(This is a work of complete fiction, and any resemblance to real names of people or actual events is entirely coincidental.)
"Pauline Adams has made another appointment to see you, doctor," smirked Jane Percival, Doctor James's secretary. "That's the fifth time this month. I think she must have a crush on you," she said teasingly. John James reddened. He was aware that something was brewing but hadn't considered that he had become the object of one of his patients's desires. Dr. James was a 43-year-old widower who mostly lived by himself now that his two daughters had left home. He worked from an office at the side of his house in a small rural town. He had a younger male associate who worked with him 2 days a week. Dr. James was tall, slim, and had curly, prematurely greying hair. He usually worked in pale blue scrubs, as he was today.
He returned to his desk to review his afternoon's list. Pauline had the final appointment. The screen just said 'abdo pain,' a tummy ache he thought. He started working at 2 pm, and at 3.30, Jane brought him a coffee. He rested for 10 minutes and then continued. Two of the next cases were complicated, and his thoroughness meant that he was soon running behind time. He called Jane to ask her to reschedule the waiting patients. She had already attended to this.
"Pauline insisted on waiting, Dr.," she said. "By the way, I have an urgent commitment later and can't wait until you're finished, so I'm going to have to leave you to Mrs. Adams by yourself."
Just after 5.30, Dr. James called Mrs. Adams in.
"I'm sorry to have kept you waiting, Mrs. Adams, but I had a couple of emergencies to deal with."
Mrs. Adams sat down. "Do call me Pauline, Doc." She purred, "And I'm Ms., not Mrs., now that my divorce has come through." She smiled at the doctor and slowly crossed and uncrossed her elegant legs in such a way that her stocking tops and garter straps were exposed briefly. Her smiling expression hardly changed. The doctor couldn't help but see all this but kept his emotions in check.
"Let's see, Pauline, you're 35 now, aren't you? What's troubling you today?"
"Doc, I've had this dull pain in my belly for nearly three weeks. I didn't mention it on my last visit as I thought it would go away. The pain is there all the time now. I hope it's nothing serious. What do you think?"
Dr. James asked a few more questions and then asked her if she minded him examining her because his staff had left for the evening and he had no chaperone.
Paline smiled and lowered her eyes.
"I don't mind at all, Doc. But please be very thorough. I'm so worried."