Chapter 6 #4
‘Uh-huh.’ She really didn’t want the spell – if that’s what it was – to end.
‘Would you mind turning over for the next set of positions? Carefully. Don’t slip off the couch.’
‘Mmm. ’K.’ Still feeling delightfully dopey, Mia rolled over.
Aiden’s hands moved slowly until they rested low in the small of her back.
The warmth focussed there, increasing and growing until it became almost uncomfortable, then – just when she was about to squirm – something that wasn’t exactly a part of her popped and she was flooded by another wave of hot goosepimples.
‘That’s better.’ Aiden’s murmur sounded like it came from much further away than was possible as his hands warmed and soothed, and Mia drifted away.
Aiden stepped away from the table and took a few moments to ground himself. Mia sighed softly, and he smiled. She really was someone quite special. ‘Mia’ – he spoke softly – ‘come back to the room.’
She grumbled something unintelligible, and Aiden chuckled, sat down and started writing up his notes. After a few minutes she shifted and raised her head to look around.
‘Welcome back. How do you feel?’
‘Umm. Good, I think. Maybe a little odd?’
‘Take your time moving,’ he advised. ‘You might be a little disorientated for a few moments. Do you want some water?’
‘Yes please,’ she murmured sleepily.
By the time Aiden came back, Mia was sitting on the edge of the treatment couch and yawning as she stretched. ‘Thanks.’
‘How are you feeling now?’
‘I think I’m still figuring that out.’ Mia stared at the glass he gave her for a couple of seconds before remembering what to do with it. ‘That was way more intense than I expected. Lighter. I feel lighter.’ She stood and stretched again. ‘And is it weird if I say a bit taller too?’
‘Maybe not. I noticed you were carrying some tension in your lower back.’
‘You released it. When my back got really warm and then sort of popped.’ She wriggled to test it. ‘But I don’t understand…’
‘Reiki.’ He shrugged.
‘Well, it’s effective. What do I owe you for today?’
‘For a favour you’re doing me? Nothing.’
‘Aiden, please, it was hardly a favour.’
‘Nothing,’ he repeated, more firmly. ‘I wouldn’t charge a friend for something that costs me nothing, and I’m still in training.’
‘I guessed you might say something like that.’ Mia reached into her bag and drew out a small cake tin. ‘I’m nowhere near your level, but I thought you might appreciate this anyway.’
Aiden flicked the lid up with the edge of his thumb and took a sniff of the dark loaf nestled inside and fixed Mia with a look. ‘Banana bread?’
‘Technically it’s more of a cake,’ she deadpanned.
‘As a thank you?’
‘Yes.’
‘Should I ask whether or not these bananas might have been used in certain… demonstrative situations?’
‘Only if you really want me to answer.’ She grinned.
‘In that case, you’d better have time for a brew and a slice. I’m not eating it alone!’
‘Fine way to respond to a gift.’ She laughed again.
‘Come on, Princess.’ He led her back into the shop, which was a lot dimmer than usual.
‘How late is it?’
‘Just gone six-thirty.’ Rayenne was back in the corner, tidying up from the spell bag craft session. ‘Ophelia’s already gone upstairs, but I wanted to see how it went. What did you think of reiki with Aiden?’
‘It was very relaxing.’
‘She brought cake. I was just about to put the kettle on, if you didn’t mind us hanging here a bit longer?’
‘You’re welcome to stay, but I’m heading home. Goodnight.’
‘Maybe you should have saved your reiki for her,’ Mia pondered, watching Rayenne retreat. ‘She seems tired.’
‘It’s been a busy period,’ Aiden admitted. ‘But I’m doing my best to look after them both.’
‘So, if you’ve been looking after them, and the shop, and customers, and now me, who’s looking after you?’
The question – and the kindness in those brown eyes – caught him off guard, hitting him harder than he’d have expected.
And Mia didn’t even know half of what he was dealing with.
For a second or two he was tempted to answer – really answer – the question no one had thought to ask him in…
he couldn’t remember how long. But then he’d have to think about things he usually avoided.
And he still didn’t know how he felt about the thing he wasn’t allowed to tell her.
