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I turned to check his progress. "I mean, what else am I supposed to say?"
Dr. Stephens was finishing up. After pulling out the needle, he put a band-aid on my arm, then patted my shoulder. "I'm just worried that if you twist your knee in bed with someone, you won't say anything. If you get in a car wreck and have whiplash, you won't let me know. I'm trying to say I handle all of that, and I will do what I can to take care of you, or send you to someone who can do it better, ok?"
"I try not to get myself in too much trouble," I told him as I shoved my arm back into my sleeve.
"And I still had three men come in to get their blood drawn," he replied. "It's ok to talk about it. Questions, concerns, or anything else."
"So, you know?" I asked.
He nodded. "That's what I'm saying. I know a lot of what goes on behind the scenes, even the things I shouldn't. Now, I'm not sure what you four are doing, but I know that until I get these back, you need to make sure they use condoms. You hear me?"
"They have been," I mumbled, feeling my cheeks heating up.
"No blushing," he said. "This is not a place to be embarrassed. Besides, if you pull the wrong muscle, I'm the one who'll be giving you the excuse to tell the public. If you're not sure how to do something, I have charts. If you're feeling pressured, abused, or anything else, I will be the one sending Anthony out to handle it."
That was what made me laugh. "He's kinda big."
"He's also one of the best physical therapists I've met in a very long time," Dr. Stephens assured me. "So, think of us more like your big brothers, here to beat up the boys for you, keep your secrets, and encourage you to be a little more crazy out there. Think you can handle that?"
I had just finished buttoning my shirt back together. "So, you're not trying to convince me I shouldn't do this?"
He shook his head. "Cody, I don't know how to break this to you, but youaredoing it. I'm just here to make sure you cankeepdoing it." Then he canted his head and smiled. "And them, because it sounds like someone might be the center of attention."
"Working on it," I promised. "Right now, I'm just fumbling around. Dr. Stephens - "
"Doc," he told me. "That's what most of the guys call me."
"Well, Doc, the truth is that back home, no one approved of what I'm doing. They actually laughed at me for even trying. I had no idea these guys would give me a chance - let alone wannadateme. Now this?"
"Gonna tell me what 'this' is yet?" he asked.
I shook my head. "I'm not sure I know. I..."
"What's your sexual history like?" he asked.
I grimaced. "Um, I had one guy back home. Two on tour."
"So it's all new and exciting," he realized. Then, bending over his knees, he turned serious. "Cody, sex is something that should feel good. If you feel any kind of pain, stop. If there's blood - and not menstrual - then stop. If it isn't working for you, come talk to me. I may not have the answers, but I do know where to find them. The whole point? Sex should be a good thing, completely on your terms, and if it's not? You come talk to me. I don't care if that's asking about triple penetration, painful periods, or anything else. See, I might be a doctor, but I'm the cool kind, and my job is to take care of you."
"Yeah," I breathed. "Thanks, Doc. I might not know what I'm doing, but so far, I don't have any complaints. I just don't wanna get distracted from why I'm really here, which is to make sure I get a check."
"Good," he told me. "And so you know, my job's to make sure you can keep getting that check too. Now go play with your boys. I think you've earned a little fun."
Chapter22
When we got finishedwith the event, Jorge and Isaac dragged me back to the RV. The plan was to hit up the bar where everyone else would be hanging out, but I knew that meant Cody would be there. So, while they focused on getting out of their protective gear, I found a pair of jeans. I was pretty sure I'd left my boots at the hotel, but I had my Chuck Taylor's. Like my jersey, they were purple.
Once the guys saw what I was wearing, they went with a version of the same. It was a little more casual than what we wore in the arena. Plus, considering our pants were designed to go around padding, they didn't fit well without it. The best part, however, was that none of them gave me shit.
Isaac drove over to the bar. The plan - like always - was to crash in the parking lot if we got too fucked up, and to drive back to the hotel if we weren't. Granted, Jorge also had his phone glued to his face, which meant Aubree was messaging him, so I claimed the passenger seat for the short ride over.
"You going home with one of them?" Isaac asked.
I just shrugged. "No idea."
"You should," he told me. "I mean, if J.D. is serious at all..."
Yeah, and that was the problem. "I have no clue what I'm doing," I told him. "I just know I like her, he's cute, and Ty's not being a dick. So, I'm thinking that, at worst, I have a chance with the girl."
