The following week, Caleb was late for his session. He called ahead and Richard explained that it wouldn’t be a problem.

“I’ll get the next client in early and you can take her session,” Richard explained. “The last one of the day.”

Caleb heaved a sigh of relief. The traffic was horrendous, but at least now the pressure was off.

He arrived half an hour later, which meant he had another fifteen minutes to wait until his session. He flicked through some magazines, but, as always, they were never magazines an ordinary person wanted to flick through. The copies of Psychology Today, Interiors, and Architectural Digest were obviously Richard’s, since only a person who charges a hundred and eighty dollars an hour would read them in the first place.

As four-thirty approached, Caleb felt strangely tense. What did Doctor Johanssen have in store for him today? More nudity? His cock began to stir at the thought. If only. The minutes ticked by more and more slowly. Caleb kept looking from his magazine to the closed door and back again. Finally, there was a click. The door opened and there were voices. First a middle-aged woman appeared, all smiles and gratitude, and then Richard, who winked at him. They walked to the small reception desk where the woman paid her fee. They made an appointment for the following week and Richard escorted her to the door.

“Caleb.” He said as he turned. “You made it.”

Caleb got to his feet and shook Richard’s hand. “I did. Thank you for swapping my appointment.”

Richard guided Caleb into the office.

“You seem happier this week,” said Richard, gesturing for Caleb to take a seat.

“I guess I am,” he replied. “Slowly it happens.”

Richard laughed. “I’m glad things seem to be working out for you. Now, tell me what you did over the past week that made you happy.”

“Well I did two things. First, I went to the cinema, which I used to love as a kid, but it ended up not making me happy. It ended up being stressful.”

“Why was that?”

“People talking. People using their mobile phones. Someone was throwing popcorn. A bunch of kids were up the back screaming at all the scary parts. I mean exaggerated screaming. It ruined the whole experience for me. I like get lost in a movie. Lose myself in the story. There wasn’t much chance of that happening with an audience like that.”

Richard, as always was making notes.

“Then on Sunday I drove out to the hills and took a walk in the forest.”

“And that made you feel happy?”

“It always does. In fact, if I had enough money, I’d buy somewhere in the country and move there for good.”

“That sounds like a goal to me,” said Richard. “It’s good to have achievable goals.”

“I don’t know how achievable it is.”

“You’re still young. Work hard and save your money. You never know what you can achieve.”

Caleb wasn’t convinced.

“Today is going to be difficult,” Richard began. “I want you to sit for a moment and think about what I’m about to ask you then I want you to speak. I want you to tell me your most painful memory. The one thing that is perhaps too painful to talk about, I want you to talk about.”

Caleb had so many to choose from, though it didn’t take him long to come to the one thing that could still bring tears to his eyes when he thought about it.