Free The Naked Face by Sidney Sheldon

given Teri Washburn anything in her life that she had not been overcharged for. When she had first gone to Hollywood, she had landed a job as a waitress in a drive-in and used most of her wages to go to a third-rate dramatic coach. Within a week the coach had her move in with him, doing all his household chores and confining her coaching to the bedroom. A few weeks later, when she realized that he could not have got her an acting job even if he had wanted to, she had waited out on him and taken a job as a cashier in a Beverly Hills hotel drugstore. A movie executive had appeared on Christmas Eve to buy a last-minute gift for his wife. He had given Teri his card and told her to call him. Teri had made a screen test a week later. She was awkward and untrained, but she had three things going for her. She had a sensational face and figure, the camera loved her, and the studio executive was keeping her. Teri Washburn appeared in bit parts in a dozen pictures the first year. She began to get fan mail. Her parts grew larger. At the end of a year her benefactor died of a heart attack, and Teri was afraid the studio would fire her. Instead, the new executive called her in and told her that he had big plans for her. She got a new contract, a raise, and a larger apartment with a mirrored bedroom. Teri's roles gradually grew to leads in B pictures, and finally, as the public showed their adoration by putting down their money at the box office to see each new Teri Washburn picture, she began to star in A pictures. All that had been a long time ago, and Judd felt sorry for her as she lay on his couch, trying to control her sobs. 'Would you like some water?' he asked. “N-no,' she said. 'I'm f-fine.' She took a handkerchief out of her purse and blew her nose. 'I'm sorry,' she said, 'for behaving like a goddamn idiot.' She sat tip. Judd sat there quietly, waiting for her to get control of herself. ”Why do I many men like Harry?' That's an important question. Do you have any idea why?' 'How the hell should I know!' screamed Teri. 'You're the psychiatrist. If I knew they were like that, you don't think I'd marry those creeps, do you?' 'What do you think?' She stared at him, shocked. “You mean you think I would?' She got to her feet angrily. ”Why, you dirty sonofa-bitch! You think I liked fucking the band?' 'Did you?' In a fury she picked up a vase and flung it at him. It shattered against a table. 'Does that answer you?' 'No. That vase was two hundred dollars. 'I'll put it on your bill.' She stared at him helplessly. 'Did I really like it?' she whispered. 'You tell me.' Her voice dropped even lower. 'I must be sick,' she said. 'Oh, God, I'm sick. Please help me, Judd. Help me!' Judd walked over to her. “You've got to help me help you.' She nodded her head, dumbly. 'I want you to go home and think about how you feel, Teri. Not while you're doing these things, but before you do them. Think about why you want to do them. When you know that, you'll know a great deal about yourself.' She looked at him a moment, then her face relaxed. She took out her handkerchief and blew her nose again. Tou're a helluva man, Charlie Brown,' she said. She picked up her purse and gloves. 'See you next week?' 'Yes,' he said. 'See you next week.' He opened the door to the corridor, and Teri exited. He knew the answer to Teri's problem, but she would have to work it through for herself. She would have to leam that she could not buy love, that it had to be given freely. And she could not accept the fact that it could be given to her freely until she learned to believe that she was worthy of receiving love. Until that time, Teri would go on trying to buy it, using the only currency she had: her body. He knew the agony she was going through, the bottomless despair of self-loathing, and his heart went out to her. But the only way in which he could help her was to give the appearance of being impersonal and detached. He knew that to his patients he seemed remote and