Lonely, (SerenityAlec1 and Hummingbird)

[hummingbird]

The tiny hairs on the back of her neck stood like proud soldiers on parade, and it didn't matter how many times K'rin Johnson rushed her hands down her sturdy, lengthy neck to flatten them either, they weren't having it, the skin there was almost wet with strain-born-sweat, which was awesome and not bloody gross at all, and all cos she'd opted to try the whole pay-some-stranger-to-hold-me thing again, albeit this time with a woman instead of a man, cos the man had been awkward as all get out. Not his fault either, it was on K'rin herself, she'd never laid with a man before, well, she had, but not like that, wrestling with one and laying down with one intimately was a whole other thing; obviously; and besides, most of the time when she was laid down with a man on the mat she was the one in control, yesterday she'd been the vulnerable party and wanted to be, needed to be, really, cos Goddamn was it ever tough to be tough, to always act like things didn't phase her, like hearing the bitch that'd knocked her out say she was a fat dyke that didn't belong in the bantamweight division, let alone the UFC, during their post-fight press conference.

Didn't help her cuddler was a fight fan either, that he'd been shocked and exclaimed, "Holy shit! Big Booty Johnson!" at her when she opened her posh hotel room door, under normal circumstances she wouldn't mind, she had when it first started happening in her early days of MMA, but since signing with the UFC and her eight fight winning streak in the promotion she'd found herself being recognized much more frequently and most people only ever wanted a selfie, it had just put her on edge, that's all, made her worry George, the professional cuddler she'd hired to hold her like a lover for an hour, would go online and let the world know about her sad little need for the sort of services his company provided, she wasn't sure how she'd deal with something like that, the public was so quick to judge in the modern era, sometimes she felt the world was plain damn determined to be offended. There was a sexual aspect to the cuddling too, though there wasn't supposed to be, she'd been told that explicitly and it had put her at considerable ease, she wasn't sure if it was cos of the act of cuddling itself or if George had been throwing her vibes, if it had been the latter she'd soon know, with a Miss. Danari Sturludosomethingeuropean on her way to join her shortly, but if it had been the first, that cuddling was, for K'rin herself if nothing else, a sexual experience, she wasn't sure what she'd do, call it off mid-session like she'd done with George, that she was certain of, it was about her need for the intimacy in the first place she'd have to re-access. Dating was absolutely out of the question, after Selina; the woman she totally didn't find an immediate fondness for cos she shared the first name with one of K'rin's very favorite fictional characters, Selina Kyle, Catwoman; had gone south so bloody badly, not every woman K'rin had dated had been so controlling, so demanding, so hungry for her wealth and a prominent place in her shimmering spotlight, but enough of them had been as of late to put her off online dating and apps, and meeting people out in the real world, when they all, herself included sometimes, had their noses busily buried in their devices was near impossible.

Kirk, one of her kickboxing coaches, had suggested sugar dating and told her of his adventures with a site called seekingarrangement, all of which sounded amusingly similar to her last handful of relationships, with Selina especially, but, he'd said, when the relationship was predicated on the notion of an arranged paid companionship, it was different, certain expectations could be laid out and met with every single meeting, as opposed to wading through the waters of regular relationships with every sense contained by some unseen, heard or felt force, but wasn't that part of the fun in meeting someone and getting to know them? She'd felt it was at the time, but now, standing in the middle of her recently serviced hotel room tying a bowtie while she waited for a woman she was to pay for an hour of cuddling, K'rin wasn't so sure, was cuddling something Kirk laid out in his list of expectations for his sugar women? Likely not, with how raunchy he was in the gym K'rin expected his list was filled scandalous debauchery, not something as intimate as cuddling, it'd be on her list, if she had one, though, along with kissing, she loved kissing, loved all the subtle nuances that came with early kisses and the passion in being devoured by a lusty lady she'd enticed throughout a fun night of dinner, dancing and whatever else.

