She turned her head so her cheek was near his lips. “Ignore. I made it up as I went along the other day. Nothing you need to worry about.”
Max trailed in after Sarah, and another couple Lucy hadn’t seen before followed him.
“Everyone pick a mat. We’ll go ahead and get started. We’ve got a lot to cover this morning.” Rebecca took her place back on her mat. “I call this the ‘honesty hour.’ You have to promise your partner complete honesty for this type of therapy to be effective. And, trust me, it’s harder than it seems.”
Lucy just bet it was. She squirmed again with the unfortunate side effect of her bottom rubbing against Will’s—you know what? She’d just scoot forward a smidge.
“If everyone could turn and face their partner.” Rebecca waved her hand in a circle to illustrate.
Lucy moved around so she faced William. Unfortunately, this meant she could see him—something that severely cracked her resolve to flee. It was the dimples, she was certain.
“Now scooch together a little closer and hold hands.”
Lucy studied a scuff on the floor behind her fake husband and offered her hands.
“Look into your partner’s eyes and say the first thing that comes to mind.”
Lucy shifted her gaze to meet William’s and her mind went blank. Totally and utterly blank. Nothing. Nada.
“I’m glad it’s you that came with me,” he said low enough that no one else would hear.
Her heart did a little fist pump.
“Your turn.” The little divots of his dimples flashed uncertain.
“I like your cheeks,” she heard herself say.
His forehead pinched together as if to say, “the hell?”
“The dimples, I mean,” she clarified.
Oh Lord.
“Thank you,” he replied as though it were the most normal thing in the world for her to have said.
The room melted away and it was just the two of them again.
“Fantastic,” Rebecca cut through their moment. “Now we’re going to talk about intimacy. I’d like you to share with your partner some of your favorite things about being alone together. I’m not just talking about intercourse”—She paused too long on that word, letting it just hang in the air like an unwelcome rash—“I mean all of the little things that make your relationship special.”
“I went first last time,” William pointed out, his voice staying low so his words were for Lucy alone.
She paused, his presence intimidating. “You smell nice.”
“I do?” he asked. “What do I smell like?”
“I don’t know how to describe it. Just nice.”
“How are things going?” Rebecca knelt beside them.
“Lucy was just explaining how nice I smell.”
“Oh, that’s good!” Rebecca settled in, apparently ready to stick around for a while. “What do you think of Lucy’s scent?”
“I think she’s amazing. All of her.” He held Lucy’s stare. “I love her scent. Her eyes. Her kindness. The way she cares about people and wants everyone to be happy. Yeah, I think she’s pretty awesome.”
Lucy’s mouth opened and closed like a fish tossed onto the banks of a lake.
Rebecca laughed like wind chimes again. “Did you know that finding your partner’s scent appealing is an indicator that your genetics are compatible for children? Have you two discussed that? The things they can do in a test tube these days are pretty intense.”
