4. Gynophobia

"Go. Go all of you!" 

===== 

A cold morning. The cloudy light came in gently through the white curtains over there. The faint beam of sky blended one with the light of the sleeping lamp in the room. 

A warm feeling spread in the room. Considering that it was still snowing outside, heating became one of the saviors of men who were lying on the bed. Saved his body from the cold that froze all objects outside.

The sense of satisfaction playing in dreamland, made the furry eyelids that were closed move. The small rectangular clock above the nightstand was already showing eleven o'clock in the afternoon.

Dave opened his eyes slowly. The beautiful emerald bead immediately greeted the light from the vastness of the sky, making the man blink his eyes, surprised by the bright light that was not too dazzling.

Loudly moaned while feeling an uncomfortable throbbing around his temples and the crown of his head. The tilted sleeping position has now changed on your back. 

Once again, Dave made a sound over the pain given by his head. Naturally, last night he had drunk three bottles of liquor on an empty stomach. Not trying to hurt or commit suicide through alcohol, but ... Yesterday was his worst day.

"Ukh!" A round of clichés of yesterday's events repeated clearly in his brain, Dave seemed to be watching the first movie himself.

"Are you awake?" Sam, who had just opened the door, immediately greeted Dave who was trying to seat himself.

The shirtless man was still pressing on the temples that seemed to want to fall from the shell of his head. Before long, her beautiful emerald eyes looked closely at the face of a friend who had bruises with a touch of torn wounds on the corners of her lower lip. 

Dave remembered, last night... he beats Sam who finds himself sitting limp on the edge of the pavement. Her body trembled not because of the cold with the snowfall, but because of the actions of a strange woman who touched her body twice.

"Do you wish I was dead?" quipped Dave. His reply drew the crisp laughter of Sam Owen who leaned casually against the wooden door.

"Come on, I have already accepted my punishment. So, stop sulking. Hurry up and wash your face and eat." Sam snapped and then smiled wryly as he took his gaze away from Dave. "Hm... I am indeed too good, just want to take care of the person who has given the wound on my handsome face."

"What did you get from that brazen woman, to dare to betray your own friend?" said Dave still upset about the incident a few hours ago.

Sam looked back at Dave. "Well, that's what I haven't thought about ... The plan is that after taking care of you, then I will collect my payment."

Just finished a sentence. A pillow was thrown right at Sam.

"Fuck! Get out of my house!" emotioned Dave. He is upset that Sam is using himself to approach women. Although it happens often, Sam never makes his target woman until he approaches Dave.

Last night's incident is really non-negotiable. Although he had already rained fists on Sam, his heart was still upset! Receiving a strange woman's touch when her body and emotions are unstable, really make her cramped and want to die.

Fortunately, last night someone broke up until he could return to his sanity. If not, maybe he would already be a murderer for the first time.

"Hey Brother, look around you, asshole! This is my home!" annoyed Sam again throwing a pillow at his friend. The longer Dave's bad temper became, the wilder it became.

Dave sighed as he leaned his head against the wall. He is aware of those misplaced and overstepped emotions. 

His eyes looked at the ceiling there, thinking about how he could be freed from the feeling that was gnawing at his soul.

The psychotherapy he has been doing since the age of thirteen, feels useless. Dave can only accept his mother's existence and use the help of anti-anxiety drugs if he wants to meet women or leave the house.

Dave was really frustrated with his weakness. Suffering from phobias that always feel afraid and anxious when facing or seeing women. A strange phobia better known as gynophobia.

"Aren't you better see a psychologist again? Don't keep relying on medicine, more--"

"Noisy."

Sam sighed resignedly. Dave is really stubborn. Because of his attitude, Sam is desperate to bring Dave closer to Estelle. At least, he knew Estelle even though she didn't know her.

"Last night, what did you do to Elle? Why can you be on the side of the road? There's no way, right, Elle kicked you out of the taxi," the barrage of questions that had made Sam very curious since last night he was finally able to get out.

Dave pulled one eyebrow. "Elle?"

"Yes, Elle is my friend. The woman I told to take you home."

Dave chuckled at Sam's narrative that had seen his lie. "Your friend or your target? Moreover, since when did your type of woman change like that?" Dave laughed mockingly. "Your joke this time is really very funny! If you're trying to judge her, let me tell you, she's, just like any other woman. Tsk, considering how he dared to touch me, it feels disgusting!"

Sam's forehead frowned faintly. Don't believe Dave's story. "Whatever, what do you want to say. However you judge, Elle is still my friend. Never mind, hurry down and fill your stomach!" grumbled Sam, closing the guest room door again, leaving Dave who seemed to be sitting on the bed for a long time. 

Actually, last night he could have brought Dave home. However, his friend even fell asleep while on the way. It was Dave's fault who changed his door password, just because he visited too often without an invitation, Dave always changed his penthouse password. Now, if Dave gets drunk Sam will take him to the house or to Nightbar's room.

"What else?" asked Dave flatly, as the door opened slightly again and saw Sam's head popup.

"Instead of sitting useless like that, you'd better check your email, I have already sent you a cooperation report."

"The report belongs to P or Z?"

"Don't be kidding! I told you, I won't want to help you at the Polaris Hotel!" Do you want to make me vomit because I keep looking at your face, huh! Hurry up and check the email! I have to decide it in two hours right away!"

Dave slashed tiredly right after Sam's return door closed. His friend deliberately tortured him. Every time his gynophobia recurred, Sam would give him a pile of work! In fact, even without being given, he was busy enough.

"Elle? If I said, I strangled his woman, would he strangle me too?" Dave scratched his hair as he got out of bed. "Has the type changed? Just look at it at a glance, that woman is the troublesome type!"

Just about to step into the bathroom, the flat object on the nightstand sounded, the screen display showed the identity of the caller.

"Mommy?" whispered Dave as he picked up his gadget and received a call from Mommy.

A soft, soothing voice instantly greeted her ears. Only for a moment Dave's heart felt calm, because a minute later his mother, Callie Jasmeen reported something that made his face stiffen. 

Callie says that she has prepared a partner for Dave. A woman who is going to accompany Dave to the business parter party of the Polaris Hotel.

"Hello? Dave? Can you hear Mommy's voice? Dave?" 

Callie's voice that had called him twice could only awaken Dave from his anxiety. How not to be restless? Two years ago, he told his parents that he was fully healed, which is why he never visited a psychologist again. Dave just didn't want to see his parents sad, let alone look at him with a pitying look.

"I hear you, Mom. Let's talk about this later, okay?"

"Dave, is your phobia really gone? Or sometimes recur? If you feel the symptoms again, you should not --"

"Mommy, it's okay. I'm already fine. If my phobia recurs, Daddy will definitely find out. After all, Mommy knows it herself, right? In a day I have to meet a lot of women in the hotel? And see? I'm fine until now, right?" interrupted Dave ending with a bitter smile, fortunately Callie couldn't see it. 

Dave could hear that on the other side of the connection, Callie breathed a sigh of relief. Yes ... This is already true. This lie is also a motivation to make himself more trying to get rid of his phobia. Lastly, counseling, psychologists advise to communicate frequently with women. However, every time they want to try, many women even misinterpret Dave's actions. 

Dave is already known as a haughty and ruthless person. So, if he opens up a lot of voices to women, they will consider themselves special. 

Continued ....