Short stories

The merits of a session

It has been about five minutes she was crying without being able to talk. He let her do it, doddled on his notebook. Normally, it would occupied in time of crisis. But right now, he felt quite annoyed. Pity on her sad fate wouldn't make things right. She cohabited with a manipulator taking himself for a god. She was too good for him so he lowered her on every occasion to prevent her from leaving. Clever but still pretty pathetic. She still had to realize it! And why was she still with him?

"Because I love him...!" she succeeded to say. "Why is he like this...?"

And she started crying again. He took the box of tissues near him and handed it to her. She took one, sniffing.

"I don't understand why he's like this with me..."

"You are constantly talking about what he does or doesn't do. How about you? In a relationship, there are always two people. You probably have a good part of responsability in your relationship problems. Have you thought about it?"

She looked up at him. Her lower lip trembled, but he could read anger in her gaze. She didn't sob anymore.

"And what could I have done to make him insult me in front of his friends on my birthday? Can you tell me?"

He shrugged.

"Provoke him."

"I had just arrived from work! he refuses to work so one of us has to pay the bills. His friends are always at my house!"

"So what are you complaining about?"

"I've had enough."

She stood up, taking her purse.

"You are like him," she said, walking to the door. "Have I ever told you that he cheated on me? And he even managed to makeme feel guilty for surprising him! You're just like him. No other appointments. Good day."

She went out, slamming the door. He hadn't move from his chair. He waited a moment to make sure she wouldn't return. He didn't regret the way he had just spoken to her. This woman was very annoying, always feeling sorry for herself instead of acting. Her boyfriend might have been a first-class manipulator, but she loved being the victim. It was obvious! Then why not telling her? It would save a lot of time. This was their third meeting and he quickly knew he could do nothing with her. This situation suited her perfectly. She understood what she had to do without wanting to do it. She expected him to have pity on her. She didn't like to hear the truth. He looked down on his notebook. Aside from his scribble, he had taken no note. He didn't like to waste his time and that was exactly what she represented: a waste of time, a useless distraction. He rose from his armchair and went to his desk. He took the file on his desk to write "FILE CLOSED" in large letters. Then he put it with his other patients' files. He sighed. He was always looking for the perfect patient... He could find him. He knew it, but it could take some time. But he knew he could get there. He just needed a little time.

He moved in front of his computer to consult the database containing all the names of his patients. He made a list of names. He wanted to update it. He searched each of the files in order to find the perfect candidate. He found someone and took several notes he added to the files. Just "potential" patients. Nothing concrete. Having no other patient the rest of the afternoon, he could do all the research he desired. It was very late when he finally stopped. He was not hungry. Not having found the "perfect patient" he was looking for disturbed him a lot, cutting off his appetite. He went to a small pub not far from his office to have a drink. Maybe a bourbon would be able to calm him down. He moved to the bar, observing for a moment the bottom of the glass while thinking. An elegantly clothed woman came to sit beside him. He hummed her perfume before drinking a sip.