A Boudoir Book for the Billionaire

Chapter 2

Thaz stared at his cousin, Harriet Evans, one of the best psychologists in the country. Then, his blue eyes transferred to the small paper he held in his hand where his name “Balthazar Harris Evans” was reflected, as well as the dates of the flight to Asia, the Philippines specifically. It was a round-trip ticket, which made his brows furrow.

The two cousins were currently in Harriet’s private clinic in London. The clinic was divided into two parts, the receiving and the consultation areas. At the moment, they were in the latter, which was enclosed by light rose-colored walls, with pendant lightings and shiny wood floor. There was a comfortable single bed in a corner, which had a white pillow and a white cover sheet. A table was set near it, where a silver metronome stood on top of it.

“That’s a gift for you, Thaz. You’ve been quite a good boy these past two years.” Harriet spoke with such light heartedness, smiling at him like a mother who was proud of her son.

He snorted and tilted his head on one side. “You’re not sending me again to that bloody hot country!” Clear protest was in his tone, squinting his azure eyes at her.

Her reason at first for sending him on that specific island when he asked was because she heard from one of the Filipino nurses she knew that it was a great place for foreigners to retire. It must mean it was beautiful, peaceful and safe. These were the most important things for Thaz. Moreover, local people could speak English, unlike most parts of Thailand, which was another contender for beautiful beaches in Asia.

“Don’t you like hot? Hot girls—”

“Enough!” His straight nose with narrow nostrils flared however. He gritted his teeth. “You can’t possibly throw me again to that small sock-like island where a dormant volcano can wake up and explode!”

“That volcano is safe as far as I know. The island uses it as their source for electricity, Thaz. You were there for a couple of months! Nothing happened.”

“Well, they do also have another one that’s active! That’s even more dangerous!”

“People are still alive, and foreigners enjoy the island. Don’t tell me you didn’t enjoy exploring it three years ago? Besides, don’t you want to see your hero again?”

The thirty-nine-year-old Thaz grimaced, but he did smile a little, trying to hide it from her. Nothing escaped from his cousin nonetheless. His cousin Harriet, who was four years older than him, still appeared to treat him like a boy.

“I hate commercial planes!” He said it like it was a curse.

Harriet stared at him intently. “But you have to use it. As it is, not all commercial planes allow you to take your animals. If they do, it’s limited. So, it’s the reason why you can’t definitely use your own private jet to go to the Philippines where you may easily take your dogs with you. Well, if you do have new ones that I know nothing about?” She paused, staring at his face intently.

The bachelor did not reply, simply averted his eyes to the summer afternoon view outside the closed glass window. He could see the setting sun that painted the horizon pink, gold and orange.

Harriet prompted like a professional that she was. “Remember that this is part of your cognitive behavioral therapy, Thaz. If you’re really with me on this, which you tried your best to commit, please, for the love of your family—for us—you will and you can do this, all right?” She looked at him with pleading light gray eyes. Her square jaw was slightly set though.

The Caucasian woman with an average height and body rose from her rose-colored swivel chair. She approached him where he was seated, at the long sofa adjacent to the narrow bed. She put a hand on his shoulder, looking down at him.

“Thaz, you need to do this. You as one of England’s billionaires have to make me and your brother prouder, all right? Remember that you don’t want others to know your weakness, so you have to be strong. Show your enemies, or rivals, that you are! You have to be focused now more than ever. You need to face this discomfort and adjust to another lifestyle that behests your status in the society.”

“You know I’m doing my bloody best, Harriet,” he answered defensively. “I’m getting far more better, aren’t I? I was there in that hot country and survived!”

“Yes, but you kept taking in stray dogs there. It was not part of our bleeding agreement or your therapy either! So this time, you need to focus! Learn to part with those that aren’t needed… Learn how to sift and sort on a daily basis… I’ve taught you how, so be decisive! Your distress will subside on its own if ever you’re there again. Just focus on getting cured for good and—”

“I’ve been doing that,” he cut her off. “Remember what I did to the stray dogs I took in in the Philippines?”

