Temporary Master Read Online Free PDF Page A

man who had severe domination issues to the extent
a court in both Chicago and New York had ordered him into therapy. It just had
been his luck that he was one of the few psychiatrists in the Napa Valley area
who specialized in such matters.
    “Thank
you, Dolly, please take Mr. Vayarti to the therapy room. I shall join him
shortly.”
    “Of
course.” She gracefully backed out of the room, shutting the door behind her.
    Continuing
to sip the green tea from the small ceramic cup, he thoughtfully gazed at the
pattern on it. Embossed with gold leaf and an intricate river scene, the
handleless cup fit perfectly in his palm. It was part of the tea set which had
been a wedding gift from Tamiko’s family shortly after they’d married. It was
one of the few things he’d brought to America when he’d left Japan nearly five
years ago. Despite its origin, the traditional cup paired with the delightful
taste of the gyokuro had the ability to sooth him, while still mentally
preparing him for the upcoming session.
    Glancing
at the clock, he noticed it was two minutes until the hour and regretfully
finished his drink. Rising, he carried the cup over to the small sink in the
corner of his office. Rinsing the cup, he gently washed it before laying it on
the tea towel with the rest of the set. After drying his hands, he gathered up
the file and let himself out of his office, making sure to lock it. A
precaution he’d adopted considering his therapy room and office were in his private
home. The last thing he needed was another patient arriving and having access
to something they shouldn’t.
    After
making sure his khaki pants and cotton shirt were lint free, he entered the
therapy room. He wasn’t surprised when his patient jumped at his entry.
Standing by the shelves on the far side of the room, a well-built man in his
early forties was playing with the small clay figurines Ethan collected. While
it don’t bother him, it surprised him considering what
he’d read in the file. He’d expected the man to be pacing, or even sitting and
reading. He wouldn’t have expected a man with dominance issues to be nervous.
    “Hello,
I’m Dr. Tremaine.” He shut the door behind him.
    “Louis
Vayarti.” The man tucked his hands into his pockets. “I hope you don’t mind but
your figurines are quite beautiful in their starkness. They don’t look to be
machine made though. They’re handcrafted, aren’t they?
    “Indeed.”
Ethan wasn’t about to tell his patient that he’d created them as a form of
therapy after Tamiko had died.
    “Do
you know by who ? My mother loves art, in fact she owns
a gallery in Chicago now, and would probably jump at the opportunity to show
them.”
    “From
my understanding, the artist is quite reclusive and did it as a way to relax.”
    Louis’s
face lit up. “So you know the artist personally? Do you think you could
introduce me? Even if he’s not interested in a showing, my mother’s birthday is
coming up and I’d love to commission a set of them for her.”
    “I
don’t think that’ll be possible.” Ethan forced a small smile. “He no longer
creates such things. I believe he found the peace he was looking for, and now
has no need to create any longer.” More like no time. The club and Sheila have kept me too busy to do much more than sleep. “But
we’re not here to discuss art, are we Mr. Vayarti?”
    “Please
call me Louis.” The dark haired man gave him a smile, before sinking into the
chair across from him. “After all you’re going to be probing my mind to try and
figure out why I flipped out. I think we should be on at least a first name
basis, don’t you?”
    “Of
course, I have no issue with you calling me Ethan.” Ethan moved to the
comfortable leather chair sitting adjacent to Louis. “So why don’t you tell me
about yourself?”
    Louis
shifted. “What’s there to tell that you haven’t got in your file there?” Louis
rubbed the back of his neck as if he were suddenly tired.