Page 6

six

JOSIE

R ay and I are having our second session, and while she’s not ready for us to go to her nest, there is a plethora of pillows and blankets in a small room that looks like it’s typically used as a den of sorts.

It’s dark in here, the furniture is dark wood, and the drapes are closed, giving it a cozy feeling.

Subtly sniffing the air, there’s a lingering scent of cedar and a touch of eucalyptus that calls to me.

I want to bury myself in the smell, but then I might get kicked out for lack of professionalism.

Even though my original scent sample of Ray didn’t sit great, I decided to give it another shot today.

She’s sweet, and I don’t want to pass up time with her for something as silly as my nose.

I’m hopeful that since it will be in person instead of a scent card, I’ll be able to handle it better.

So far, things have been fine. She doesn’t have my favorite scent, but in person, it isn’t as harsh and meshes well with the other scents around us, so I can ignore it.

Once the blankets are how she likes them, I look to her for permission before settling in and opening my arms for her.

Carefully, she steps closer and gently lowers herself, resting her head on my shoulder, her body tucked tight almost in a ball.

Resting my arm around her, I use the other to cover us so we’re nice and toasty.

At first, the quiet of sitting together feels a bit strained, but eventually I feel her body relax against me.

“How are you today?” I ask her softly.

She shrugs, but doesn’t answer verbally. It almost feels like square one again, but maybe she’s just slow to open up to people. That’s something I can definitely relate to. I don’t push her for an answer, I can respect her space.

“Yeah, I get that,” I tell her.

We snuggle in the quiet, but after only a moment, I can’t help but start to hum. I get through the first chorus before I feel her start to shake in my arms. Glancing down, worried that she’s crying, I see she’s actually biting her lip to keep from laughing.

“What?” I ask with my own smile.

“Are you humming ‘Jesse’s Girl’?”

Oh my goodness, I totally was. The realization sets me to giggling.

“I hadn’t even realized what I was humming! I just do it sometimes when I’m relaxing.” I laugh.

“Why ‘Jesse’s Girl’? There are a lot more relaxing songs you could hum.”

“Well, I absolutely love 80s music. I don’t know why, but it just makes me happy. I, uh, also went out with a guy named Jesse recently, so that might play into it,” I tell her.

“Tell me about your date?” she asks.

“Sure. He’s actually my neighbor, but we only met the other day.

When I was on my way here for our first session, actually, he was coming home from work, and we finally crossed paths.

He’s a bit anti-social, but super nice. We went and got coffee together, and it was nice just getting to know each other. ”

“Did he kiss you?”

I laugh. “No, no kissing yet. I, uh, I actually don’t date much.”

“Oh, I can understand that. Dating is the worst. Do you want to date more?” she asks softly.

“It sounds nice to do that, to find a person I can be with, but I have my own problems that make it hard for me to meet new people,” I admit.

She goes quiet at that, and we embrace the quiet for a few more moments. Ray shifts and snuggles closer before talking again.

“Henry isn’t really my brother,” she says quietly. “But he may as well be. He took me in a few months back with the support of his family, and they’re super nice.”

“I’m glad to hear that,” I match her volume and speak quietly as well.

“My mom died a while back. She wasn’t bad, but I’m not sure she ever really wanted me. When she passed, I stayed with my stepdad, who used touch withholding as punishment. If he thought I was bad, I didn’t get any kind of touch. He always found a reason for me to go without.”

I hum in understanding, knowing there aren’t any words that I can offer her.

Sometimes words aren’t enough. Sometimes the only way to feel understood and seen is to have someone sit in silence with you.

Knowing that they understand your pain enough to endure it with you in silence is comforting in a way words can never be.

A few moments later, there’s a light knock at the door.

My eyes go to Ray to see how she wants to handle the knock.

“I think Henry was planning to bring some snacks in, if you’re okay with it?” she tells me as though it’s a question.

“Sure, I don’t mind if you don’t.”

“You can come in, Henry!” she calls out, more confident talking to Henry than she has been to me.

The door opens, and before I can see his face, Henry’s scent slams into me.

Cedar and eucalyptus hit me full-force and tell me whose den we’ve been using.

It’s almost physically difficult for me to stay in this mini blanket nest with Ray.

All I want to do is put my nose to his neck and smell him.

As soon as that thought crosses my mind, I check myself.

I’ve never had a reaction to someone’s smell so strongly, except maybe Jesse.

His scent was a similar overwhelming experience.

The thought of Jesse immediately shames me.

Not only did I drool over another man during our coffee date, but now I’m comparing him to another Alpha.

I’m a terrible person. Jesse might not be my Alpha, but it feels like a betrayal anyway.

Who drools over multiple Alphas when they’re not in a Pack already?

Henry steps through the door with a wide smile on his face. His hair flops on his forehead as he tosses it out of his eyes. He sets the tray of food and drinks on a nearby table.