“Okay, you did a good job then. You were able to let go, but you had an anxiety attack that I had to be there as soon as I could. That was almost like a disaster if you hadn’t listened to me and hadn’t taken your medication. But yes, overall, you did great and handled it well, thanks to your hero. Your mind was taken off by your immediate concern. That hero of yours did help. A lot. Do you think you can find that person again?”

He gave her a mysterious smile. He actually drew that person, and sometimes, he would peek at it, reminiscing that eventful night. He was lucky his hero was there when he needed someone at the time. He wondered how that person was doing now. He must find his hero anyway.

Harriet flipped her shoulder-length dyed blond hair, giving him an eye roll. He watched her slightly massage her temple. While she was at it, she instinctively avoided the flat mole on her left temple. Her red plump lips were clamped tightly as she gave him a side glance. It came with a warning.

“Just remember you’re cured. We bleeding claimed it! It’s been a couple years since you last took in a bleeding dog in your home! We’re doing this now to make sure you’re completely fine. Okay?”

Thaz’s heart buoyed at her words, smiling to himself. He was quite proud of himself for that. The only dog left at home was Dixie. She was a six-year-old black Rottweiler, about forty-eight kilograms. His butler, Oscar, was the one who took care of her. Mainly.

Thaz couldn’t ever let go of her because she was the descendant of his mother’s favorite dog. The said dog died six months after his sick mother died of breast cancer. He was just seven then. It was around that time when he started to hoard dogs. Whenever he saw a dog, especially a stray one, he always asked the butler to get it for him, thinking it would what his mom would do. And if he happened to pass through a pet shop and see a black dog, he would beg his father to buy it for him and bring the dog home.

His father never noticed that it was something serious. It was too late when their house and yard were almost filled with dogs. He was around twenty then. Their housemaids and butler could barely function in their home, and even Thaz himself could not take care of these dogs. He hired a kennel worker, as his father especially built a house for all these dogs that Thaz took in.

But when Thaz’s father decided to let go of these dogs, telling him it wasn’t healthy anymore, he started to have panic attacks. He and his father had a row after that. Nevertheless, his father was supportive of him. And then, his old man brought him to a shrink. The therapy did not go well though, only at first. It never lasted. Thaz was adamant about not letting go of his precious dogs, especially the ones that were his mother’s dog’s descendants. There was nothing the shrink or his father could do for him then.

Thaz’s hoarding continued until he was older, and his father died of a heart attack in the middle of the night in his room. It was so sudden. He thought his father would live forever, so he was devastated by it, as well as his half-brother Charlie, who was four years younger than he was.

Thaz was only twenty-five when his father died, and he had taken over the company, as per his father’s will. Charlie was still studying at the university then. As both of them were motherless, they stuck together as they should. As brothers.

Charlie’s mother was Thaz’s father’s mistress. Due to his mother’s illness, his father had an affair. Although his mother knew about it, she never hated Thaz’s father. And perhaps it was the reason why Thaz also dearly loved his innocent brother instead of hating him. His mother taught him how to love and to forgive, not to hate.

“I got to go, Harriet. Thanks for this.” Thaz rose from his seat and kissed her on the cheek.

“I’ll see you when you get back from the Philippines?” She looked hopeful.

“Aren’t you going to come with me and ensure that the bloody therapy is going well?”

“I have to trust you on this, especially this time. We’ll speak at least once a week Or whenever you bleeding need me. My line’s always open for you, Thaz.” She smiled at him with confidence and encouragement, cupping his right cheek. “You can do this, Thaz. I just know it.”

He smiled at her boyishly. “Okay. But, hey. Aren’t you going to have dinner with me and Charlie and his wife this weekend?”

Her eyes went round. “What? There’s no special occasion, is there? And you know how I hate your bleeding sister-in-law!” She grimaced, pouting her lips.

Thaz chuckled. “You know what? Just stop hating her. It’s not good for your health,” he advised with a mocking grin and went out of the clinic fast before she could catch him and smack him.