"This is a guess: advertising? About ten people work for you."
"Public relations. There are about twenty people, but not all are full time. Many work from home. The Internet has been great in allowing us to expand the business without people needing office space."
"The business must be very good. Only the high-income patients are referred here. There must be long hours involved in such a high-pressure business; some clients would need 24/7 care and attention."
"Yes! Some of our clients are so demanding, and most are high maintenance! As well as their own needs there is additional trouble they can get into and need some help in extracting themselves. Others are never happy and I seem to spend my entire life dealing with other people's petty problems. A ninety-hour week is nothing. But my clients pay big money and they expect a corresponding level of service. They can easily change companies and, to be truthful, there is probably not much between the various organisations. We all offer the same service, which is often damage control. And we all try and make egocentric overly demanding people happy." Laura visibly relaxed as the topic of the conversation turned professional rather than personal. "We need to convince each of our high paying clients that we are doing something more than they can get from another company, when probably any differences are very insignificant and handle problems that should never have happened. And if a ten year-old did the same things you would smack their rear, at least that is what my mother would have done. Today, who knows?" However, the next question was very disconcerting.
"When did you break-up with you last partner? Male?"
"Most definitely male! VERY male! On our holiday in January. We went to Vietnam for two weeks. We left as a couple and came home on different planes. He arrived first, and cleaned out his stuff from my apartment. The last I saw of him was him leaving the hotel screaming that the he was sick of me and sick of being on vacation alone."
"When did the problem with sleeping start?" Laura glanced at the doctor's letter to reassure herself that it was still unopened.
How could he possibly know that?
she wondered.
"About a month after that."
"The lack of concentration? Headaches? Lack of energy?"
"Around the same time."
Martin decided a change of topic was necessary. "How long did you dance for?"
Laura sat bolt upright in her chair. "How the hell did you know that?"
"You just told me." Laura looked less than pleased with this flippant answer. "It was the way that you walked and sat. Rather than a flop it was a very elegant sit. You have very powerful and graceful legs, someone who is concerned with appearances. We have had several people that have previously stayed with us who were dancers for some time. They all moved the same. It seems to be a once learned and never forgotten thing.
The next question was even more disconcerting than the previous: it was completely different and unnervingly accurate. "Since the break-up, have you been spending a lot more on clothes and shoes?"
"Well I never! I did not come here to be insulted, or to be interrogated about things that are of no concern to you. Goodbye." She started to get out of the chair, pivoted and bent down to pick up her handbag. She was so upset that she hadn't considered her position and Al's location. Rather than bending at the knees she simply bent at the waist and this presented an excellent view of her almost perfect behind. Her tight cotton skirt was pulled tight as she bent showing a perfect circle and a smooth surface. Either she had neglected her panties today or she wasn't wearing a full brief. No panty lines for this girl.
The next question was a slap in the face. "How long do the batteries last? A month?"
"What the fuck? How dare you? How dare you! I came here for help and all you have done is to insult and degrade me, and generally treat me like dirt. Thank you. Thank you for nothing! I am so out of here!" Laura stomped past Martin to the door.
He waited until she was almost to the door before he gently said, "This is the first part in the process. A solution requires an understanding of the problem, and we both need to understand the problem. All of these questions help us both to define the problem. People only come to me as a last resort. If you leave now, where will you go next? If you want a solution then please sit down, but sit down with an open mind. Remember that I am not a doctor, and I am looking for a solution. The other medical practitioners have not been able to help you. We have over 200 guests that came to this place with a similar problem. Some found this to be a permanent solution; others found it a workable temporary solution. In all cases the client found the initial concept hard to understand and then hard to accept. It may not work for you, and in ten minutes you may again be going to the door. In that case I will not try and stop you."
Laura returned to the chair and again sat gracefully on the edge. "The clock has started. It's your ten minutes."
"Would you like a cup of coffee? I have my own cappuccino machine. One of the perks of the job."
"A cappuccino would be nice. No sugar."
Martin left her to cool down while he made the coffee. He quickly returned and placed the coffee beside her on the table. As she was sitting and he standing, he was offered a great view down her jacket. Her low cut bra pushed her breasts upward and provided a nice curve. The deep valley between them and the shadows were intriguing. Laura caught him looking but did not look displeased. She rather looked bored. She interrupted his concentration with, "You were saying?"
"Oh yes." He picked up the letter for emphasis and moved it across his desk, near the edge. He then picked up his folder and started to read. "This is profile that I have of you, based on the questions that you have answered and the similar cases that have stayed in this resort."
Laura nodded her head and seemed to become more interested in the conversation. "You are a workaholic. Your business is the most important aspect in your life. On the last holiday you probably spent more time ringing the business each day than with your partner." Laura looked down at the floor and barely nodded her head. "Your staff are uninterested in the business and constantly make mistakes. You need to check all their work as well as you do your own. Your mother is continually nagging about your marital status and never fails to remind you that your sister is married with two gorgeous children.
"Although you have a high income you also spend big time. Often as a reward for the alone time that you have and as a reward for the work that you do. However, there is also the need for some affection and a moving toy is a poor substitute. But, it does allow you to sleep at night.
"At the end of the day the thought of looking for someone requires too much effort and a late night bottle of wine, an application of a vibrator between those beautiful legs and the day is done." Laura's eyes grew bigger and bigger as Martin spoke. When he mentioned about being "between those legs" Laura turned a bright shade of red and started to glare and almost stood up to leave. Before she could act on the impulse Martin continued.
"The first step in the process is to recharge and rejuvenate you. This means have a holiday."
At this Laura leaned forward and said with a great deal of venom, "After being insulted, degraded, and embarrassed, this is your solution: have a holiday? That's it? Have a holiday!"
"You did not let me finish," replied Martin with some authority. "Obviously a typical holiday will have you calling the office everyday, frustrated with how they are doing things. Frustrated with all the other couples having a good time, and you will end up flat on you back, legs spread, with the first young guy that asks you the time of day. The holiday will end and you will be poorer and worse off than you are at the moment."
"So what is you solution?" the sarcasm dripping from each syllable.
"You need a holiday from," here Martin paused for emphasis, "you. Rather than a holiday where you make decisions and still do work everyday, we give you a holiday free of decisions. Every minute is planned and the only questions that you will face are what to order off the menu. Your telephone is confiscated. A receptionist will answer all calls. If they are deemed important they will be forwarded to you. Since we opened the only call that has been forwarded was about the death of a relative. You will be placed in a team of 4 and there will be group and individual activities with a team leader. Most people find that the complete change of pace and the loss of control changes them: it breaks the cycle. Sleep patterns improve and they leave here much better prepared to handle the stress of their working life."
Laura looked at Martin with a great deal of disbelief. "I understand what you are saying, but I am really having trouble believing this is going to solve my problem."