Satisfied with the tie, with it's placement about her neck, K'rin tugged on the bottom of her beautifully embroidered vest and smoothed it out, rolled up her sleeves and took in a deep breath, held it and backed up a touch to get a glimpse of herself in the mirror, admired how she looked with her gut sucked in then let it go and laughed at herself, went to her bedside table and took out the box of Lindt chocolates she had stowed away there, sat down on her bed and took one out, carefully unwrapped it and was about to enjoy it when the phone to her room rang.

"Hello?" she said and nodded when the receptionist informed her a Miss. Danari Sturludóttir was on her way up, laughed when the receptionist asked if she was still on the line and nodded again, quickly shook her head, he couldn't see her nodding, "Yes, sorry, yes." she said, off to a fine start, "Thank you."

Since she'd already unwrapped the chocolate K'rin popped it into her mouth but didn't savor it as she'd intended to, was too worried about getting her teeth re-brushed, why hadn't she just wrapped the thing back up? Christ. With it swallowed K'rin quickly redid her teeth, washed her hands then dried them on her backside like she always did, now her slacks were wet, swore and blew out a breath at herself in the bathroom mirror, she could just not answer the door, could just be done with it all before it even started, but when the knock came she stood up straight, gave a sing-songy, "Coming!" and sighed, why had she opted to wear all black? Why not a red vest or golden bowtie? Only color she had on was the white of her wingtip shoes, shoes she shouldn't really have on but did cos reasons, and the gold of her watch.

"Okay." she said to herself and pushed off the edge of the bathroom vanity, went to the door of her room, "Okay." she said quietly and took in a deep breath with her eyes closed, held it then opened the door with a bright, captivating smile that did a magnificent job of hiding just how badly she was freaked out.

 

[SerenityAlec1]

The hotel lobby was as nice as Danari expected it to be. She was relieved by the location; the majority of clients wanted to meet in their personal homes, which was always uncomfortable for Danari. She knew that her side job was fairly safe; clients had to pay for a background check to be performed before they were assigned a Cuddler, and all information went through the company first. Danari was required to check in with the company before and after every visit, and she had an app on her phone that let the company track her at all times while she was clocked in. Sexual misconduct was taken very seriously, and not only would any clients that behaved inappropriately be black listed, but the Cuddler would lose their job if they were found to willingly be having relations with a customer. It was all on the up-and-up, exactly as Danari had been assured by her coworker when she started with the company last year. Still, in such an unusual occupation, there were bound to be weirdos, and a hotel at least gave the comfort of knowing that someone would be around to hear her call for help, should the unthinkable happen.

Danari's clients were mostly older people: a few widows, a middle-aged divorcee, an autistic factory worker that was attempting to work past some of his sensory issues. Hiring a Cuddler wasn't exactly cheap, and older people tended to have extra money that the younger generation spent on expensive sports cars and the newest iPhone. Then there were the prank calls, the perverts, and the ones that backed out of it as soon as she showed up at their door. Danari didn't take it personally, and those sorts of customers were few and far apart enough that she could ignore them. The first time Danari was turned down after a mere five minute visit she felt like almost like she had been rejected. She wondered if it was her appearance, if her smile hadn't been kind enough, if she was too direct in her greeting. As it turned out, that customer turned down every single Cuddler in the company for some ridiculous reason--in Danari's case, it was because her eyes weren't quite blue enough. It was an odd job that drew in odd people.

Most of the time, the first visit was awkward. Physical contact made people feel vulnerable, and that wasn't always an easy thing to accept. It was why Danari had work in the first place. If one could go up to any stranger on the street and ask for a cuddle then ComfortingTouch wouldn't exist. There were also expectations to deal with. Some people thought that, because Danari was being paid to meet them, that meant they were entitled to whatever they wanted from her. Some seemed to have the mistaken opinion that ComfortingTouch was really just a ruse for an escort company. It was less than pleasant to have to set those people straight, and it never ended with a tip.

