"This has nothing to do with my career Charlie, this is about your unrealistic expectations of me."
"Unrealistic? Unrealistic? All I am asking for is time with my wife, is that so crazy? I didn't marry you so that you could relegate me to your calendar like a client Isabel, that is not how marriage is supposed to work."
"You knew well before we were married what I wanted to do with my life," she snapped.
"Your life or your career? You seem to have forgotten that there is a difference," he retorted.
The Newman's had recently celebrated their seven year wedding anniversary, but things of late were far from the honeymoon phase. Isabel, a successful attorney was struggling to balance career and marriage, while Charlie, a University professor, was trying everything he could to rekindle their mutual commitment to each other. They'd spent months in couple's therapy, but the more they analyzed their situation the more complicated it seemed to get; they wound up nit-picking with each other, only forcing them farther apart.
Isabel had to wonder how they'd gotten to this point; she and Charlie met in college and fell instantly in love; their's was the real thing, but even the real thing was having trouble surviving the life they had created together. She'd relied to much on her husband...he was her rock, the only man that mattered, and she knew he felt the same way about her. Now, having so much strife between them was beginning to wear at their bond. Isabel was so exhausted from her work that she didn't have any energy to put into fixing their marital problems. It didn't help that a few months back when she'd gone to the University to surprise Charlie with lunch, she'd found him in his office with a buxom blond graduate student who had her hands all over him. It wasn't the first time; Charlie was incredibly handsome, and while she knew he would always be faithful to her and only her, the insecurities she felt caused her to wonder, if...when...how would he step out on their marriage.
There were times when Charlie felt inadequate; here he was married to one of the top litigators in the city, who was drop dead gorgeous at that, and he found himself wondering if she was satisfied with their simple life, or if she longed to stay in the fast lane, married to one of those ritzy lawyers that charged a thousand dollars an hour.
He knew they were struggling in their marriage, but he really began to worry when their most recent counselor effectively threw her hands up, declaring there was nothing she could do for them. She'd said they weren't prepared to do the work, weren't prepared to make drastic change, and he feared it was true.
"I can only give so much Charlie," she snapped.
"Give to whom? The firm? Your clients? What about me? You said you could be happy with me."
"I am Charlie! I married you, didn't I?"
"I see the way those men look at you," he said glumly.
"What men?"
"At the firm! At those stupid parties and celebratory dinners...they all want you, I can see it in their eyes."
"Who cares what they want? Just because they want me doesn't mean they can have me!"
"Do you really expect me to believe that you're not attracted to that? All that power, all the money...you spend all your time at work, you spend all your time with the people you work with, it's like I'm not a priority...like we're not a priority."
"Alright, alright, I would like for both of you to stop talking now and just breathe," Olivia Lavande said from behind her desk, her expression serene, her voice barely above a whisper. "Now, why is it that you have come here?"
"Our last therapist suggested it. We were in couple's counseling, but it didn't help."
"Help, are you kidding? Everyday something was worse than the day before," Isabel grumbled.
Olivia held up her hand, silencing the distressed couple. "Pain and suffering are good gifts in our lives, when something is not working, or when something is getting worse, it is a clear signal that something else must be done, that you have not yet found a solution to your problem." She stood, smoothing her long, black hair over her shoulder. "I would like for you both to stand and face each other."
They followed her command. "The only thing that I want you to do, is look at each other; Isabel, look into Charlie's eyes, Charlie, never take your eyes from your bride, can you both do that?" The nodded together. 'Good, now take three, deep, cleansing breaths, and we shall begin."
They each took three long breaths, their eyes locked. Olivia watched the couple intently and waited. Countless minutes passed until finally Olivia stepped closer and raised her left hand over Isabel's shoulder without touching. She lifted her right hand over Charlie's shoulder, both hands mid-air. After some time had passed, she took her left hand and slowly pressed it into the center of Isabel's chest; who sucked in a breath in response, feeling as if a ten ton weight had been dropped on her, and as she started to feel she would faint, Olivia's right hand pressed into the center of Charlie's chest.
What passed from one to the other could not be seen with the naked eye; they breathed together and Isabel was filled with overwhelming fear, while Charlie felt overcome with sadness, tears springing to his eyes. Olivia kept her hands in place until she was sure they were both engaged, and then removed them, stepping back from the couple.
"Why...why are you so sad?" he asked, taking her hand.
"I didn't know you were afraid," she said in awe. They turned to Olivia who smiled at the couple.
"Charlie, I would never divorce you," Isabel said with tears in her eyes.
"But are you really happy with me?" he asked earnestly.
"Yes, of course, it's just...I don't know, I mean, things have changed so much...you've changed...I've changed...everyday it feels like you're further from me."
"What do you want me to do Isabel? Tell me, and I'll do it," he turned to Olivia, "what do I do? How do we fix this?"
"You must, above all else, be compassionate for your partner. You must push yourselves to understand what the other is going through, even if you do not agree with it; in doing so you give the other the greatest gift...security, love, acceptance. You have both fallen away from this, and your therapist was right; you must take drastic steps to get it back."
"How?" Charlie asked, his eyes still on Isabel.
Olivia turned to her, "please tell me, do you crave your husband?"
Isabel was startled, "what did you say?"
"Do you crave this man? Do not think about it, just answer."
"I...I don't think so, no."
"Did you ever?"
She blushed, "yes."
Olivia turned to Charlie, "are you addicted to your wife?"
"Addicted? No, what? I...would have to say no."
"This is where we begin," Olivia said, and rang the bell on her desk. The doors to her office slid open and a young woman clad in a long silk robe with turquoise colored sash waited for instruction.
"You will need to change, Isabel, Lela will help you."
***
Twenty minutes later Olivia, Charlie and Isabel sat together in the large dining hall on the south end of the property; it was filled with people; employees and clients alike. Isabel noticed that as Olivia made her way to the front of the room, every person watched her; some obviously, some for just a moment, others stealing glances they hoped no one else would see; she was simply captivating. The threesome knelt at the head table, and an unassuming woman rushed in to pour three cups of tea, then three cups of sake. The room was anything but a simple dining hall, instead it was as rich and luxurious enough to rival any five star restaurant in the world. Charlie thought this must be like dining with a royal family in ancient Japan or something. There were no menus or any need to order; the food began arriving to their table almost immediately; dumplings, jasmine rice, beef and peppers, chow mien, fried prawns and chicken in black bean sauce.
Isabel smoothed the front of the wraparound dress she had been given, aware that the front plunged low, exposing more of her breasts than she ever would. The threesome finished their soup and filled their plates with food. Just as Charlie went to take his first bite of chicken, Olivia stopped him. "You must switch plates with each other," she instructed. The couple exchanged quizzical looks. "You will not take anything for yourself, including drink; you must feed each other, serve each other's needs. This will help you become in tune with what the other desires."
Charlie shrugged and handed his plate to his wife, taking hers and setting it in front of him. He grabbed some noodles expertly between his chopsticks and held them up. Isabel barely opened her mouth, feeling timid and exposed, and most of the noodles fell back to the table. "Sorry," he said, and hurried to clean his mess. "I don't think this is going to work," he stammered.