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of gorgeous testosterone!”
    “That’s a vivid description,” Ronda admitted, raising her eyebrows.
    Carol couldn’t help but giggle. “Yeah, he is huge, muscular, very blond, handsome…and what on earth could he want with me?” she finished looking pensive. “I know what everyone says, Ronda. They say I am pretty. I know I am intelligent, and I think I am nice, but pretty? I still struggle with that. And he looks like the kind of guy who could get a woman to drop her panties just by the crook of his finger. He is also very controlling, but it doesn’t feel like my parent’s control. It feels like I’m the most important thing to him.” She looked down at her hands and blushed slightly.
    Lifting her eyes back to Ronda’s face, she added, “I don’t have a lot of experience with men.”
    Ronda gently prodded, “You want to tell me about that?”
    “Ronald became my escort to the family events by the time I had graduated from high school, but it never felt like we were dating. We went out, we went places, but I got the feeling that he did it more out of expectation. Our kisses were not very exciting and other than some heavy petting, we never had sex.” Shrugging her delicate shoulders, she added, “I wasn’t interested in having sex with Ronald and I think he was getting some on the side.”
    “How did that make you feel?” Ronda asked.
    Looking out of the window for a moment in reflection, Carol then turned her gaze back to her counselor. “Honestly? I had no interest in having sex with Ronald but looking back, I am sure that I felt unworthy since he was not as discreet as he could have been about other women.”
    “And later sexual experience?” Ronda probed.
    Smiling, Carol shook her head at the memories. “Well, when I was finally out from under my parent’s thumb, I dated a little. Not much, and certainly not lasting. I gave up my virginity in my third year of college willingly…mostly to see what all the fuss was about.” Rolling her eyes, she added, “I didn’t think much of it. Kind of hurt. Sort of messy. A lot of groping, grunting, and then it was over. And I thought, this is what romance novels are all about? After that, I had a couple of more partners in the last five years, but nothing earth shattering.” Shrugging her shoulders again, “Maybe I’m just frigid and can’t get anything out of sex.”
    “I think with the right person, you would find that you would relax and perhaps enjoy a sexual relationship. Perhaps you just needed to focus on you becoming healthy first.”
    “You may be right. I definitely needed to focus on me. But now that this detective is interested in me, I wonder if I will be enough for him?”
    Ronda looked at Carol, knowing how far she had come in counseling, but knowing that there were some body issues that still existed. “In our society, you are considered beautiful. But it is what you see when you look in the mirror that concerns me.”
    Carol smile reached her eyes as she replied, “Oh Ronda, don’t worry. When I look in the mirror, I see healthy. Not too heavy, not too thin. But healthy.”
    “That is the best thing you could have told me today,” Ronda exclaimed. “Well, that and then next time you will have to tell me about the handsome detective!”

Chapter 7
    T hat afternoon, Tom and Jake sat at their adjoining desks reviewing the case against the man who stabbed James.
    “Looks airtight, Tom,” Jake said. “Protocol was followed, he confessed, got the evidence, we should be good to go.”
    “I talked to Jen this morning. She said that James is doing great, and they may release him in a couple more days.”
    Jake, ever the detective, looked over at his partner. “And…?”
    “What?” Tom asked, trying to look innocent.
    “Don’t think I don’t know you asked Jen about that angel nurse you couldn’t keep your eyes off of the other day. Don’t you have a date with her soon?”
    Tom, uncharacteristically quiet, replied,