After realizing who it was, Anna relaxed almost immediately. She thanked the heavens that Mrs. Beaufort arranged dinner at the Palace Deluxe and because she had the idea to look for Diana and borrow her dress. Or this handsome Doctor would see her dressed in old jeans, an even older pair of sneakers, and a stained T-shirt.
If he saw her in such a state, would destroy her feminine pride.
"Dr. Beaufort. You look very good."
"Oh yeah. And you?"
"Very well, thank you. Is Mrs.Beaufort already on the way?"
"I think so. My grandmother doesn't usually be late."
"That's nice."
An awkward silence settled in the room.
Soon a waiter came in with a tray with a bottle of wine and two glasses. He poured the wine and left again.
Anna took the glass and took a sip. The wine was smooth and delicious.
Seeing that the doctor didn't touch the wine, Anna was a little puzzled.
"Something wrong?"
"No, why?"
"You didn't touch the wine."
"I don't like alcoholic beverages."
"Oh, is that so? I wish I didn't like them either."
"You talk like you're an alcoholic."
"Well, unfortunately I think I'm getting closer to that every day." Anna commented absently, looking at the glass of wine.
"Did you break up a complicated relationship recently?" Asked Steve.
He was an excellent psychiatrist. Of course he could see the sadness and disappointment in her eyes whenever she was distracted.
"It's. And it was awful. I can ask a question?"
"You're already making one." Steve laughed lightly. "Go ahead."
"Don't be offended, please, but I have to ask. Do all men have a desire to control every second of one's life to the point of being abusive?"
"No. There are two types of men who like control. The first is men who are powerful and like things to be according to their plans. They can usually listen to someone else's intentions and consider changing plans. These men usually want to control the people they care about. Well, not exactly people, they like to control the aspects of life. Because they are powerful, worry about the safety and well-being of their loved ones, not the kind that hurt without reason, quite the contrary, if there is hurt, in 90% of cases, a way in which they find to protect the person they care about."
Steve took a deep breath and continued his analysis.
"And there is another kind of controlling man. The guy who has low self-esteem and needs to see someone suffer as much as they do to be happy. I like to refer to them as "Sick Idiot Pigs". They need treatment with psychologists, only then can they stop being idiots. Well, there are also incurable cases, schizophrenia or other psychopathy, but most are just idiots. In which case does your ex-boyfriend fit in?"
"In the case, the sick idiot pig, I believe."
"These are pretty annoying, but there are usually ways to easily recognize this type. How did you fall in love with this?"
Anna, who had already drunk her second glass while listening to Steve's analysis, took the bottle and poured herself another glass.
"At first he was kind and chivalrous. After our relationship reached a point, I realized that it changed. He was no longer kind. He started off with nasty words and got to the point of being violent, but the next day he always apologized and said it was the stress of work. Until the day I caught him in bed with another. Our bed. Then I realized that he never respected me and that it wasn't the stress of work that made him abusive. He was abusive, is himself."
"Gentle? May I ask if at the beginning of the relationship he would call you all the time wanting to know your whereabouts and would repeatedly appear where you said you were?"
"Yes. He did that. Just worry, right?"
"In some cases, yes. In his, no. He was just starting to control you. After that he would probably say what kind of clothes you could wear and if you question him, he would say he didn't want other men looking at his girlfriend. Soon he would say where you could go and where you couldn't. Then he would try to push his friends away by saying bad things about them. Finally, he would begin to disrespect and say offensive words. And when he thinks you were completely overpowered, he would look for another prey to do the same scheme."
Anna, who was already pouring herself the fourth glass of wine, listened to everything Steve said and thought about their relationship.
"It was just like that! How do you know that?"
"Sick idiot pigs are always like that. And I am a psychiatrist. I study the human mind. It is almost a must to know the types of problem personalities."
"Wow, talking to a doctor about your problems can be enlightening!" Anna thought she would love to have met Steve earlier and heard that before she hit rock bottom.
"Well, I'll give you another medical advice. And this is free. Stop drinking." Steve rang the bell and a waiter came in. "Take the wine and bring tea." He looked at Anna. "I prefer black tea, any preferences?"
"Another black tea guy? Okay. Bring the black tea." Anna, who was already red-faced with alcohol laughed slightly.
The waiter left carrying the two-thirds empty wine bottle.
"Another black tea guy?"
"My best friend and her husband drink black tea all day. They say "A source of caffeine without the obnoxious smell and taste of coffee.""
"And they are right. Tea has several beneficial to the body, unlike coffee. You should drink tea, they all have antioxidants, but white tea is the one with the highest amounts. Green tea helps a lot to lose weight. Black tea is excellent for mind, helps improve concentration."
"A good doctor is really a good doctor." Anna shook her head slightly, struck by Steve's intelligence and knowledge. "Wait, aren't all these kinds of tea coming from the same plant?"
Anna studied nutrition, of course she would know one or two things about it, so she wanted to know as far as he knew about it.
"Yes, but the time the leaves are harvested and their processing creates different results."
"You are really incredible." Anna was impressed. The man was handsome and intelligent, and working in a large hospital like Dunkelheit Hospital, clearly he would receive a good salary. He was the perfect type of man for any woman.
Steve was a little embarrassed by the girl's words. It was not his intention to be aired or anything.