Out of Session: The Beginnings

"I see. I suppose that, on some level, that's true."

"All right. Let's dig deeper. Why is it true? What do you want to gain by proving you're not Ja-nice?"

"What do you mean?"

"I mean what's the payoff for you? Do you want to show that you're better than Sami? Do you want her to like you more? Do you want to beat her at her own game? When you think about her and about what you're doing now, where does your mind go with it?"

"I, I'm not sure what you mean. Where does my mind go with what?"

"All right. Try this. Imagine that you've just finished your next liaison with him. It's Friday early evening, I suppose you would shower at the hotel first, and then head home to Pete. On the way home, you get a call from Sami. How do you feel about that? What do you share with her?"

"She's not allowed to use cell phones from the rehab facility."

"Janice, don't fight me on this. Suppose you could call her, in or out of rehab. What would you say to her?"

"Well, I'm, I, no. I don't tell her about it. She might tell Pete, or someone else, and it would spread throughout the family."

"So you don't trust her?"

"No, not at all. She can be kind of a snake in the grass."

"And despite this assessment of her, you still feel that you need to prove that you're not Ja-nice, to yourself, at least, even if you won't tell her about it."

"I ... suppose so."

"All right. We're almost out of time here. So here's what I'd like you to do. Think about what you want, and then try to think about why you want it, and if it makes sense to be doing what you're doing. Now, I'm not telling you not to have the affair, nor am I giving you permission to have it. You're an adult, and make your own decisions. The help I'm offering you is to be aware when you're making these decisions. But remember that you can always cancel if you have doubts. Because you told Dave, and told me, your plans, doesn't mean you have to stick to them. All right?"

"Sure. I'll think about all this stuff."

"Next Tuesday at one thirty still good for you?"

"Yes."

"Okay. I'll see you then. Have a good weekend."

"Thanks, and you too. Thanks for your help, Helen."

"Of course, Janice."

Friday, 6:30 PM.

"Hey, Robert. Glad you're finally home," Helen called out to her husband.

"Sorry, dear, I had to make an extra call at the end of the day. That old fart way past the outer highway was out of tongue depressors, and won't place an order over the phone. I brought him a box, and took the rest of his order. Not worth my time, but I don't want to lose him."

"Of course. Put your stuff down and help me with dinner, all right?"

"I, oh, aren't you done early on Friday?"

"Yes, but I stuck around to sort out some billing issues and insurance crap."

"Oh, that's the worst. Sorry."

"Yah. Could you dice this leek?"

"Sure. How was your day otherwise."

"Not bad. This new patient looks like she'll be around for a while, and two other possibles. I can't take both or I'll be overbooked."

"Not the worst problem to have."

"No. It, ... oh, did you call the florist about the arrangement for Margo's show?"

"I thought you were..."

"No, that's yours. A finer dice on the base than the top, please, and don't keep the really floppy green parts. Did you get the oil change?"

"No, I was too busy to..."

"Also, you're still overdue to book that dental checkup. Make sure to put that on your to-do list."

"I'll book something next week."

"You can't book something next week, they are full for two months. Call and ask if there are any cancellations, otherwise take the next opening they have. Did you get a card for Sara's birthday?"

"I thought Sara's birthday was two months ago."

"No, Suzi's birthday was two months ago. Sara is next Wednesday. Honestly, can't you put your work secretaries' birthdays in your calendar? Why do I have to manage this for you? And how is Janice doing?"

"She's good, she ...." Robert stopped, hoping he hadn't said too much, and then realized he had.

Helen is an extraordinarily insightful woman.

- - - - -

The idea for this story all came to me while driving home from work, and then I spent a few months refining it, writing it, and then sat on it for several years. Here's why.

While it stands alone, it also begs further resolution. It seems to me like less of a story and more of a first chapter. But there are literally tens of ways (well, fewer than hundreds, but more than a few) that it could go. And I truly have no idea, even after all this time, where to take it next. So I thought I'd just stop here, and put it out there for you all to have fun with.

I invite any readers of this tale to write their own next chapter. I'd suggest that you give it the same style of title, "Out of Session: ..." putting in your title after the colon. A few caveats. Helen, Robert (aka Dave), Janice, and Pete are all regular people. No vampires, CIA or Mossad agents, drug lords, billionaires, aliens, genies, etc. They are just regular folks living pretty much regular lives. Does Robert do this often? Is Helen repulsed, intrigued, or completely involved? What happens to the doctor-patient relationship? Does Helen contact Pete? Who knows? Only the writers who are bold enough to take this tale and pen the next chapter.