The Doctor Is In Read online

  Kasen eased back, situating himself comfortably in the chair as he clasped his hands together. “Recognizing that you need help is the first step, and I’m here to listen, not to judge. I won’t push, and all I ask is that you be honest and as open as you can about your situation. Doing so will enable me to offer you the best advice possible.”

  “I intend to be honest,” she said, fidgeting with her hands. She glanced down at Kasen’s desk and saw the file with her name on it. “I guess you already know my story from Dr. Fields, huh?” she asked.

  “Actually, I just received this file a little while ago and I haven’t had a chance to review it,” Kasen said. He wasn’t about to tell her he had fallen asleep as soon as he started reading her file. For all he knew, he had drooled all over the pages as he slept. “So you can start anywhere you like, Patrice. By the way, is it okay if I call you Patrice?”

  “Patrice is fine.” She smirked. “Can I call you Dr. Sexy?”

  Kasen was taken aback but tried to hide it. He didn’t really like it when his patients acted this way, but he had learned to deal with it. The first time he had asked a patient not to do it, she suffered a horrible attack of anxiety because she felt so embarrassed and guilty for overstepping the doctor/patient boundaries. Now he just let it go. Whatever made his patients comfortable, he was down with it, as long as the name wasn’t offensive.

  “Sure. Why not? Now let’s get started,” he said.

  Patrice jumped right into some pretty deep waters. “I think I’m addicted to sex. I feel out of control. I mean, my friends say this is normal, but why do I feel so guilty? I’m not married, so I can sleep with whoever I want, but the problem is I just can’t seem to get enough. All I think about is sex, sex, and more sex. At this point, I’m willing to do anything to get laid.”

  Kasen listened attentively as Patrice told him of her numerous sex partners. In one week alone, she’d had six different partners and multiple ménage à trois. To her, dick was like food; she couldn’t live without it. Size didn’t matter, race didn’t matter, and neither did a man’s marital status.

  “I mean, I’ve had it all from A to Z,” she confessed. “And in the moment, I feel like I’m high on drugs. I love being the only woman in the room, and the more men there, the better.”

  This wasn’t the first time Kasen had spoken to a sex addict. He knew all too well that many of their problems stemmed from not loving themselves. Even though Patrice came across as a confident woman, he suspected there was something profound going on beneath the surface.

  Kasen spent the next several minutes trying to get her to dig deep and revisit certain instances from her past. As soon as Patrice started to speak about her past, her eyes filled with tears. She became overwhelmed with emotion, refusing to carry on with the session.

  “I . . . I thought I was ready to talk about this, but I can’t. I’ll come back again when I’m ready.” She stood and rushed toward the door.

  “Patrice, please wait,” Kasen called after her, but she ignored him and left.

  Kasen felt terrible. He had managed to keep thoughts of Raine out of his head during their session, but he was still worried about his ability to treat his patients in the midst of his own crisis. Were his own issues going to make him a less effective therapist? Kasen had never had to worry about this before. He’d always been so good at getting to the heart of his patients’ issues and helping them reach conclusions that healed their hurting souls. Now that he was hurting too, he was afraid it would affect his professional ability. He hoped that Patrice would come back soon and that he would be able to give her what she needed to feel better about herself—for her sake and for his.

  Fortunately for Kasen, the rest of his day felt a little more like a typical day. His next appointment was with an older man who was obsessed with playing video games. His two o’clock was a woman who didn’t want to leave her abusive boyfriend, and his four o’clock appointment was with a compulsive gambler. In each session, Kasen found he was able to listen and offer advice without letting his mind drift to thoughts of Raine. He felt good about it, but also exhausted from the effort it took. By six, Kasen was ready to call it a day.

  He stood by Voncile’s desk, holding his briefcase in his hand. “How much longer are you going to be?” he asked.

  “Not long at all, but I do need to get out of here and go get me something to eat. A certain someone promised me lunch today, but just like my shake, I guess he forgot again.”

  Kasen slapped his palm on his forehead. “Oh, shoot. I did forget. Please forgive me. I just have a lot of things on my mind, but I promise to make it up to you.”

