“There we go. That’s shot number three,” Dr. Michael Silver remarked with a 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 at hiding her discomfort.

“Thanks, Dr. Silver.” Rita clutched the crinkling paper tissue he had handed her earlier. His slender fingers grazed hers 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. Silver busied himself cleaning up the room, but his curiosity grew. He turned to Rita. “Why was that?”

She shrugged. “It’s not a priority for me, I guess. I don’t experience that pull others around me do.”

“That’s alright,” Dr. Silver said. “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 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 unusual to be self-conscious about such things. That’s why there is always the self-pleasure route,” Dr. Silver suggested, his voice dripping with casual comfort.

Rita blinked, surprised, “Oh, I, uh.” She looked away, her cheeks blushing 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 many times without provoking so much as a flutter.

“It’s not that I haven’t tried. It’s that I felt nothing. Nothing 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 cracked linoleum flooring.

“The lack 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. Silver 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 toward 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. She snapped back to the present moment, rubbing her arm.

“I’m finished here,” Dr. Silver said with a smile. “I’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.”

Rita shifted her gaze away from his handsome face. 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. Silver. I’ll try to read up on those resources you mentioned.”

“Call me Michael, Rita,” he said, extending his hand. “Take care and reach out if you need help.”

Their fingers brushed against each other as they exchanged a warm handshake.

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 warmed, she placed her fingers over the shifter, delaying her departure by wondering if she had made too bold of a statement. Dr. Silver seemed to push the sexual resources hard after only giving the reason she failed to get the STD vaccines. Did her eyes communicate some silent message that she had been yearning for intimacy inside? No way. Rita dismissed such a ridiculous thought and navigated her car through the familiar city roads.

Rita returned to her sparsely furnished apartment. She sat on her futon, foregoing chores and a change of clothes. To soothe her anxious mind, she picked up her phone and browsed social media. But images of her friends’ relationships and romances created simmering tension within her. Dr. Silver’s conversation with her only worsened the situation.

Unwittingly, her hands slid 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 feature and marveled at the unexpected wetness invading the fabric.

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