The man sitting next to Christina turns in her direction. “It’s getting a bit loose out there at the moment. To many Dollars in circulation. What do you think? He asks smiling, whilst briefly looking down at her at her legs, which are crossed.
“Intuitively? Well, everything feels kinda fucked up…” She replies, looking at the screen in front of her, which it displays rows of prices from various assets. “...You know?”
Then man leans closer to her, lowering his voice. “Well, when we fucked last Friday, I had this dream there was a stock market crash coming.”
Christina’s eyes narrow. “Oh, I do love those end-of-the-world fucks…” Crossing her right leg over her left knee, bobbing her foot up and down. “...So, what do you see?”
“Another fuck?” The man replies chuckling, leaning back into his chair, interlocking his fingers resting the back his head onto both palms.
In a subtle way, Christina shakes her head. “Not for a few weeks…” She stands, looking down at the man who is still leaning back. “...And…” closing her eyes. “...I see this market going down the tubes in…” She opens her eyes, “...Nineteen Eighty Seven.”
The man chuckles. “In Two years from now? Can you be more precise?”
Straitening out her skirt. “Maybe just under Two years, towards the end of that year…” She looks down at the man’s crotch, remembering the size of his penis and that he has a intact foreskin. “...October, Nineteen Eighty Seven.”
“But, in a couple of weeks. I’ll get the exact date?” He asks, referring to another liaison with Christian.
“That, however is an unknown,” she replies in a coy manner, walking back to the front receptionist desk.
Returning to her desk, the other woman stands.
“Thanks Joan, any messages?
“Yes, one for you…” She hands Christina the phone message. “...If came in when you where at your meeting.”
Christina looks at the hand written message.
Doctor's appointment, nearly forget.
“Joan, I have Doctor’s appointment at Two PM, could you take the desk again?”
Placing her handbag onto her right shoulder. “Can do. Everything ok?
Sitting down at her desk,
“Just a routine checkout. Nothing major.”
The woman begins to walk towards the elevators, turning slightly as Christina remains seated at the receptionist desk. “I’ll take an early lunch, then you can go to your appointment.”
“Thanks...” Christina replies, as the phone rings to which she immediately answers. “...Adroit Orman & Co. How can I help you?”

Dr Tim Michaels
Thirty Five West, 36th Street

“Please take a seat Christina.” Dr Michaels, in an officious manner points towards the chair opposite his desk, as Christina sits, setting her hand bag down to her right side.
The Doctor, sitting across from Christina, opens up Christina’s medical file. Placing his glasses on, he looks over a sheet of paper in front of him.
“You saw Dr Kelly Lewis, three weeks ago for the Pap smear and checkup...”
Christina nods, looking down at the same sheet of paper in front of the Doctor.
“...You had a blocked Batholin duct, which the gynecologist preformed the incision and drained the abscess a month ago. She said that it has healed well, and there doesn’t appear to be any issues. However, if you recall we discussed the soreness around the Vagina which was not related to the Batholin duct cyst.”
Christina, flicking her hair back with her left hand, smiles at the Doctor. “I remember”
“Did Dr Lewis discuss this with you?”
“She mentioned that they could be Genital Warts, maybe Herpes,” Christina replies in direct, almost unemotional way.
The Doctor in front of Christina leans back into his chair. “Well, they are both.”
Christina’s expression changes, as she looks down at her skirt. Thinking about the Dentist she saw earlier, in the hotel room, masturbating him and his penis spurting streams of semen up into the air. “Are they all relatable?”
Dr Micheals nods. “Yes, the Batholin cyst biopsy that the gynecologist took, it showed up as Chlamydia. These are all sexually transmitted diseases.”
“But, I feel fine. I mean, I don’t feel sick at all,” Christina replies, curious about the diagnoses, but not overly surprised.
“No all of them have symptoms, and they can clear up on their own. However, if they are reoccurring, particularly Human papillomavirus, it can lead to cervical cancer.”
“Hence, the Pap smear test every year.” Christina interrupts.
“That is correct. But, I must ask you. Do you have many sexual partners?”
She briefly looks away, staring at a single white cloud from the Doctor's office, she then returns her attention to the man sitting opposite her.
“No. Just one guy. I have been dating him for about a year.”
Dr Micheals leans forward, and places his glasses on again, placing the sheet of paper back into Christina's file.
“What I suggest, if your partner begins to show any symptoms, to get tested. And you both continue to practice safe sex.”
He stands, as does Christina.
“...Also, there is a new sexually transmitted virus called AIDS. It is currently affecting mostly the Homosexual community, but, Females and heterosexuals can also be infected too.”
Christina stares at the Doctor, without blinking.
“I’ll be careful,” she replies.

___

Reading: "Manifest the Antithetic" from COVEAL OF THE HEDONIC (A.Glass 2025)

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