"So… you're going back?" Felix raises his eyebrows at Cosima from across the table. "You got aroused on her table when she called you a good girl and you're going back?"
"Umm yeah. Today actually." Cosima shrugs. Her period is due in two days, and it was what she was instructed to do. "I think the arousal was just a coincidence. Won't happen again. Plus this is my last session for sure. It's enough to test if it helps my cramps."
"Wow… ballsy. And she's never even seen your face." Felix teases me from across the patio. It was close enough to the clinic and it had been a while since we'd had lunch.
"I saw hers. I looked her up on the website." Cosima smirks a little. "Delphine is gorgeous . I intend to fix that. At, you know, some point." Cosima quips dryly, shooting him a look. "Seriously though - it is completely therapeutic. Less puking and incapacitation the better.. You know it affects my work. Being down for the count three days out of the month makes getting shit done really hard."
"And your sex life." Felix points out. "You know you can't…"
"Hey!" Cosima grumbles at him. "None of your business what I can and cannot do without pain." One of her former partners had let that tidbit slip and it seemed most of her circle knew that now. It was super embarrassing.
"Fine… just tell me when you've gotten into the osteopath's pants." Felix yawns and begins checking out some guy sitting alone reading a book. What looked to be a very gay book.
Cosima waves a hand to catch his attention. "You actually think I can do it?" She is intrigued by the idea, but it was a one-time awkward fantasy that was definitely only because she'd gone far too long without having sex with anybody. Between pain and opportunity, she's opted for temporary celibacy. Though she knows it won't last unless she wants it to.
"It's you, Cos… Probably." Felix rolls his eyes and sips his mimosa. "You know, the drinks are actually really good here."
"Yeah. They are." Cosima agrees. The thought returns, Delphine hovering over her, Delphine smiling at her. She shakes her head to clear it. That won't do at all. She's supposed to be on Delphine's table again in less than two hours.
"Just try not to moan too much while she's… adjusting you." Felix teases.
"Most of the adjustments hurt. And are awkward." Cosima tells him flatly.
"I guess you like pain then."
"It's that or I'm just used to it." Cosima quips, and flags down the server to settle her bill.
She makes her way back to the clinic, puts on her mask, which is not so subtly rainbow. She tells herself it's a coincidence. Cathy greets her and Cosima waits, masked, for Delphine to emerge again.
"Ah. Bonjour Cosima." Delphine greets her brightly, and for a moment Cosima wonders if something is there. If Delphine might be flirting with her, just a little. The osteopath certainly seems happy to see her.
"Hello Delphine."
"So… how did it go after our last treatment?"
"I've had less pain." Cosima admits readily. It's true, though she didn't want to get into the specifics of her pelvic pain or her bowels with Delphine. It was too much.
"Good, good. That's what I want to hear. If you can disrobe, I'll do a quick assessment and we'll get started. Should take about 45 minutes today."
"Great." Cosima nods, feeling anything but as she sheds her dress and leggings and climbs onto Delphine's table.
"So Cosima, what do you do for a living?" Delphine asks as she's gently probing around her pelvis, fingers poking in uncomfortably at her organs.
"I'm… I was a PhD student, in genetics. I got a federal research job doing some populations work during the pandemic. And now.. Well I am just seeing what comes next."
"You look so young."
"I'm older than I look."
"Non…" Delphine shakes her head. "Mid twenties at most!"
"I'm 32." Cosima giggles. "Come on, it's on my file."
Delphine stops for a moment and goes over to check the chart. "You are. I'm sorry, I thought you were… umm playing me I think is the term."
"No. I wouldn't."
"So you enjoy your work?"
"Yeah it's pretty good. I actually get benefits which is nice. Fairly regular hours. Lots of interpreting data for suits. It's alright." Cosima goes over the finer points of her job. It's not bad. A good soft landing job until she figures out what the hell she's going to do about her PhD. And when.
"Government work does have its advantages. I think I'd miss research though." Delphine resume her prodding. "Can you roll to your side?"
Cosima rolls and changes position as requested. It hurts more from this angle, but she was getting used to that. "You research?'
"Biology. Health. Women's health in particular. Osteopathic research." Delphine offers quickly. "I will be starting a study … never mind."
"What is it?"
