Page 51 of The High Price Of Loneliness

Angelica plated her first course on a nice dish and sat down at the barstool in her kitchen with her glass of wine. She didn’t realize her hunger until she smelled the fantastic food. She loved sushi and dived into that first with the chopsticks in hand. While she ate, she texted Edward,My amazing dinner just arrived, and it is so delicious! Thank you so much!She added emojis for hearts and kisses to Edward.

Gray was not much of an emoji type of guy texting but smiled to see her enthusiasm and simply replied,I’m glad you liked it.He added,It is a preview of coming attractions as our hotel in downtown D.C. is newly remodeled with an Asian theme that is quite beautiful. So, enjoy, and text me later when you finish packing for your homework assignment.

As Angelica munched on her crisp ginger salad, she replied,I will, I promise!After wolfing down dinner quickly, she washed her hands and returned to packing for the trip. She was proud that she got everything she needed into one suitcase and one little carry-on bag. She wanted to avoid showing up at the airport looking like she brought too many suitcases. Gray would think she was “moving in.”

She looked at the neatly packed bag with everything perfectly organized and ready for the trip. The only thing left was to close the suitcase up, but she preferred to wait until the morning to do that just in case she thought of any last items she wanted to bring along. So, she texted Edward,I’m all packed and ready for our trip!Smiling, she hit the send button.

Her reply came quickly, which she always loved, and he said simply,Will call you in just a few minutes.

She poured herself another glass of wine and started turning down the lights and locking up her home for the evening to get ready for Edward and homework. She was eagerly curious to see what this assignment would be. When the phone rang, she beamed and said in her most flirtatious voice, “Well, good evening, Mr. Gray.”

Edward chuckled at her somewhat over-the-top greeting and retorted, “Sounds like someone is already in-flight to Washington without the plane! Glad to hear you are in a good mood.”

Gushing like it was Christmas Eve, she said, “Yes, I am so excited about our trip tomorrow! I can hardly wait! I loved the dinner from P.F. Chang’s, Edward. In a kinder and sweeter voice, she added, “That was so very thoughtful of you.”

In his easygoing tone, Edward replied, “You are very welcome. It was my absolute pleasure.”

Angelica’s curiosity could wait no longer as she asked, “So what is this homework assignment you have for me?”

Gray replied, “Thank you for the question.” Clearing his throat lightly before he began, he said, “First, to be clear, I want to share the purpose of the homework before we get into the details. Would that be all right with you?”

She replied, “Of course.”

“In thinking about you and some of the uncertainties and fears you have, some of which go way back to childhood and perhaps a bit of abuse or trauma along that journey, I would like some of your homework to be dedicated to self-care as a positive healthy and whole person, Angelica. I think you will like this assignment a lot. Would you be open to exploring that for a few minutes for me?”

Angelica was still not sure what Edward meant exactly, just yet, but replied, “I trust you Edward, and I would do anything for you. Tell me more about it.”

His deep voice said, “Thank you. And trust must be earned over a long period of time. But tonight, I want you to invest in trusting and appreciating yourself. So here is the homework assignment. It is called the Mirror Exercise, and it has three parts. First, I would like you to take a hot shower or a bubble bath, whichever is your favorite ritual when you want some downtime. Then afterward, use cocoa butter or whatever moisturizer you love to make your skin feel cared for from head to toe. Think of it like a mini-home-spa date experience.

“Step two: Put a chair in front of your full-length mirror in your bedroom and sit so you are facing looking directly into your own eyes. Get comfortable, for the homework will take about fifteen minutes, and it works best if you turn the ringer on your phone off.

“Step three: I want you to say what you most appreciate about yourself aloud. What do you most admire about yourself? What you are most proud of about the person that you are? And if you feel uncomfortable saying these things, imagine it is me saying them to you for you to hear. Lastly, I want you to complete the fifteen minutes by saying aloud what are the things in your life that you are most grateful for. Do all of this while looking directly into your own eyes in the mirror.”

Edward paused from his description of the Mirror Exercise to ask Angelica if she had any questions.

Speaking slowly, she asked timidly, “I’ve never done anything like this before. What if I feel weird or uncomfortable?”

Encouraging her, Edward said, “You deserve to hear these things about you, Angelica. And most people have low self-esteem. Most people feel that they aren’t worthy.” He paused before he added, “You are rare. You are exceptional. And you are worthy. This is a good first step in building you into a more confident, stronger Angelica.”

Her eyes lit up as she listened silently to Edward’s words.

Edward asked, “Are you still there, Angelica?”

She sniffled, “Yes, sir.”

“Why are you crying, Kitten?” he asked quietly.

“Because no one has ever talked to me this way before.” Now the tears were welling up bigger and rolling down onto her cheeks.

Gray said in his deep and reassuring voice, “This is homework for me, Kitten. And imagine it is me there with you, cherishing and encouraging you. Imagine they are my words, not just your own, and be brave and bold with your praise for the full fifteen minutes, if you can. Will you do that for me?”

Angelica smiled and laughed a little with the crying still in her voice as she replied, “Yes, sir.”

Edward said, “You’re my good girl, and I am proud of you. Please text me when you finish your homework, ok?”

Exhaling, she said, “I will.” She set the phone down on the bed and looked at the door to her master bath and thought to herself as she sighed,Why couldn’t he ask me to do something easy, like another O.M. session?Bubble bath, she thought to herself.Definitely going to be a bubble bath tonight for the homework. She exhaled with the tears still blurring her vision and got up to start running her bath with her favorite lavender bath beads.He did say to make it like a home spa date with him, she thought, so she lit a candle in the bathroom and got another glass of wine. As she slipped out of her office clothes and put them away, she saw her bath was nearly complete. Time to sink in and relax.

Soaking in the bubble bath with music, a candle, and a glass of wine is a pretty tough assignment from Mr. Gray, she thought with a smile as she surveyed her bathroom and looked at her wet, glistening toes sticking up through the bubbles. She had always loved bubble baths, especially when she was little. She breathed deeply and exhaled as Edward had taught her to relax. She smiled warmly in the bath but was still uncomfortable with the coming Mirror Exercise.

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