It was easier, safer, and a lot more fun to flirt, so he grinned.
‘In case you didn’t notice, I’m a big boy.
I don’t need much taking care of… except for a few things.
’ He reached over her to grab the cups off the shelf.
‘Are you offering to help me with any of those?’
‘Sure.’
‘Really?’
‘Sure. If by “those things” you mean feeding you cake which includes ingredients that may or may not have been wrapped in something having a passing resemblance to cling film.’
Aiden chuckled and went back to making the tea.
‘Or lolling on a bed while your hands work their magic on me.’ There was another one of those grins he couldn’t help returning.
‘What if I said I was thinking about pouring warm oil on your bare skin and rubbing you for hours?’
Mia froze for a second, before slamming the knife down into the cake.
Aiden gulped. Calmly, Mia dished the chunk – he couldn’t call it a slice – onto a plate and held it out to him.
When he reached for it, she pulled it away.
‘I would have to assume you’re talking about a new skill set for Glimmers, because I’m quite sure we’d agreed last week was a one-off. ’
‘Obviously.’ He laughed as he stole the cake straight off the plate. ‘Rayenne’s suggested I could look at reflexology too.’
‘But you’re not convinced?’ Mia dished up a far neater slice of cake for herself while he bit into his.
‘You sold your talents short. This is good.’
‘It’s probably the banana wrapper flavourings.’
He choked, laughing, and Mia had to thump his back before he could properly catch his breath. When he did, he glanced at her, throat aching. ‘I was wrong. Being smacked by you isn’t as much fun as I imagined.’
She rolled her eyes. ‘So, you don’t think reflexology is for you? Because I’ve got to say, if you’re even half as good at it as you were the reiki, I think you’ll do really well.’
‘Thanks for the vote of confidence.’ He toyed with what was left of his cake. ‘But it’s not that simple. There’s a lot more academic learning with reflexology, and I don’t know if I want to go back into a classroom.’
‘Reiki wasn’t like that?’
‘It’s a lot more focussed on energy. Of course there’s learning, but it seems intuitive. With reflexology it’s – quite literally – a lot more hands-on, so I’d have to learn a lot more about how the body works.’
‘Not always a bad thing,’ Mia mused.
‘You’d happily go back to school, would you?’
‘I’m a nurse.’ Mia laughed. ‘We do continuous professional development all the time. I’ve just finished my accreditation for advanced wound care – I can give patients literal stitches now.’
‘As well as the metaphorical ones from your wicked sense of humour.’
‘I love that you get me.’ She grinned. ‘If it’s just the studying putting you off, I can help. Quiz you on basic anatomy and teach you memory tricks.’
‘Like what?’
‘Um…’ She thought for a moment, then laughed. ‘I know one you’ll like. Some lovers try positions that they can’t handle.’
‘I thought we’d agreed last week was a one-time-event.’
She rolled her eyes. ‘Hand.’ She took it when he offered, turned it over in hers and tapped the fingers of her other hand across the back of his hand.
‘The carpal bones: scaphoid, lunate, triquetrum, pisiform, trapezium, trapezoid, capitate and hamate. Or’ – she tapped them again – ‘Some. Lovers. Try. Positions. That. They. Can’t. Handle.’
‘You’d really help me study? I’m not always the fastest of learners.’
‘I know that,’ Mia teased, her fingers still warm under his. ‘You’re still flirting with me even though it’s pointless.’
‘Is this you telling me I’m starting to bother you?’
‘Nah. Still amusing.’ She squeezed his hand.
‘And it still makes you smile. So, not pointless.’ He squeezed back before pulling away.
They sat in easy, companionable quiet for a while until Mia looked at him. ‘When you said reflexology is more hands-on, do you mean because it’s more massage and pressure whereas reiki is gentler?’
‘Yes. And in reiki you don’t touch your patient much.’
‘But that’s when you’re fully trained? You were touching me a lot today.’
‘Not really.’ He shook his head.
‘But my lower back… when you did the popping thing… you were touching me then.’
‘Nope.’
‘Really. You weren’t touching my lower back?’
‘Really, I wasn’t.’
‘Huh.’ She sipped her tea thoughtfully.