Just Shoot Me.
The office at Blush Magazine had sunk into a foul mood. The editor Jack Gallo did nothing but fight and bicker all the time with his top journalist, Maya Gallo, who also happened to be his daughter. Every day the tension between Jack and Maya became more vicious, and it was affecting the entire staff.
Nina Van Horn had finally had enough. She approach Jack one rainy afternoon after he and Maya had finished one of their spats. "Jack, you and Maya need therapy. No, really! You two need to see somebody, and I know just the guy." It took a while to convince Jack, and even longer to convince Maya. But when Elliot and Finch threw in their support, she finally agreed.
Jack and Maya began seeing Dr Pollack for one hour after lunch twice a week. It did not take too many sessions for Dr Pollack to state his startling deduction to his patients.
"I know what the problem is between you two, and it is easily curable," he announced.
Jack and Maya were aghast. "Really?"
"Certainly. It is sexual tension."
The patients exploded with indignation. "Doctor, how absurd! You can't be serious! It's disgusting to even suggest such a thing."
Dr Pollack calmly defended himself. "I will start with you, Jack, because your situation is much more transparent. You have had the ability to conquer most any woman you wanted. It has always left you wanting more, searching for a harder conquest. This whole magazine is testimony to your domination over women, not just their bodies, but their lives, how they dress, think and talk. How many times have you been married?
"The one woman in the world that you can not have is your daughter, Maya. You cannot conquer her sexually and, just as frustrating to you, you cannot conquer her mentally. She thwarts your authority constantly and rebels openly against the control your magazine exerts over women. Most telling is your latest marriage. Your wife is not about the same age as your daughter, she is exactly the same age as your daughter. They went to high school together. It is all too obvious."
Jack just sat dumbfounded, staring at the doctor.
The doctor then turned to his other patient. "And you, Maya. You have always struggled for your father's attention. Up until recently that struggle has taken its typical form. But certain events have changed that for you into a new struggle, a sexual struggle. First was your father's marriage to your high school friend. Now you saw someone your age getting the attention you wanted, but now the emotional attention became blurred with the sexual attention so obvious between Jack and his bride. The second event was your joining the staff of Blush Magazine. You feel insecure in your position because you have not earned it the same as everyone else."
"That's not true!" shouted Maya. "I worked very hard to get my position. I earned it. My education and experience is better than anyone else at Blush. Tell him, Daddy."
Dr Pollack calmly waited. "Maya," he asked, "How did all the other women get their positions at Blush?"
Maya mumbled. "What's that?" the doctor asked.
"They slept with the boss," she said aloud. Jack started.
"Exactly," said Dr Pollack. "They got their jobs by sleeping with your father. And a part of you cannot accept that you have not earned your job the same way as everyone else. You are over compensating. That's all the time we have today. I will see you two on Thursday."
Jack and Maya shuffled out of Dr Pollack's office in a daze. There was no fighting when they got back to the office. In fact, they didn't say "boo" or even make eye contact with each other until that next appointment. The entire staff was amazed.
Thursday's appointment came quickly. Dr Pollack entered the room and closed the door behind. Before even sat down, he said, "Maya, I want you to take your shirt off."
"What?!" she exclaimed.
"I want you to take your shirt off. We are going to begin solving the problem between you and your father. You too are suffering from sexual tension, which is only exacerbated by your work environment. Blush magazine focusing almost entirely on sexuality. You face the sexuality of men and women on a daily basis. It's your job, I suppose. But you two have not faced up to each other's sexuality. Jack needs to learn that you are a woman like any other woman, and you need to learn that he is a man just like any other man. Jack, you take your shirt off too. Come on, you two. Do it."
Jack and Maya slowly and quietly removed their shirts. They sat facing each other, Jack with his bare chest and Maya in here white brazier.
"There, now, that wasn't so bad," said the doctor. "Jack, what do you see?"
"Maya."
"Exactly, and Maya, what do you see?"
"My dad."
"Hmm. He's not just your dad. He is a man. I want you to use his name."
"I see Jack."
"Yes. Now, let us pick where we left off," said the doctor. They began their discussions as the early sessions had been, awkwardly at first, but after a while the conversation went as normal. After an hour, they put their shirts on and left.
The doctor began the next session the same way. Jack and Maya talked with their shirts off.
The session after that, the doctor said, "We are making progress, but I think we are not making progress fast enough. You two are still avoiding the issues. I want you to take your pants and skirt off." And so, there they sat, Jack in his boxers and Maya in her bra and panties, and talked.
