“Oh, Care Bear.” He had called her that since they were kids. She loved the way it sounded rolling off his tongue. “A guy doesn’t need fancy boats and dinners to impress you. A causal night out with beer and sloppy food, maybe a sporting event, that’s what makes you tick.”
“Well, Obi-Wan...is that what you would do?”
“Hell, yes! If I had the opportunity to take you out I would definitely not blow it with a boat cruise. Cheesy.” He elongated the word to get his point across.
“I guess I’ve been dating the wrong guys.”
“I think you have. You should do something about that, Care Bear.” He ran his finger along the round collar of her shirt. Her quick intake of breath caused him to lift his eyes. They grew dark. Something was different. They were almost lustful. But just as quick as the intensity appeared it disappeared. With a smirk, he backed away and whispered, “Good night.”
Mind racing, heart thumping, Carrie slumped further down the wall. Where did that come from? Aleks had never been so blatant. Was it blatant? Maybe he was just concerned she would end up with a loser. Maybe it was a prompt to get her to date more, to get her to move on.
Carrie had the perfect opportunity to proposition him, but his actions had scrambled her brains. How was she ever going to follow through?
She lay on her bed, enjoying the tingle in her body that he left in his wake. Good thing Carrie had retrieved her box of sex toys from the basement before Aleks moved in. She was going to need them tonight.
Chapter 3
Aleks laid on the massage table, his back molded onto the soft leather that was covered with a white sheet. His eyes were closed, but he could hear Amie breathing in and out as she stood at the head of the table. Aleks cheated and opened one eye to see her pointer finger moving confidently, drawing in the air. Amie had explained to him during their second session that she was drawing the ancient Reiki symbols. She must have completed the third round of drawings because she placed her hands at the side of his head, wrists together, fingers barely touching his temple.
The flow of energy that passed through his body never ceased to amaze him. It was like a summer breeze that seeped from her hands.
Their sessions were shorter now. The first time he’d laid on this table, an hour and a half later, Amie still hadn’t finished.
She moved her hands from his head to his neck, her fingers forming a tent around his throat. She continued her treatment down to the rib cage, back and forth strokes across the abdomen, then smooth v-shaped strokes around the groin. Aleks wasn’t supposed to be watching, but he found it fascinating how different he felt. Centered. Focused. Not to mention the complete 180 he tried to ignore in regards to his feelings for Carrie. But most importantly, it seemed as if the blinders he had been wearing were ripped away and he was seeing his future clearly for the very first time. How was Amie able to make these changes with a simple touch? Correction, without a touch. Her hands never touched his body, they hovered.
When she was done, he sat up.
“Are you excited that this is the last time I’ll be using you as a guinea pig?” Amie went to the small sink in the corner and washed her hands. Today, their session was at the Lotus Flower, the yoga studio that employed both Amie and Martina.
Aleks felt his face curl up in confusion. “Yes and no.”
“What do you mean?”
“Well...” He ran his hands through his hair. “I’m glad we’re done because you’re really freaky with this whole spirit-health-chakra stuff.”
“I’m going to take that as a compliment even though you called me a freak.” She giggled.
No matter what Aleks said, even if it was negative, Amie never took offense. “And no?” “No, because...because I do feel different.”
Amie roughly dried her hands on a white towel. “What kind of different?” “Happier. Relaxed. Focused.”
“Why didn’t you say anything before?” She cocked her head to the side and placed a hand on one hip.
“Admit that this freaky stuff might work?”
“Clearly, it does work.” She leaned her hip against the counter.
“What exactly does this do again?”
“Reiki is energy therapy. It balances you emotionally, physically, mentally and spiritually. Basically, I’m helping you find your right path.”
He still didn’t really understand. Amie must have noticed the confused look on his face because she continued. “I’m getting rid of all of your crap.”
“Why did you pick me anyway?”
“I flipped a coin.” She shrugged.
“Be serious. Why did you pick me?” Aleks needed to know. The strange thoughts and
feelings he was having as a result of these sessions were coming from left field.
“If I tell you, you’re just going to think I’m more of a freak.”
“No, I won’t. I promise.” He loved Amie. No matter how flaky she may be, she was still one of his best friends.
“My Spirit Guide told me to pick you.”
Aleks was expecting some weird justification but not this weird. “Your Spirit Guide?” “See, you think I’m a freak.”
“No! I don’t. I just didn’t know there was such a thing as a Spirit Guide.”
“Yes. I have a Spirit Guide, and she told me you needed help. Do you know how messed up you were when we started? Your one, two, four and five chakras were completely blocked.” “Are they still blocked?”
“Nope. I fixed that. Frankly, I’m a miracle worker.” She put away some massage oils that were sitting on the counter beside the sink. Her long, blond hair, tied back in a ponytail, swung from side to side. “You resisted at first. You’ve been a challenge, Turko, but I think you’re finally seeing clearly.”
“Just what exactly am I seeing clearly?”
He saw the change in her eyes, from calm healer to mischievous meddler. “How’s your sex life?”
“What does that have to do with this?” By the expression on her face, Aleks knew she demanded an answer, and he sighed in resignation. “You never were one to hold back.”
“So...”
“My sex life is fine.”
“Fine? Aleks Turko doesn’t have just a fine sex life.”
“Lately, it’s just fine.” Aleks felt a little off his game. Uninterested. His quantity of women
had taken a significant hit. All because of the weird thoughts that kept shifting his focus. “I’ve been feeling...”
“What?”
“Nothing. Forget it.”
“Come on, you can tell me,” Amie coaxed.
“I feel very aware of certain things. Things I’ve never thought before.” Like wanting to have sex with Carrie. Like wanting to have a life with Carrie. “I feel like I’ve been reprogrammed.” Saying the words out loud felt good, as if acknowledging his thoughts made him seem less crazy, but it also made Aleks realize a very important fact. “These things I’m thinking, those would be your doing. You put them there.”
“You make it sound like I’m some alien probing your brain.” Amie jumped up on the table beside him. “Look Aleks, Reiki can be a powerful thing, and if you’re open to it, it can help you figure out exactly who you are and what you want.”
Aleks laid back on the table and