One
“Amelie Maye,” Elke said, “You have been here for a bit over a month, and you have spoken to Claire Weston about everything but the actual issue at hand. What is wrong, hmm? Do you not like Claire Weston?”
“She’s fine,” Amelie said. “But I met you first.”
“That is completely understandable, yes?” Elke said. “But I am not licensed therapist. At least, not yet. This framework exists for your benefit, hmm?”
“Can’t you just tell her?” Amelie asked.
“I could, hmm?” Elke said. “But again, the framework exists for your benefit. Me doing the talking for you….how do you say, “defeats the purpose”, yes?”
“Alright. I suppose I can give her SOMETHING,” Amelie said.
“Marvelous,” Elke said.
It had indeed been a little over a month since Amelie Maye came to Karuna Healing Collective from Montreal. She had gotten comfortable with her surrogate partner, Elke Wagner, but sex therapist Claire Weston knew more about Amelie’s sister April’s relationship with Actor Kevin Payne and Schwartz’s deli than she knew what was going on with Amelie.
Amelie took a deep breath before walking into Claire’s office with Elke.
“Relax, Amelie Maye,” Elke said. “If you would like, I will schedule an appointment for you with Soledad Benavente later.”
Amelie grinned a small but noticeable grin.
They walked into Claire’s office and sat in the beanbag chairs. Claire walked in a minute later.
“Amelie!” Claire exclaimed. “How’s everything-”
Amelie cut her off.
“I’m ready to talk. Like, actually talk,” Amelie said.
“Now Amelie, don’t feel like you’re in a rush to say anything,” Claire said.
Amelie looked at Elke. She nodded.
“No, really. I’m ready to talk,” Amelie said.
“Alright then,” Claire said. “The floor is yours.”
Amelie took another deep breath.
“Well,” Amelie said. “I stayed in something a long time that, in hindsight, and what I’ve been doing with Elke over the last month, probably was not the best decision. Nothing I did, it was never enough. And I went above and beyond the call of duty, I believe for this person. I did things I didn’t want to do. Threesomes. Foursomes. Things I don’t know if I want to say out loud at this time. And it was never enough. So when I finally left. I just stopped. The only intimate contact of any type I’ve had with anyone in the seven years since is with Elke, and I really don’t know how I feel about that yet.
“Thank you for that, Amelie,” Claire said. “And I completely understand how hard that must have been. But I can tell you that you were absolutely enough. What seemed to be happening there, is that you were being asked too much of. I can only speculate, but it sounds as if this person had a definitely not healthy relationship with sex that was no fault of your own. Now, do you feel like you’ve made any progress on rebuilding your relationship with it?”
“Maybe,” Amelie said. “But old habits, they die quite hard.”
“Completely understandable,” Claire said. “But we’ll get there!”
They talked for another thirty minutes before Amelie left and went back to her room.
“So, what did you do to get her to talk?” Claire asked Elke.
“If I told you that, Claire Weston, you would probably be writing one of “Client Ethics” memos up right now, right in front of me, hmm?” Elke said.
“Those memos mean nothing to anyone here at this point, Elke,” Claire said. “Someone has to cover our asses here, though.”
“Or maybe perhaps, if you do not think about it and look for it, It will not find you, hmm?” Elke said.
“Oh, if it were only that simple,” Claire said. “Especially with someone like Mia around. I honestly wish I DIDN’T know half the things I do. It is extremely hard to ignore someone screaming “Tayla tastes like cotton candy” at the top of their lungs in the cafeteria, Elke.”
“Yes, Mia Gallo is a lively one, hmm?” Elke said. “Look at it this way. It is a long way from where she was a year ago. Progress, yes?”
“As much as I WANT to argue with that, I can’t,” Claire said.
Later on that day, Amelie stood just out of view of the doorway of Soledad Benavente’s massage room, watching her dance around the room to salsa music.
Amelie had confusing feelings about the massages. She knew they were just massages.
But they didn’t FEEL like just that.
“Thinking about them TITTAYS again aren’t you Ames.”
Mia Gallo had snuck up behind Amelie.
“OH GOD REALLY MIA!!!,” Amelie exclaimed.
“Girl, get your head out them tittie clouds and step your spatial awareness game up!” Mia said. “Lemme guess. You got an appointment with Sol don’t you? You got more hours clocked in with her than you do Claire.”
“I do not,” Amelie said. “And don’t you dare-”
Mia produced a blue fitted baseball cap from her sling bag and put it on Amelie’s head. This is not the first time Mia had done this, and Amelie had gotten used to it.
“That’s CAP, Ames!” Mia said.
“You’re never gonna stop with this gag are you,” Amelie said.
“As long as you DON’T STOP THE CAP, the cap will be ready,” Mia said.
