Free Cathy Hopkins - [Mates, Dates 05] by Dates Mates, Sole Survivors (Html)

Sense of humour? Tick. Into fashion? Tick.
    Izzie sat watching us
with a sly smile, like she was a satisfied mother whose children were playing
happily together.
     
     
     
     
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    Shiatsu
Shmiatsu
     
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    Izzi’e was the first to
point it out.
    ‘He’s
exactly
the boy on your wish list,’ she whispered as we sat at the back of an
aromatherapy demonstration in the morning. ‘He’s gorgeous, medium build,
fit-looking, sense of humour.’
    ‘But he may have a
girlfriend, for all we know,’ I said, taking one of the bottles of oils that
was being passed round and inhaling deeply.
    Izzie grinned. ‘He
hasn’t. I asked him when you went to get your fleece after breakfast.’
    ‘
Izzie’
I
said. ‘What will he think?’
    ‘He likes you,’ she
said. ‘He asked loads of questions about you. And he doesn’t live far from us.
His mum runs a clinic in Chalk Farm, so they’re just down the road.’
    ‘Really?’ I glanced
over at Daniel, who was sitting two rows in front. Could Izzie’s wish list
really have worked?
    After the aromatherapy
session, Chris taught us a Chinese form of self-massage called Do-In. It was
hilarious, as the technique seemed to consist of us having to beat ourselves
up. Sort of.
    ‘Clench your hand into
a fist,’ said Chris, ‘and with a loose wrist, tap along the top of your
shoulder, the side of your neck and as far down your back as you can reach.’
    We all did as we were
told, tapping along our shoulders, then legs and arms and it did seem to wake
us all up. Everyone appeared to be in a better mood afterwards and the
atmosphere had lightened considerably since yesterday. Daniel kept catching my
eye and making daft faces as though he was in agony every time he hit himself.
    Next we did shiatsu
massage on our faces. We learned various points to press on, along the temple,
jaw line and the sinuses, and I started to feel really good.
    ‘This is brilliant,
isn’t it?’ said Izzie, prodding along her eyebrow line. She seemed to be
enjoying it all immensely.
    I nodded and looked
over at Daniel. Maybe the workshop had something to offer after all.
     
    Next on the schedule
was reflexology and, as in the massage class the day before, Chris told us to
pair off. Great, I thought, this time I’ll be with Izzie instead of Heavy
Hands. But Izzie saw Daniel glance over at me and she turned to Moira.
    ‘How about I go with
you?’ she asked her, then called to Daniel. ‘Hey Daniel, Lucy needs a partner.’
    I went scarlet.
Sometimes my friends have no shame. Daniel came straight over. Til do you
first,‘ he said. ’Lie back and take your trainers off.‘
    I lay on the mat and
went even redder as he slid my socks off and dusted my feet with talc.
    He smiled as he held
my feet in his hands. ‘Little feet.’
    ‘I know,’ I said. ‘I
hate being so small sometimes. All my friends are really tall. I’m the midget.’
    ‘Good things come in
small packages,’ he said, still smiling. ‘Personally, I like small girls.’
    Ohmigod! I thought, as
I mentally ticked off another thing on the wish list - likes petite.
    As he followed his
mum’s instructions, I closed my eyes and drifted off into seventh heaven. His
touch was so different to Prudence’s. He was gentle and firm at the same time.
I must add this to my list, I thought. Boy who can do a good foot massage.
    ‘You’ve done this
before, haven’t you?’ I asked.
    He nodded. ‘Mum taught
me. It’s nice, isn’t it?’
    I nodded. ‘Heaven.’
    After twenty minutes,
we swopped places and I was relieved to find that his feet were clean with neat
toe-nails. It would have been such a disappointment if he’d ha,d smelly feet
like my brother Lai’s. I began the massage and glanced at his face to make sure
I wasn’t pressing too hard. He was lying back with his eyes wide open, looking
up at me. I blushed furiously as a bolt of electricity went straight through
me.
    ‘Close your eyes,’