The Chinese Tiger Ying

"It doesn't matter anyway if I can't sustain a proper relationship with a partner," I said. "I'm not keen to be a single mother. I'm not even certain whether I want to have kids, actually."

Nix nodded as if it were perfectly normal for a woman to be unable to have a functional relationship and to reject the idea of bearing offspring.

"I don't know anyone like me, well except for my best mate Jackie," I said. "But, I don't think she wants to be in a relationship anyway."

"Trust me," Nix said. "Many men and women have difficulty with relationships."

"The whole thing makes me sad because I can't seem to work out what to do," I said.

"What would you like to do?" Nix said.

"I'd like to learn how to function in a proper relationship so I can stop packing a sad," I said. "And, there is this guy in Los Angeles I fancy quite a lot. But, he already has a partner and is unavailable. I'm having a difficult time coming to grips with it, and it has left me feeling gloomy and miserable."

There I'd said it, as bloody ridiculous as I knew it all had sounded. I gripped the arms of the chair to stop myself from making a quick dash out of the office.

"That must be painful for you," Nix said.

"It is."