  “You promised the same thing yesterday,” she answered, sounding a little snippy for a second, but she caught herself quickly and cleaned up her tone. “Don’t worry. All is forgiven. I can tell that you’re kind of out it.” She reached out and put a hand on his arm. “Whatever is bothering you, please know that I’m here if you ever want to talk.”

  Kasen wasn’t ready to tell anyone what had happened between him and Raine. For one, he was kind of embarrassed. It would be difficult for him to explain how things just simply fell apart, especially since he didn’t totally understand it himself. He knew that sooner or later he would have to share the news with his friends and family. He could only imagine what his parents would say about the breakup. As for Voncile, she was a nice person, but certainly not the first one he would share his terrible news with.

  “That’s nice of you to offer,” he said, “but I’m not really ready to talk about it yet.”

  There was an awkward silence between them for a minute, so Kasen tried to ease it by saying, “Anyway, as for the promises I keep breaking, you have to tell me how I can make it up to you.”

  Voncile flashed a smile. “Well, since you asked, how about dinner? I promise I won’t question you about anything, although you can feel free to talk to me about anything. I promise not to judge you—and unlike you, I do keep my word,” she teased.

  Kasen laughed. The truth was, if he went home he’d probably start wallowing in self-pity anyway. Voncile’s company might do him some good.

  “Sure. Why not?” he said, accepting her offer. “I need to go to the post office and drop off a few packages first, though, so how about I meet you across the street in about thirty minutes.”

  “I’ll be waiting.”

  Voncile was ecstatic. Yes! Yes! Yes! She silently screamed while watching him exit. An intimate dinner with him was right on time.

  She had thirty minutes to waste before their dinner date, so she did something she often did when he wasn’t around: She went into his office. Walking over to his chair, she rubbed her hands all over the leather, imagining it was his shoulders she was massaging. The Clive Christian cologne he wore infused the entire office. She inhaled, thinking dirty thoughts of him fucking her on top of his desk. If he only knew how many times I’ve had an orgasm in his office, she thought wickedly as she fingered herself into a climax.

  As she cleaned herself up in the bathroom, Voncile thought about Kasen’s strange demeanor. She wished Kasen had felt comfortable enough to talk to her about why he was so off his game today, but she had an inkling what was bothering him, and it made her super happy. Voncile knew that her time to be with Kasen was coming. Her mission now was to make Kasen forget all about Raine. If it were left up to Voncile, it would be a cold day in hell before that slick bitch had a chance to marry Kasen.

  After half an hour, Voncile went across the street and entered the busy restaurant, searching for Kasen. He was already there and had taken a seat at a table near the bar, where he was speaking to someone on his cell phone. She eased her way through the crowded restaurant, bumping shoulders with a few people and eavesdropping on a couple who seemed to be arguing rather than eating. The whole place was too noisy for Voncile, who really wanted to spend a quiet and cozy evening with Kasen, but when he displayed his pearly whites after seeing her coming his way, she was good. She didn’t care where
she was with him, just as long as they were together.

  Kasen held up one finger as Voncile approached the table.

  “I’ll tell you more about it later,” he said over the phone. “You’re not going to believe how it all went down. Then again, maybe I should have listened to you from the beginning.”

  Kasen paused to listen then laughed and said, “I hear you, my brotha. I truly hear you. But I have to go. We’ll continue this conversation later for sure.” He paused again then ended the call a moment later.

  “Sorry about that,” he said, standing to pull back a chair for Voncile. “That was Omar. It’s always difficult getting him off the phone.”

  “I’m sure it is, especially when you have a lot of juicy gossip to share with him,” she said, hoping he might open up a little bit so she could see where his mind was.

  Unfortunately for her, Kasen didn’t take the bait. He sat back in the chair and picked up the menu. “I’m really not that hungry, so I’ll just have a chicken wrap or something. Feel free to order whatever you’d like.”

  Voncile scanned the menu quickly then said, “I guess I’ll have the bacon cheeseburger, a Cobb salad, fish and chips, and the pasta platter. For dessert, I’m thinking about salted caramel cheesecake and a slice of chocolate cake. Does that sound good or what?” She was hoping to lighten his mood.

