Chapter 4: Doctor Coughlin

Argie had been waiting patiently for thirty-four minutes when Dr. Coughlin came out to meet her. She jumped slightly when the handsome, dark-haired man breezed confidently into the room and extended his large hand to her.

"Hi," he said in a resounding baritone, "You must be Mrs. Franck. I'm Dr. Everett Coughlin. Sorry, if I kept you waiting." He held onto her hand, almost caressing it for that extra lingering moment of contact.

"Hi, yes... I'm Argie Franck," she answered with a small voice. "Thank you for seeing me."

She couldn't take her eyes off him, he was... like a Greek god, handsome, strong, and virile looking. Her legs went weak, and for the next few moments she dizzyingly imagined it was he that she would be making love to.

As he released her hand, Dr. Coughlin smiled and gestured toward his open office door. "Please, come in to my office and talk."

Argie found his office unlike any other Doctor's office she'd ever visited. Soft music drifted through the pleasantly decorated room, and scented candles flickered here and there as the two of them settled in. Dr. Coughlin directed Argie to sit on a large leather couch arranged so she was required to place her legs straight out in front of her. She crossed her ankles and smoothed out her short dress modestly, while he took a seat in a comfortable chair facing her.

"All right," he began, "let's talk about why you are here, Argie. I assume you know what we do at the clinic, and the delicate nature of our work."

Argie cleared her throat, suddenly finding herself quite timid about discussing such things with a stranger, albeit a very handsome one. "Yes... Rachel, um, Doctor Gladstone, was kind enough to provide me with a rather detailed overview after I approached her about becoming a surrogate."

"Well, yes," Dr. Coughlin said, "I just need to know where to begin in explaining our work. I think it's best if I'm very direct with you about what we do. What I'm about to tell you may surprise or even shock you. You may find that the problems that we deal with or the methods we use to deal with them are distasteful to you. If so, I understand. In all of the years since the clinic was established nearly half the women I've interviewed for positions here have found it impossible to participate in our program. Whatever your reaction, be honest with me and don't be embarrassed about it. Do you understand?"

Argie nodded affirmatively, thinking, 'This is getting very interesting.'

"With that said," the doctor continued, "you need to know first off our clinic specializes in dealing with people... primarily men, who suffer from some form of sexual dysfunction."

Argie's face brightened as she replied, "Oh, yes, I understand. That's why I want to help."

A look of puzzlement crossed Doctor Coughlin's face. "What?" he said, and Argie leaped in and summarized her reasons for wanting to become a surrogate.

After hearing her out, Doctor Coughlin said, "We deal with men who can't get or maintain an erection, who can't achieve orgasm, or who are unable to satisfy their sexual partner because of some other problem such as premature ejaculation or perhaps just poor technique. I hope you're not volunteering as a form of revenge... or getting even with your husband because he's cheating on you."

"No, no! You don't quite understand, doctor. John... my husband is addicted to sex. He can't help himself. Or at least he hasn't tried to help himself... until now. He's joined Sex Addicts Anonymous. He's making an attempt to control his desires... his impulses, and I am encouraging him. Dr. Gladstone is his doctor..."

"I see," said Dr. Coughlin, although he didn't really see the whole pattern as yet.

"Does this present a problem, Doctor?" Argie pressed.

"No, that's not a problem. Everyone has their own reason for entering the surrogate field. Um, I take it then that you are... um, comfortable with the subject matter?"

Argie felt his eyes upon her legs and realized that in the course of explaining herself to him, she had parted them significantly and he was looking up her skirt.

Blushing with embarrassment, she forced herself to slowly close them, after rejecting the impulse to cross one leg over the other. 'That would really give him a look at my pussy, ' she told herself.

"This may sound strange, in that you say your husband is addicted to sex, but has there ever been a time when he... shall we say, couldn't get it up?"

Argie thought about his question before replying. "Honestly, Doctor, I don't believe so. I do know... he keeps a kind of diary. It was something he was doing for Dr. Gladstone, to bring her abreast..." Argie paused, wondering if that last was a Freudian slip, then went on. "... bring her abreast of his sex life." She paused again before continuing. "I listened to part of it... that's how I discovered his sex addiction. Anyway, I was able to recall that following several of his... escapades, he came home and we had sex. I might add that with John, the sex is always good."

"Do you enjoy sexual intercourse, Mrs. Franck?"

"Yes, yes I do."

"According to you, there was a sexual liaison with a man... Milo?"

"That's correct."

"You felt no guilt about this?"

No, none whatsoever. It's funny, I had thought I might feel terrible about it, but afterward I felt wonderful. And the following day was more of the same. In fact I had Milo over while John was at work."