She stared at a painting of a forest reflected in a lake as she waited for the man at the desk to confirm that she was expected. It was just one of those cheap paintings that had been done by millions of artists over the years, hardly unique, but it calmed her some to focus on the shape of the leaves instead of the encounter ahead of her. No matter how many times she did this, the first meeting was always the worst. Her heart beat just a little too fast in her ears. Danari was given the go-ahead and she took the elevator up to the specified floor, sensible black flats padding softly on the beige carpet. She followed the signs to the correct door and knocked smartly on the shiny wood, then stood back and waited. She had only been told her client's first name, K'rin. It was easier to go over details face-to-face rather than go into an appointment with preconceived notions that were incorrect more often than not, so Danari asked only for the basics. She heard a muffled voice from inside and decided her initial impression from the name was correct: definitely female. Finally the door opened and Danari was able to put a face to the name.

The woman was beautiful, and younger than Danari expected. It was easier to deal with older people, in Danari's opinion. They were often just looking for companionship, someone to play the role of a listener in replace of a deceased spouse or estranged child. Sometimes, the younger people (in their forties and below) got their hopes up and requested something that Danari couldn't give. But Danari tried not to judge people on appearances. One of her best clients, one that she had met for one hour on Sunday evenings for the past six months, was younger than Danari and had never made a single untoward move. This client was certainly dressed well, although Danari wondered exactly how comfortable the woman could be in that tie. People often overdressed for the first meeting, like they were going on a date instead of preparing to lounge on a bed or couch for the next hour or two.

Danari always dressed simply: currently, flats, soft grey pants that hugged her hips but allowed for easy movement, and a long-sleeved, dark blue cotton blouse that highlighted her rather modest chest. A silver pendant hung in the valley between her breasts, a simple tree with the branches and roots forming a ring around the trunk. Silver studs decorated her ears and her makeup was understated, just pale foundation that didn't quite cover the freckles across her nose and chapstick that accented her lips a pale pink. Sometimes clients requested that she put something else on when she arrived, like a sweater that belonged to their loved one, or a particular perfume they liked. As long as it seemed harmless enough, Denari would oblige, but she always defaulted to something casual and presentable.

"Hello," Danari greeted with a warm smile, extending her hand for a handshake. It was a bit formal, but she found it easier to break the touch barrier before they actually got into the heart of the matter and went for full-on bodily contact. "I'm Danari from ComfortingTouch. You're K'rin, I presume?" She hoped she was pronouncing the name correctly. Danari considered English her first language, and people normally didn't notice her accent until they talked with her for a while. Her pronunciation was fairly standard except for a few strange vowels or stilted syllables here and there. She had been asked a few times if she was British, Dutch, Swedish, or numerous other countries that were all equally wrong. Danari learned a very long time ago that being offended when people misplaced her nationality was a waste of effort.

 

[hummingbird]

Immediately set at ease by Danari's lack of eager fight fan excitement and easy greeting, K'rin happily confirmed her identity with a smile that transformed from a mere mask to cover her overbearing apprehension of things to come, to a genuine sign of delight, and shook Danari's hand, hers was a rather complicated handshake, though only to those that studied such things. It was bold, like she was, and delicate too, strong from the onset with a mild pull, an innate part of her sportsmanship's need to dominate, that quickly softened, became gentle, and, when her left hand engaged, cupping round the hand she was holding, it was like a quick, but nonetheless warm, hug, a demonstration of her tender amiability, all over in the span of a few quick blinks.

"Come on in, Danari." K'rin said and stepped aside, closed the door behind her guest and didn't lock it, she didn't want Danari to feel trapped, the room, despite it having been K'rin's space for the better part of two months, didn't look as though she'd been there that long at all, a testament to the skill of the hotel's staff and a strong argument in support of their cost, there were of course signs of an occupant however, a rental car fob on the table near a ornamental tray with an opened bottle of chilled red wine and two flutes, five carefully stacked suitcases of varying sizes here or there, a humble heap of slim Catwoman comics on the nightstand held down by a pair of reading glasses, a few coats hung upon handy hangers, carefully cared for sneakers, dress shoes and pretty black flats near the door, and a few things more, like the small folded-fastened-rather-then-whetted envelope on the nightstand K'rin reached for and passed to Danari.

