INTIMACY CLINIC - The Conversations we AVOID

WEEK TWO: Sunday - Part 02

Charlie stopped.

"Then?" Meet asked.

"That's it. This is the story. You don't need to know the rest."

A wave of disappointment spread in the room.

Charlie smiled, "How the affair ended is not important. The circumstances in which it started is what I wanted to share."

Everyone nodded with a smile. But one face stiffened, "How can she have an affair with her friend's boyfriend? Didn't she have some dignity or care for her friend? How can she expect care when she can't do the same for her friend?" Maira said, clenching her teeth.

Charlie turned to her, "I told you. I will only tell the stories. It is up to you to decide what to take from it."

"Leave the story aside. You tell me, will you have an affair with your friend's girlfriend?" She asked.

"Well, I am not into relationships anymore. So this question is irrelevant for me." He said. He was calm.

But she was not. "Let me rephrase it then. What would you do if your friend's girlfriend offered to have sex with you?" She asked, determined to get an answer from him. "And don't you dare take the fifth."

"Why are you so fixated on getting the answer from me? Are you afraid your boyfriend is having an affair with any of your friends?" He looked into his eyes.

"I won't even think about it. My boyfriend is the most honest man I have ever seen. I told you many times; I don't like anyone insulting him." She narrowed her eyes.

"Then why do you want my answer?"

"Because I want to know if you deserve to waste my time or not." She said in a cold tone.

He smiled, "If you think I am wasting your time, then you can leave. No one is forcing you to stay."

"You are forcing me to stay. Your threat of canceling my friend's membership is forcing me to stay."

That hurt Charlie. His face turned serious. He glanced at every face present in the room and said, "If any of you decide not to show up next week, I will not cancel the membership of the person who referred you. But this offer only stands for this one week. Don't show up if you think I am forcing you to attend these sessions. But if you do show up, then you will never say you are here because of my threat."

"Done." Maira smiled.

But everyone else was serious. They all had seen Charlie's easy-to-speak-to nature, smiling face, and simple image. No one thought Charlie had attitude as well.

But Maira didn't care about any of that. She said, "Now answer the question. Will you sleep with your friend's girlfriend if you are offered a chance?"

Charlie turned to her. Paused to calm himself down, he said, "I am open to any type of sex."

Maira smiled sarcastically like she wanted to say, "I knew you were a jerk."

"But. . ." He added.

Maira's smile faded.

He continued, "I have some rules in life, which I never break."

"What rules?" Aanchal asked before Maira could ask the same question.

Charlie looked around and said, "One. I never have sex without hard consent. Two. I would never have sex if the girl didn't agree to it before getting drunk. I don't do it if she asks for sex after getting drunk. Three. I don't have sex with a friend's sister. Four. I don't have sex with a friend's girlfriend. Five. I don't have sex for money. Six. I don't pay for sex. Seven. I don't have sex without letting the girl know; I am not looking for a relationship. Every girl - I have slept with - knew I was going to sleep with someone else if I got a chance. Eight. I never make false promises or commitments to get into a girl's pants. I am clear about what I want. And I make sure to let her know that."