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Lauren sat down on the plush couch and exhaled heavily. She was about to have her session with the doctor and was supposed to lie fluently and keep their cover intact. The problem was that Lauren was reeling inside. Totally out of balance. She was thinking about Tamsin way too much. The time spent together, her obvious attraction to the Valkyrie and.. just everything about Tamsin was unnerving her. And the cherry on top was Tamsin's out of character behavior. She acts like.. she likes me, but that can't be true! I must be reading too much into it, Lauren concluded her thoughts.
"Good morning Andrea." Doctor Hendricks' smiled warmly. "Thanks for coming and welcome to your individual session."
"Morning Doctor Hendricks." Lauren gave a little nervous hand wave and then wiped her palms on her cotton slacks.
"Maureen, please. You seem nervous?" The doctor probed questioningly.
You would be too, if you'd woken up nestled against a hot Valkyrie with your mouth a breath away from her.. chest area, Lauren thought shivering. Again. Two nights here and two nights sleeping impossibly close to Tamsin. And two nights still to go.. "I'm fine."
"Have you had therapy before?"
"Couples therapy? No."
"It'll be good for you. For your relationship with your wife."
"Hope so." Lauren nodded absentmindedly. Her thoughts were circling around Tamsin. Two nights to go.. I'm not going to make it. I'm going to latch my lips on her and she'll whack me upside my head. I'll have a concussion for sure.
"Okay.. I remember you telling that you and Kate have been stuck in a rut?"
"Um.." Lauren bit her lip trying to remember what she had said.. lied.. during their first session. "Ah.. yes. We've been just kinda going through the motions. I think life has crept upon us."
"Meaning?"
"Work and other things outside our marriage have become more important."
"Important?" Maureen said imploringly.
"Well.. not more important, but.. um.. time consuming. I guess. We both have our own hobbies, interests, friends. And.. We rarely spend time together. Just the two of us."
"You look like you want to say more?" Maureen eyed the blond on her couch.
"We're.. Kate and I.. we're so different." Lauren sighed. "I feel it might be a problem for Ta.. Kate."
"Andrea, I have to disagree. I see what you mean about the two of you being different, but I'd look at it as a strength. You complement each other well. You are not like your wife. You think differently. You act differently. I think that is one of the things that makes her so drawn to you."
"Oh." Lauren's mouth made an o. Drawn to me? Tamsin? Really? Lauren observed the doctor's face. She looks serious, Lauren noted.
"Yes." Maureen nodded. "So how has it felt, being here at the camp? I mean you have spent a lot of time together these past few days."
"Well.. It's been very nice. We've had fun." Lauren nodded smiling. This is going great. Easy peasy, she thought giddily. Let's talk about minigolf, she thought.
But before Lauren had time to change the topic, Maureen changed it for her. "So, have you and Kate had sex during your stay?" The counselor asked looking over her glasses.
Lauren's smile vanished from her face as she gulped. "With each other?" She joked chuckling dryly, while wishing she could be anywhere else by now.
"Yes. Have you been intimate?" Maureen continued.
"Wow, you jumped right in to the hard stuff." Lauren whined quietly and sighed.
"I did give you a few warm up questions to be fair." Maureen teased pleasantly making Lauren let out a small chuckle. "So have you?"
Well shit. Crap. I'm going to have to delve into our sex life. Imagining the whole thing! I can't imagine sex with Tamsin! I'm unbalanced enough already, Lauren groaned. Just lie. "No." She finally said looking at the counselor. "I'm hesitant to.. um.. touch her like that." Well shit again! I was supposed to lie, Lauren gave herself a mental facepalm.
"Why?"
Lauren gnawed on her lip, until meeting Maureen's eyes. "I don't know.. It's been a while.. um.. for us since we last.. You know.. um, had sex. Maybe we've drifted too far apart and it seems somehow new and daunting and.. totally.. Impossible? Uh.. She's this gorgeous.." Fae, Lauren added inwardly. "..Woman and I'm just.. you know, me."
"Just you?"
"Yes." Lauren groaned thinking about the reality of her life. Human versus Fae. Tamsin versus her. "What can I really give her?" She sighed.
"I'm sure you give her plenty. As a matter of fact - I know you do." The doctor smiled encouragingly.
"Like what?" Lauren asked sounding unbelieving.