"I'd rather get this out of the way--" she said with a muted hint of unease, the envelope's contents being a major player in the contributing factors that made up her apprehension, the paying of what, undeterred by her own adamant assurances to the contrary, was, in her mind, at best, a taste of the arranged relationships sugar daters adhered by, and at worst, an escort, "I regretted waiting until afterward with George, the gentlemen your company sent yesterday, took his leave."

"He made me uncomfortable and honestly, a little worried." K'rin admitted, "I kind of don't know what I'll do if--" she said and caught herself oversharing, tittered, "Sorry--" she said and her titter matured to a hushed laugh, "That doesn't matter." she said and waved a hand to dismiss her thought, went to the wine, carefully poured some into a flute.

"Would you like a glass?" she asked, holding the flute out, "I'm not a real wine connoisseur but it's nice." she said and shrugged a shoulder, "Least I think so, kind of sweet, like, fruity? I don't know, I like it, no pressure though, of course."

 

[SerenityAlec1]

As Danari returned the handshake, her own slim fingers soft and pliable in K'rin's grip, she felt a small tingle of recognition run through her. She kept the polite smile on her features, but her mind was running with ideas of where she could have seen this woman before. Danari was good with people, as a general rule, and almost never forgot a face, but she couldn't quite put her finger on this one. K'rin's voice struck no chord of memory within her. Danari quickly determined it was better not to ask. While her work was hardly illicit, and Danari wasn't ashamed of what she did in the least, it could be awkward to perform her job if she actually knew the person in question. It was like meeting your old school teacher in the pickle aisle of a grocery store: it was uncomfortable and gave her the distinct impression that she should be ashamed about whatever she was currently doing in life. She learned that lesson the hard way after being hired by the bank teller at the small credit union she used. The poor kid could hardly look at her now when she came in without stammering and blushing.

Danari let her hand drop down to her thigh as she stepped inside, glancing around the hotel room in idle curiosity. She would guess that K'rin hadn't been here for very long, although she also doubted that this room had been rented entirely for Danari's sake. She wondered if there was a chance of a repeat visit or if this was just something to occupy time on a business trip or vacation. At the mention of George, Danari pressed her lips together firmly. ComfortingTouch wasn't exactly the same as a brick-and-mortar company. Her interview had been held in the personnel manager's residence, and as far as she knew, there was no official location for the company. However, there was an application that all the Cuddlers used, to log the time of their visits, submit a very short report after each client (mostly, it was just a single paragraph to assure the company that the client hadn't done anything inappropriate), and a chatroom for the Cuddlers. Danari only knew George through that chatroom, but he could be rather... intense. Danari knew he had gotten in trouble at least twice for hitting on a fellow Cuddler, and he had only been with the company for a couple of months. It was easy to see why K'rin may have been uncomfortable with him.

Danari took the envelope and folded it, placing it in her leather tri-fold wallet before returning it to her front left pocket. She waved a hand at the flute. "Thank you, but I'm fine. I'm afraid I don't hold my alcohol very well." She chuckled. Danari did drink alcohol on the rare occasion, but she never did on the job. Partly for safety, but more because even a small amount of alcohol made her whole face flush an unattractive red, and she would rather put her best foot forward in the hopes of creating a long-term professional relationship, as opposed to the normal clients that only called her once or twice before disappearing. Repeat customers were her bread and butter: better tips, regular schedules, and a steady paycheck.

"If I make you uncomfortable at any point, please tell me." Danari said with a small smile. "A lot of customers like to start out with something simple, like holding hands. We can go at whatever pace you like. There's no reason for us to rush into anything you don't feel comfortable with." Since K'rin had already met George, they would have already gone over the basic rules: no contact with lips, breasts, or genitalia, and if either party wants to stop at either time, no questions are asked and the session is over. Danari had only stopped a session a few times of her own volition, and that was when her customers made it quite clear that what they hired her for wasn't exactly platonic cuddling.