"I'll hold hands with you!" Elizabeth smiled at Kat. "Anytime."
Kat gave Elizabeth a warm smile. "Thanks. I might take you up on that."
"I think those people exist," Sandra said, completing her row and glancing at Kat. "They charge hourly."
"What are you talking about?" Elizabeth chuckled, shaking her head.
"Very funny, Sandra." Fiona gave Sandra a patient smile.
"It's true," Sandra defended, her eyes wide. "They're called professional cuddlers. We have them here, in Chicago. They'll come to your apartment, or sometimes you meet in a studio with a bunch of other cuddlers, or even a hotel."
I wrinkled my nose, swapping a disbelieving stare with Kat.
But then Janie said, "She's right. It's a real thing. Check out cuddlebuddies. And there's a book called The Cuddle Sutra."
"You're making this up." Kat's eyes bounced between Janie and Sandra.
"No. We're not. I swear." Sandra shook her head vehemently.
"She's not making it up," Alex said, strolling out of the kitchen. "There're even professional dry humpers in New York and I think a few in Los Angeles."
My mouth fell open in shock while Elizabeth, Kat, Fiona, and I blinked at each other.
"I think you mean prostitutes," Greg offered dryly.
"No." Alex almost smiled-almost-and met Greg's sardonic glare. "Not prostitutes."
"You're telling me people pay for this? Cuddling and dry humping with no penetration?" Greg was just as disbelieving as the rest of us. "Sounds like a complete waste of resources."
I only forgave him that comment because I knew Greg. I knew he was being purposefully obtuse to make a point. He often did this: espouse opinions that were the opposite of what he believed in order to make a point.
"Yes. That's what we're telling you," Janie responded. "Clients pay by the hour, or fraction of an hour. Based on The Washington Post article I read, most cuddlers have regular clients and the idea is grounded in the same foundation as touch therapy and Reiki, only with less oversight and training in most cases."
Kat sighed loudly, drawing my attention to her. Her expression was one part confused and one part distressed. "That's so sad."
"What's sad?" Sandra asked evenly.
"That a person would resort to paying for cuddling, for human touch." Kat now looked completely distressed.
"I don't know. I think it makes a lot of sense." Sandra moved her attention to her knitting as Alex sat next to her. "And I don't consider it sad, necessarily. Think about the elderly for instance, those with no family. Cuddling, holding another person's hand, can bring so much comfort. Babies need it in order for their brain to develop correctly. And if a person is alone in the world, why shouldn't they have an opportunity to receive that comfort?"
Janie nodded. "And what about people who don't have time for a relationship? Or aren't ready for one?" Her tone was thoughtful-more like pre-pregnancy Janie-as she philosophized. "Human touch, affectionate touch in particular, has been shown to be necessary for sustained happiness. If a person can't be in a relationship for whatever reason, professional cuddlers provide a valuable service."
Once again, Kat and I shared a glance, likely because we were the only two single people in the room.
Kat swallowed and I saw she did so with some effort, a flash of something like pain shadowing her expression. She then cleared her throat, her gaze lowering to her yarn. "I guess, when you put it like that, professional cuddlers are a better choice than other behaviors, which might be seen as destructive."
"Exactly," Janie said. "All things considered, I believe paying a professional for a defined service-where expectations are clear-cut-is far superior to using another person for physical contact and potentially engaging their feelings with no plans for reciprocation."
"Well, yeah. I guess I see your point." Elizabeth's tone was serious, almost grave, and her stare became unfocused. "After the death of a loved one, for example . . ."
"Sorry," Ashley piped up, "but no. It still sounds creepy to me. I wouldn't want some stranger paying me to touch them, even for therapeutic reasons."
"Says the nurse," Alex teased.
"Ha, ha. Well played." Ashley gave him a face even through her laughter, and their banter broke the somewhat tense moment.
"You ladies always have the most enlightening conversations," Greg said, stroking his chin as he moved his narrowed gaze over the room.