loving. I opened the car door when she skipped down the Chalet steps and along a twenty-meter track to the parking spot where I stood waiting. She turned around on reaching me, and I felt a moment when she bid farewell to her medical station and the distant village.
"Close the door for a minute, please, Andrew."
"What's wrong?"
She stepped close to me and leaned both palms on my chest, staring lovingly into my eyes. Her breathing was controlled, whereas mine felt erratic. I was twitchy, and she seemed centered.
"I'm sorry, Katie, but I haven't prepared well for this."
"You're worrying far too much, darling."
"Yes, I probably am, but the stakes are very high."
"This test of your fidelity in romantic love was always coming, Andrew. It's probably better to have it out of the way now than at some time in the future when we each hold even deeper feelings for the other."
"I'm so desperate for this to be authentic, Katie."
"For what it's worth, I think you'll choose me in love, even when your cock is slammed balls deep inside Ella, and you're decanting your seed."
"Is that why you're joining me on this trip home? To test me?"
"Not at all. I want us to spend time away from here and see how well we harmonize as a couple."
"But tomorrow will also be a final and conclusive test, right?"
"Yes, but I've not deliberately set it up that way. I promise you, although I'll admit it's very convenient."
"I believe you, Katie."
"I expect you to service Ella properly tomorrow night, sweetheart. We are both professionals, and that's something I love about you."
"I will take care of Ella properly."
"Good... shall we leave now?"
"Yes."
"Just think of it as a holiday for us to become better acquainted."
I opened the SUV door again, smiling while she slid into the rear seat, but my heart felt heavy because the sudden change in my life that Katie's surprise caused had forced me out of my comfort zone.
We were leaving a love cocoon where most factors remained in her sphere of control, venturing into a romantic minefield.
The journey back to the airport was far more tranquil than when my girlfriend drove, but this driver wasn't as desperate to arrive at our destination as Katie had been.
At the airport, security and immigration officers whisked us through VIP channels and onto the family jet, already testing engines while we boarded. Caught deep by emotionally turbulent thoughts, I was lost to the world, desperately anxious about a looming bad outcome. Katie knew what was afoot by the reveals in my expression but never pressed the issue. She was loving, attentive, very tactile, and tried making light conversation frequently.
"You never asked what my family did, Andrew."
"I guess we were getting around to that. I was too busy falling in love and enjoying making love. The sex with those village girls was fun, but you were the only thing that mattered to me over the past week."