"You make her smile. Without you by her side she.. skulks around here with an irritated look on her face."
"That's the way she normally looks." Lauren scoffed with a little laugh.
"Well, not with you. Being with you.. close to you makes her happy. It quite obvious." Maureen nodded knowingly. "And your wife.. She wants to touch you. She wants you to touch her. Desperately."
"You think?" Lauren whispered timidly with a raised eyebrow.
"I've got eyes. And Doctor Jameson does too and he agrees with me. You two complement each other so well. It's amazing, that you two don't see it." The counselor nodded surely. "I think Kate's hoping for you to make the first move. To bring you back closer. Start fresh."
"Oh?"
"Kate's waiting for your 'okay'. She's unsure how you feel." Maureen said and Lauren thought 'she's not the only one'. "I think you need to give her a sign that you're all in. That you're not going anywhere." Maureen said and continued before Lauren could comment. "Have you two kissed?"
"Yes." Lauren said with her head spinning. Is Tamsin really interested? Where does she think I'd go? Maybe she just made everything up for Maureen to swallow, Lauren halted. Or.. Is Tamsin really waiting for me to.. What? Kiss her? And.. And.. make the first move to start.. something? Say that I'm interested in her? That she's.. alluring, commanding, sweet.. Totally beautiful.. hot and delicious.. Oh my God don't start thinking like that! Not now!
"While here on this camp?" Maureen interrupted Lauren's thoughts.
"Uh, what?" Lauren muttered guiltily for not listening. This therapy session is getting under my skin, she moaned. Please don't ask me what I was just thinking about!
"Have you kissed during your stay here?" The doctor repeated.
"Um.." Lauren stalled. I wish, she gulped. "Just little pecks.. You know, for good morning and.. stuff." She lied trailing off.
"To me it seems that though your wife may ooze confidence and power, it's all just surface. Kate's afraid to jump."
"On me?" Lauren blurted with wide eyes, but then blushed. Oh hell.. On me? Way to go Lauren.. embarrass yourself completely why don't you, she rolled her eyes. "Sorry.. I only meant.."
Maureen let out a tinkling laugh. "On you yes."
"Oh.. So?" Lauren questioned softly. Really? "What should I.. We do?"
"Andrea, you're going to have to be the brave one. Take the first step back to your lost intimacy. The step to reconnect with your wife on a physical level. The emotional level has been strengthening all this time." The counselor nodded and continued. "Anyway the next group assignment will be good for you. A stepping stone to touching each other. You've drifted away from each other. From intimacy. It's quite common in relationships. And it feels hard to regain that lost intimacy. This exercise will help you."
"And it is?" Lauren croaked out. She knew she was flushed. Just thinking about being intimate with Tamsin made her all worked up. I can't think about being with Tamsin like that! We are working! We're on a case, she screamed in her head.
"Massage. Nothing sexual about it, but you will touch each other. Make the other one feel good and relaxed."
"Lovely.." Lauren gulped. My hands on her? Her hands on me? Well.. fuck me, she cursed. Not feeling relaxed at all. Oh my God, I need to keep it together. To not let my hands wander, she sighed anxiously at the prospect of laying her hands on Tamsin's body.
"Starting at 1pm. Here at our nest of tranquility." Maureen said.
The nest will be anything but tranquil, Lauren thought letting out a strained breath. Make Tamsin feel good? Hell, I want to give her a happy ending.. For God's sake stop thinking like that! Just stop, she pleaded inwardly.
"But let's talk about your relationship a little more from your point of view. I want to hear about your whirlwind romance." The counselor smiled.
"A what-a?"
"You fell for Kate and pursued her hungrily.."
"I fell and pursued? Hungrily?" Lauren scoffed. Did Tamsin really say that? Why? Does she want me to do that? To.. go after her and.. devour her?
"I've concluded this from what I've heard and seen.." Maureen started, but Lauren cut in.
"Heard? Right.. right." Lauren huffed, but a small grin was on her lips. "Like I would go after her? No.. She's the one who fell and pursued me. She! I'd never in a million years would have had the courage to do.. such a thing." She continued with eyes widening. Should I gather my courage, she gulped inwardly.
Maureen lifted an eyebrow.
