(One of a series of stories of Sexual Equity.)
In the small back office, Renee shuts the door and lowers the blinds, closing herself off from the shop. Sitting at the computer, she closes Quickbooks, and opens up her email. She finds the one labeled “VIDEO CONSULTATION with NICOLA MIRZA, MSW, LCSW” and clicks on the link to open the videoconferencing program.
After a few beeps, the call is answered. The video starts, and shows a view looking down a narrow room. In the picture, Renee sees unoccupied sofas on either side of the room; in the center, a woman in her late twenties, sits on a chair, nude, holding a tablet computer in her hands. “Hello, this is Nicola Mirza. Is this Renee Allen?”
“Um, yeah.” Renee hesitates. “Sorry, I wasn’t expecting… You know you don’t have any clothes on?“
Nicola smiles. “Yes, it often takes people by surprise their first time. There are good reasons, which I’ll explain in a bit. First of all, I just want to verify a few things.” She looks down at her tablet. “It says you’re on the town council of Kelham Mill, Helenia, and that after your one-year check-in, Jessica recommended you see a counselor.”