  “What it sounds like is you’re pregnant,” Kasen joked.

  “No, not pregnant, just hungry. Besides, there is no way in hell that I’m pregnant. Women who have sex get pregnant, and, uh, that wouldn’t be me.”

  Kasen laughed and shook his head. “You mean to tell me that your boyfriend done left you high and dry? I thought you were serious about the last guy.”

  “Dating, yes. Serious, no. We did have sex one measly little time, but I’m too embarrassed to tell you what happened with that.”

  Kasen pushed. He enjoyed their open conversation, and he needed a good laugh. “I’m all ears.”

  “I bet you are, but I’m not going to tell you, because you may want to charge me for your services. Your fees are too high, and I’ll be the first to admit that I can’t afford to pay you.”

  “My services are free after five,” he said, “so let me hear it.”

  Voncile flagged down a waiter to order a drink. Before this conversation went any further, she needed to get a little alcohol in her system. “I’ll have rum with a little Coke,” she said to the waiter who came to the table. “And if you don’t mind, we’re ready to order.”

  Voncile ordered a T-bone steak, and Kasen ordered a chicken wrap, along with a shot of Hennessy.

  “Okay. Now, where were we?” Voncile asked when the waiter left the table to get their drinks.

  Kasen was eager to hear Voncile’s story. “Stop teasing me,” he said. “Tell me what happened between the two of you.”

  “You mean what didn’t happen. I was hyped; I was ready. I was sooo excited about being intimate with him.” She took a deep breath then blew it out in a huff. “I can’t believe I’m telling you this, but when he pulled it out, I wanted to cry. I was like, ‘Okay, girl, just work with it and do your best.’ But after two long strokes, it was over. Then that fool had the nerve to lay there like he had done something.”

  Kasen was laughing out loud. He almost felt bad for the guy, even though he’d never met him.

  “And that was the last time I ever saw him,” Voncile said to finish her story.

  “Two strokes? Come on, Voncile. You’re lying. You can do better than that.”

  She shook her head adamantly. “I thought he could too, but obviously not. I am telling you the truth, and when I tell you I shed tears that night, I’m not lying.”

  “So now you’re telling me you cried? Cried for what?”

  “Because I was highly disappointed. I had never experienced anything so horrible, and don’t you dare sit there and act like men can’t have bad penises.”

  “How in the hell am I supposed to know?” Kasen laughed, and so did Voncile. “It’s just that the two stroke thing seems far-fetched, and I can’t envision you crying just because the sex was bad.”

  Voncile playfully rolled her eyes. “Well, I did, and two strokes were all I got. Trust me, I counted.”

  “That’s bad. Real bad. But if that did happen, it’s a compliment to you. Your stuff must be so good that the man couldn’t control himself,” Kasen joked.

  “Not good, but spectacular. And even you ever want to try it for yourself, just let me know.” Voncile laughed to play down her bluntness, but she wanted to see how Kasen would respond. They kidded around with each other from time to time, but neither one of them had ever put a clear offer on the table.

  He definitely paused for a minute, so she knew he’d heard her and understood it was not a joke. But unlike in her many fantasies, he didn’t take her up on the offer. Instead, he looked up at the waiter, who was delivering their drinks to the table, like he was grateful for the interruption.

  “Thanks, man. Perfect timing,” he said as he took the Hennessy from him and downed it in one gulp.

  There was an awkward moment between them as Voncile’s proposition hung in the air between them. The offer had filled Kasen’s head with images of the two of them, naked in his office, but he wasn’t about to tell her that. She was a beautiful woman—he had always found her attractive—but he didn’t want to take advantage of her. He appreciated the close friendship they’d had, and as tempting as it might be, using her to soothe some of his pain for the night wasn’t what he wanted to do. For her part, Voncile figured she had laid the groundwork by putting the offer out there, but she wasn’t about to start begging. So, to escape the awkwardness they were feeling, they made small talk until the waiter delivered their food.

