Page 2 of The Attercop
Well, this one’s not overly chatty, she thought.
“And what’s your birth date?”
“September nineteenth, nineteen-ninety-five.”
“So, you’re almost thirty-one. Are you single, married or in a steady relationship?”
He paused, then replied, “Single at the moment.”
She noted the hesitation. “And have you ever seen a mental health therapist before?”
“No,” he replied.
“All right, Colin. Is it okay if I call you Colin, or do you prefer Mr Winkler?”
“Colin is fine.”
“Good. So, Colin, I want to get the business part of this session out of the way. First of all, everything you say here is confidential. Only you and I will be privy to what you say during our sessions. As a professional, I also have to disclose my fees to ensure you are comfortable with what I charge for my services. Since the initial meeting is really just to get to know you a little bit, it might be shorter, and as such will only cost fifty dollars. If you have private insurance, I can bill them directly. If, after our first session, you decide to continue with me, we can discuss billing further at that time, but generally my services run at about one hundred and fifty dollars per hour. Is that okay with you?”
“That’s fine,” he said, nodding. “I can afford that.”
“Good. Now, a few other things. Do you mind if I take some notes while we talk?”
“No. No problem.”
“And don’t feel that you have to slow down what you’re saying or wait for me to catch up. I’ve become very fast at making notes.”
She had already jotted down a few discreet observations—drab-coloured clothes, plain cheap eyeglasses, and dirty hair pulled back into a ponytail. This was definitely not a man who was dressing to impress. And yet, behind the glasses…something…a cold determined look in the eyes.
She continued. “Now, if you decide that you would like to carry on with our sessions, I may sometimes record them ifthat’s okay with you. That way I can catch all of the fine nuances of what you say. How do you feel about that?”
He mulled this over. “Do many of your clients say no?”
“My clients trust that I’ll keep the recordings secure.”
He considered this, then nodded. “Yes, recording on a future session would be fine. Just not today.”
“That’s fine, Colin. So, let’s get to the important part of this meeting. I’d like to get to know you a bit, and find out what you’re hoping to get out of our time together. Can you tell me why you’ve come here today?”
Colin shifted in his seat. “I’m afraid of things.”
She looked down and made a note. “What sorts of things?”
“May I have a glass of water, please?”
“Of course.”
She got up and went to the small fridge by her desk. “I hope you don’t mind bottled water?”
“No, that would be all right,” he said as she returned and passed him the bottle.
His hands trembled as he took off the cap, set it down, lifted the bottom of his mask and took a sip of water. When he was finished, he put the mask back into place. He stayed silent.
“Are you all right, Colin?” Michael asked gently.
“Yes. I’m sorry.”
“Would you like to continue?” she asked.
