The Love You Crave

40.

Present Day… Maybe Taylor.

Maybe screams out in pain, instinctively moves her hand to her crotch, realizes she’s still wearing her jeans. Opens her eyes. Her head’s in a fog. “What time is it?”

“Two a.m.,” Sam says.

“What did you do to me just now?”

“Nothing. You were dreaming.”

“What’s happened?”

“I came to your place at seven last night. The first thing you said was you hoped I’d be better looking.”

Maybe yawns. “That’s true. And you said I was good looking enough for both of us.”

“Right. Then I took you to dinner.”

“Then we went to a hotel.”

“We’re still at the hotel.”

“Why’s it so dark in here?”

“It’s the middle of the night. What else do you remember?”

“I remember telling you there would be no sex.”

“That was three hours ago.”

“Then what happened?”

“We had a drink, and I gave you something to help you relax.”

“You didn’t try to fuck me, did you?”

“No.”

“Good,” Maybe says.

“Why’s that good?”

“Because you’re too old for me. And creepy.”

“That’s just a first impression.”

“What time is it?” she says.

“Three-thirty.”

“I thought you said two.”

“That was ninety minutes ago.”

“Are we still in the hotel room?”

“Yes.”

The next time Maybe opens her eyes the lights are on. “Sam?”

“I’m right here, beside you. It’s 4:12.”

She’s lying down on a bed. Her head is still fuzzy, but something feels strange “down there.” What’s strange is she feels numb. She props herself up on her elbows, sees she’s naked from the waist down. A dildo is protruding from between her legs.

“What the fuck?”

“Surprise!” Sam says.

She launches a fist toward his face and nearly breaks his nose.

He yelps, but moves in closer and says, “Hit me as much as you want, as hard as you want, for as long as you want. My only wish is for you to be happy.”

She slaps his face. Looks at him, says, “What’s the matter with you?” Then slaps him again.

“I want you to have a normal life, free of pain.”

She slaps him again. “You bastard! You had no right to touch me!”

He removes the pillow case from a pillow, dabs the blood from his nose and corner of his mouth, looks at it, dabs again. Then says, “Slap me if you want, but realize for the first time in more than a year, you’re not in pain.”

Maybe raises her arm to hit him again, then stops. Looks down. The dildo isn’t as large as the giant purple one Dr. Scott had on his tray, but it’s larger than any of the three young men who’ve spent time inside her. She reaches down and slides it out, noting the complete lack of pain. She briefly touches herself where the dildo had been, wonders if she’s dreaming. Then realizes if she’s not dreaming, she’s naked in real life! She pulls a sheet over herself, and goes back to sleep.