“I’d love to talk for a few minutes and see how you feel about some touch therapy. Would you like to do this in your nest, or is there another place in the house that would be better? It’s totally up to you, whatever you are most comfortable with.”
Ray looks at Henry, and he nods with a smile, reinforcing what I’ve said.
“Umm, I guess the living room couch, I don’t want you in my nest yet.” She looks incredibly nervous as she says it.
I respond with my gentle smile, “No problem at all, I want you to be comfortable over anything else.”
She gives a small smile back and closes her door before coming out a moment later, dressed in lounge pants and a hoodie, most of her skin covered. I make a mental note of that; it’s an indication that she’s not comfortable with skin-to-skin touch quite yet. It’s something we can try to work up to, if thisends up being a good arrangement. If we don’t mesh, I can refer her to one of the two Betas I use for touch therapy.
Letting her lead, we make our way down to a comfortable seating area on the first floor. The couches are plush and soft. Ray grabs a spot and burrows herself into the corner of a couch with some blankets around her. I indicate the spot next to her, and she nods, so I take that as permission to sit next to her.
“Do you want Henry to stay or leave?” I ask, looking only at her.
Her eyes jump between us, and she bites down on her lip as she thinks. It’s pretty clear that she’s trying not to upset anyone.
Henry walks a little closer and kneels down. “How about I stay until you tell me you’re okay without me here?”
She nods, “Yes, please.”
Henry smiles and makes his way to the other side of the room and settles himself into a chair. We sit in the quiet for a moment, Henry scrolling on his phone while Ray and I take each other in. I make a point to settle in a bit more, and I can see Ray relax just a bit more.
“How about I tell you about me?” I ask.
I get a small smile in response, “Sure, I’m not good at small talk.”
“I totally get it,” I tell her, leaning in slightly, “It’s so awkward, am I right?”
That one gets me a full smile, and a warm feeling fills my chest. I love making other people smile. It gives me a sense of accomplishment to see their eyes light up, chasing away any tension or negativity, even if it’s just for a moment.
“Well, you might know, but my name is Josie. I started Touch Helpers, oh, maybe five years ago now. I had a job as a secretary, and when I overheard someone at the office talking about a friend they knew who had touch sickness, I offered to help. Being able to help gave me a sense of purpose, and I startedTouch Helpers. I have two others who help with touch, both Betas. I’m hoping one day I’ll find another Omega to help too, but for now it’s me and two Betas who live together.”
“Live together? Are they mated to each other?” she asks softly.
“No, they’re siblings. They’d both like to find their own Pack someday, but they’re happy with supporting each other for now. They’re both incredibly warm and understanding, so even if you and I don’t work out, you could try one of them.”
She nods thoughtfully. I let her process my words for a few moments to see if she has any questions or further thoughts.
“Can I ask if you’re mated?”
Most Omegas don’t ask me this, so I’m a little thrown, but I don’t mind the question. “People don’t usually ask me that, but I don’t mind telling you. I’m not mated right now. I’ve been happy enough being single, so I’m not looking either.”
“Oh, that’s good.” She seems almost relieved.
“Do you prefer someone unmated?”
“I don’t want someone to use this as an excuse to try and mate me. Does that make sense?”
“Completely. We have a policy in place that if it does ever happen where a Match is found or even just interest in being Pack, we re-evaluate the contract. You make all the decisions on whether you want anything to happen. If you choose to leave my service, I can recommend another one if needed. There aren’t many of us, so we try to work together as much as possible.”
She smiles. “Sounds like you have all the bases covered.”
“I try to, but I’m always up to learn something new if a new situation comes up.”
Ray looks over at Henry, “I’m good if you want to go to another room.”
I look over in time to see him looking at me before catching himself and turning back to Ray. “Okay, I’ll just be a few rooms away if you need me. Just shout.”
“What should we shout?” I ask, waiting to see if either of them takes the bait for some levity.
