William checked the address on the piece of paper and looked at the building in front of him; fifty-four twenty-six west Orion. He stopped in front of a security speaker system and pressed the call button.
"Yes?" Came a quiet, female voice.
"Umm, yeah, yes, hi, hello, uh, my name is William, William Bertrand, I have an appointment with Miss Lavande?"
A loud 'click' sounded from the gate and William pulled it open and stepped inside. He had never seen anything like it; it was as if he were transported instantly to another country. The fence that surrounded the property was iron flanked with bamboo on either side. He was standing on a granite bridge which led him over a koi pond and cascading waterfalls to a pair of shoji doors. As if on cue the doors slid open and revealed a young woman clad in a long black silk robe with a scarlet sash around her waist.
"Please come with me," she said and turned abruptly, walking through a second pare of doors and into a center courtyard. The building was in the shape of a large rectangle with multiple rooms along the exterior. They walked quickly along the wooden floors, passing room after room. All of the doors were closed, and though he could hear nothing more than gurgling fountains mixed with classical music, he sensed that none of the rooms were empty.
The woman had led him three quarters of the way around the rectangle, and then turned away from the courtyard and down a narrow path. At the other end was yet another Japanese-style structure. The young woman tapped lightly at the paper doors before sliding them open.
"Please take off your shoes and your jacket," she said to him. He obliged and she set the items neatly at his feet before ushering him into the room. When he turned back to ask her a question, she shut the screen decisively between them; he was alone, or so he thought.
"Mr. Bertrand," he heard a soft voice. He spun around. Olivia Lavande stood next to her cherry wood desk wearing a lavender and yellow robe with black obi sash. Her long, waist length hair was parted in the middle and was pushed back from her face revealing the curve of her neck. She stepped forwards and stretched out her hand. "It's wonderful to meet you."
"Thank you for agreeing to see me," he said, shaking her hand; he was suddenly aware that his palms were sweating.
"Please sit down," she said, taking her own seat behind the desk, "what can we help you with?"
"My naturopath referred me. Well, ah, let's see. I have been suffering severe neck pain. I've tried everything; medications, acupuncture, massage therapy, traction, even. Nothing works, and I do mean nothing. I had an x-ray and MRI and all of that, there is no problem that can be seen with the naked eye. I can't sleep, I can't sit up for long periods of time...my work, is beginning to suffer. Dr. Li said that I should consider your services."
"I see," Olivia said smiling.
"I'm sorry, I don't mean to be rude, I'm just not familiar with your facility. Dr. Li only said that this is a wellness center. What exactly do you do here?"
"That is true, we are a wellness center. We focus on the mind, body and spirit and have many different therapies and techniques available, which are rare at the least and non-traditional at best."
"How will you know if you can help me?"
"You will decide if we can help you, Mr. Bertrand. Please, come with me." Olivia stood and walked past him to the southern wall, and slid two paper screens open and stepped into a much smaller room; a paper lantern sat in each corner. She moved to a low, black table and knelt in front of it, dipping her hands into a large white porcelain bowl. Without looking at him she said, "please remove your shirt."
William hesitated for just a moment; he hated taking off his clothes, hated being examined, and above all, wasn't sure how comfortable he was in this place, with this woman. Nonetheless, he unbuttoned his shirt and took it off. Olivia dried her hands, stood, walked to him and took the shirt from him. She walked behind him and hung it from a hook on the wall. William stood nervously, unsure of what to expect. She turned again and moved directly behind him.
"I am going to examine your neck," she said, her breath tickling his spine.
"It's the-"
"It is the left side that is bothering you."
How did you know that?" he asked.
She was quiet for a moment, and then said, "please close your eyes, Mr. Bertrand. I want you to breathe deeply, in through your nose, out through your mouth, until I have finished."
"Alright," he said, then closed his eyes and began to breathe as deeply and calmly as he could. He waited, but felt nothing. He took a few more deep breaths, but still she hadn't touched him.
After a few minutes of breathing, he felt a strong heat on the left side of his neck, but he wasn't sure what it was; hands? Heating pad? Warm cloth? As the heat intensified in his neck, a strong, sharp pain flew down his back and stopped in his left thigh. William doubled over, grabbing his leg, nearly falling to his knees.
"Wha-what was that?" As quickly as the pain had come, it was gone. "What did you do?"
"I would like for you to put your shirt back on. I will wait for you in the next room."
A few minutes later William was again sitting across the desk from Olivia Lavande, rubbing his neck self consciously. "I don't understand? I felt something touch me, it was hot."
"That was your energy, the same energy that is causing you pain. It is energy that needs to be released."
"Energy?" she nodded. William was familiar with the concept of energy within the human body, but this was leaving him with an unsettled feeling.
"You said that your work is beginning to suffer, is that right?" William nodded. "Well what about your personal life?"
"What about it?"
"Is it suffering?"
"What do you mean?"
"Intimacy, Mr. Bertrand."
"Intimacy? You mean...no...no, I'm not married."
"Girlfriend?"
He shifted his weight. "No."
"Sexual partner?"
"What? No, why are you asking me these questions? What does this have to do with my neck?"
Olivia came around the desk and stood in front of William with her hands folded together. "In the 1950s Robert Kinsey, a scientist who first explored human sexuality in any detail, described the orgasm as, 'an explosive discharge of neuromuscular tension'. Repressed sexual energy can have a tremendous impact on our bodies. It can cause great joy, and if not attended to properly, it can also cause great stress, even pain. I think that your naturopath suspected this, and that is why you were sent here." William felt his face redden. "Do you recall the last time you had an orgasm Mr. Bertrand?"
"I...wait, what?"
"If you're not in a relationship, how often do you self-stimulate?"
"I...I don't think I am comfortable with this," William said, standing from his chair.
"Is sex something that makes you uncomfortable, generally?"
"I'm referring to this conversation; this is highly irregular and extremely personal. I thought I was here about my neck?"
"Everything we discuss is confidential, and I promise you, if addressed properly it can heal your problem." William searched the tatami straw mat beneath his feet for some measurement of clarity; what the hell was going on? Suddenly Olivia raised her right hand above his head; she closed her eyes and took a few long, slow breaths before opening them again. William was overwhelmed with the urge to bolt from the room, but had somehow become transfixed by the woman before him. She slowly, very slowly brought her palm down in front of his face, but she did not touch him. Just as her hand was in front of his throat, William felt a tingling sensation atop his head. She continued moving her hand down in front of his chest, and the sensation followed and turned hot and cold and the same time. His chest felt that it would explode and he took in a sharp breath. Olivia was not fazed by his reaction, and continued to pull her hand down in front of his belly. As it passed in front of his waist, William felt a shudder down his spine and gasped loudly, then stepped back from her, unable to contain the reaction between his thighs. "How- what did you do to me?" he exclaimed, his legs feeling weak.
"It is just energy coming into contact with energy, Mr. Bertrand. "You do not need to be afraid."
"I'm not afraid. I'm not. But look, Miss Levande, right? I appreciate you taking the time to see me, I do, I'm sure you are extremely busy, but this isn't what I came here for, this isn't going to help me."
Olivia folded her hands together again and smiled. "Then you are ready to go." She said.
"I...yes, yes I am."