The lights went off, leaving an eerie darkness in the room.

I looked at Allen questioningly.

'I like to make the office comfortable when I see clients.'

Was it me, or was there an inexplicable tremor in his voice when he said the word 'clients'?

'Can you turn on a light? I can't really see.'

'You don't need to see.' I couldn't see him but I could sense his smarmy smile on his face. This man was supposed to be my salvation but I couldn't stop feeling a sense of unease around Allen.

He got up and turned on the stereo. Calming music- I think it was Chopin- played softly.

'Now Syed. I want you to close your eyes.' I obeyed him.

'Think of your last sexual experience.'

I couldn't with him in the room. My time with Christian was- had been- sacred. How could I share it with a man I barely knew? As if sensing my thoughts Allen said, 'Utmost participation is required in order for treatment to be successful.'

I remembered.

Christian and I on the floor in my flat... Pleased to see me? He'd smirked. I had smiled, I was putty in his hands. Happy Birthday, Sy... I can't be here... We'd kissed, softly at first and then passionately. I'd cried out his name... He'd traced my torso, peppered my stomach with soft kisses. My nails had dug into his back as I wrapped my legs around him. He''dscreamed, our voices becoming one. Our lovemaking got more and more frenzied. I kissed him hoping it would never end. Crying when it did. He'd kissed my lay, breathing each other in. Then the wordless moment where we both grabbed each other's hair, crying out, holding each other as our bodies melded together, not knowing where I started and he began... Then the silence as somebody discovered our clandestine tryst...

The lights came on. My eyes fluttered open, blurry as they adjusted to the light and from the sting of tears that were begging to be spilt.

'It was wrong.' Allen said simply, looking at me with sympathetic eyes. Christian and I wrong?

'I'm sorry but it was wrong.'

'How is telling me that helping me?' I lashed out.

'You're a very enlighted man, Syed Masood. You're getting quite far in treatment- this is your last session remember so you tell me.' He moved closer to me on the settee.

I moved away, trying not to make it obvious I was doing so.

He ignored the hint and move closer. 'The next part of treatment is what I call reproduction therapy. Now, Syed. This is where you and I reproduce the activities you did with Christian in order to desensitize yourself to the harmful effects that produce pleasure.'

'I don't think that's such a good idea...' I said, trying to get up.

Allen grabbed my arm. I suddenly realised, with a dim horror, what his intentions were.

His grip was surprisingly strong. He looked at the notes on his lap. 'The first thing you did with Christian was kiss him, leading on to oral sex and finally penetrative sex. Shall we start with that?'

I looked at him in disbelief. 'What?'

He grabbed my face. 'What are you doing? Surely you can't be serious?' I said, struggling to get up. Panting, he kissed me, prised my mouth open with his huge tongue and stuck it down my throat. I gagged. He tasted like old rags and cigarettes. I pushed against him with all my might but it made no difference. He was like a vice.

He pulled away, grinning. 'How was that? Now for the oral sex...' He moved the hand that was around my wrist to my belt buckle and in that split second, I mustered up all the strength I had and punched him in the face. I was never a great fighter but it connected and he fell to the floor, groaning in pain.

Panicking, I ran to the door and tried the handle. It was locked.

I hadn't noticed him lock the door. Allen stood up, clutching his nose.

'You little dick...' He snarled. 'Nobody rejects me. I promised I'd cure your disease and I will. We can do it the easy way or we can do it the hard way.' He moved closer to me.

What the hell had I got myself into? I was locked in a room with a closeted gay nutjob. I looked around. I quickly grabbed a nearby vase and hit Allen over the head with it. He fell to the floor unconscious. I prayed to Allah he wasn't dead. I pulled out my mobile phone and quickly dialled 999.

'Hello? Which service would you like?'

'Ambulance and Police.'

'I knocked a man unconscious with a vase because he tried to sexually assault me. He's in number 69, Holmwood Close, Walford. '

'We'll be right over.'

Shaking, I cycled through my phonebook. Who could I ask to pick me up? I couldn't ask Tam, he'd had bad feelings about Allen from the start and he'd be horrified. I couldn't ask Mum because she'd be heartbroken that once again, I'd failed. I couldn't ask Dad... well... just because. I found myself dialing the one number I never thought I'd dial again.

'Hello?'

'Christian, it's me. Can you come and get me?'