“Hey, sorry to interrupt, just delivering some snacks for you guys if you want any. I won’t stay, but let me know if you need anything.”

I smile at him in gratitude, and I’m pretty sure I swoon inside when he winks at me on his way out. Warmth infuses my cheeks, telling me I’m blushing like crazy. The door finally clicks closed, and my eyes linger on it for a few moments more.

“See somethin’ you like?” Ray quips, a playful tone I haven’t heard from her yet.

“Uh, no, I mean, yeah, but no, I mean… ugh.”

Ray laughs, delighted with my discomfort. I can’t help but smile along through my embarrassment, hearing her joy. She pulls away for only a moment to grab each of us a cookie and a bottle of water.

“It’s okay, he really is good-looking. If I were older, I’d be interested. Well, if I were older and he wasn’t like a brother to me.”

“Good to know,” I chuckle.

We adjust ourselves so that Ray is sitting between my legs, her back resting comfortably against my front.

It’s a position that could easily be sexual, but with her, it’s not.

It’s just soothing, even for me. Ray’s scent may not be something that I particularly like, but I find myself accepting her touch more easily than most.

The two of us spend the rest of our time oscillating between comfortable silence and chatting.

Ray is bright and easy to talk with, and I’m finding myself happier to have her as a client than I would have originally anticipated.

Experiencing her opening up to me is beautiful, and I’m grateful that she’s comfortable showing me this side of herself.

She chooses to stay and snuggle in the blankets when we’re done, so I wave goodbye from the doorway with a smile. Closing it softly, I jump when I realize Henry is right behind me. He holds his hands up with a sheepish grin.

“Sorry, didn’t mean to creep up on you. I was coming to check in, and you were closing the door, so I waited. Probably should have said something.” He apologizes.

I exhale and put my hand on my chest, “It’s no problem, really, I was just startled.”

“Things go okay in there?”

“Yeah, Ray really is lovely. I’m grateful to have her as a client.”

“I’m glad. She has a hard time opening up to people sometimes, so it’s good to hear she likes you enough to show her warm side,” Henry comments as we amble toward the front door.

“She mentioned some past weaponizing of touch, and that you helped her get out of the situation. Thank you for that.”

Henry’s face flushes, and I melt a little at how cute it is. He catches me watching him, and it’s my turn to flush as I glance away. He smells so damn good, I don’t think I can handle making eye contact with him when he’s that cute and smells that good.

“It’s nothing, really. She’s a good kid.

My younger cousin is friends with her, and when she mentioned the situation and we found out she’s over eighteen, it seemed like a no-brainer to have her live here.

She can finish high school here and then do what she wants.

My whole family was supportive of the decision. ”

“It takes a lot to house a new person. Don’t short-change yourself.”

“I’ll try not to, I promise. I might need you to remind me, though.”

“Oh?” I give him what I hope is a flirtatious smile.

His mouth twitches in a smile before he puts a serious face on and nods, “Definitely. Sometimes I just don’t know how good I am. You might have to remind me. Maybe over dinner or drinks.”

Grinning now, I bite my lip before responding, “That does sound nice. I don’t really date, though.”

“We could call it a confidence-boosting seminar.” His smile is full of mischief.

I chuckle, “Not sure I’m qualified for such a prestigious event. Perhaps we’ll have to try and see if I can live up to the reputation you’ve given me.”

“Definitely.”

He moves slowly, giving me a chance to pull away, but I’m curious about what he’s planning to do.

Slowly, his fingers reach out to brush my hair back, not touching my skin at all.

My scent must be strong right now, because I see his nostrils flare as he leans close to breathe me in.

A small purr rumbles through me, startling me out of the moment.

I can’t remember the last time I purred; it’s normally associated with touch, so it’s not something I’m used to doing.

I step back from Henry, and he respectfully leans back and takes his own space, silently giving me what I need.

A grateful smile comes to my face, and now I’m looking forward to more time with him.

His instincts are spot on, and I really appreciate that.

Although I’m grateful for his instinctual need to give me space, I’m still supremely embarrassed by my response to his closeness.

“Sorry, um, I didn’t mean to…”

Henry holds up one hand, palm toward me. “Hey, no need for explanation. I want to respect your space, and if you need more of it, then you need more of it.”

“Just like that?” My voice is small as I ask.

He nods. “Just like that.”

Unsure of what motivates me, I blurt out a thought to him. “I didn’t get much touch as a kid. Um, it’s why I started Touch Helpers.”

Henry’s face is a mix of sorrow and pride. “I’m sorry you had to go through that, but I’m grateful you started this business as a result. Something about you draws me in, and I hope that’s not too forward of me.”

“Thank you,” I reply, unsure of what else to say.

Placing his hands in his pockets, Henry takes another step back before speaking again. “See you next time?”

I open the door and give him a smirk. “Not if I see you first.”

His chuckle follows me out the door, and I find myself very pleased that I made him laugh.