“Gimme my hat,” Mia continued, as she snatched the hat back off of Amelie’s head. “Go ahead and go get them titties on your back. You probably been waiting ALL day for that!”
“SOL! HERE SHE IS!” Mia screamed into the room door.
“Mia you ASS!” Amelie exclaimed.
“Thank me later, Ames!” Mia said. “Maybe you’ll get ’em your face this time like you want ’em!”
“I am SO telling Eden on you,” Amelie said.
“YOU BETTER NOT TELL!” Mia said.
“Amelie!” Sol exclaimed, “Come! Come in!”
Sol clicked a remote she pulled from her utility belt and changed the music from salsa to spa music.
“I’m….TELLING!” Amelie whispered to Mia as she walked into the room.
“Oh, Sol! I ’ave been ’aving dee tension in mah tabarnak back and dee shoulders!” Mia said, mocking Amelie’s accent.
Sol giggled at the two as she shut the door behind Amelie.
“You two are something else, yeah?” Sol said. “So what will it be today, mija? Lavender like usual, or we can try that sandalwood patchouli that smells absolutely DIVINE, yeah?”
“Sandalwood patchouli sounds interesting,” Amelie said.
“Sandalwood patchouli it is then, mija!” Sol exclaimed.
Meanwhile, Eden Marsh had just returned from a grocery store run with Tayla Goodson.
“Mia was by herself for thirty minutes, love,” Eden told Tayla. “Someone’s been traumatized.”
“Probably Amelie,” Tayla said. “I was unavailable.”
“Don’t worry, love,” Eden said. “I don’t think the cotton candy incident is going to be topped anytime soon.”
“Oh my god, Eden!” Tayla said. “You get lonely ONE TIME and never hear the end of it, stahhhhp.”
“Tayla, love,” Eden said. “It was more than one time.”
Okay, you get lonely and a bit intoxicated four times and you never hear the end of it, ohmygod STAHHHP,” Tayla said.
Mia came outside about a minute later as Tayla and Eden were unloading the Sprinter.
“Sì, Signore!” Mia exclaimed. “REAL food!”
“Mrs. Bertha’s food is not THAT bad, love,” Eden said. “And please don’t put that blue hat on my head.”
“That’s Amelie’s hat now, Eden,” Mia said. “But you saying that lets me know YOU know you lied.”
“It’s food, love,” Eden said.
“Barely,” Mia said. “Ol’ Oliver Twist ass, “ PLEASE SIR CAN I HAVE SOME MORE ass, Flavor is NOT AN OPTION ass-”
“Mia, love?” Eden said. “Thoughts and imagination.”
Mia stuck her tongue out at Eden.
As they walked into the building, Elke stuck her head out of her office.
“Eden Marsh,” Elke said. “May we talk a moment?”
“Sure,” Eden said.
“They about to go fu-” Mia started.
“Mia?” Eden said.
“Thoughts and imagination, I know, I KNOW,” Mia said.
Eden walked into Elke’s office.
“Amelie is with Sol again, love?” Eden asked.
“Yes,” Eden said. “She actually talked to Claire Weston some today, hmm? So if this is what is required to get her to talk, it is fine. Soledad Benavente does not mind it, yes?”
“Does she know?” Eden asked.
“If you are asking if I have told her, no, I have not,” Elke said. “But Soledad Benavente is very perceptive, hmm? I am sure she knows. But I have a solution I think will redirect Amelie’s focus, and also fix the cafeteria situation I hear complaints about every other day.”
“What’s that, love?” Eden asked.
“I offered April Maye’s chef, Liam Pelletier, a job when we were in Montreal,” Elke said. “He accepted. Now, I initially only offered him the job because I have listened to the complaints about Bertha Johnson’s food, and the man makes an absolutely divine cup of coffee and a marvelous fischbrotchen, but i figured maybe it will give Amelie a different focus besides Soledad Benavente’s breasts, hmm? Not that there is anything particularly wrong with that.”
“That is definitely…an idea, love,” Eden said. “But how do you think Amelie will take Liam being here everyday?”
“I look at it this way, Eden Marsh,” Elke said. “If she decides she wants to do something that does not involve Liam Pelletier, we now have world class chef working at Karuna, hmm?”
“Well, when you put it that way, I suppose it’s fine,” Eden said. “How is Mrs. Bertha going to take all of this though?”
“She will get a very healthy severance check, yes?” Elke said “She will be fine.”
“In all honesty, the ladies are probably going to be overjoyed,” Eden said. “I’ve defended Mrs. Bertha’s food in every way that I can defend it, love. It never works.”
“Yes, Eden Marsh, I like Bertha Johnson too, hmm?” Elke said. “But with the amount of money these women are paying for our services, the food being only “edible” is absolutely not acceptable. If only what we did was covered by health insurance, yes?”
“If only indeed, love,” Eden said.