Dr. Coughlin unconsciously adjusted himself and Argie noted with some degree of satisfaction that he had an erection. Slowly, she crossed her legs and covertly watched his eyes dart toward them.

"I'm pleased that you can speak about sexual activities without reservation," he said, forcing his eyes to meet hers.

"Oh sure, I'm comfortable with talking about sex," Argie said, feeling more comfortable now. "I mean, if you need more actual details, I don't mind getting into that either," she said lightly.

"We don't need to probe that deeply, Mrs. Franck."

"Please, call me Argie, as if my name were two letters, you know, R. G.?"

"But it's actually spelled A-R-G-I-E?"

"Right!" she chirped delightedly, on finding he knew just how to spell her name. "So many people can't spell it," she said, re-crossing her legs.

"Argie..." Coughlin began, "is, or will your husband be aware of what you'll be doing here?"

"He will. And he won't complain about it either. We've reached a compromise. He will still have his affairs and I'll have mine. I just thought that since I'll be having sex more often than not, I might do some good, you know, help those unfortunate and all."

"All right then, let me give you some information. I know you may already have heard some of this, but I want to make sure you've heard my version," Doctor Coughlin said with a warm smile. "Our clients usually come from referrals from qualified therapists, although there is the occasional walk-in."

"We screen them for physiological, pharmacological and other easily treatable conditions for sexual dysfunction before ushering them into the surrogate's waiting arms as it were."

Argie nodded and returned his smile as he continued. "Surrogacy takes two forms: open-ended long-term, which consists of weekly visits, or if weekly visits are a geographic impossibility, a one-week intensive session that includes 18 hours with a surrogate and seven hours with a therapist for $3,000. There is also the occasional two-week intensive session, that's 38 hours with the surrogate and 14 hours with a therapist for $8000. All that money comes from the client. It's not covered by insurance."

"May I ask a question, Doctor?"

"Certainly, Argie, may I call you Argie?"

"Yes, of course. Tell me, why isn't a person who takes money for these sexual encounters a prostitute?"

"My understanding is that in Texas, it depends on the intent. The intent in our work is therapeutic, so you are not prostituting yourself. To be honest, if you were a prostitute, you'd be earning a hell of a lot more money than $150 an hour," Doctor Coughlin said.

"You see, to be effective, you must touch the patient. Touch is a tool that is necessary, but it is only one of many tools utilized in therapy. They also get the benefit of my intellect, and let us say, your intuition, at least in the beginning. The touching is one of the tools to help them, but it is not what they are contracting for. More importantly, there is never a guarantee for sexual intercourse."

Doctor Coughlin surprised Argie by getting up.

"Let me just dim some of these lights to make things a little more comfortable and we will get started," he said. Then busied himself adjusting some of the indirect lighting in the room until it was fairly dark only flickering candles cast a soft glow in the area where they were seated. He flipped another switch in a stereo cabinet and the soothing sound of waves gently crashing on a beach mingled and rose above the music.

Doctor Coughlin joined Argie on the leather couch and said; "Erotic touching and sex are sometimes a part of the experience. In some cases, we have genital touch or erotic feeling. I would say that's only 5 to 10 percent of the total therapy experience and only if it makes sense clinically and is acceptable to both client and surrogate."

"Yes, I understand all that," Argie said with just a hint of impatience.

Doctor Coughlin recognized it and picked up his pace. He laughed and placed his right hand on her bare knee. The heat of his touch sent a lightning bolt to her crotch.

"Despite our fevered imaginings," he went on, "nudity may not be part of a session for weeks or months, if it ever is. The first session with a client is a lengthy interview. The next session will involve verbal exercises, in which the client asks for what he wants. The idea is for people to verbalize. If they have a huge fear of rejection, even to get it out of their mouth is a victory," he told her, as they made eye contact.

"They get to ask for what they want," he said and gave her knee a light squeeze, "without the intent of it getting carried through, just to ask for what they want and to hear you say, yes."

"The actual physical exercises start slowly. All the exercises are about retraining someone to get out of their head and be more present with the other person."

His hand began to move upward on her thigh, Argie was still staring into his eyes, almost hypnotized by the smooth tone of his voice. "The touching exercise is called SENSATE FOCUS," he said and began to massage the ball of her shoulder with his left hand. Then, opening the fingers of his right hand, he moved an additional few inches until touching the edge of her panties.

"Okay, now, please close your eyes, I'm going to ask you a few questions, and I want you to be absolutely truthful with your answers. Do you understand?"

She closed her eyes and nodded, shifting around slightly on the couch until she was completely comfortable and relaxed.