Obsession: Callie Douglas, Book One

Chapter Four

"What were you asking me about initiation rites earlier?" asked Addison as she locked the office door and walked with me towards the staircase.

"Our patient is a sex addict. His claims seemed so outlandish I didn't believe he was serious. I found out that he was, however, and I felt bad for questioning his validity. Sexual addiction is as upsetting and debilitating an illness as alcohol or drug addiction, and he's heavily addicted to sex. I'm ashamed by my own reaction to it."

"I imagine you hear more than a few stories that seem outlandish." We stopped talking for a few moments while we clattered down the stairs and out to the main floor of the building.

We made it to the reception area of the building and stood for a few minutes out of the way of the other staff. "There are, but few people come into my office with the intent to mislead me. I'm not saying everyone tells the truth. But usually the lying is part of the illness, or shame over having the illness itself. I shouldn't have questioned the validity of what our last patient said."

"Don't beat yourself up about it. Did the patient suspect you were questioning his story?"

I shook my head. "I don't think so."

"That's all that matters then. Shake it off and move on."

"Good advice – thanks. Where do you want to go for lunch?" I asked as she started to lead me in the opposite direction from the main doors.

"There's a great cafeteria on the other side of the building that serves all fresh foods – salads, sandwiches, soups, usually a stir-fry or pasta offering as well. The food is pretty good, and the prices aren't bad either. And the nice part is that it's close and easy to get to if you're running late one day and need something to eat. I'll show you how to get there", Addison said as she led the way down a series of hallways that I wasn't sure I'd ever find my way through again without a map or a GPS system.

I waited for her to finish talking, and then said, "you sound like you should be advertising the place."

"I eat most lunches here. With it being the work cafeteria, they don't mind if you bring your own lunch as well. It's a nice place to eat as the tables are in a solarium. I often bring my own lunch, but I didn't today."

"I didn't today either but, since I'll be paying off student loans until my children have children, I'll be bringing my own lunch from home a lot." I struggled to keep up with Addison's long strides. She must have noticed, because she shortened her strides and slowed down her walk to a more manageable speed.

"Your loans must be enormous."

"They are, unfortunately. Scholarships only cover so much. That's one reason why I'm so glad I got a job right out of my residency. The debt load is staggering and I want to pay it back as soon as possible." Saying it was staggering was an understatement. I was intimidated by the amount and generally tried not to think about it.

"I was lucky. I inherited some money around the same time that I was attending school, and it paid for most of my education. I was able to pay the remainder with the part-time jobs I had."

"Fortunate financially, but unfortunate that you had someone die who was close to you."

"Yes." I knew I touched a nerve because, for once, Addison fell silent.

"So, tell me about yourself. You said you live with three other women?"

She nodded. "We rent a four-bedroom home on the other side of town. The area is relatively safe and the rent is cheap, so it suits us perfectly."

"How did you meet these women?"

"I went to school with two of them, and the third was a friend of the second so, when we were looking for a fourth roommate, Elisa was recommended and we all accepted her into the fold. She's really nice, so I'm glad we did." We joined the line snaking through the cafeteria and picked up our selections on the way to the till. I purchased the featured stir-fry offering of the day with an orange juice and a buttertart, and Addison bought a clam chowder and soda crackers and a fruit salad. She was eating more healthily than I was, but what could I say? Buttertarts – any sweet thing – were my downfall. My sweet tooth was so large it was surprising there was room in my mouth for other teeth as well.

"What school did you attend?"

"Rockville College for Applied Science and Technology. They have the best secretary program around, and they offer the medical secretary specialty program as an extra semester. It's nice that it's offered in Rockville."

"You sound like you're familiar with Rockville." We paid for our meals and walked through to the seating area. We were lucky and spotted an empty table out on the patio. Since it was a nice July day – the perfect temperature to be eating outside – we quickly moved to grab the table before anyone else snagged it.

Addison plopped her tray down. "Born and bred here. Rockville is a good city to grow up in. It's a family-oriented town and is relatively safe. Sure, there are pockets here and there, but you'll more likely see a mother out walking with her daughter or a father out walking the dog than you'll see a drug deal go down or an assault happening. I don't know – maybe that's true for most places, but it's certainly true here."

I shook my juice and unscrewed the cap. Taking a sip, I said, "I was born and bred in a small town in Vermont, about six hours from here, and although I'm glad to not be in a small town anymore, I'm equally as glad to not be in a large city. I think a small city will be just my size."

"What town did you grow up in?"

"You'll never believe this." I waited until I had her attention. "Pebbleton."

"You've got to be kidding!"

"No," I said as I choked back a laugh. "It's so ridiculous it's funny, isn't it? But, honestly, Pebbleton is where I grew up."

"If you move again, will you move to Boulder City?"

I laughed. "I'm hoping to find a space here in Rockville for myself. I want to put down roots, and it seems fitting that I do so in Rockville, just like my parents put down roots in Pebbleton so many years ago."

"Are your parents still living then?" she asked as a shadow flitted across her face.

"They are. I also have two younger brothers who still live in Pebbleton. One is married while the other is still in school. What about yourself?"

"I had two sisters. When I was graduating from high school I went to my graduation with a friend of mine and my parents drove my sisters. They never made it to the graduation. They were hit by a drunk driver in a head-on collision. I was told they died instantly."

I covered her trembling hand with my own. "I'm sorry. It doesn't get any easier, does it?"

"No. It fades a bit, but it doesn't get any easier." She swallowed hard, looked down at her half-eaten meal and said, "I'm not hungry anymore, you're finished, and we should be getting back to the office for your next patient. Let's go."

"Are you sure? We still have a few minutes and just because I inhale my food doesn't mean that you should go without."

"Nope. I'm good to go." She stood up, carried her plate over to the garbage and deposited her half-eaten meal into the trash bin. I emptied my rubbish as well and we walked together back to the office.