"Only that you can fix a lot of things that normal medical practitioners can’t. And everyone in town says you’re the best."
"I wouldn’t go that far. I always tell my patients that my services are an additional way to improve their health and restore balance. But I would never, ever suggest you give up on your normal medical care. The best of the East and the West together—that's how I see modern medicine. Ancient practices, too. There was a lot of wisdom in the old ages that we ignore to our detriment."
Either he was sincere or a great actor. I glanced around discreetly, to check for anything he could use to cast a little magic. I couldn’t see anything suspicious, although that could have been because I lacked the experience. “How long have you been working in Willowmere?" I asked.
"A bit over nine months," he said. "I decided the big city life was a little too hectic for my taste.” He leaned back, clearly at ease.
I let Cosmo out. He threw himself at my feet and busied himself being absolutely adorable. I hoped he had a built-in mood detector because I could not read Brad.
Brad smiled at me. "Now, Bex, do you have any underlying health issues that I should know about? Like I said, Reiki is not a silver bullet solution. It can absolutely change your life, but only if it's used wisely."
I'd done a little bit of research before I came here, so I tried to look deflated. "Apart from my perimenopausal issues, there’s nothing wrong with me. Only all the stress I’ve been through lately is getting to me. I have trouble sleeping. I have trouble relaxing for more than a few minutes."
I didn’t want to overdo it—he’d seen me having fun with my friends before.
He reached out but stopped a few inches from touching my hand. "No wonder. You've been through a lot. And our society, our pace of life, isn't exactly easy on most of us."
"Thank you," I said.
"I heard you’re recently divorced."
“News travels fast.” I bit my tongue.
"It's a small town, and people care. That's what I love about Willowmere. We care about our neighbors, about the environment. You never have to be lonely. And believe me, I have been pretty lonesome in the city."
"Now that I find hard to believe," I said with a slight chuckle.
"It's true," he insisted. "It's one thing to have company or to have people being interested in you—as a man, or in your case, a woman—and another to have them interested in you as a human, you know?"
That was surprisingly astute. Not many men I’d met made the distinction between physical attraction and deep human connection.
"Enough about me," he said. "I’m sure that I will be able to help you relax. Now, there are two ways to do Reiki. Some people prefer the physical touch to balance their energies and restore the free flow of their life force. Others prefer it a little more hands-off."
"Oh," I said. "I had no idea. What is your experience? What works best?"
"To be honest, a little light touch is an excellent conduit of energy. But to be clear, it’s only that – a light touch."
"Of course," I said. "I wouldn't have—I mean, you're not a massage therapist."
"Exactly," he said. "I’m so glad you understand. I wouldn't have expected anything less from an empathetic, educated woman like you."
I basked a little in his words until I reminded myself that they might as well be a well-practiced spiel to suck me in.
"Shall we start?" he asked.
Cosmo nodded his head.
"By all means," I said.
His treatment couch would have done justice to any shrink's office. It was so comfortable, it would be hard not to nod off, I thought as I lay down.
Brad switched on a soothing light, aimed at “restoring my natural harmony”.
"It’s calibrated to copy the most soothing stage of sunlight," he said.
He started waving his hands a few inches above my body, gently, making circles with them. Soft music played in the background. There were no discernible tunes—just a feeling of harmony.
I felt my body grow heavy. Then Brad touched my arms with a barely-there touch. He moved on to my forehead. His skin was warm on mine, yet I felt nothing but calm.