"It's fertility related. Women's health but... very much focusing on patients trying to conceive." Delphine brushes her off. "You said you weren't interested in that. I won't bore you."
Cosima finds herself flirting back. Just a little. "So do you like your work? Torturing helpless women on your table?"
"You know, I work on men too. But yes, I do prefer working on women. Women's health. It's on the website." Delphine laughs, a snort and it is cute. So cute Cosima has to force herself to look away. What the hell was wrong with her? Is she so deprived that just being in her underwear near a woman was having this effect?
"So… what about the torture part?"
"Do you feel tortured? I'm sorry." Delphine offers apologetically. "I aim for relief, but sometimes there is pain in getting there."
"Why an osteopath?"
"My mémé had some major health issues when I was in university. She saw an osteopath. I used to take her for her appointments. It really helped her, and the more I looked into it, the more fascinated I was. So I finished my degree in biology, and pursued it."
"Just like that?" Cosima assumes mémé is grandmother, and from the sounds of things that's right.
"Just like that." Delphine nods pleasantly. "And despite the pain, I also bring relief. I can help people. It makes being self-employed worth it."
"Self-employment sucks." Cosima remembers that much. So many disadvantages.
"It can. I have… few benefits." Delphine shrugs. "But I make the best of it."
She hears a phone ring, playing what sounds like a French pop song. And she looks at Delphine who looks horrified before blushing. Even with the mask Cosima can tell her skin has reddened.
"What… what is that?" Cosima laughs.
"I'm sorry. That's my phone. I forgot to mute it. I am usually not like this." Delphine apologizes. "Someone is trying to get a hold of me. Again." Delphine looks at her phone on the desk. But she hesitates from picking it up.
"You can get it if you need to." Cosima offers, it would give her a welcome break from oddly effective osteopathic torture. Besides it might give her a chance to learn a little more about Delphine.
"It's… my husband." Delphine winces a little and then moves to pick up the phone. "Oui? Allô. Non, je suis au travail. Appelle-moi plus tard… environ deux heures. On peut parler plus tard... Oui… Je sais. Je le sais , Simon... Tu peux prendre soin de Henri. Tu peux le faire sans moi. Arrête." Delphine shakes her head and hangs up.
Cosima stifles her own disappointment at the words. "Trouble in paradise?" She tries to recover quickly. She cannot come on to her gorgeous married French osteopath. Absolutely not.
Delphine laughs and shakes her head. "No paradise there."
"Clearly." Cosima won't ask more, but it's intriguing to her all the same. Whether this is just a bad day, or a fracturing relationship isn't something she has to know.
"So… France?"
"Yes. I moved about nineteen months ago." Delphine responds simply, continuing the treatment. "Roll to your side please, raise your leg." Delphine leans over her, continuing her probing.
"Oww… why Canada?"
"That is a long story." Delphine lets out a small laugh.
"Try me… Oww." Cosima winces again and lets Delphine continue the treatment. Which finishes with Delphine hovering over her working her obturator membrane painfully again.
"So did you move for work?"
"Not exactly." Delphine probes more painfully. "I needed to leave France, and Canada was my best option to get far away."
"I guess that works." Cosima finds this answer creates more questions.
"And good girl. We're all done." Delphine smiles at her and Cosima sighs, hoping her arousal isn't painfully obvious.
"Thanks. So are you and your husband adjusting to Canada?" Cosima reaches to find something, some topic that will quell her stupid inappropriate fantasies.
"Euhh… It's just me actually. And I am. Slowly." Delphine smiles at her. "And we're all done."
"OK… Umm thanks." Cosima nods. "So when should I book again?"
"When you find that your pains get worse again." Delphine looks at her calmly, before making a few more notes in her chart. "It's often three to four months, so… I will see you this winter? October or November maybe?"
"Oh OK." Cosima tries to conceal her disappointment. She certainly can't come back too often… she's not a fertility patient and unless she finds a way to throw out her back or get a concussion… she isn't sure she can get back in that easily. Maybe she could injure herself just a little?
"Have a good day Cosima. And I hope… I hope you have less pain."
"Thanks. I mean it. Torture was great." Cosima jokes and walks out the door. She needs to stop. But she cannot stop thinking about Delphine. She is screwed. Cosima realizes when she gets home and still feels more aroused than she has in the last year of her life. So screwed.