Creep - Jennifer Hillier [43]
The windowless room was large and surprisingly cheerful. Colorful biblical murals were painted on the walls, and he wondered if this was the same room they used to teach Sunday school. Rows of folding chairs filled the space, all facing a shabby wood podium. Most everyone was seated, and only a handful of empty chairs were left.
He felt several curious pairs of eyes on him as he took his seat and was relieved the room was dimly lit. Ethan was confident he looked normal, but soft lighting always helped.
Sitting quietly, he avoided making eye contact with anyone and instead listened carefully to the limited conversations around him. Traffic. Movies. Weather. Last night’s episode of some reality show he’d never heard of. Small talk. Nobody seemed particularly close to anyone else.
He took a moment to turn and scan the room. A good ten seconds passed before he spotted her, five rows back, her makeup minimal except for her trademark red velvet lips. He was a bit jarred by her appearance—he’d only seen Sheila in professional attire. Or naked. Tonight, in a sweater and jeans, you’d never know she was a distinguished professor and board member of the American Psychological Association. Sex Addicts Anonymous, indeed.
Their eyes met for a brief moment. He felt a tingle go through him. Then her eyes moved to the front of the room, no trace of recognition on her face.
“Welcome, everyone.” The man at the podium was the same ginger-haired guy Ethan had met in the stairwell the first time he’d followed Sheila here. “Happy Thursday to all.”
Voices murmured around him.
“My name is Dennis, and I’m a sex addict.”
“Hi, Dennis,” the group chorused on cue.
“I see we have some new faces here tonight.” The meeting leader’s smile was warm. “Welcome, so happy to have you. For the benefit of our new members, I’ll quickly go over the rules.
“First and foremost, we are anonymous. We’re a twelve-step program whose purpose is to support and encourage our members. We aim to achieve sexual and emotional health and stop the compulsive sexual behavior that has hurt ourselves and the people in our lives, using these twelve steps. You’re all encouraged to share as much as you can, but for now you may simply choose to listen until you’re ready. When we’re listening to other members’ stories, we do not judge and we do not interrupt.” Dennis smiled encouragingly and scanned the room. “Who’d like to begin?”
A hand shot up in the front row, belonging to a bald man wearing a denim jacket. Dennis nodded and stepped aside. The man positioned himself in front of the podium, his scalp shiny and pink under the dim spotlight above him.
His large Adam’s apple bobbed as he spoke. “My name is Kenneth and I’m a sex addict.”
“Hi, Kenneth,” the room responded in unison.
“It’s been a tough week. I got caught masturbating again at work. I thought I was doing so well, but I was searching for something on the Internet my boss needed and one of those ads for free porn popped up. I don’t know why they don’t block those! Anyway, that’s all it took. Next thing I know, my hand is down my pants and I’m . . .”
Ethan listened with great interest as Kenneth the Masturbator relayed his embarrassing story, concluding with the look on his poor supervisor’s face when she walked into Kenneth’s office and caught him spanking the monkey.
Ethan bit back his laughter. And to think, the fun was just beginning.
CHAPTER : 13
The first half of the meeting was over and they were given a fifteen-minute break. Eight people had shared their stories so far, and Sheila hoped this part was finished for the evening. In her three years attending Sex Addicts Anonymous meetings, she’d just about heard it all. Nothing really surprised her anymore, but it could be pretty depressing.
Kenneth was on the verge of being fired from his third job in two years due to his uncontrollable urges to masturbate in public places. Christina suffered from blackouts during sex and often woke up unable to remember where she was or why she was there. Curt was addicted to online