Redmption 238


    Eden might have been flirting with me, and I could choose to ignore it, but I couldn’t afford to dy


    meeting Arthur. However, his message was


    inappropriate given thete hour. The timing was off.


    If I responded now, he might take the opportunity to make some other demands. If I agreed, it


    wouldn’t be ideal. But if I refused, it could give him leverage to use against me regarding my desire


    to meet with his father.


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    The best approach was to ignore him as I had done yesterday.


    I snapped back to reality and continued chatting with Lisa. I hadn’t paid much attention to what she


    said earlier, but now I heard her ask, “So, now that you and Brandon are officially together. What’s


    the next step?”


    “What next step?” I was still distracted by Eden’s message.


    “You know, whates next in a romantic rtionship? Of course, it’s the physical aspect,” Lisa


    said with a teasing tone.


    I understood immediately. “Brandon is a decent guy, okay?”


    “Does being decent mean he has no emotions or desires? Does it mean he doesn’t want to start a


    family?” Lisa followed up with two pointed


    questions.


    Then, she added with a huff, “Chris is also very decent.”


    I fell silent. Lisa seemed to notice my emotion and rified, “I don’t mean anything specific. I just


    want to point out that in a romantic rtionship, dopamine is released, which boosts adrenaline


    levels and stimtes sexual desire.


    “Let’s put it this way. A man who truly loves you will have urges and will want to be intimate with


    you. If he doesn’t or can easily control himself, it’s likely he doesn’t love you as deeply.” Lisa


    analyzed love using her medical knowledge.


    I thought about the years I spent with Chris. Although we were publicly


    recognized as an engaged couple, our most intimate actions had just been holding hands or


    hugging briefly.


    It seemed that he never had those kinds of thoughts about me. I used to think it was out of respect,


    like a modern–day gentleman. I even


    questioned my allure.


    But now, with Lisa’s analysis, I realized that Chris’s feelings for me might not have been as deep as


    I thought. He also said he wasn’t interested in that kind of thing because we were too familiar.


    Lisa then asked, “Maddie, does Brandon show any interest in that aspect, or does he cling to you


    and not want to let go?”


    I recalled the time I stood at the door with Brandon. We embraced each other, neither of us willing to


    pull away,


    “There is interest, how could there not be? But it’s all within the bounds of


    propriety,” I exined.


    “Bullshit!” Lisa eximed. “If a man really loves you deeply, he’ll want to bepletely immersed in


    you and to merge with you.”


    Her blunt words made my throat go dry. I walked to the kitchen, poured a


    ss of water, and took a sip.


    “Is that so? I don’t really understand these things. Dr. Carline, you’re truly an expert. You know a


    lot.”


    Lisa detected the teasing tone in my voice. “I’m just looking out for you. I don’t want you to miss out.


    Brandon may be principled and reserved, but you can take the initiative.”


    I choked on my drink upon hearing Lisa’s words. It turned out that she had said all that to encourage


    me to take the initiative.


    I rolled my eyes in exasperation and asked, “Why can’t I just have a pure and genuine rtionship


    without having to use my looks to influence someone?”


    “That’s not what I meant. It’s because a good man like Brandon is highly sought after. If you don’t


    act, someone else will.”


    32


    Listening to Lisa, I realized how concerned she was about my lifelong


    affars


    “Maddie, you’ve probably heard this before. A man who wants to sleep with you doesn’t necessantly


    love you, but a man who loves you will definitely want to sleep with you, Lisa concluded with a sharp


    summary.


    I wasn’t inexperienced in rtionships. Having been through one with Chris, I thought I understood


    these dynamics.


    “But true love isri’t just about physical attraction.” I shared my perspective.


    ‘Sex and attraction are basic human desires.” Lisa continued to push the point


    I hadn’t thought much about it before, but Lisa’s words made me reflect on the times Brandon and I


    had spent alone together when nothing had ever happened.


    I was such a vibrant and attractive woman, and he had shown interest in me, yet nothing had


    happened.


    In hindsight, this seemed a bit strange. I began to wonder if I had


    encountered another man who imed to love but didn’t truly feel it. I hoped I wasn’t that unlucky.


    Thinking this through, I felt the need to test Brandon, but I couldn’t just be as proactive as Lisa


    suggested.