"So um.. Maybe I pursued a little.. And.. We fell in love and then got married pretty quickly." Lauren added hastily adverting her eyes. "And.. then life happened and.. here we are." She gestured generally around.
"You and Kate have another session this evening together. We can discuss this also. We'll go over the feelings brought on by the massage and more." The counselor smiled happily. She was obviously glad to get a reaction. "And I know you both will find your courage and boldness and you will save your marriage."
"Yay." Lauren sighed and did a little fist pump. I don't really want to discuss this! I really don't have the courage to make a move on Tamsin. Or.. Do I, she fretted.
"But now let's continue with you."
.
Tamsin's jaw slacked, when Lauren revealed to her in a nervous swoosh that she had told Maureen that Kate had basically pursued Andrea. How Kate had charmed her by being all kinds of wonderful. How they had gotten married in Hawaii. How Andrea and Kate had drifted apart. How they were hesitant to connect again. Lauren had ended her fast flood of words with saying that they were expected in the main house for a massage session that was about to begin.
"Uh.." Tamsin grunted, when Lauren fell silent.
"I'm sorry." Lauren shrugged looking at Tamsin sheepishly.
"Fucking hell.." Tamsin breathed disregarding the whole rant about how they has supposedly met and concentrated on the final words. "Massage? Now?"
"Yes. In twenty minutes or so." Lauren said meeting Tamsin's eyes. "What?" She asked noting the Valkyrie looking slightly shocked.
"Nothing." Tamsin quickly said. "So.. Um.. Is this a private thing or..?"
"The other couples are also in the room." Lauren shrugged hesitantly. "It's supposed to be unsexual.. I mean it is. It is." She corrected starting to get flustered again.
"Of course.." Tamsin murmured with wide eyes. I'm not gonna make it! She under my palms naked..Oh gods.. Wait. She can't be naked with a room full of people! I won't have that, Tamsin snarled inwardly. "You're not gonna be naked are you? All those jackasses ogling. I'll rip their.." She snarled jealousy lacing her tone, but stopped abruptly. Did I say that out loud? I did.
"What?" Lauren asked baffled. She met Tamsin's now mortified expression. "No. A tank top and sweats." She patted her sweats for emphasis.
"Yeah.. Um.. good." The Valkyrie muttered hovering at her spot.
"You too. Go change." Lauren ushered Tamsin towards the bathroom.
Lauren watched Tamsin gathered her things and go to the bathroom. When the door closed behind the taller blond, Lauren breathed out. "Naked? I'd die, if she was.. naked."
.
The main house had a room used for yoga, relaxation exercises and massage. Lauren entered the dimly lit room with nervous Tamsin trailing after her. There was hushed voices from the other couples settling on their places. The scented candles gave their soft aroma to the space.
"Kate?" Doctor Hendricks' called out startling Tamsin.
"Oh fuck me…" Tamsin groaned. "What now?" She asked whispering, when she reached the doctor.
"Did you talk to your wife?"
"About?"
"You two. Your feelings? Your fears?"
"No. Well, yes. A little."
"Good. Little steps." Maureen accepted. "Go on. We'll talk more this evening."
"Can't wait." Tamsin threw dryly and stomped back to Lauren.
"So.." Lauren started looking down at the blue mat on the floor. "You wanna do me.." Shit, Lauren felt the blush creep on her cheeks. Get it together! "Massage me first?" She finished trying to sound calm.
"Uh.." Here we go.. My hands on her, Tamsin gulped. "Sure.. Lay down." She croaked out. I'm a badass valkyrie, I can do this!
Lauren settled face down on the mat. She breathed out hoping to calm down and relax her body.
"Very good." Doctor Jameson said. "Now take position over your partner and massage their shoulders and back."
"Right.." Tamsin murmured gazing down at Lauren. Oh gods... Her butt's right there. Waiting to be touched. No. Don't touch her butt. Nonononono. "So.. I just sit on you?"
"Go ahead." Lauren got out just before she felt Tamsin place her weight on her thighs. Okay.. Here we go. Here we go. "Aah." She let out, when the valkyrie's hands touched her shoulder blades.
"You okay?"
"I'm fine." Lauren husked out. "I'm obviously in a desperate need of a.. massage."
"Sore?"
"Something like that."
.
Thanks for reading :)
A/N I repeat – slow burn ;)
A/N I'll edit a bit more later!