"There we go, that's shot number one," Dr. Michael Aphrodite remarked with a reassuring smile as he capped his syringe.

Rita looked away from the needle jabbing her arm, which was now a blotchy red from the antiseptic. She tried not to frown, though she failed miserably at hiding her discomfort.

"Thanks, Dr. Aphrodite." Rita returned a dry smile, clutching the crinkling paper tissue he had handed her earlier. His slender fingers grazed hers ever so slightly as he relinquished her the tissue. "So, as I was saying, I never even thought about getting these shots four years ago, because I wasn't sexually active."

Dr. Aphrodite busied himself cleaning up the room, but his curiosity was piqued. He turned to Rita. "Why was that?"

She shrugged. "It's not a priority for me, I guess. I don't feel that pull others around me do."

As a physician, he understood her wariness: After all, sexual desires could sometimes overwhelm the judgment of young adults. But that was not all that intrigued him about this conversation. "That's quite alright," Dr. Aphrodite soothed. "There's no need to compare yourself to others, Rita. People are complex and have varying desires. Some are more tepid than others, and that's perfectly fine."

She played with the corner of the tissue in her hands, "But it seems like everyone's pairing off or having fun at parties. I'm not against having a good time, but whenever I try, I just end up feeling out-of-sync."

He leaned back against the counter, and the late afternoon sunlight streaming in from the window framed his silhouette. A hint of empathy crossed his face. "it's not uncommon to feel self-conscious about such things. That's why there is always the self-pleasure route," Dr. Aphrodite suggested, his voice dripping with casual comfort.

Rita blinked, surprised. "Oh, I, uh-" she stammered and looked away, her cheeks blushing ever so slightly at the suggestion.

"No need to be embarrassed," he assured her, noticing the change in her complexion. His words lingered in the air as Rita processed this unexpected insight from the man that had injected her numerous times without provoking so much as a flutter.

"It's not that I haven't tried. It's that I don't feel anything; anything that interests me at least. My labia don't even tingle when I read those saucy romance novels, let alone in my everyday routine," Rita confessed, cringing inwardly as she stared at the worn carpeting.

"The absence of libido can occur for many reasons, Rita. Concern about losing your virginity, body image issues, even something as simple as lack of exposure to the concept - it's hard to miss something you've never experienced. But once you understand what makes you tick, that's when the adventure starts." Dr. Aphrodite watched her digest his mini lecture as he grabbed a fourth vial from the refrigerator. "All I'm saying is, you shouldn't label your sexuality as lacking if you haven't fully understood it yet. If you want, I could lend you a book or two; or maybe point you in the direction of some helpful resources?" he offered.

Rita hesitated but then nodded. "Oh, that's okay. I'm not really trying to solve it. I was just explaining why I came to you for the... ow!" she exclaimed, snapping back to the present moment, brushing her tousled hair away from her face.

"I'm finished here," Dr. Aphrodite said with a smile, "You'll be pleased to know that we've completed all of your shots. Of course, if you were to come back and see me, I could always recommend some literature to help quell your curiosity," he teased gently.

Rita shifted her gaze away from his handsome face and chuckled. Her cheeks flushed as she pictured exploring this newfound information - with him. "Hmm, that's unlike me?" She raised a brow, laughing nervously. "I'll think about it." She fiddled with her car keys. "Thanks for today, Dr. Aphrodite. I'll try to read up on those resources you mentioned."

"Feel free to call me Michael, Rita," he replied warmly, extending his hand. "Take care, and don't hesitate to reach out if you need assistance."

Their fingers brushed against each other as the doctor exchanged a reassuring handshake with Rita.

As she left his office, she couldn't help thinking that something sparked in the sterile confines of the doctor's office, at least subtly. She ran her hands along her SKIMS Onyx Soft Smoothing Seamless Leggings, brushing away an undefined tremble that lingered there. As her car began to warm, she hesitantly placed her fingers over the shifter, delaying her departure by wondering if she had made too bold of a statement. Dr. Aphrodite seemed to push the sexual resources hard after only giving the reason she failed to get the STD vaccines. Did her eyes miscommunicate some silent message that she had been yearning for intimacy inside? No way. Rita dismissed such a ridiculous thought and began to navigate her car through the familiar city roads.

Back at her minimalist apartment, Rita decided to scroll through her social media to calm her agitated mind. However, pictures of her friends' romantic relationships or flings, coupled with the conversation in the doctor's office, turned into a simmering tension within her.

Unwittingly, her hands began to slide down her waist and hips. Eyes wide, she caught herself about to surrender to that forbidden itch. Intrigued, she brushed the edge of her labia to find them more pronounced and swollen than usual. Bemused, she traced her finger across this new sensation and marveled at the unexpected wetness invading the fabric.

Pleased with the results, she drifted off, something she did quite often while browsing social media.