  “Oh my God,” Voncile said, looking at the juicy steak he placed in front of her. “This thing is huge. You’ve got to help me eat this, Kasen. I had no idea it would be this big.”

  “Well, if you insist,” Kasen said. “Pour on some of that A.1. sauce and gimme a bite.”

  Voncile happily did as he asked, slicing a piece of steak and reaching across the table to feed it to him. Her eyes remained focused on his thick lips as he ate the steak. She wanted to jump across the table and taste those lips. The way his mouth moved, she could tell he was proficient at eating the hotbox. She didn’t mean to stare, but damn, did he have to chew like that? Her pussy thumped from watching him, and in an effort to calm it down, she crossed her legs—tight.

  “Now, that was good,” he said. “If you can’t eat all of that, be sure to pass it to me.”

  It took all of her self-control not to tell him what she really wanted to share with him. Instead, she continued to feed him more steak, showing him how good she could be to him if given the opportunity.

  “Stop spoiling me,” Kasen said with a full belly. He was slightly tipsy, too, and extremely tired.

  “I don’t mind spoiling you,” she said seductively. “Whatever you want, all you have to do is ask for it.”

  Voncile felt good about sending another hint, but Kasen didn’t bite. He yawned and stretched his arms in the air.

  “What I want is some sleep. I’d better go ahead and get out of here before I fall asleep in the car. Let’s get the check and then I’ll walk you to your car.”

  “I’ll be fine,” she answered, trying to hide her disappointment. “I think I’m going to stay for a while and have another drink.”

  “Okay,” he said, standing up from the table. “Well, you have a good night then. I’ll see you tomorrow at the office.”

  She smiled at him, even though she was disappointed that he was really leaving. As much as she wanted things to happen right away, she knew that it was better to be patient. She didn’t want to scare him away by coming on too strong, especially since she already had other plans in place to get her to her ultimate goal. “Thanks for hanging out with me tonight,” she said.

  “Anytime. This was fun. I’ll see you tomorrow.”
<
br />   Kasen opened his wallet, dropping a hundred-dollar bill on the table. He gave Voncile a tight hug before making his way to the exit. Even though he had left, she wanted to jump for joy. She predicted that this was just the beginning of many more interesting nights to come.

  Chapter 5

  Voncile sat at the table by herself for a while, thinking about how things had gone that night. Kasen might have pretended he wasn’t interested in her offer, but she could see in his eyes that he really wanted her. Her biggest hurdle, she knew, would be to get his mind off of that waste of space he called a girlfriend.

  Voncile had hated Raine from the first time she met her. She walked into the office like she owned the place, and when Voncile tried to make friendly small talk with her, Raine barely even looked in her direction. When she did bother to speak to Voncile, her tone was always sharp and condescending, like she thought she was so much better than Kasen’s secretary. Basically, she treated Voncile like she was a nobody.

  The way she treated Voncile was just a part of the problem, of course. The worst part, the most nasty part, was the way she strutted into Kasen’s office like some kind of princess when it was obvious she was really coming to get laid. Sometimes Voncile would stand by the office door to listen in. She could hear the moaning and groaning, the “I love yous” and the sound of Raine slurping on Kasen’s package. It was very unprofessional to carry on that way, although Voncile never blamed Kasen. He was a man, and no man had the strength to resist when a woman was offering to get down on her knees and swallow him whole. As far as Voncile was concerned, Raine was totally to blame for the disgusting behavior. That stupid ho was just doing it to make sure she kept this wealthy doctor in her pocket.

  In Voncile’s eyes, Kasen was always innocent. She felt that he could do no wrong, mostly because of the way he treated her. He was always kind, sweet, and respectful. When she first started working for him, she was blown away by how gorgeous he was, but as soon as she got to know him and realized what a caring person he was, that was when she fell head over heels. Sure, she dated other men, but that was really only to pass the time until she could win Kasen over to her team. That would take some time, but she was willing to be patient. She only felt the need to rush things along once she heard that he was thinking of proposing to Raine. That was when she put together a plan that included Patrice Davenport, who was waiting for her now in the parking garage.