Chapter 8 : Tanya Asks for Help

When Danny arrived at Johns on Saturday, John was delighted to see him as usual. They sat at the kitchen table and chatted over a coffee. Danny told him all about their trip to London and how their parents had finally approved of them sleeping together.

John was pleased for them, but his heart dropped at the thought that they would no longer need their room upstairs. Danny spotted something was up right away. Putting two and two together, he said, ‘We’ll still want to come here though, for as long as you’ll have us.’ he said.

John’s spirits lifted immediately. ‘We can let ourselves go more when we’re here,’ he told him. ‘Plus, we really enjoy our threesomes with you. Brilliant as our parents have been, I don’t think they would quite approve of you joining us at home.’ he said with a grin.

John came round the table and hugged him. ‘I know it can’t last forever,’ he said, ‘But I’m so pleased you’ll still be here for a while yet.’ He kissed him, getting a hug and a kiss back from Danny.

As John sat down again, he said, ‘Oh, I nearly forgot. Whilst you were in London, I got a call from Harry. He said to thank you again for all you did and that he and Maureen are deliriously happy.’ Danny could sense a ‘but’ coming.

‘You remember that he was in charge of Maureen and an eighteen-year-old boy at work,’ John said, ‘Well apparently the boy got a better job and moved a few weeks ago. He was replaced last week by a twenty-one-year-old girl. I don’t know any details apart from Harry says she is frightened of him. He seems to think she needs to see you. Apparently, she has agreed to meet you, so if you say its ok, he’ll let her know to come along this morning.’

‘Ok,’ Danny said, ‘Say yes. I’d better go and get some work done in the meantime.’ He went out into the garden whilst John rang Harry. Ten minutes later John came out to tell him that Tanya would be over in half an hour as she had her own car.

‘I’ll do my usual,’ John said, ‘I’ve plenty to do so no rush.’ ‘Oh, by the way.’ Danny said, ‘Lorraine and I will be round tomorrow.’ As he went out the back door, he left John behind with an enormous beam on his face.

Half an hour later Danny’s phone alarm went off. He packed his tools up and headed for the house. He was just drying his hands when he heard John answering the front door. As Danny hung the towel up, John came through, followed by a young lady a little taller than Danny, slightly chubby but with a nice smile.

John introduced them. Danny shook hands and asked her to sit down at the table. John remained standing. ‘Before I go out and leave you to it,’ he said smiling at Tanya, ‘Let me tell you that Danny has a hundred percent success rate at solving people’s problems. People usually arrive here unhappy and leave with a happy spring in their step. Oh, and Danny never ever tells me anything people have told him.’ he added as he left.

As Danny made them both a coffee, he said with a grin, ‘Now you have heard from my fan club, let me tell you myself that nothing you tell me will ever go any further. I’m not here to judge you, just to help so it doesn’t matter what you tell me. Whilst we have our coffee, I’ll tell you what I know about you so far and what the next stage would be if you decided to stay.’

‘Remember you are here because you want to be. You can leave anytime you like. The various stages we go through will not jump out at you unexpectedly. At each stage I will explain precisely what I’m going to do and why. I will only carry on after you tell me to.’

‘Do you understand that, and do you have any questions?’ ‘Yes.’ she said, ‘Thank you.’ ‘You’re very young for this sort of thing.’ ‘That’s true,’ Danny told her. ‘Through a number of circumstances, I found that I had a natural ability to relax people, get them to open up their inner most secrets to me then be able to offer them a solution, which so far has always been successful.’

‘Harry didn’t mention anything about how much it will cost,’ she said. Danny smiled at her, ‘There’s no charge,’ he told her, ‘I’m happy to help people.’ ‘Oh,’ she answered, sounding surprised.

‘To start with I need to get you relaxed and at ease with me enough to be able to tell me things you wouldn’t tell anyone else. The first stage,’ Danny told her, ‘Is that we would go through to the lounge, you would lie on the settee, and I will massage your back whilst I ask you all about yourself.’ He noted a look of fear flit across her face, but she said nothing.

‘Now, all I know about you so far,’ he told her, ‘Is that you work with Harry, your name is Tanya, you are twenty-one years old, and you are frightened of Harry.’

‘It’s not Harry himself,’ she started to say. Danny stopped her. ‘Don’t tell me anything just yet,’ he said. ‘Think about what I’ve told you, then decide if you want to try. Remember if you change your mind at any time, you don’t need to explain why, you can just get up and go. If you do go,’ he added, ‘Should you change your mind later, you will always be welcome to return and try again.’

She thought for several minutes, then said, ‘I don’t think that I can do what you’re suggesting, but I would like to try.’ ‘That’s a good first step,’ Danny told her. ‘Most important is to remember that we move on at your speed not mine.’ He sat quietly waiting. She looked up at him with troubled eyes, ‘Yes please,’ she said, ‘But please don’t be offended if I leave.’

‘Let’s go through to the lounge,’ Danny said. He got up and led the way.

As they both stood there, Danny said, ‘In your own good time, take your shoes off, then lie down on your back.’

‘Once you tell me I can, I’ll come over to sit on the edge of the settee and tell you what happens next.’ Tanya had felt terrified at the thought of coming here this morning, but Harry had spoken so highly of Danny. She also knew well that her problem was ruining her life. If she didn’t do something about it soon, she simply wouldn’t have one.

She took her shoes off and lay down. Danny had remained a few steps away. Once she was settled, she looked at him thinking, he’s so nice and he’s so young, I don’t feel scared quite as much as I did. ‘Ok,’ she said.

Danny noticed that as he came over and sat down, she went very tense. ‘Have you ever had a massage?’ he asked. ‘Once years ago, when I went to a spa for an hour with some girlfriends.’ she told him.’ ‘Was it relaxing,’ Danny asked. ‘Yes, very,’ she said, ‘But it was a lady masseur.’

Danny noted the comment but said nothing. ‘To solve your problem, whatever it is,’ Danny said, ‘I first need you to be able to tell me everything about you. Your home, your family, friends, hopes, dreams, sex life, work. Many things you wouldn’t normally discus with a stranger. Especially a very young stranger.’ He smiled at her. ‘So first I have to get you feeling relaxed and at ease with me so you can do so.’

‘Now, I don’t want to delve into your problem until we have achieved that, but I have already picked up a few things that lead me to think your problem involves you experiencing fear. Let me assure you that nothing will happen in here that will hurt you in any way. If you need to pause for a while, just say stop. If you do, I will not only stop whatever I am doing, I will move over to the armchair so that you don’t feel blocked in, ok?’

She gave him a slight smile, ‘Thank you,’ she said. ‘Now what I want you to do first is to turn over on your front. Then I will place my hands on the back of your head and massage gently down to your feet and back again. Whilst I do that, I will start to ask you about yourself. If I ask you anything you feel is too awkward to answer just yet just say pass and I’ll move on. Take as long as you like, then turn over when you feel ready.’

Tanya lay looking up at him. She was already feeling easier with him, but she didn’t know what she would do when he put his hands on her. Deciding she would get nowhere if she didn’t try, she turned over.

Danny let her get settled, then he said, ‘When you feel ok about me putting my hands on your head, say ok. I won’t touch you until then.’ He sat patiently waiting. After a few moments, she said, ‘Ok.’ Danny rested his hands on the back of her head. He felt her go tense, so he held his hands still.

‘I’m going to start massaging your head,’ Danny told her. ‘Get used to the sensation first. I won’t start down until you say go.’ He massaged the back of her head gently. As he did, he asked. ‘Tell me about where you live now.’